Country Living UK January 2022

As I write this letter, we are all about to head ‘home for the holidays’ and enjoy a proper break from the hurly-burly of work and everyday life. The Country Living office closes over the festive period (I know, we’re lucky) and it’s one of the few times that we switch off our screens, shut up our laptops and see family and friends. Eventually, we all slow down, but that gear change isn’t easy or immediate and sometimes the frenzy leading up to Christmas can be overwhelming. If this resonates with you, I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading De-Frazzle Your Festivities on page 133, where the team share how, each year, they manage to stop seasonal stress in its tracks. Their inspiring tips focus around one important theme: living in the moment.…

With its black-and-white stripy legs and red-and-black spotted abdomen, the ladybird spider looks like it has scuttled out of a fairy tale. Found on lowland heath, it was considered extinct for 70 years until a population of seven was discovered in Dorset in 1980. Since then, efforts to boost numbers have been successful, with 14 ‘clutters’ now established, totalling nearly 1,000 invertebrates. Most are in RSPB Arne Nature Reserve, where you can go spider spotting or walk through an interactive web installation to learn more (rspb.org.uk).…

THE DOG AND GUN, CUMBRIA Fuel up after a yomp on the fells with ale and goulash at this beamed inn (greeneking-pubs.co.uk). THE ROYAL STANDARD OF ENGLAND, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE England’s oldest freehouse (right), this Beaconsfield warren of wonky beams offers cheer on chilly days (theoldestpub.com). THE COVE HOUSE INN, DORSET Enjoy a pint at this Portland pub overlooking the 16-mile Chesil Beach (thecovehouseinn.co.uk). THE BUSH INN, VALE OF GLAMORGAN Cosy up beside the huge inglenook fireplace of this 16th-century tavern (bushinn-sthilary.com). THE STEIN INN, SKYE Tucked into the rugged folds of the Waternish Peninsula, Skye’s oldest pub has a roaring fire and an extensive whisky selection (thesteininn.co.uk).…

Last January, residents of Conwy in Wales were awoken by a deafening boom before formidable forks of lightning lit up the streets and countryside. This apocalyptic weather, known as ‘thundersnow’, occurs when cold conditions mean that heavy rain falls as snow (at a rate of up to 10cm per hour). Unlike a typical thunderstorm, which reverberates for miles around, thundersnow can only be heard if you’re in close proximity to the lightning – the swirling snow acting as an ‘acoustic suppressor’. Although rare in the UK, our increasingly changeable climate suggests that it might not be too long before we experience this meteorological marvel again. Find out more at metoffice.gov.uk.…

HEDGEROW HUNTERS Boundary shrubs shelter chattering tits, searching for the fruits of hawthorn and blackthorn amid the branches. TEASEL THIEVES Keep your eyes peeled for goldfinches flittering between the spiky plumes of these herbaceous plants, prising out seeds from between the spines. BERRY BANDITS Against January’s grey skies, clouds of blackbirds perch like charcoal marks on rowan trees and holly bushes, squabbling with thrushes over the best berries. Find out more at bto.org.…

DORSET After the excesses and excitement of Christmas, reboot your batteries with a jaunt to the seaside. Perched on the Dorset-Devon border, Lyme Regis offers moody blue cliffs and beaches where prehistoric relics rest between boulders. While you’re there, set a course for The Cobb – the bustling harbour straight from the pages of Persuasion and The French Lieutenant’s Woman… WHAT TO SEE AND DO Follow in the footsteps of Mary Anning – the palaeontologist protagonist of last year’s feature film Ammonite – and go on a fossil-finding expedition. The Lyme Regis Museum runs daily tours (depending on tide times) to the Jurassic Coast’s fossil-hunting hotspots (£12.75 per adult; lymeregis museum.co.uk). To take a peek at marine marvels from Lyme Bay and beyond, head to the harbourside aquarium. You’ll see sea urchins,…