An informative and beautifully illustrated celebration of our favourite farmyard animals. 

Readers of The Country Set and Flying the Nest should dust down their wellingtons once again and come and meet The Farmyard Set. This handsome and lavishly illustrated gift book features 50 of farming’s best-loved creatures, brought to life by award-winning artist Hannah Dale. Among them are old favourites, such as the Jersey cow and the Gloucester Old Spot, the Indian Runner duck and the Shetland pony, known for their charm and striking appearance. Descriptions and helpful facts illuminate these evocative paintings. 

There are more than 30 moves you can choose from a typical chess position, yet Masters regularly manage to select the best moves – and they do it faster, more confidently and with less calculation than other players.

This is because Masters have shortcuts that enable them to think more efficiently.

This instructive and practical guide explains these techniques, including:

• Using specific cues to identify good moves
• Streamlining analysis of the consequences of moves
• Using both objective and highly subjective criteria to find the right move – from any position

An introduction to making himmeli straw mobiles with 22 unique projects.

Discover the traditional art of himmeli in this captivating book in which Finnish craft and sleek artistry intertwine to create stunning geometric mobiles from rye straw. The exquisite mobiles with their angular lines, geometric shapes and crisp, airy feeling have something natural and timeless about them. With the addition of colours and new materials such as paper drinking straws, they become modern sculptures that can adorn your home or make thoughtful gifts for friends and family.

In Himmeli you get a comprehensive introduction to building himmeli mobiles alongside step-by-step instructions and a gallery of inspirational images that will help both beginners and seasoned crafters create 22 beautiful mobiles. 

This absorbing book covers:

• Himmeli: history and folklore

• Rye straw: an introduction to materials

• Geometric beauty: the basic shapes

• The technique: tips for a successful build

• Projects: with step-by-step instructions and diagrams

 Himmeli is your key to creating timeless, intricate hanging mobiles from readily available and affordable materials to bring a touch of Nordic flair to your home.

An entertaining and enchanting collection of myths, tales and traditions surrounding the seas, skies and woodlands that make up our natural world. 

Enter an enchanting world where the mysteries of the seas, skies and woodlands come alive through shared myths, legends and folk tales. From the majestic creatures that dance beneath the waves to the celestial beings that populate the heavens and the spirits that reside within the forests, The Treasury of Folklore offers a portal into the lore of the natural world that has been whispered through the generations.

In this mesmerising compendium you’ll embark on a journey through the rich tapestry of myths, legends, and tales that have been woven into the very fabric of our natural world. You’ll tread mysterious waters and be beguiled by the sirens and sea monsters, soar to new heights with winged Pegasus and uncover stories of celestial beings, from thunder gods to constellations that have guided traveller’s across the heavens. And as you wander through the ancient woods, you’ll encounter spirits between the branches, insatiable cannibalistic children hewn from logs and the promise of the big, bad wolf.  

The stories included here traverse countries and continents and have been carefully selected to highlight how humans are linked through time and place, with shared dreams, fears and ways of rationalising the unknown. Immerse yourself in the tapestry of tales collected in these pages, each story a testament to the enduring enchantment of the seas, skies, and woodlands.

Learn how to create beautiful, modern flower wreaths, not just for Advent and Christmas but throughout the year. Decorate your front door, walls and dining tables, and even your head with flower wreaths.

Organised around the seasons of the year, this book has 40 flower projects for all occasions, from the first longing for spring and budding greenery via summer light and harvest time to Christmas and winter rest. All wreaths have clear step-by-step instructions in text and pictures. There are facts about which materials are suitable and sustainable for the different seasons, including which you can pick yourself from nature or your garden. Written by florist, photographer and writer Malin Björkholm, whose wreaths and flower arrangements have become famous on Instagram due to their simplicity and use of natural materials.

Projects in this book include an enchanting bright yellow mimosa flower wreath for spring, a traditional midsummer Swedish flower crown, a striking circlet of dried flowers and berries for autumn and a classic door wreath with pine cones for Christmas. More luxurious and more modern than any wreath-making book you’ll have seen before, these magical projects will provide endless inspiration for year-round decorating with flowers.

Take the trip of a lifetime through poetry, journalism, historical fact, and science fiction with this daily anthology of travel writing.

Travelling’s never been easier. Wherever you are, find yourself somewhere else with the newest anthology in the Batsford Bedside Companion series. Journey through different eras, continents and points of view, with one entry for each day of the year. Whether you’re in need of inspiration, you want to manifest your dream trip, or you just need a break, climb aboard and let some of the best travel writers of all time whisk you away to intriguing new lands.

This collection is perfect for anyone who loves to travel, explore, and learn.

• Travel from Middle America to Peru with Bill Bryson, Jack Kerouac, and Michael Bond.

• See what the world has to offer, from Venetian Regattas to Iranian hospitality.

• Discover how others have moved through the world, from cities on foot with Lauren Elkin to countryside biking with Dervla Murphy, driving through Russia with Colin Thubron and waiting at railway stations with Bishwanath Ghosh.

• From London to Timbuktu via the Gobi Desert and the Brazilian Jungle, there’s poetry, travel guides, memoir, fiction and more as far as the eye can see.

Swap your backpack for this book to keep by your bedside, and start or end your days with a trip to wherever you desire.

A thoughtful, meditative guide to the ways creative textile art can soothe and comfort us during challenging times.

Renowned British textile artists Cas Holmes and Deena Beverley, each well known for their richly textured, deeply evocative work in stitch, collaborate for the first time in this important and timely book. Beautifully illustrated with a wealth of work from both artists along with other embroiderers and textile artists from around the world, Soulful Stitch documents a wide range of stitched responses to crisis, both personal and global. With invaluable advice on how to develop your own work in times of trouble, it explores:

• How the restrictions and trials of everyday life can inform your textile work, enabling you to develop imaginative new approaches.

• The healing power of stitch to soothe and console, with the simple act of putting needle into fabric providing a mindful route to inner calm.

• Practical ways to continue with your textile art practice in the face of seismic life changes, finding creative opportunity in difficult situations.

• How to use found objects, repurposed threads and personal items to create deep emotional resonance in your own work.

Both authors have recent lived experience of having to navigate new paths through big life challenges, making this book particularly heartfelt. It truly demonstrates how even in the toughest times, creativity in textile art can keep you afloat.

Published in collaboration with the National Churches Trust, this fascinating book is a sumptuous and authoritative photographic history of churches in England, as told through the objects inside them.

Arranged chronologically from the Roman era to the present day, it covers a huge range of church objects including ornate fonts, beautiful stained glass windows, carved bench ends and rood screens, precious silverware and even church organs, and each piece has a fascinating story to tell. Within these pages, you’ll discover:

• The Hinton St Mary mosaic in Dorset, created in the early 4th century AD and showing the first depiction of Jesus Christ in Britain.

• The full Norman repertoire of abstract geometrical forms displayed in the Tower Arch, St John’s Church, Northampton.

• The Becket pilgrims represented in glowing medieval stained glass in Canterbury Cathedral.

• Exquisitely carved misericords showing scenes from spiritual life through the year in Ripple church, Worcestershire.

• Destruction and survival through the Dissolution of the Monasteries at Croyland, Lincolnshire.

• Works of art in glass by William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones in Brampton, Cumbria.

• Dame Elizabeth Frink’s intimate ‘Walking Madonna’ statue outside Salisbury Cathedral.

With all of this and many other glorious treasures of England’s Christian history, it’s the perfect book for architecture enthusiasts, countryside explorers, dedicated churchgoers and anyone interested in the ongoing story of English churches.

Celebrate love with this daily anthology of poetry with one entry for every day of the year. From well-known classics to modern fresh takes, Poetry of Love for Every Day of the Year explores love in all its forms.

Love is such a uniquely human feeling which has made it an inexhaustible subject for writers across the ages. There are so many meanings for this one word – it can evoke friends, family, romance or a sense of home. Everyone has their own attachments and associations, which is what makes this collection so fascinating.

Among the 366 poems are Shakespeare’s classic sonnets, Ocean Vuong’s experiences of young queer love, Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s ode to her dog, Charlotte Mew dealing with loss, and much, much more. With a wide range of voices spanning across the world through many centuries, this anthology explores how love can mean so many things and how it connects us all. 

This is the newest title in Batsford’s highly popular Poetry Anthology series, and is the perfect bedside companion for late night reading or morning meditation. 

Dive into a world of warmth, comfort and style with Cardigans, a beautiful book bursting with inspiration that invites seasoned knitters and beginners alike to construct perfect cardigans from a selection of 20 projects. 

Dreaming of a stylish summer cardigan? Or snuggling into a plush winter cardigan as cosy as a warm hug? The stunning images in this book will guide you to these projects, and many more besides. Divided into seasons, there are gorgeous, comfortable knits designed to suit every occasion and all types of weather, all using wool or wool mixed yarns.

Taking inspiration from Nordic pattern tradition, here are cardigans with a range of construction and design variations: colourwork cardigans, single-coloured cardigans, cardigans with cables or lace details. The patterns are available in a wide range of sizes, from XS to 4XL, and the instructions are offered in differing degrees of difficulty, perfect for novice and expert knitters alike. This book also includes essential knitting tutorials for various aspects of design and technique. 

Whether you’re seeking to express your personal style, make unique, handmade gifts, or embark on a cosy new craft, Cardigans is the ultimate guide to creating a wardrobe full of knitted treasures, stitch by stitch. So, pick up your needles, unravel your yarn and get comfortable as you craft the cardigans of your dreams. 

This poetry anthology provides a bright and cheery way to start your day, with one joyful poem for every morning of the year.

Whether you wake up to the chirping of birds or stumble out the door in a last minute rush, it’s important to take some time for yourself in the mornings to boost your mood. Before stepping into the day, prepare yourself with a jolly poem. You could allow the poem that has been selected for that date to soothe you, to excite you, to motivate you: whatever your needs, have a meditative morning moment with a happy poem to set yourself up for a successful day.

With one happy poem for every single day of the year, keep this book by your bedside for a serotonin boost upon waking, on the kitchen counter for a pick-me-up while your coffee brews, or in your rucksack for a moment of (rare) commuting joy. With a delightful illustration for every month and a vast range of poems, it’ll be easy to find something that sparks joy within you. From the timeless phrasing of John Keats and Rumi to the celebratory observations of Wendy Cope OBE and Pulitzer Prize Winner Rita Dove, there’ll be a moment of delight ready and waiting, just for you.

A smooth ride through the golden age of car travel, looking at both its cultural and architectural impact on the world.

The culture of road travel and the road trip is arguably best reflected in the stationary spots found along the way. Christopher Beanland journeys through these built environments the world over, whose sole purpose is to cater to cars and those who drive them, and examines what makes them so alluring.

Illustrated with 65 stunning photographs, Architecture For Cars explores everything from the brutalist fashions of listed UK petrol stations to the quirky and colourful drive-thrus found across the US. If you’re interested in the autobahn churches of Germany, why Ed Ruscha felt drawn to painting gas stations, or you just enjoy the aesthetics of car-centric architecture across the globe, this book is for you.

Also included are essays on wider topics such as roadside signs, drive-in malls and retail parks, cars on film, and roads that never were. This latest architectural deep-dive from Christopher Beanland focuses mainly on the 20th century, with an additional optimistic look towards the future: hopefully an electric vehicle-led existence will herald a new, greener ‘golden age’ for cars.