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DICK WHITTINGTON THE MEDIEVAL ENTREPRENEUR

HISTORY • HERITAGE • TRAVEL

Cotswolds CHARM

WIN an escape

for two to a Scottish Isle

Be swept away by cute villages & romantic castles

Reign Supreme

CELEBRATING OUR QUEEN

At Her Majesty’s Service

MEET THE ROYAL WARRANT HOLDERS

Lyme Regis The jewel of the Jurassic Coast

Osborne House

VICTORIA’S SECRET FAMILY HIDEAWAY AUG/SEPT 2022 £4.95

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EDITORIAL

Welcome!

DICK WHITTINGTON THE MEDIEVAL ENTREPRENEUR

HISTORY • HERITAGE • TRAVEL

Cotswolds CHARM

WIN

an escape for two to a Scottish Isle

Be swept away by cute villages & romantic castles

Midsummer revelry

QUIRKY TRADITIONS AND PAGAN RITUALS

Reign supreme

CELEBRATING OUR QUEEN

At Her Majesty’s Service

MEET THE ROYAL WARRANT HOLDERS

Lyme Regis The jewel of the Jurassic Coast

Osborne House

VICTORIA’S SECRET FAMILY HIDEAWAY OCT AUG/SEPT 2022 US/CAN 2022 £4.95 $7.99

www.discoverbritainmag.com

On the cover: Picturesque Cotswolds cottages in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire. Read more about this quintessential British town on page 54.

DB Cover 229_6SC.indd 1

24/06/2022 09:43

Hello, and welcome to what I hope you’ll agree is a royally good issue. First up, as the nation gradually comes back down to Earth following the huge excitement surrounding the Jubilee celebrations, we’ve rounded up some of the best moments from the Queen’s special weekend on page 22 – a lasting reminder of this most jubilant celebration. Before being surpassed by Her Majesty, Queen Victoria was our longest reigning monarch, and on page 32, Isle of Wight expert Mark Rowe visits her favourite holiday home, Osborne House, and introduces us to two other historic houses on the island. In what must have been an exceedingly arduous assignment, this issue we sent Russell Higham to get the royal treatment on a visit to several of London’s Royal Warrant holders with Brown’s Hotel, and you can read all about his VIP experiences on page 40. On page 78 we meet the man charged with looking after the Hampton Court Palace Shires – the last herd of this large breed of horse, introduced by Henry VIII, which was given Her Majesty’s royal seal of approval at this year’s Royal Windsor Horse Show. Elsewhere, we discover timbered cottages, charming cobbled streets and a nearby fairytale castle in the Cotswolds town of Winchcombe on page 54, and if castles are your thing, then turn to page 65 to read about a medieval Scottish castle you can stay in – as long as you don’t mind things that go bump in the night, that is. Enjoy the issue.

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Sally Coffey, Editor

Discover Britain is published by The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ, UK Tel: 020 7349 3700 Email: editorial@discoverbritainmag.com Editor Sally Coffey Assistant Editor Henrietta Easton Art Editor Clare White

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Issue 229

CONTENTS

Spedlins Castle p65 Hadrian’s Wall p70

Wentworth Woodhouse p10

York Minster p82

Winchcombe p54

Lyme Regis p14 Osborne House p32

Page 32 Queen Victoria described Osborne House as ‘her little paradise’

JEWEL OF THE JURASSIC COAST We visit the bustling Dorset resort of Lyme Regis, following in the footsteps of fossil hunter, Mary Anning

PLATINUM PARTY 22 APaddington Bear, Prince Louis and plenty of patriotism, we take a look at some of the Platinum Jubilee highlights

THE DUCHESS’S DOWNFALL 48 We delve into the glamorous and scandalous story of the unfortunate ‘Dirty Duchesss’ of Argyll

HISTORIC TOWNS: WINCHCOMBE 54 This quintessential Cotswolds town, near Sudeley Castle, has a history stretching back to Neolithic times

MAN WHO ENRICHED LONDON 60 PLAYING AT COLLECTING 28 THE We uncover the truth behind the real Dick Whittington, From Farnell teddy bears to Hornby trains, the collectors’ medieval Mayor of London and now a pantomime star

OF PLENTY 32 ISLE Osborne House is the best known of the Isle of Wight’s stately homes, but the island houses other gems too

BY ROYAL APPOINTMENT 40 We explore the history of the Royal Warrant and go shopping as the royals do, in London’s Mayfair

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market is awash with iconic old British toys

STORIES AMID THE STOREYS 65 15th-century Spedlins Castle in Scotland comes with a rather spooky past, and is available to hire

ROMAN WAY 70 AsTHE Hadrian’s Wall celebrates its 1900th birthday this year, we discover the history of this 73-mile frontier

REGULARS

WISH YOU WERE HERE

LETTERS

COMPETITION

MY BRITAIN

CROSSWORD & QUIZ

NATIONAL TREASURES

POSTCARDS

Wish you were here...

Inspiring postcards from around the British Isles

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POSTCARDS

CHURCHILL’S REMINDER RESTORED, KENT A painting of Dunkirk gifted to Winston Churchill has gone on public display at his former home No sooner was he installed in office as wartime Prime Minister than Winston Churchill was making his rousing speech, in which he declared “we shall fight them on the beaches” following the evacuation of Dunkirk in May-June 1940. Now, after painstaking conservation work, a painting depicting some of the 30,000 troops rescued during the evacuation, which was given to Churchill by the son of the artist Ernest Townsend, has gone on display at Churchill’s former home of Chartwell. Chartwell’s curator, Katherine Carter, said: “We are delighted that we have been able to conserve and finally display such an important symbol of his legacy at his former home. It must have been poignant for him to be given this beautifully painted reminder of such a significant event of the Second World War, just at the time he was writing about Dunkirk for his history of the war a few years later.” ➤ nationaltrust.org.uk/chartwell

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POSTCARDS

TURNER PRIZE COMES TO TOWNER EASTBOURNE, EAST SUSSEX

The Turner Prize, the world’s leading prize for contemporary art is coming to the south coast of England next year. From 28 September 2023 to 14 January 2024, The Turner Prize will form the centrepiece of the Towner Eastbourne gallery’s centenary celebrations, with the four shortlisted artists’ works on display, and the winner announced on 5 December 2023. Towner Eastbourne, winner of the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2020 award, has regularly hosted ambitious exhibitions since opening in 1923 – though it has been in its new purpose-built building since 2009. Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain and Chair of the Turner Prize jury, said of plans to host the exhibition in Eastbourne, “It marks the first time the prize has been held in Sussex, an area that has inspired generations of artists. Towner’s rich history of collecting and exhibiting work by UK artists particularly resonates with The Turner Prize’s aim to champion the latest developments in contemporary British art.” townereastbourne.org.uk

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The coveted art exhibition will form part of the Towner 100 Centenary celebrations in 2023

POSTCARDS

CLIVEDEN’S LITERARY LINKS, BERKSHIRE This historic house, which harbours 350 years of stories, from the intriguing to the scandalous, makes the perfect setting for an annual literary festival The Cliveden Literary Festival is back for its 5th year from 15-16 October 2022, and will draw on its fascinating history as a literary salon to present an international line-up of writers and thinkers. It’s a festival whose reputation speaks for itself – British writer Ian McEwan has described it as “probably the world’s best small literary festival,” while Alain de Botton called it “the most dignified and beautiful literary festival on the planet.” Now a five-star hotel, Cliveden House was built in 1666 by the 2nd Duke of Buckingham as a gift to his mistress, and since then has been a place dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure, power and politics, providing inspiration for everyone from George Bernard Shaw to Jonathan Swift, and playing a starring role in the notorious Profumo Affair. Natalie Livingstone, Chairman of the Cliveden Literary Festival, said: “Cliveden House has been a sanctuary for lovers of literature and lively discussion for more than 350 years, and the Cliveden Literary Festival 2022 will continue that stellar cultural history.” clivedenliteraryfestival.org

ALL ABOARD FOR AFTERNOON TEA, HAMPSHIRE Henry VIII’s favourite ship, the Mary Rose, is now offering enhanced visitor experiences, including afternoon tea with a tour Visitors to the historic Mary Rose ship in Portsmouth can now take afternoon tea on a VIP balcony overlooking HMS Victory, with incredible views across Portsmouth Harbour and the historic dockyard. Afternoon tea includes a selection of finger sandwiches (including coronation chicken, of course), mini scones and other delicious cakes, plus a fine selection of Twinings tea. Afterwards, guests will make their way down to the museum for a guided tour of Henry VIII’s beloved ship, which capsized in 1545, as the king looked on, and lay under the sea undisturbed for 437 years before being raised, treated and conserved. Today the visitor attraction houses the largest collection of Tudor objects of anywhere in the world. ➤ The three-hour afternoon tea experience costs from £95 for two. maryrose.org

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POSTCARDS

WENTWORTH WOODHOUSE TO BLOSSOM AGAIN, SOUTH YORKSHIRE One of England’s grandest stately homes has received £4m of National Lottery funding to transform its Georgian Camellia House – home to some of the oldest camellias in the western world – into a global tearoom. The restoration of this Grade II listed building is the next step in the regeneration of Wentworth Woodhouse, following £9.7m of vital repairs to other buildings. The work is all part of a masterplan to turn this ‘hidden gem’ into one of the UK’s most celebrated heritage properties. When it opens in 2023, the tearoom will be a fitting homage to the building’s early days when it was used as a tea house in the 1800s by Lady Rockingham, wife of the 2nd Marquess, to entertain guests with the most fashionable new drink of the day. wentworthwoodhouse.org.uk

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The Camellia House at this beautiful stately home will soon be reborn

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A Historic County in the Southwest of England © LOUISE WEST

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The English Cotswolds

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Leave your luggage at the hotel and enjoy 7 separate day excursions in and around the Cotswolds. Extend your visit and take a private tour to the Four Corners of Cornwall or to English Castles and Mansions.

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READER LETTERS

Over to you... Jubilee crafts, childhood memories, and one very satisfied customer: our pick of our reader letters this issue I couldn’t put it down

When the magazine arrives, it usually gets a quick run-through, with plans to read later. This time, a mug of coffee was immediately brewed, the magazine waved at the family as in “please don’t bother me”, and onto the rocking chair I went. All the articles were outstanding, but I do want to mention a few specifically. The North Wales Way brought floods of memories of my first, and sadly, only visit to Caernarfon (see right). That castle ruined a brand-new pair of sneakers, what with running up and down, all around, and then doing it all again at least three times. Oh, what a day that was. The Coldest of Cases – I’ve always been of the opinion that the Duke of Buckingham had lots to do with the demise of the princes....and on his own initiative. Philippa Langley’s hunt for the true culprit will be followed. A totally new discovery came in the Lewis Chessmen – I have heard of them before, and appreciated reading this article, but the best part was the mention of the BBC’s A History of the World in 100 Objects. I found the book at my library, and it will soon be resting on my lap. Every issue of Discover Britain is a gem, but, for me, this June 2022 edition (Issue 227) hit every single marker. May you stay as editor for a long while. Tracey Taliaferro, by email

A Baroque beacon of hope

After recently discovering your magazine, inadvertently, I was pleasantly surprised to see the article on Castle Howard (Issue 228, Jun/Jul 22). This feature allowed me to reminisce on my only visit, back in August 2020, with the nation still reeling from the pandemic that swept across the world. During these most challenging times, I was fortunate enough to gain entry (under preventive measures) to peruse this

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magnificent and grandiose stately home. With exquisite and attractive Baroque interiors, immaculately preserved landscape gardens and the remarkable Atlas Fountain, this elegant scene of perfection supplied a most welcome relief, eclipsing the darker times and uncertainty that surrounded us all, and giving hope to better days ahead. Now, many other people can marvel in the delights of Castle Howard (pictured above), and long may it continue. Michael Mills, by email

An unwelcome term

Reading Talking Points in the December 2021 issue (224), I was very annoyed – and not for the first time – to see you refer to Britain’s inhabitants as ‘subjects’. In my view, subjects are non-living things, which one could command and impose laws on. And a big difference to subjects, is that subjects need not pay taxes for this humiliation. Inhabitants in Britain and all over the world are human, and therefore living organisms. I request that in future you use a better expression. Dolores Sischka, by email

student, and visiting neighbours who still lived there so many decades later. Each time I catch my first glimpses of England from the plane my eyes fill up, I anticipate seeing Ditchling Common again and I always feel like I’m coming home. Kaye Stephens, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

You never really leave

Secret Shropshire

Would it be possible for your wonderful writers to do a little blurb on Acton Burnell, in Shropshire, and its history? My husband’s name was Robert Burnell and a few years ago my daughter and I visited the town out of curiosity. It was such a beautiful place to visit, that shouldn’t be missed. We traced our Burnells back to Ireland, it’s unlikely we were related but it was still wonderful to see. Jill Kotcher, by email

I have just received my Discover Britain magazine in the post (June 22, Issue 227), and what a splendid one it was too. How I wish I was able to make it to London on the momentous occasion of the Queen’s Jubilee. I was born in London to British parents but married my husband of over 50 years and have lived in the USA since, though I often return to my old country. I have just finished making this tea cosy and table topper (below) and hope I’ve done Her Majesty proud. Thank you for an amazing job. Full marks! Mrs Vida Bickford, Doylestown, PA

Home is where the heart is

Crowning glory

To celebrate the Jubilee, I was inspired to make my own crown (above). It took me three days and 300 gems stuck on, one by one, to make. I like your magazine and the Jubilee stuff you’ve shown us, so thought I would join in. Karen Lightfoot, by email

In January of 1946 I made my first trip from England to Canada tucked safely inside my mother who was a war bride from Sussex. We flew in a converted Lancaster bomber with a handful of other women who were too heavily pregnant to make the trip by boat. Life on my father’s Canadian prairie farm with no amenities and no neighbours for miles made my mother so homesick that my dad took us back to England in 1950 where we lived happily on Ditchling Common for several years until we returned to Canada. I’ve been back to that lovely spot in Sussex many times since (the last time in 2016), gazing wistfully at the house where we lived, visiting the school on Church Lane where I first became a

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LYME REGIS

This image: Lyme Regis’s 13th-century old stone pier, known as ‘the Cobb’, and the town beach

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Jewel of the Jurassic Coast Samantha Priestley visits the Dorset resort of Lyme Regis in the footsteps of Georgian fossil hunter Mary Anning

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LYME REGIS

ary Anning lived in the rugged seaside town of Lyme Regis, in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England, and by aged 12 she was already a very curious girl. In 1811, Mary and her brother Joseph were down by the sea looking for the ‘Ammon’s Horns’ – Ammonites – and the ‘Devil’s Fingers’ – Belemnites – that were so frequently found among the rocks on the beach. It was Joseph who found the skull of the first ever Ichthyosaur, but it was Mary who had the determination to keep digging until, several months later, she uncovered the entire skeleton, perfectly preserved in stone. Although scientists thought it was a crocodile and locals thought she had found a monster, this was the beginning of Mary’s long career as a fossil finder on what is now known as the ‘Jurassic Coast’, and it’s a story that loosely inspired the film Ammonite, starring Kate Winslet (who plays Mary) and Saoirse Ronan, which was filmed in Lyme Regis. Mary went on to discover many other fossils, some of which she sold to friends, though she was never recognised by the scientific world in her lifetime due to the fact that she was a woman and of low social standing. Mary struggled financially throughout her life, but thankfully Lyme Regis was a place of great community spirit. Mary’s childhood friend Henry De La Beche, who went on to become a famous geologist and

Left to right, from above: Portrait of Mary Anning from around 1842; Lyme Regis’s new statue of Mary Anning was unveiled earlier this year; the town’s bustling seafront

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palaeontologist, sold prints of his paintings to raise money to help her, and everyone in Lyme Regis supported her. This was Mary’s home, where her heart was, and her work here made the town famous for its fossils. This year, to celebrate the incredible mark Mary Anning made to our understanding of prehistoric life, as well as the town’s ‘Jurassic’ tourism industry, which now sees thousands of excited families descend on Lyme Regis each year hoping to make their own unbelievable finds, Professor Alice Roberts unveiled a statue to Mary on Lyme Regis’s seafront. The statue, created by artist Denise Dutton, who also created the Land Girls Monument at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire, is positioned near Mary’s birthplace, and is the result of a four-year campaign by a now 15-year-old girl called Evie Swire who wanted to ensure Mary got the “recognition she deserved.” The sense of community Mary experienced is still present today. You can feel it when you walk the small streets of this charming seaside town. The people who live here welcome tourism, while staying close knit in their own clutch of community. For example, the annual Candles on the Cobb event is held in August as a remembrance for lost loved ones. Everyone in the town gathers at the iconic ‘Cobb’, an old stone pier, and lights candles for their loved ones in the ➤ fading light of the summer evening.

She was never recognised by the scientific world in her lifetime due to the fact that she was a woman

PETER LOPEMAN/SCIENCE HISTORY IMAGES/ALAMY

LYME REGIS

➤

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LYME REGIS

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LYME REGIS

It’s a moving event and as a visitor you can watch from the town, but don’t be surprised if you’re encouraged to join in. In April you can follow the Easter Bonnet Parade, a show of the town’s pride in its people. Spectators, locals and tourists line the main roads through the town to see floats, dancers and marionettes parading through the streets, all culminating in the judging of the Easter bonnet competition down by the Cobb. Walking the Cobb is one of the first things many visitors to Lyme Regis want to do. This iconic stone harbour wall featured in the novel Persuasion by Jane Austen as well as The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles. But, of course, most people come to Lyme Regis to experience the wider landscape of the Jurassic Coast, which stretches from West Dorset to East Devon and was granted UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2001 thanks to the 185 million years of Earth’s history held in its rocks. Charmouth Beach, just a couple of miles east of Lyme Regis, often yields the best fossil discoveries, and from here you can follow the coastal path over the Golden Cap – the highest cliff on England’s south coast. Meanwhile, to the west of Lyme Regis, the Undercliffs National Nature Reserve is an area of wilderness around a ragged stretch of coastline that is home to a wide diversity of wildlife and plant life. Back in Lyme Regis, visit Dinosaurland to see some real-life fossils, or head to the Town Mill in the Artisan Quarter, which is one of Lyme Regis’s best heritage attractions. It has been a working flour mill since the 1300s and still operates as such today. You can take a tour and see how flour was made in the 14th century, and then take some time to amble around the small artisan businesses that have found a home inside this old mill. There’s an easy-going sense of slowness to Lyme Regis and a stroll around town shows off the many original cottages, some brightly painted and some with signs of ➤ their fisherman heritage. Many of these cottages are

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Clockwise, from bottom left: Lilac restaurant is housed in a 400-year-old cellar; the Cobb; the Robin Wylde restaurant uses local ingredients; an ichthyosaur fossil from Dinosaurland

LYME REGIS

Below, top to bottom: Grade II listed Dolphin Cottage on the seafront is available for holiday rental; Baboo Gelato is a popular spot for ice cream

listed buildings, like the quaint and quirky Umbrella Cottage. Situated on Sidmouth Road, the cottage has an unusual, thatched roof that’s shaped like a huge umbrella, covering the cottage beneath it. The Library Cottage has two bays at the front and looks much grander than some of the small fishing cottages near the Cobb. This cottage, also thatched, was once two houses, but has been renovated and knocked into one big cottage. The leadwork on the exterior is rare and unique. Close to the Cobb and just steps away from the beach, Dolphin Cottage is a traditional cottage that’s now a Grade II listed building and a holiday rental. It sleeps four people in two bedrooms, with two bathrooms. For something away from the seafront and just for the two of you, Burton House Apartment is on the ground floor of a stunning period building, with bundles of style. Up on Silver Street, Robin Wylde restaurant is worth stopping at. Rustic, yet elegant, the restaurant and its food bring together the history of Lyme Regis and the tastes and scents of the sea. To stay with the intimate and history-led feel, Lilac, which focuses on small plates, is located in a 400-year-old cellar and, if you look carefully, you’ll see fossils peeking from the stonework and the original beams. If you love seafood, The Oyster and Fish House by Mark Hix serves fresh seafood straight from the bay. The restaurant is partly a glasshouse with spectacular views of the Cobb, harbour, and out to sea. You can even join Mark Hix for ‘Hix at Home’, where you’ll watch Mark make his seafood dishes in his own kitchen. But if all you want is the best seaside fish and chips, grab a takeaway from Herbies, which uses locally sourced fresh fish. Baboo Gelato, in a kiosk next door, sells delicious ice cream for afters. It’s the perfect end to a day’s fossil hunting, we say. n

TRAVEL NOTES

Our tips for making the most of your trip to the town Getting here There are direct trains with South Western Railway from London Waterloo to Axminster, the nearest train station, which is six miles away. On arrival in Axminster, you can either take a pre-booked taxi or jump on either the X51 or X53 bus. southwesternrailway.com

Tourist information Visit Dorset should be your first port of call when planning a trip to the county. visit-dorset.com/lyme-regis

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Hunting for fossils The Lyme Regis Museum runs regular fossil hunting walks on both Lyme Regis’s East Beach and Black Ven, where you can learn more about Mary Anning and the geology of the area as you search amid the rocks. lymeregismuseum.co.uk

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CELEBRATIONS

A PLATINUM

PARTY

We look back at some of the most memorable moments of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend, from military parades and musical performances to tea with Paddington Bear

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CELEBRATIONS

We finally discovered what Her Majesty really keeps in her handbag...a marmalade sandwich, of course

ith 12 million viewers across the world, 10,000 pageant performers, innumerable coronation chicken sandwiches, and 70 glorious years, Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was a truly wonderful weekend. From 2-5 June 2022, the nation marked Her Majesty The Queen’s momentous 70 years on the throne in true royal style, with hundreds of street parties up and down the country, Jubilee beacons, a pop concert, a spectacular Jubilee Pageant, and a surprise (even for her own family) Jubilee tea between the Queen and Paddington Bear. The now viral sketch, which rivalled that of Her Majesty and James Bond at London’s 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, kicked off Saturday’s Platinum Party at the Palace. In a delightfully playful interaction between the two, which displayed some impressive acting skills from Her Majesty, and demonstrated her brilliant sense of humour, Paddington sweetly thanked the Queen “for everything.” The heart-warming scene was met with

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enormous cheers from crowds lining the Mall, and a few people may even have been spotted dabbing their eyes. Our favourite moment of the sketch? When we finally discovered what Her Majesty really keeps in her handbag…a marmalade sandwich, of course. But there were plenty of memorable moments before this one. Kicking off the weekend on Thursday 2 June, the Queen delighted crowds at her official birthday celebration, the Trooping of the Colour, with a Buckingham Palace balcony appearance alongside her close family. The traditional parade saw 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians come together to mark the Queen’s official 96th birthday (her birthday was actually in April), and ended with an RAF flypast, including a spectacular ‘70’ formation by 15 Lincolnshire Typhoons, which was met with beams from the Queen and her family. Clockwise, from above: Fireworks at Windsor Castle; the Jubilee Pageant; the Queen’s birthday flypast; Prince William arrives on horseback; revellers line the Mall; Platinum Party at the Palace

Four-year-old Prince Louis, youngest son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, stole the show with his adorable interactions with his great-grandmother the Queen, as he seemingly asked her what was coming next before putting his hands over his ears during the flypast– it certainly was loud! That evening, the Queen took part in the lighting of the Jubilee beacons ceremony at Windsor Castle. This was a very special moment, which saw over 3,000 beacons simultaneously lit across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth to mark Her Majesty’s 70 years of service. Following the ceremony, Windsor Castle put on a phenomenal fireworks display. Friday then saw a special service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral attended by members of the Royal Family. Regrettably, the Queen herself was unable to join due to health reasons but was represented beautifully by her family. In a statement following the weekend’s events, she said, “While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been ➤ with you all; and I remain committed to

CELEBRATIONS

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CELEBRATIONS

Another highlight came once again from Prince Louis, who shared a sweet moment with his grandfather serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family.” Her Majesty’s presence was felt throughout the remaining events, particularly during Saturday night’s Platinum Party at the Palace which, as well as the sweet Paddington moment, also featured voice recordings and images of Her Majesty throughout her reign. One moment especially stands out, in which the Queen paid tribute to her “dear late husband” and spoke of the “leading role” he had taken on environmental issues. She went on to comment how, continuing his legacy, Prince Charles and William have continued to fight to “protect our fragile planet” and that she “couldn’t be prouder of them.” Another tearjerker moment. The rest of the concert went down well and included touching tributes to the Queen, a special light display that lit up the sky with the message ‘Thank you Ma’am’, and performances from pop and rock royalty, including Queen and Adam Lambert, Diana Ross, and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, of whom the Queen is reportedly a fan. It was the perfect way to

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celebrate the Queen’s remarkable reign. Sunday afternoon’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant was the weekend’s icing on the cake. As we all tucked into our street-party lunches (the coronation chicken and sparkling wine was out in abundance!), we were treated to a spectacle of colour, dance, theatre, and music telling the story of the Queen’s reign. Beginning with a parade from military personnel across the Commonwealth, it was followed by a vibrant display of British life since 1952, featuring star appearances from some of Britain’s most-loved characters and personalities, including Daleks from Doctor Who and supermodel Kate Moss, and Top to bottom: The Royal Family appear on Buckingham Palace balcony after Sunday’s Pageant; Prince Charles enjoys Sunday’s parade with his grandson, Prince Louis

culminated in a spectacular finale, in which the National Anthem was sung, and global popstar Ed Sheeran performed. Another highlight came once again from Prince Louis, who shared a sweet moment with his grandfather Prince Charles during the parade. Though Her Majesty wasn’t present at the Pageant herself (we’re sure she was watching from the palace!) she delighted crowds with a final appearance on the balcony with her family. In her statement the Queen commented that she was “inspired by the kindness, joy and kinship that has been so evident in recent days” and she hopes “this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come.” And, as Paddington quite rightly showed us, there really is nothing more to say except ‘thank you, ma’am.’ ■

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HISTORY

THE MAN WHO ENRICHED LONDON

ext year (2023) marks the 600th anniversary of the death of Richard Whittington (13581423), best known by many by his pantomime name of ‘Dick’, and yet the real man was one of medieval England’s most successful entrepreneurs and social reformers, who often had a king in his pocket. Born in the year of his outlawed father’s death (1358-9), Whittington arrived in London around 1369-70, aged 10-11 under the guardianship of Sir Ivo Fitzwarin – the two families were distant relatives but were closely linked by service during the Hundred Years’ War. Fitzwarin would prove instrumental in Whittington’s advancement, facilitating introductions to his family’s high-level military connections and enabling his protégé to make an early impact at the court of Richard II. Whittington would later marry Fitzwarin’s daughter Alice, and the pair shared a joint vision for social reform made evident in Whittington’s extraordinary will 12 years after her death. By the time of his own passing in 1423, Whittington was one of the most celebrated and influential men in London – perhaps in England – and well known abroad. But how did he come to have such influence? And why, since its first performance in 1605, have over 6 million people seen Dick Whittington, one of our most popular pantomimes? The most telling observation we can make of Richard

Whittington was that he was unfailingly in the right place at the right time, and with the right connections. Whittington arrived in an expansive, outward-facing London. A walled city of 50,000 souls barely able to contain its thinned and straining population, now determined to thrive and prosper 20 years after the Black Death had hit. His future would lie both within and far beyond the city’s physical confinements, and far exceed his early aspirations. A celebrated civic path and the heady imperative of trade, far and wide, lay ahead. We encounter him first as a young mercer, making his way and his first fortune supplying luxury goods at the ostentatious court of the spendthrift Richard II, and going on to act as a provider of loans to Richard and to his impecunious successors Henry IV and Henry V. Between 1388-1422 he made 58 separate loans to the Crown/Exchequer, his later wealth accruing from a timely diversification from high-end mercery into a series of shifting interests and investments where enterprise and capital rather than one’s trade were the door to profit. We see this right place/right time theme throughout his civic career, not least in his controversial ‘instalment’ in 1397 as London’s mayor by the embattled Richard II, a ➤ move that greatly suited both men – Whittington went

Whittington was one of the most celebrated and influential men in London – perhaps in England

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Right: A 16thcentury engraving of Richard Whittington. The pictured cat was originally a skull in the engraving, but was changed to a cat by the print seller to meet popular expectations

In a new book, Michael McCarthy charts the life and times of the medieval mayor who left London in a much better condition than he found it: the real Dick Whittington

HISTORY

➤

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HISTORY

on to be elected Lord Mayor three more times, hence his ‘thrice Lord Mayor’ label. We also see it in his unerring ability to spot and seize the next commercial opportunity, and in his sure-footed proximity to three successive kings, but for different reasons, and on quite different terms. Henry IV recruited him initially as one of his ‘wise counsellors’, before leaning on him heavily for loans, and to help him increase the state’s revenue. Recognition of his worth is seen most controversially in Henry allowing Whittington to import a Jewish physician into England, against prevailing law and convention, to tend to his dying wife, Alice. Whittington’s singular imperative lay in keeping his capital ‘liquid’ available for what we might call ‘strategic lending’ and earning him the access and influence he coveted at court, in trade, and in politics. Whittington enjoyed being close to the levers of power and his rewards for services rendered were often in the form of high office and advisory positions, places on royal commissions and from the lucrative offices and sinecures handed to him by the state – Collector of the Wool Custom, Mayor of the Staple at Westminster, and Calais. His fortune made, he could focus on the higher things that drove him. Politics, trade, civic improvement, the governance of London, social reform, gaol delivery, his vision for a College of Priests, and later his groundbreaking will and legacy. His rise was not without its challenges. He made fierce enemies along the way. His battles with the Fishmongers and the Brewers to curb and outlaw illegal trade and malpractice coloured at least two of his mayoral ties.

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HISTORY

Clockwise, from far left: The story of Dick Whittington has delighted audiences for centuries; London’s Guildhall; a portrait of Dick Whittington pictured with a cat; the interior of Westminster Abbey

Under Henry V, he found himself presiding over deeply unpopular commissions on usury and Lollardy. His built legacy to London included improvements to the public realm, infrastructure – roads, bridges, sanitation – the facilities to alleviate poverty and hunger; the overhaul of its notorious prisons and, after his death, funding the rebuilding of Newgate; the conveyance of fresh water and amenity; measures to improve London’s defences and facilities for the conduct of trade. So, what of the myths that attend his story? Well, far from being a rags to riches story, Richard Whittington was neither impoverished nor of low birth. Indeed, his family owned estates in two counties. Henry IV’s alleged description of him as “the pulse of England” is a fabrication but he certainly contributed to its economic heartbeat. Nor did he ceremonially burn all of Henry’s debts to him. He did indeed have responsibility for the continued funding, recruitment, and oversight of works to Westminster Abbey while Henry V was campaigning in France, and was a leading financial contributor to the victory at Agincourt. It is also true that he helped fund the lavish weddings of Henry IV’s two daughters – in substantial part for Blanche, while Philippa, who is thought to have been the first bride to wear a white wedding dress, later repaid him. It is also fact that he funded a ward for unmarried mothers at St Thomas’s Hospital, and a public toilet comprising 128 seats known as ‘Whittington’s Longhouse.’ In 1420, he also put in place the funds to develop and stock the Guildhall Library. Sadly, there is no definitive evidence that he owed his good fortune to a cat, though statues and retrospective paintings invariably incorporate one, and it is true that a mummified cat was discovered in what was formerly believed to be his grave. However, feline adornment to his memory is more to do with deploying a cat as a symbol, rather than fact. And how did Whittington see himself….as a prudent, wise, and devout man…as did his contemporaries. And all without the benefit of that mythical cat. n

BUY THE BOOK

Citizen of London, Richard Whittington – The Boy Who Would be Mayor, by Michael McCarthy, is published in August 2022 by Hurst, (hurstpublishers.com, hardback £25)

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STATELY HOMES

Isle of Plenty

Osborne House may be the best known of the Isle of Wight’s stately homes, but the island was favoured by well-connected families long before the Victorians made it fashionable, says Mark Rowe

This image: The Blue Drawing Room at Powis Castle, Powys

STATELY HOMES

here was Queen Victoria most amused? The answer may lie on the Isle of Wight at Osborne House, the royal’s most southerly residence. Set among leafy grounds and veteran oaks and yews, Osborne was described by the queen as her “little paradise”, her bolthole from the busyness of London. The queen had a life-long soft spot for the island, having visited twice as a child. Her Husband, Prince Albert, was equally smitten, to the extent he, perhaps over-excitedly, compared its location overlooking the Solent to a view of the Bay of Naples. He extended the Italianate theme by designing the house – built between 1845 and 1851 – in the style of a Renaissance palazzo with the architect Thomas Cubitt, whose CV included the façade of Buckingham Palace. Some palaces can be rather staid or pompous, but most visitors find Osborne House quite the opposite. The grandeur is undoubtedly there, with sumptuous state rooms and opulently furnished corridors adorned with items of antiquity. After all, this was where the queen, at the height of the British Empire, welcomed guests from across the world. But it’s the personal details that may stay in the memory. Many items on display were gifts given by Victoria and Albert to each other. Perhaps most touching are the marble sculptures cast from moulds of plaster, of the arms, legs, feet, and hands of their many children. The house is not without controversy, for after Prince Albert’s death in 1861, the queen retreated here permanently and formed a famously close friendship – to the great displeasure of the royal household – with her attendant Mohammed Abdul Karim (this was wonderfully dramatised in Stephen Frears’ comedy-drama Victoria & Abdul in 2017). Victoria died here in 1901 and before burial at Windsor she was laid in state in the Dining Room, which today remains furnished with the original cut-glass chandeliers, satin curtains, and full-length mirrors. The house’s grounds are delightful. Summer flowerbed displays thrive in the island’s Mediterranean microclimate, and you have every chance of spotting red squirrels ➤ among the ornamental evergreens.

Previous page: Osborne House’s flowerbeds in full bloom This page, clockwise from top: Queen Victoria’s bathing machine; Victoria and Albert’s devotion to each other is immortalised in decorative details; Victoria’s children’s playhouse, known as ‘Swiss Cottage’

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STATELY HOMES

Osborne House was a genuine family home and all of Victoria’s children spent some of their childhood here. Just behind the house is Swiss Cottage, a whopper of a ‘Wendy’ playhouse where the royal infants would play. The grounds also take in the shoreline and visitors can inspect the bathing machine – which resembles a cross between a garden shed and a cowboy’s wagon – where Victoria got changed before she took to the water. Well before Osborne House came along, discussion of what constituted the finest home on the Isle of Wight would generally have settled upon Grade I listed Appuldurcombe House, widely recognised in its heyday as a masterpiece of 18th-century English Baroque architecture. Sadly, the same could not be said today, as it has been reduced to a slightly surreal spectacle: a stately home version of the ruins of Fountains Abbey. The approach to the house hardly foreshadows the startling view awaiting you. Capability Brown designed the 11 acres of pleasingly landscaped Grade II listed grounds with mature yew and oak trees and rolling lawns hemmed in by wrought-iron fences. Everything is harmonious and easy on the eye. Yet as the house morphs from silhouette to substance, you are greeted with the bare skeleton of once-grand rooms and wings now open to the elements. Walk around to the front and you see the vestiges of how the building must once have looked, where the Grand Hall has been shored up against the weather. The impressive pediment surrounding the front entrance remains, but the vases and statues that once adorned it are long gone. The tale of decay is long and sad. The house was built as the seat of the Worsley family, who came from gentry stock and made a fortune out of royal favour in Georgian times. Although Appuldurcombe’s superficial splendour held fast for 150 years, the rot set in even as the house was being built, for its ruinous cost stretched the family to the limit and heirs down the years eventually ran out of cash to pay for its completion. By the Second World War, Appuldurcombe had fallen into disrepair. Accidental bombing by the Luftwaffe all but finished the place off. Complete collapse was only averted thanks to the intervention of an employee of the Ministry of Works, who had the post-war foresight to designate it an architectural ruin to be preserved by law.

The Worsley family fared little better than their old pile. In the late 18th century, the 7th Baronet Sir Richard Worsley was involved in an excruciating court case in which his young wife and heiress Seymour Fleming admitted to having 27 lovers. Fleming inspired a character of loose morals, Lady Teazle, in Richard Sheridan’s play School for Scandal in 1777. Mottistone Manor on the south of the island, falls somewhere in between Osborne House and Appuldurcombe, being a restoration work in advanced progress. After a landslide in 1703, the house remained partially buried for more than 200 years and the restoration was led by the 1st Baron Mottistone, or ‘Galloping’ Jack Seely, who had ridden a war horse, Warrior, into battle during ➤ the First World War.

Visitors can inspect the bathing machine where Victoria got changed before she took to the water

Clockwise, from top left: The Dining Room at Osborne House; the Durbar Room served as a banqueting hall at Osborne House, and was designed in a contemporary Indian style; the Grade I listed Appuldurcombe House was considered a masterpiece of English Baroque architecture

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The L-shaped manor was first mentioned in the Domesday Book and is wonderfully atmospheric, with an exterior of rubble stone enfolding mullioned windows. Inside, the house is more like a castle, with stairs, timber frames, and thick-set walls spanning hundreds of years. The ornamental gardens were bedded in the 1960s by the flamboyant Lady Vivien Nicholson who lived at Mottistone until her death in 1991. She was inspired by her Sicilian upbringing and the Isle of Wight’s mild climate to combine terracing with fruiting trees and borders of bright orange lilies and blue catmint, overlooked by foaming blooms of wisteria. A Mediterranean-style planting approach to landscaping remains today, with the head gardener operating a no-watering policy. The growth of drought-resistant plants is encouraged, and yuccas, bananas and palms are now almost as common as roses and agapanthus. The Isle of Wight, it seems, likes to do stately homes differently. n Below: Restored house and gardens of Mottistone Manor Opposite: The Drawing Room at Osborne House

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TRAVEL NOTES

Our tips for your trip, including what to see and where to stay when you’re here Both Osborne House and Appuldurcombe House are looked after by English Heritage and the latter is free to visit (www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/ osborne; www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/appuldurcombe-house). Mottistone Manor and Gardens are managed by the National Trust, and though you can’t step foot inside the house itself, the gardens are a delight to wander (nationaltrust.org.uk/mottistone-gardens-and-estate). The Seaview Hotel, (seaviewhotel.co.uk) in the pretty sailing village of Seaview offers beautifully furnished rooms and excellent food. Wightlink (wightlink.co.uk) runs ferry services from the mainland to the island, between Lymington and Yarmouth, and Portsmouth and Fishbourne. Mark Rowe is the author of the Slow Guide to the Isle of Wight, published by Bradt (bradtguides.com) in March 2022. For more tourist information, go to visitisleofwight.co.uk

STATELY HOMES

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ROYAL WARRANTS GLASGOW

By Royal

Appointment © STEPHEN BENNETT PHOTOGRAPHY

We all know the adage ‘treat customers like royalty’, but what if Her Majesty The Queen or the Prince of Wales really were your customers? Russell Higham finds out...

This image: The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow’s West End

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ROYAL WARRANTS

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ROYAL WARRANTS

Clockwise from this image: The Queen Mary Suite at Garrard offers a relaxing place for the Royal Family to choose their jewellery; Garrard displays a replica of the most famous engagement ring in the world, given to Lady Diana from Prince Charles and then from Prince William to Kate Middleton; D.R. Harris is the official chemist and pharmacist to the royal household

or the select group of businesses that hold a Royal Warrant, ranging from individual craftspeople to global conglomerates, supplying one of the royal households is both a duty and an immense privilege. Royal Warrants of Appointment, as they’re called in full, are granted to artisans, companies and tradespeople that have provided either the Queen or Prince Charles with goods or services for five of the last seven years. The late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, was also a grantor, as was The Queen Mother. As well as bestowing honour and prestige upon the grantee, a warrant also confers the right to display the royal crest, along with those hallowed words ‘By Appointment To’ on their advertising, premises, and official stationery. The tradition first came about in 1155 when King Henry II granted a Royal Charter to The Weavers’ Company, which still exists to this day, for clothes and ‘castle hangings’. Many of the 800 or so current Royal Warrant holders, are based in the central London neighbourhoods of Mayfair and St. James’s – close to Buckingham Palace. Not too far for a royal footman to run down and pick up some after-dinner truffles from favoured chocolatiers Charbonnel et Walker in the Royal Arcade, should they suddenly run out. London’s oldest hotel, Brown’s, in the heart of Mayfair, is no stranger to royal patronage. Queen Victoria took tea there regularly and the current monarch did too in 1951, just two years before her coronation. It’s also where President Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt honeymooned, and authors Rudyard Kipling and Agatha Christie wrote many of their novels while staying there. While Brown’s doesn’t have a warrant of its own, it offers all guests a guided walking tour of their royally appointed neighbours. The tour takes in visits to 12 local warrant holders and gives guests the chance to experience what it feels like to shop like a royal. I dropped into a handful of them to get my own taste of royally good service. My first stop was the gold and silversmiths Garrard, just a precious stone’s throw from Brown’s Hotel. Garrard has held a warrant continuously since 1735 and, as Crown Jewellers, it’s also in the unique position of having a picture of one of its creations – the ‘Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara’ as worn by the Queen – on every single British banknote in circulation. I’m shown upstairs to the ultra-plush Queen Mary Suite, where the Royal Family are brought to choose their gems and diadems in private. Decorated in royal blue, portraits of Garrard’s regal clientele adorn the walls and there’s even a small bar in the corner of the room, stocked with nothing but bottles of the finest champagne. On a table nearby sits a replica of one of their other most iconic pieces: a 12-carat Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds and set in 18-karat white gold, as given by Prince Charles to Lady Diana, and later by their son Prince William to Kate Middleton. The process of applying for a warrant is overseen by

‘‘A warrant holder cannot reveal...anything that discloses the personal taste of a member of the Royal Family’’ the Royal Warrant Holders Association (RWHA), founded in 1840 to help manage the proliferation of grantees that came about during Queen Victoria’s reign. The RWHA also helps ensure that a set of regulations governing the conduct of warrant holders, known as the Lord Chamberlain’s Rules, is adhered to. One of the strictest rules is the insistence on discretion, as the next stop on our tour reveals. Floris has held a warrant since 1830 and the Royal Coat of Arms outside its shop in Jermyn Street is the oldest on display in the world. Well, most of it is – the little lion that sits on the top of the crest fell off one day and had to be recreated with a 3D printer, as I’m told by Edward Bodenham, a director and direct descendant of the founder of this venerable family perfumers. When I ask him for a bit of insider information on the sovereign’s favourite smellies, he politely declines and explains that “a warrant holder cannot reveal... anything➤

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GLASGOW

Clockwise from left: Floris’s Royal Coat of Arms is the oldest on display in the world, though the lion has had to be replaced after falling off; Michael works behind the counter at royal cheesemongers Paxton & Whitfield; Edward Bodenham is director of Floris, and is a direct descendant of the perfumery’s founder

that discloses the personal tastes of a member of the Royal Family. So, while I can tell you that our grantors (the Queen and Prince Charles) choose from Floris’s core range of perfumes and toiletries, and do not, like some of our celebrity and VIP customers, commission bespoke fragrances, I can’t tell you which ones they actually buy!” My guess, though, is that it just might be their classic Elite, which also happened to be David Bowie’s favourite, along with Edward himself and some of the seven generations who ran the business before him. Edward explains that the stringent criteria for obtaining and maintaining a warrant now contains a large section on social and environmental sustainability. Originally brought in by Prince Charles in 1990 it now permeates many aspects of the Royal Warrants system, from supply chains to packaging. There are other stipulations that the Lord Chamberlain, through the offices of the RWHA, also enforce. These include that the supply of goods or services is on a bona fide trade basis: the goods must be paid for by the royal household, so a company can’t just send free gifts to Buckingham Palace or Balmoral each year and then slap a royal crest on the front of its shop. All these rules are designed to uphold the premise that Royal Warrant holders genuinely provide the “best of British” (or a foreign-made equivalent, but only if one

from the UK is not available). Considering that holders need to re-apply for their warrant every five years, and that having one is reputed to increase the value of a business by up to 15 per cent, no grantee would want to be one of the 20 to 40 that lose theirs each year. Lunchtime brings the ideal opportunity to visit royal cheesemongers Paxton & Whitfield. I settle for one of their Jubilee cheesecakes, designed to commemorate the Queen’s 70 years of service to the country and Commonwealth, as well as its own 225th birthday. Around the corner on St. James’s Street is D.R. Harris, chemists and pharmacy suppliers to the Queen and Prince Charles. As fulfiller of the royal household’s medical prescriptions, pharmacist Alison Moore is naturally tight-lipped about what she dispenses, but she does show me a letter to one of her predecessors from Windsor Castle dated March 1944, during the Nazis’ bombing of London in the Second World War. It reads: “Dear Mr Harris, I was so sorry to hear you had been bombed again… Her Majesty was so sorry to hear about it and thought eight times seemed dreadful.” Lock & Co, across the road, is the oldest hat shop in the world – its bicorne was worn by Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar, and Winston Churchill was rarely ➤ seen without one of its Cambridge or Homburg hats.

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All these rules are designed to uphold the premise that Royal Warrant holders genuinely provide the “best of British”

ROYAL WARRANTS

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ROYAL WARRANTS

Today, it supplies all kinds of headwear, from hats for the Royal Ascot races, to cloth caps for country pursuits, to the Prince of Wales, as well as the public. Roger Stephenson, deputy chairman, and a seventhgeneration member of one of the two owning families, tells me that his fellow warrant holders in Mayfair and St. James’s support each other as much as they possibly can. After showing me some of the new silk top hats that Lock & Co has just made for the doormen outside Brown’s Hotel, he tells me how being a member of the RWHA creates great networking events for the various suppliers to collaborate, both in business and socially. “There are warrant holders from all over the country and from all walks of life. It’s not just West End tailors and high-class retailers, either,” he reveals. “You get to meet people like the royal ratcatcher or the people who feed the Queen’s horses. I was at the annual Royal Warrant Holders Association luncheon yesterday and I was sat next to the royal chimneysweep. He’s a great guy, a real character!” Returning to Brown’s for afternoon tea – complete with

Clockwise from right: Writer Russell and his wife enjoying afternoon tea at Agatha Christie’s favourite table at Brown’s Hotel; Lock & Co is the oldest hat shop in the world and has provided hats for Admiral Lord Nelson and Winston Churchill, as well as Prince Charles; a doorman at Brown’s Hotel looking very smart in a new silk top hat made by Lock & Co

cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off (just the way Ma’am likes it, according to a former royal chef) – I’ve asked especially to be sat at Agatha Christie’s favourite table, believed to be the inspiration for her classic At Bertram’s Hotel, and I’ve picked up a copy for the occasion at royal booksellers Hatchards on Piccadilly. Hatchards is next door to the sovereign’s appointed grocery store, Fortnum & Mason, which (while no-one could ever possibly confirm, of course) just might be where the monarch gets the marmalade she’s so fond of for her breakfast toast [and which she keeps in her handbag for emergencies – Ed]. My afternoon of regal retail therapy has given me quite a taste for the high life too. Now, if only I had my own Treasury, like a real Royal Highness, I could do this much more often. n For more on The Royal Warrant Holders Association, go to royalwarrant.org

TAKE A ROYAL WARRANT TOUR A two-night stay at Brown’s, including breakfast each morning, a glass of champagne, Charbonnel et Walker chocolates, and a Royal Warrants tour, starts at £1,350 for two. roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/brown-s-hotel/ roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/brown-s-hotel

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Lock & Co, just across the road, is officially the oldest hat shop in the world, its bicorne worn by Lord Admiral Nelson

ROYAL WARRANTS

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SCANDAL

The Duchess’s

DOWNFALL f you are one of the millions of people who tuned into the superbly crafted mini-series A Very British Scandal, you will be familiar with the scandalous story of the late Margaret, Duchess of Argyll. The programme was a hit, as it had it all. Apart from the excellent Claire Foy playing the Duchess, there was the spectacular scenery of Argyll in Scotland, the fairytale castle – Inveraray – that Margaret revived and lovingly restored to the gem it is today (which can be visited from April to October) and a no-holes-barred peek into the life of the immensely privileged, etiquette-bound aristocracy of the 1950s. Far from being a rose-tinted period drama, this was a warts ‘n’ all tale, which showed that the protagonist was not bound by the mores of the day and held a lens up to the double standards of the time. The story of the Duchess’s adulterous marriage became tabloid fodder that made

millions for the newspaper barons of the day. The infamous ‘headless man’ shocked the world, with the idea of a duchess being embroiled in such scandal unthinkable. That Margaret was promiscuous and committed adultery is without question, but despite her husband, Ian, 11th Duke of Argyll, also facing accusations of adultery (and of domestic violence), in that era eyebrows were rarely raised over men, but a woman facing such charges – and a Duchess to boot – was a scandal. The Duchess was a complex character, way ahead of her time in many ways. Born in 1912, in Renfrewshire, Margaret Whigham was the only daughter of a millionaire Scottish businessman. After completing her education in New York, the heiress returned to the UK, where her beauty, and her bank balance, made her very much in-demand on the social scene. However, the painting of Margaret as a scarlet woman seems at odds ➤

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Left: Inveraray Castle, home to the Dukes of Argyll, was restored and redecorated under the direction of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll Right: A photograph of Margaret taken in 1935, aged just 23

Caught on camera in a compromising position, the die was cast on the reputation of the Duchess of Argyll early, writes Katie Wood

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SCANDAL

SCENES OF A SCANDAL

with the facts. In 1928, aged 15, Margaret became pregnant with the future actor David Niven’s child. Niven was 18 at the time and, unlike Margaret, he was above the age of consent. Margaret was taken to hospital for a secret abortion. Margaret was presented as a debutante in 1930, and after early romances with Prince Aly Khan, aviator Glen Kidston, Baron Martin Stillman von Brabus, publishing heir Max Aitken (later the 2nd Lord Beaverbrook), and Prince George, Duke of Kent, she became engaged to Charles Greville, 7th Earl of Warwick. However, the wedding was not to be, as Margaret was soon swept off her feet by the wealthy American, Charles Sweeny, who instead became her first husband. Her Norman Hartnell wedding dress cemented her status as one of the most glamorous socialites of the era, with crowds reportedly gathering to catch a glimpse of it. ➤ Margaret had three children during her marriage to

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Fans of the TV series can enjoy the magnificent Argyll scenery portrayed in the programme. For instance, the Duke and Duchess’s car journey to Inveraray takes them through Glen Etive, recognisable from its turn in Skyfall, and a spectacular part of Scotland. Further scenes were filmed around the Ardkinglas Estate, another elegant Scottish estate on the shores of Loch Fyne. The house and its woodlands are just a short distance from Inveraray Castle. Holidaymakers can book a stay in a cottage in the grounds, or in the Butler’s Quarters on a lower level of Arkinglass house itself. A Very British Scandal’s court locations are in Edinburgh and Ealing. Exterior court scenes were filmed in Edinburgh’s Old Town around Parliament Square. Ealing Town Hall is the filming location for the interior shots. Look out for the staircase and foyer in the opening scenes. The Golden Arrow train scenes were filmed at Tenterden, part of the Kent and East Sussex Railway. We first see Claire Foy and Paul Bettany’s characters on the train as the Duke mentions seeing Margaret in London’s Cafè de Paris club. The Bluebell Railway, a popular heritage railway in Sussex, runs a revival of the Golden Arrow, complete with original Pullman cars. With luxurious coaches called ‘Christine’ and ‘Fingall’, which evoke the 1920s and 30s with their unique wooden wall panel marquetry and plush seating, and First-Class dining carriage ‘Sapphire’, the train recreates the atmosphere of the fabulous Golden Arrow, which once linked London and Paris. In the series, Margaret signs the divorce papers to separate from her first husband at 6 Fitzroy Square, in London’s Fitzrovia. The square was designed by Robert Adam and remains largely unchanged since the Georgian era. West Wycombe Park is the location of the house of Margaret’s friend Maureen. In a raucous society party scene, Margaret announces her divorce. Suitably, this Buckinghamshire residence was built by the famously decadent Sir Francis Dashwood, member of the Hellfire Club, in the 17th century. It remains in the family, though it opens to the public in the summer months and has become a popular filming location. The Claridge’s scenes were filmed at Luton Hoo Hotel, which also featured in Four Weddings and a Funeral. A Very British Scandal’s London club is filmed at the Rivoli Ballroom, an original 1950s ballroom in southeast London. The London hotel where the future Duchess introduces her parents to the Duke of Argyll is the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane. Its Art Deco stylings are the result of two years of refurbishment and hark back to the hotel’s beginnings in 1927. London’s Goldsmiths Hall was the filming location for White’s. The real 11th Duke of Argyll was a member of White’s, and the club became all too aware of the scandal. The Mayfair apartment has a genuine ring of authenticity to it as the external scenes there were filmed outside 48 Upper Grosvenor Street, the Duke and Duchess of Argyll’s real London address at the time.

NICK STEPHENS/INCAMERASTOCK/IVOR TOMS/ALAMY

Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Parliament Square, Edinburgh; West Wycombe Park; Luton Hoo Hotel doubles for Claridge’s; Argyll’s spectacular scenery featured frequently on screen; a carriage on a Bluebell Railway train; Sheraton Grand London Park Lane Hotel Below: A sketch of Margaret with her then husband Charles Sweeny, in 1934

HEVER CASTLE AND GARDENS/MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY

HISTORY

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SCANDAL

Sweeny: her son Brian, daughter Frances (who went on to marry the Duke of Rutland), and a stillborn daughter. She also suffered eight miscarriages. The toll of these lost children undoubtedly affected Margaret’s emotional and mental health, but little is written of it, and it would appear she buried it deep in her psyche, hiding it behind her ‘carpe diem’ attitude. The tragedies continued. Margaret almost died during a horrific accident while visiting her chiropodist, in which she fell down a lift shaft and broke her back. Margaret and Sweeny divorced in 1947, and she went on to become engaged again to the Lehman Brothers’ banker Joseph Thomas, although they never actually married. Margaret’s second husband – and the subject of A Very British Scandal – was Ian Douglas Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll. Married in 1951, Margaret was at the height of her fame as a glamorous and stylish socialite, and had even been name-dropped in Cole Porter’s song, You’re the Top. However, it wasn’t long before fractures in the marriage began to show, and the Duke, suspicious that his wife had been unfaithful, hired a locksmith to break into her private drawers while she was away in New York. Inside, he discovered a cache of evidence of the Duchess’s infidelities, including Polaroid pictures of her with another man. The Duke claimed it was one of many racy snaps found in the Mayfair apartment.

The pictures were part of a legal case the Duke drew up against the Duchess as part of their divorce proceedings, alongside a list of a staggering 88 men he accused her of having relations with behind his back. Unsurprisingly, the case soon became a tabloid sensation, with Margaret unfortunately dubbed the ‘dirty duchess’ and the identity of the ‘headless man’ in the Polaroid pictures being widely speculated on (Sir Winston Churchill’s son-in-law and politician, Duncan Sandys, was one of them, as it was reported that only the Minister of Defence would have access to a Polaroid camera). While granting the couple’s divorce in 1963, the judge said that Margaret was ‘‘a completely promiscuous woman whose sexual appetite could only be satisfied with a number of men. Her attitude to the sanctity of marriage was what moderns would call ‘enlightened’ but which in plain language was wholly immoral.” After the historic case, Margaret never remarried. She lost much of her fortune in later life and was forced to move into a hotel, before later being evicted. It was a sad end for a woman who lived such a full, public and glamorous life. Her children later placed her in a nursing home in Pimlico, London, and she died in penury in 1993 aged 80 after a bad fall. A lady ahead of her time is a fitting obituary for Margaret. Boring she never was. n

The Duke, suspicious that his wife had been unfaithful, hired a locksmith to break into her private drawers while she was away in New York 52 discoverbritainmag.com

Left: Margaret, Duchess of Argyll pictured in London after the hearing at the High court in 1962, in which it was alleged that she had detained many Argyll heirlooms at her home in London

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HISTORIC TOWNS

WINCHCOMBE I

With timbered inns, independent shops, views of the Cotswolds Hills and a beautiful castle nearby, Winchcombe is a quintessential English town that won’t disappoint, says Olly Beckett

n February 2021 Winchcombe was struck by one of the few meteorites to land in Britain, yet this was just the latest significant event to occur in the Cotswolds town’s fascinating history, which stretches back to Neolithic times. The history of Winchcombe is writ large all over and around the town. There’s the 5,000-year-old Belas Knap burial mound on Cleeve Hill; marks from Civil War

bullets can be seen in St Peter’s belfry; and stones from buildings constructed during the Anglo-Saxon King Coenwulf’s time are thought to have found their way into the walls of many of the town’s buildings. Winchcombe’s main historical attraction, though, is Sudeley Castle, which stands like a well-groomed guardian on the outskirts of town. Dating from 1443, not only is Sudeley one of Britain’s most picturesque castles, ➤

HISTORIC TOWNS

As well as being battle-scarred from the Civil War, it’s also adorned with glorious gargoyles, one of which is said to have inspired Lewis Carroll’s Mad Hatter but located on the site of an earlier building, it has played an important part in our nation’s story for over 1,000 years, having hosted Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I, and Richard III at various points. In fact, it is the only private castle to have a queen buried in its grounds, as Henry VIII’s sixth and final wife Katherine Parr lies entombed in the castle’s 15th-century church. Not all of Winchcombe’s intriguing sights are as easy to find as Sudeley – you need to walk for about an hour southeast of the town to reach Spoonley Wood, which hides the remains of a Roman villa. There’s no entry fee to visit the villa, all you need to do is follow a small path through the undergrowth until you get to a low building – you’ll feel like Indiana Jones as you uncover a Roman mosaic beside 1,700-year-old walls. You may not, however, want to stray far from Winchcombe’s top-notch tearooms, nor

its thoughtfully stocked shops, such as artistrun Swift Studio, where you can pick up handcrafted local gifts. You’ll want to pay a visit to the aforementioned St Peter’s church: as well as being battle-scarred from the Civil War, it’s adorned with glorious gargoyles, one of which is said to have inspired Lewis Carroll’s Mad Hatter.

Local hero Having survived marriage to King Henry VIII, Katherine Parr was betrothed to Sir Thomas Seymour and made Sudeley Castle her home. A young Lady Jane Grey became Parr’s attendant here, but only for a brief period. Parr passed away in 1548 and is buried in the castle’s chapel which, following the Civil War, became lost to nature. A group of sightseers happened across her burial place in 1782 and though the chapel ➤ suffered further neglect, in 1863 Sir

Previous page: Winchcombe’s picturesque town centre is home to many quaint, historic buildings This page, clockwise from top left: The tomb of Katherine Parr is in Sudeley Castle’s chapel; parts of the castle were left in ruin after the Civil War; Neolithic Belas Knap burial ground; the Library at Sudeley Castle

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HISTORIC TOWNS

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HISTORIC TOWNS

Places to stay For a relatively small town, Winchcombe has a good choice of accommodation. Above The White Hart Inn are clean, comfortable rooms with views over the hills. A few doors down is Wesley House (the 18th-century preacher John Wesley stayed here a couple of times), which was once a 15th-century merchant’s house, but now has a superb restaurant and good value rooms, one of which has a lovely terrace. There are also some good self-catering choices, from five-bed homes along the River Isbourne, to boutique cottages on peaceful Bull Lane.

Photo opportunity On that steep walk up to Neolithic Belas Knap (part of the Cotswold Way) be sure to turn around and take in the view of Winchcombe surrounded by hills, which are covered in forests and farms. See if you can spot Sudeley Castle and the giant gold weathervane on top of St Peter’s church. If that sounds too strenuous for you, there’s another sublime scene for your camera. Head to where Vineyard Street emerges onto the High Street. From the other side of the road, you’ll be able to take in the view of Barton House and its grand church-like windows, with the cute, terraced houses of Vineyard Street and the forested hills beyond.

Extend your trip Several long-distance trails – ranging from 14 to over 100 miles long – meet at Winchcombe. This town is connected in many more ways than trails, though. You can also take steam trains to nearby Broadway, or a bus to Chipping Campden. Both give visitors a quintessential Cotswolds experience, with gorgeous architecture and plenty of tearooms. If you’ve come by car, the village of Lower Slaughter is a short drive away and comes with scenery so picture-perfect you’ll wonder if it was created by Disney. But that mill really did once grind corn, and it was fed by that idyllic stream gliding elegantly past those cute cottages. Got a taste for idyllic streams and cute cottages? Just beyond Lower Slaughter is Bourton-on-the-Water, where numerous beautiful bridges stretch idyllically across the River Windrush.

Further reading Mystery abounds in award-winning author Lesley Thomson’s book The Death Chamber. Set in Winchcombe, it is infused with first-hand knowledge of the town, plus so many thrills that you’ll need a pot of tea from Honey Bea’s Cafe just to calm yourself down afterwards. A cornucopia of Winchcombe info, winchcombewelcomeswalkers.com details short and longer walks around town, and provides suggestions on where to eat,what to see, and a directory and descriptions of Winchcombe’s independent shops. n

Top to bottom: Walking up to Belas Knap offers a stunning aerial view of Sudeley Castle and the surrounding hills; St Peter’s Church features an impressive giant gold weathervane on its top, which can also be spotted from a jaunt up to Belas Knap burial mound

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George Gilbert Scott built a chapel worthy of the queen’s remains, and which the public can visit today.

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COLLECTIBLES

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COLLECTIBLES

Playing at

Collecting Do you know your Hornby from your Dinky? Your Farnell from your Merrythought? There are lots of old British toys on the collectors’ market if you know what you’re looking for, as Sally Coffey discovers

Left: Farnell started making teddies in 1906 and is probably Britain’s oldest teddy bear maker. Its bears are distinctive for their long muzzles, humped back and the closing seams down their tummies

ver since I was little, I’ve loved collecting things – football stickers, foreign currency, ticket stubs, holiday mementoes – you name it. I always kept special things in boxes, carefully stored away in case they might be useful in the future. My motive was more one of preserving special moments in time than making money. Now I have children of my own, I realise that collecting is instinctive for children, be they pebbles on the beach, or in the case of my eldest: Pokémon cards. As we get older, our collecting often gets more sophisticated – antique furniture, artworks, jewellery – items that make us feel like we are spending our money well and are likely to see a return on our investment. But Hugo Marsh, Director at Special Auction Services, a firm of highly experienced auctioneers, tells me that collecting shouldn’t be seen as a way of investing, as “you never know which way the market is going to go”. Instead, Hugo says we should look at it another way: “If you spent 50 years down the pub you wouldn’t have much to show for it, but collecting gives huge pleasure, and you may have something of value at the end of it.” And what could give us more pleasure than collecting the things that seemed like the most valuable items in the ➤ world when we were small: toys.

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COLLECTIBLES

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COLLECTIBLES

But of course, for many of us, the most-loved toy of all was our favourite teddy

Clockwise, from top left: Katherine Jeffray’s doll’s house still has all its original handmade furnishings and decorations; Harwin began making teddies during the First World War; Katherine Jeffray’s doll’s house sold for £44,000 this year; Frank Hornby started making his now iconic toy trains in the 1920s

When the things you collect are items you played with when you were young, the joy you get from collecting is not limited to their potential to increase in value, but their ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia. We all like to think we’re antiques experts – just look at the plethora of antiques TV programmes available (for the record, The Antiques Roadshow will always be my personal favourite), but while Hugo, who used to be a Director of Christie’s, tells me that most of the London rooms focus on “posh things”, which are rarely the kinds of things most of us find lying around in the attic, many more auction houses specialise in items whose value may increase by tens of pounds, rather than thousands. British toys such as the old Dinky Toys military vehicles are eternally popular, as are Corgi Toys, and the iconic Hornby trains. Incidentally, though he gave his name to the trains he began making in the 1920s, Frank Hornby had been making toys for a long time before that, and owned the Meccano company, which later also produced Dinky Toys. Corgi Toys, originally made by Mettoy, are owned by Hornby today. Though these much-loved toys were British made, you don’t have to come here to buy them – huge amounts of

them were exported to the USA in the 1960s and 70s, so there are big collectors’ markets on that side of the Atlantic too. These toys were all marketed to boys (though many of us girls enjoyed playing with them as well), while toys like Sasha dolls, designed by a Swiss woman but made in Britain and Germany, were made to target girls, and are still sought after today. But of course, for many of us, the most-loved toy of all was our favourite teddy, and so it’s little surprise that the teddy bear collectibles market is still strong. Daniel Agnew, also of Specialist Auction Services, is one of the world’s foremost teddy bear experts and tells me that though Merrythought teddies are still being made in Britain, Farnell is by far the most collected British teddy bear. Farnell, a London-based firm, is probably the maker of the oldest teddy bears in Britain, producing teddies as far back as 1906, at the beginning of the teddy bear craze. The original Winnie the Pooh – Christopher Robin Milne’s actual very own beloved teddy bear – which is now on display at the New York Library, was a Farnell. Farnell was a rival to that most famous of teddy bear makers, Steiff. Before the First World War, most teddies were made in Germany, but during the war a lot of British toy companies began making teddy bears, and today these wartime teddies, such as those made by Harwin who made a range of Ally Bears dressed in the uniforms of Allied Forces, are some of the most sought after. Early Merrythoughts, on the other hand, aren’t held in the same regard, though Daniel says in the 1930s the company started making teddies wearing quirkier outfits and these still prove popular. But what is it about teddies that we love so much and that causes us to part so readily with our cash? It’s an obsession shared by both American and British collectors, it seems. Daniel says: “US and UK citizens both have an infinity for the teddy bear – both countries caught the teddy bear bug at around the same time, circa 1905/6. British bears have always been popular and have a special appeal to American buyers, they love something that has been traditionally and well made in Britain.” And while, for most of us, our collections are things to be enjoyed for now or passed down through families, sometimes, the toy market can have a big win, such as in the case of the sale of Katherine Jeffray’s doll’s house, which went up for sale with Special Auction Services in June 2022, with Daniel wielding the hammer. As fellow fans of The Antiques Roadshow may remember, this exquisite mid-19th-century dolls house, which had been handed down through the female line of Katherine Jeffray’s family until her death in 1927, featured on the show back in 1998. However, when it went up for sale in June of this year, the house, which came with all its original handmade furnishings and decorations, including simulated silk wallpaper and marbleised fireplaces, sold for £44,000, which was way over its estimation of £15,000-£20,000. Now that sounds like anything but child’s play to us. n

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The finest British treasures at Special Auction Services

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CASTLE STAYS

This image: Manicured gardens and medieval romance await at Spedlins Tower, but dare you risk awakening its ghost?

Stories amid the storeys Once home to Clan Jardine, this 15th-century Scottish tower house, available to hire, comes with a rather macabre past, writes Richard Franks

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even has a pit prison (see opposite for its spooky story) hidden within its impressive 9ft-thick walls. It is then no surprise that much of the original tower still stands today – musket ball holes and all. Dumfries and Galloway’s proximity to the English border made this part of Scotland a territorial target – Spedlins is one of at least 100 different castles in this

Sir Jardine was called out on an urgent work trip to Edinburgh, forgetting he still had the dungeon key

region alone, yet despite its rather exposed spot, it remains remarkably well preserved. After the tower was abandoned by the family in the 19th century for nearby Jardine Hall, Spedlins lay in a ruinous state for some time, until London-based graphic designers Nick and Amanda Gray purchased the property in the 1980s. The pair sold their home in the capital to fund the purchase and spent the next few years restoring it from original building plans and later photographs. Nick and Amanda’s daughter Daisy Steel, who now manages the property, recalls a roofless building with trees growing through the middle of it, parts of the main structure missing and barren land surrounding it. Today, it paints a ➤ completely different picture.

Above, left to right: An aerial view of Spedlins, showing the restored medieval topiary garden; guests can sit and read or catch up over a drink by the beautiful fireplace; the interiors are very much as they were when the Grays lived here

uilt in 1450, Spedlins, in the Dumfries and Galloway region of Scotland, is thought to be one of the most haunted buildings in Britain, and was once the seat of the Jardines, a powerful family who owned most of the surrounding land. The name Jardine derives from the French word ‘jardin’, meaning garden or orchard, and originated from the du Jardon family who came to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. The Jardines eventually settled in Dumfriesshire in the late 1400s, and their first settlement was none other than this baronial-style tower house. Standing at 48ft tall, the fairytalelike tower was constructed with brick made from the local Templand sandstone at Corncockle Quarry, and

CASTLE STAYS

THE GHOST OF DUNTY While here, if you hear things go bump in the night, then it may well be the ghost of a local miller from the nearby town of Millhousebridge, James ‘Dunty’ Porteous, who is said to haunt the castle. The story goes that Baronet, Sir Alexander James Jardine, asked the combatively nicknamed Dunty – the names loosely translates as ‘argument’ in old English – to deliver bread directly to the tower. However, Dunty and the Baronet had a bust up, which saw the miller banished to the tower’s pit prison. Soon after, the Baronet was called out on an urgent work trip to Edinburgh, forgetting he still had the dungeon key in his pocket.

It wasn’t until a few days later that he realised, and hired a porter to return to the tower with the key to release Dunty. But it was too late – Dunty had starved to death, having been forced to bite off chunks of his own hand to eat in desperation before his demise. Afterwards, the Jardines complained that they could hear Dunty’s haunting cries of “let me out, I’m deen o’ hunger” in the night, so they called in a chaplain to perform an exorcism using a bible, which was then left in a wall enclave. It was at this point that the Jardines abandoned Spedlins in favour of a new home, the palatial Jardine Hall, across the river. Dunty kept quiet until the bible at Spedlins was sent off for rebounding, at

which point it is said he began waking the Jardines up in the middle of the night at their new home. The Jardines immediately requested the recall of the bible, and had it put back in its original place. Dunty never bothered them again, and he will not bother future Spedlins guests either – unless they come from Jardine heritage. As a condition of the sale to Nick and Amanda Gray, Spedlins is obliged to host an annual Jardine meet-up. According to Daisy, as many as two full coach loads of Jardines have been known to attend the gathering, with people travelling from all over the world to learn about their heritage. One can only hope that Dunty leaves them alone.

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CASTLE STAYS

Staying at Spedlins From the outside, Spedlins, which can be booked out for exclusive use for up to 14 guests, looks much like it would have done in the 15th century – even down to the beautifullyrestored medieval topiary garden, which has also been landscaped to mimic its original state. It is a castle free of the usual Scottish gimmicks, like stag heads and tartan carpet. Instead, the castle is filled with an extensive book collection and individually commissioned art and furniture from the Gray family, as it was when they lived here. Not only have the castle’s stone walls stood the test of time, but the original oak door has too. Endless nooks and crannies surround the tower’s spiral staircase, most of which offer airy windows and soft cushions in which to sit for a while. The first-floor Great Hall, which has an original fireplace so big you can step inside it, is the main communal area. Guests can sit and sip whisky on the comfy sofas or spin classic vinyl on its lofty mezzanine. There is also a spacious kitchen with a round dining table, plus a long dining room table adjacent, and the owners can even organise a private chef for you. Six bedrooms and three bathrooms sit on the two floors above, including master rooms within the tower’s four turrets that offer excellent views over the stunning Dumfries and Galloway countryside and the castle’s four acres of private land, which include a lake. Guests can enjoy the long-distance Annandale Way walking route, which passes by the castle door, while add-ons such as history tours and fishing trips are available. n spedlinscastle.co.uk

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Above: Treat yourself to a tour of Annandale Distillery and taste their famously good drams, named after Robert Burns and Robert the Bruce

BEYOND THE CASTLE WALLS Fancy a wander? Here are our top picks of local things to see and do Annandale Way Walking Trail A 56-mile (80km) waymarked trail that passes by Spedlins connects the Moffat Hills in the north with the Solway Firth to the south, and follows the River Annan for much of its route. A flat, circular 45-minute section through dense woodland and across streams arrives back at the tower. Those wishing to head further afield can either continue on west via Lochmaben or east via Lockerbie, rather than loop back. scotlandsgreattrails.com/trail/ annandale-way Jardine Hall ruins Across the River Annan from Spedlins stands the remains of Jardine Hall: the second ancestral home of Clan Jardine following their move from the tower. In the 19th century, Spedlins was abandoned in favour of this regal mansion, which was later used as a school. It was demolished in 1964 following the introduction of the window tax, which made it too expensive to run. Now, just a quadrangular stable block and clock tower remain.

Lockerbie and Eskrigg Nature Reserve The small town of Lockerbie is around a 15-minute drive south of Spedlins and houses plentiful cafés, restaurants and pubs, alongside a supermarket, golf club and ice rink. The Lockerbie Air Disaster is also commemorated in the Garden of Remembrance. Nearby, Eskrigg is a seven-acre, mixed habitat reserve, home to a variety of flora and fauna, including the rare Adder’s Tongue fern, plus red squirrels, tawny owls and kingfishers. lockerbie-wildlife-trust.co.uk Annandale Distillery First established by George Donald in 1836, this distillery was eventually bought out by Johnnie Walker in 1893. The distillery closed in 1923 and sat dormant for almost 90 years, before reopening in 2014, with its first whiskies going on sale in 2018. The distillery offers regular tours and tastings featuring its two main drams: Man O’ Words, named after Robert Burns; and Man O’ Swords, named after Robert the Bruce. Fit for a king, indeed. annandaledistillery.com

COMPETITION

Win an escape to a Scottish Isle We’ve teamed up with The Machrie on the Isle of Islay to bring you the perfect island getaway

estled in the dunes of a sevenmile beach on Islay, the Queen of the Hebrides, lies The Machrie – a modern, relaxed hotel with world-class golf links. The hotel’s rooms, suites and lodges provide a stylish base to explore this stunning Scottish island. Home to an abundance of wildlife, guests can travel the coastline of Islay in search of seals, Arctic terns and elusive otters. The hotel can also plan a day trip to see neighbouring islands or to discover Islay’s skerries, beaches, and hidden lagoons. The Machrie can arrange bike excursions, sea kayaking, archery, nature trails, fly fishing, shooting, beach picnics and film nights in the hotel’s very own cinema room. Additionally, The Machrie’s 18-hole golf course, ranked in the top 100 in the world, is perfect for avid golfers wishing to experience one of Scotland’s finest Championship links, or even new players wanting to try a round on an award-winning course. There is also a six-hole Par 3 Wee Course, as well as an all-weather driving range and indoor golf studio for those wanting to practise their swing. The 18 Bar & Restaurant has a south-west facing terrace affording stunning sunset views over the ocean. The menu is locally sourced and celebrates the very best that Scotland has to offer. In homage to Islay’s nine whisky distilleries, The Machrie’s bar features an

impressive collection of whiskies, while The Snug, Stag Lounge and The Courtyard Lounge are a welcoming place to relax. Whisky enthusiasts might enjoy a guided distillery tour, highlighting the history of the island’s peaty single malts, renowned for their salty and smoky aromas.

The Prize One lucky winner, drawn at random from all the entries, and their guest, will enjoy the following: • Two nights accommodation in a Comfy Luxe Room • A three-course dinner in the 18 Bar & Restaurant on one night (including a bottle of house wine, teas, coffees and water) • Breakfast on both mornings

Enter the competition To be in with the chance of winning, either head online to www.discoverbritain.com/ machriecomp or fill in the form below with the answer to the following question: How many distilleries are on Islay? a) 5 b) 9 c) 12

Closing date 20 October 2022. The prize can be redeemed from 1 November 2022 - 30 June 2023, excluding blackout dates and subject to availability. Blackout dates include 19 December 2022 - 31 January 2023 and 26 May - 3 June 2023. The stay includes two nights on a bed and breakfast basis in a Comfy Luxe Room for two people, and dinner on an evening of the winner’s choice. For full terms and conditions, go to www.discoverbritain.com/machriecomp

ENTRY FORM

SEND YOUR COUPON TO: US and Canada – Scottish Isle Competition, Discover Britain, PO Box 207, Des Moines, IA 50301, USA UK and rest of world – Scottish Isle Competition, Discover Britain, The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd., Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ, UK My answer: Name: Address: Postcode: Email:

Tel no:

Terms and conditions apply. For full details go to www.chelseamagazines.com/terms-and-conditions. Please tick here if you subscribe to Discover Britain ■ . Please tick if you are happy to receive relevant information about new products or services from our competition partners via email ■ , or post ■ , and/or The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd. via email ■ , post ■ , or phone ■

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The

ROMAN WAY The defacto Roman frontier for over 300 years, this year Hadrian’s Wall turns 1900 and there’s never been a better time to visit says David Atkinson

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ROUTE

powerful metaphor for military might, Hadrian’s Wall, named after the Roman Emperor Hadrian (AD117-138), once stretched some 73 miles across northern Britain, from Wallsend on the River Tyne to Bowness-on-Solway in Cumbria. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and this year, to mark 1900 years since the Romans started building it, many exhibitions, performances, and activities will be anchored in the Northumberland landscape. Even in its semi-ruinous state, Hadrian’s Wall remains an impressive monument. Designed to be 7m (30ft) tall and built over seven years, it comprised a series of gates or milecastles every Roman mile (0.92 miles), plus towers and forts between to maintain continuous lines of communication along the Empire’s most troublesome frontier. It used some 800,000 cubic metres of hand-carved stone, hacked laboriously from local quarries by some 15,000 of the 35,000 Roman soldiers posted to Britain. Each settlement would also have attracted another 1,000 civilians from all over the Empire to work in support roles.

“Think of the Wall as a networked trade route,” says Andrew Birley, director of excavations at Vindolanda, centrepiece of the wall. “It was the A1 thoroughfare of its day, running east to west, so hugely expensive to administer but important to control.” “For me,” adds Duncan Wise, visitor development officer at The Sill, part of the Northumberland National Park, “it was a powerful political statement — a warning for the barbarian north. It said, ‘We’re in control now and will manage the movement of natives.’” This route (see map) follows the circular journey of the AD122 bus from Hexham, which stops at a series of Roman heritage attractions. It also allows for gentle strolling along sections of the historic monument. This is rugged, open country, a major Dark Skies region for devotees of astrotourism, and visitors are at the mercy of the public transport system if not driving. The route hub, Hexham, connects by train to Newcastle, for those wanting to visit the northeasterly end of the Wall and the 1900 Festival this autumn. While here, it’s worth calling into the Great North Museum, where the Hadrian’s Wall Gallery has displays on ➤ the building of the Wall and the worshiping of Roman gods.

Previous page: A panoramic view of Hadrian’s Wall, near Housesteads Roman Fort Opposite page, top to bottom: Chesters Roman Fort is the most complete Roman cavalry fort in the country, dating from around AD124; an aerial view of Vindolanda Roman Fort, which dates from AD85 and is now the Wall’s visitor hub

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‘‘It was a powerful political statement - a warning for the barbarian north. It said, ‘We’re in control now’’’

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Clockwise, from top: Hikers walking along Hadrian’s Wall at Sycamore Gap; Vindolanda’s display of Roman leather shoes; Hexham Abbey; the Lindisfarne Gospels are normally housed in London at The British Library

Newcastle’s Laing Art Gallery, meanwhile, hosts a major exhibition (17 September to 3 December 2022; laingartgallery.org. uk), with the return of the Lindisfarne Gospels, the Anglo-Saxon manuscripts on loan from The British Library (see details below). The exhibition runs across three galleries, placing the early 8th-century manuscript in its historical context, then exploring contemporary links. The Gospels are believed to have been written by Eadfrith, a Bishop at the monastic tidal island of Lindisfarne, in around AD700. “The Gospels are so old, yet so pristine. This is a timeless artefact that transcends British history,” says Julie Milne, the gallery’s chief curator. “The Gospels and Hadrian’s Wall both testify to the pivotal role of the Northeast in British history. The design influences on both prove how this was,” she adds, “an outward-looking place, not a remote outpost.” By the 5th century, however, Britain had slipped from the Roman Empire’s over-stretching grasp with the Wall, and even major Roman settlements at York, Chester and Caerleon, all falling into disrepair. Yet, our Roman ancestors still fascinate us. “These soldier-framers on the edge of the Empire were left behind as Rome imploded. They evolved from citizens of Rome to people who identified with the local landscape,” says Andrew Birley. “The Wall remains a living monument,” he adds. “It has been cannibalised for the local dry-stone farm walls and stone churches yet remains very much part of the people of the Northeast.” ➤

SEE THE LINDISFARNE GOSPELS Newcastle’s Laing Art Gallery will host the Lindisfarne Gospels, on loan from The British Library, from 17 September to 3 December 2022. The Anglo-Saxon manuscript represents a golden age of design in Northumbria and has survived in almost perfect condition for over 1,000 years. The exhibition will explore its meaning in the world today, and its relationship with personal, regional and national identity. Tickets start from £9 adult/£7 concession. laingartgallery.org.uk

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Turn over the page to discover the seven key points along our route…

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CORNWALL’S TIN COAST

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DISTANCE: 37 MILES (56 KM) ROUTE: HEXHAM CIRCULAR ROUTE VIA HADRIAN’S WALL ATTRACTIONS

CORBRIDGE

The Roman town of Corbridge sits slightly off the route, just beyond Hexham, but this lesser-visited site offers a fascinating introduction to Roman life in northern Britain. The museum, managed by English Heritage, showcases the treasures found by local archaeologists, a testimony to the settlement’s former status as a supply hub. These include remains of the Roman granaries. www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/corbridge-romantown-hadrians-wall/

CHESTERS ROMAN FORT

Chesters is the most complete Roman cavalry fort in the country, dating from around AD124. Explore the fort, where 500 cavalry troops were posted for over 300 years, before learning about the habits of the soldiers at the former bathhouse. The labyrinthine set of hot, cold and steam rooms used hypocaust technology — the Roman version of underfloor heating. www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/chesters-romanfort-and-museum-hadrians-wall/

HOUSESTEADS

Sat on the vast, volcanic escarpment, Housesteads is one of the most complete examples of a Roman fort in Britain. Its remote and windswept spot gives a taste of the harsh life for soldiers posted here. Explore the barracks block, hospital, and granaries. The most popular attraction, however, is the latrines block, an early example of Roman water-engineering excellence. www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/housesteadsroman-fort-hadrians-wall/

SYCAMORE GAP

Sycamore Gap, a lone tree framed between two rocky outcrops against a backdrop of brooding skies, is a stark reminder of the area’s inhospitable environment. It lies roughly half-way along the Wall from Housesteads to The Sill – about a 45-minute cross-country walk, on National Trust Land, from each. nationaltrust.org.uk/hadrians-wall-and-housesteads-fort/ features/sycamore-gap

THE SILL

The National Landscape Discovery Centre, located in the tiny village of Twice Brewed with its microbrewery and planetarium, has exhibitions about the national park

environment, and houses the Once Brewed Café. This is the base for short circular walks along the Wall, or to take in the panoramic landscape from the viewing platform. “I love the sense of space,” says Duncan Wise of The Sill. “When you crest a hill, the sheer physicality of the landscape opens up before you.” As well as permanent and rolling exhibitions, The Sill runs guided tours of the Wall, from full-day tours to two-hour tours. thesill.org.uk

VINDOLANDA

Dating from around AD85, majestic Vindolanda is the Wall’s visitor hub, with a series of Roman forts. The Vindolanda Charitable Trust has administered the site since 1970, with its annual programme of archaeological digs yielding a staggering array of artefacts. Most notable among these are the vast collection of leather shoes, preserved below ground despite the damp conditions, and now on display in giant cases in the museum. Even more spectacular are the Vindolanda Tablets, the slim wooden tablets used by soldiers for memos — a Roman Post-it Note, if you like. These are also on display in the museum, while visiting exhibitions are set in the attractive gardens. This autumn, there’s an exhibition of 1,900 bunting flags at Vindolanda’s replica section of Hadrian’s Wall as part of the 1900 Festival, plus Halloween-inspired ‘Vile Vindolanda’ tours for children. vindolanda.com

HEXHAM

This sturdy market town, famous for its 7thcentury abbey, is the transport hub of the route and Hexham is also one of the chosen destinations for this autumn’s Illuminate Festival of Flame, which will recreate the intricate illustrations of the Lindisfarne Gospels with light-based installations at Hexham Abbey and other locations across Northumberland. The installations are complemented by a soundtrack of music and poetry as a son-et-lumière-style experience. It is an atmospheric end to a journey that connects the Wall and the Gospels as living testimony to Northeast England’s central part in British history. hexhamabbey.org.uk

For further travel information, go to 1900.hadrianswallcountry.co.uk or newcastlegateshead.co.uk The AD122 bus route will help you get around more easily gonortheast.co.uk/services/GNE/AD12

Top row, left to right: Roman artefacts on display at Chesters Roman Fort; a Roman re-enactment on the Wall; Roman altars at Chesters Middle row, left to right: Housesteads’ latrines; a Roman manuscript speaking of ‘nasty Brits’; The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre Bottom row, left to right: Visitors enjoy all that Housesteads has to offer; a page from The Lindisfarne Gospels; Roman ruins in Corbridge

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MY BRITAIN

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My Britain

Operation Centaur aims to keep the art of working with rare breed heavy horses alive. Based at Hampton Court Palace and Richmond Park, they look after the last working breed of Shire horses in the UK – a breed that has survived since Henry VIII’s time – of which the Queen is a fan. We spoke to Professor Andreas Liefooghe, expert in equine therapy, and Director of Operation Centaur, about the history of Shire horses at Hampton Court Palace, and the different ways Operation Centaur works with them today.

Professor Andreas Liefooghe Director of Operation Centaur I’m a lifelong horseman; I first got on a horse when I was about 3 or 4. When I became a psychologist and a psychotherapist, horses kept coming into the picture, as they were often used in therapy because of their gentle nature. It was only when I started working with soldiers with PTSD that I thought, ‘I get why this works.’ So, I set up Operation Centaur, working with Shire horses in conservation, heritage, wellbeing, and community. Operation Centaur has been at Richmond Park and Hampton Court Palace for 30 years, and there’s a strong connection with Shire horses at Henry VIII’s favourite palace. King Henry wanted to develop bigger horses to take into battle, so he passed a law saying that everyone had to breed with bigger horses. This is the reason the Shire horse is the biggest breed in the world.

Professor Andreas Liefooghe is an expert in equine-assisted psychotherapy, and employs the Hampton Court Shires as therapy horses, working with people with various needs, such as autism or deep trauma, to help encourage communication

The Shires are to Hampton Court what the ravens are to the Tower of London. Shire horses are Tudor horses that have managed to survive by adapting. After being used in war, they became agricultural horses, and then the lorries of their day. It’s only when the combustion engine was invented that they weren’t used any more, which is why they are nearly extinct; sadly, they are now rarer than the giant panda. Our conservation work includes showing that working horses are relevant in urban environments, so we use them to manage the wildflower meadows in London’s Royal Parks. By doing this we get more wildflowers and a greater variety. We always get lots of attention (not hard when you rock up to Hyde Park with two enormous Shires!), and people ask questions about the Shires, so it is also a great way to engage ➤ the horses with the wider community.

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MY BRITAIN

Top to bottom: The Shire horses recently attended the Royal Windsor Horse Show and met the Queen; Operation Centaur runs a breeding programme to assist in the conservation of Shire horses

The Shires pull carriages around the palace, and from Easter until the end of September people can see the horses, ride the carriages, and experience them hands on. People absolutely love them. We also use the Shire as a therapy horse. Horses are incredible communicators, without using language, and the Shires have worked with young people with autism, or people with deep trauma, as well as helping to deliver an anti-bullying intervention programme in Hyde Park. Horses help us in therapy as they always have in life; by making things go faster. Hampton Court Palace is an extraordinary, special place and I am very lucky to work here. The stables we have are in a 650-acre deer park that mostly hasn’t changed since Henry VIII’s time. People have been working with horses and carriages here for centuries, and you can even see the marks of where carriage wheels have gone before. Some of our coachmen even claim to have seen the palace ghosts when working with the horses at night in the winter…but I’m never quite sure if that’s because they have drunk a bit too much of the sloe gin or not.

This year, we brought our Shire horses to the Royal Windsor Horse Show and the Queen came to inspect them. Her Majesty wanted to promote the indigenous horse breeds, so we were invited to lead out her personal horses with our two greys, of which there are only two hundred left in the world. She came to inspect them a few days beforehand and kept popping in with carrots because she was so excited to have them there. There’s something wonderful about having a monarch who has this incredible childlike wonder when she is around horses – I have that. Sometimes I have a difficult day with difficult patients, and I look around me and I reset. You can see that for her too. n Find out more about the work of Operation Centaur at operationcentaur.com

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CROSSWORD & QUIZ

Crossword no 229

Solutions in next issue

Teatime

QUIZ

Test your knowledge of Britain – answers below!

1. How old is the Roman-built Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England this year? a) 1000 b) 1500 c) 1900 2. What is the official name for the Queen’s birthday parade? a) The Trooping of the Colour b) The Queen Elizabeth II Parade c) The Trooping of the Flags 3. Which English king passed a law that resulted in the creation of the Shire horse? a) King Henry V b) King Henry VIII c) King George IV

Down 1 ________ Matravers, village in the Isle of Purbeck (5) 2 One who enjoys long country walks (7) 3 ________ by Bells, an autobiography in verse by John Betjeman (8) 4 An area having its own church and clergy (6) 5 Swallows and ________ , children’s book by Arthur Ransome (7) 6 An extended European journey, once fashionable as completing a youth’s education (5,4) 7 Author of The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (6) 8 International cricket ground in the London Borough of Lambeth (3,4) 14 Formerly, a prison or reform school for petty offenders (9) 16 Scottish lake with fabled monster (4,4) 17 ________ Has Broken, a hymn with words by Eleanor Farjeon (7) 19 Isle of Wight attraction, noted for its multi-coloured sand cliffs (4,3) 21 Town with a medieval English castle on the River Tyne (7) 22 One of the Isles of Scilly, noted for its subtropical Abbey Gardens (6) 23 Scotland’s patron saint (6) 26 A piece of military music (5)

5. Which English cathedral houses the largest medieval stained-glass window in the country? a) Westminster Abbey b) Canterbury Cathedral c) York Minster 6. Which British actress, who also starred in Netflix’s The Crown, played Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, in the BBC’s A Very British Scandal? a) Olivia Colman b) Gillian Anderson c) Claire Foy

Solutions to crossword 228 Across: 1 Matthew, 5 Belch, 9 Anjou, 10 Lochinver, 11 Pirates, 12 En garde, 13 Luton Hoo, 15 Syon, 18 Prom, 20 Lancelot, 24 Orlando, 25 Glencoe, 27 The Rivals, 28 Swale, 29 Rodin, 30 Emerald. Down: 1 Major, 2 Taunton, 3 Helpston, 4 Wicker, 5 Bridges, 6 Liverpool, 7 Harley, 14 Threlkeld, 16 Largesse, 17 St Leger, 19 Mansion, 21 Chelsea, 22 Potter, 23 & 8 Horace Walpole, 26 Chard Teatime quiz answers: 1.C, 2.A, 3.B, 4.A, 5.C, 6.C

Across 1 A Nottinghamshire town known as the ‘Gateway to the Dukeries’ (7) 5 Historic Scottish county south of Aberdeen (5) 9 Village in the Wealden District of East Sussex (5) 10 A preserve made from the pulp and rind of oranges, originally of quinces (9) 11 One of Shakespeare’s plays (7) 12 The highest mountain in Wales (7) 13 Village in West Sussex noted for its many thatched cottages (8) 15 Fruit of the blackthorn, used to flavour gin (4) 18 ________ Sackville-West, author and poet (4) 20 Cornish coastal town, once a haven for smugglers (8) 24 Sir Henry ________ (1756-1823), Scottish portrait painter (7) 25 19th-century poet who wrote A Shropshire Lad (7) 27 Dorset market town in Blackmore Vale (9) 28 Long-legged wading bird (5) 29 Market town on the River Wharfe in West Yorkshire (5) 30 Market town in the Fenland area of Cambridgeshire (7))

4. What was the name of the enormous Wendy House that Queen Victoria’s children played in, in the grounds of Osborne House on the Isle of Wight? a) Swiss Cottage b) French Cottage c) Little House

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NATIONAL TREASURES

York Minster’s Great East Window

n 1697 Celia Fiennes, a visitor to York Minster, felt moved to comment on “the greatest curiosity for windows I ever saw.” And she certainly had a point. The jewel-in-thecrown of this magnificent, world-famous centre of Christianity, York Minster is renowned for both the size, and the splendour, of its medieval stained-glass collection. Built between 1220 and 1472, the Minster is one of the finest medieval buildings in Europe and has been the centre of Christianity in the north of England since the 7th century. As Celia Fiennes discovered, the Minster is also home to an unrivalled display of medieval stained glass. The Minster’s prized piece is undoubtedly the Great East Window, which holds the title of the greatest expanse of medieval stained glass in England (it is roughly the size of a tennis court). The work of Coventry-based glazier John Thornton, between 1405-08, who was paid £56 for the job, the window is a masterpiece in stone and glass. It depicts two biblical cycles, both the beginning and the end of all things, all arranged under the feet of God and the heavenly realm – a population of angels, prophets, patriarchs, apostles, saints, and martyrs. The window’s main narrative sequence shows the seven days of creation, and the largest section depicts the second coming of Christ, based on the Book of Revelation, otherwise known as the Apocalypse. Although the end of all things was a common theme in art at the time, its iconography in the medium of stained-glass was rare. The bottom row of the window depicts historical figures associated with the history of the Minster itself, with the figure we now know was the donor for the window, Bishop Walter Skirlaw of Durham (c.1330-1406), in the centre of the panel.

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Bishop Skirlaw had been the Chapter of York’s preferred choice as Archbishop of York, however, with the support of King Richard II, Richard Scope was instead enthroned in 1398. Despite this political rivalry, it seems the pair worked amicably and collaboratively together on the completion of the Minster; both of their coats of arms appear in the spandrels of the Minster’s south choir arcade. Unfortunately, neither Skirlaw nor Scrope lived to see the completion of the Great East Window. Scrope was executed in 1405, having led a rebellion army against King Henry IV, while Skirlaw died an elderly man just months later, in 1406. In comparison, little is known about the artist behind the work. We can only assume that he must have had national renown when he was awarded the job of creating the window. Although Thornton was solely responsible for the window’s design, and much of the painting, such an enormous task could not have been completed by one man alone, especially within the three-year deadline. In fact, the incredibly high standard of painting across the window suggests that Thornton was very selective with his chosen collaborators. Unsurprisingly, this 600-year-old masterpiece has not stood the test of time without a little weathering. Centuries of exposure had caused the window to bow, and in 2008, all 311 panels were removed by York Glaziers Trust in an £11.5 million restoration project. Completed in 2018, conservators spent 92,400 hours meticulously restoring every detail of the window. Now, back in its place and standing in its full (enormous) glory, the Great East Window has been preserved for future generations to admire. n York Minster is open for visitors Monday to Saturday 9.30am4pm and Sundays 12.45pm-3.15pm, yorkminster.org

This 600-year-old masterpiece took three years to complete, and is one of the largest and most ambitious windows to have been created in the Middle Ages

KELMSCOTT MANOR

The inspirational home of William Morris

VISIT THE COTSWOLDS RETREAT OF VICTORIAN DESIGNER WILLIAM MORRIS VISITING HOURS (APRIL - OCTOBER) Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays 11am to 5pm After two years conservation and improvement works, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and others, the Manor is open to visitors once again. Explore William Morris’s “Heaven on Earth” and view the iconic collection of artwork and objects owned and designed by the Father of the Arts & Crafts Movement. Discover why the Cotswold home became an inspiration for him and his family and explore the gardens, enjoy homemade food from our licensed tearoom and visit our gift shop. One of the 100 Irreplaceable sites A History of England in 100 Places (Historic England)

For more information and to buy tickets online visit

WWW.KELMSCOTTMANOR.ORG.UK Kelmscott Manor is owned by the Society of Antiquaries of London (registered charity 207237). Address: Kelmscott Manor, Kelmscott, Lechlade GL7 3HJ | Tel: 01367 252486 | Email: admin@kelmscottmanor.org.uk Follow us on Facebook: @KelmscottManorCotswolds, Instagram or Twitter: @kelmscottmanor

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