BRITAIN 2026 YOUR ESSENTIAL HOLIDAY PLANNING GUIDE
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a luxury Windsor stay
ROYAL HIGHLIGHTS Explore palaces and estates in Elizabeth II’s centenary year
LONDON IN ALL SEASONS
From shopping & shows to this year's unmissable events
BEST OF BRITAIN
LEGENDS OF CORNWALL DRIVE THE HIGHLANDS WINNIE -THE..- POOH TRAIL THE BRONTE SISTERS' YORKSHIRE
116 pages of inspiring ideas UK £10.99
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Land of legends
West Penwith at Cornwall’s southwestern tip is a little land apart, with a landscape of craggy cliffs and windswept moors that swirl with myths and legends WORDS ELIZABETH DALE
PHOTO: © TRAVELLINGLIGHT/ALAMY
CORNWALL
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WEST SUSSEX
In Pooh’s footsteps Magical Ashdown Forest was the inspiration for A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories. A century on, it is as enchanting as ever WORDS NATASHA FOGES
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WEST SUSSEX
PHOTO: © OLIVER PYLE/CBW/ALAMY
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he stories of Winnie-the-Pooh, the bumbling “Bear of Very Little Brain” and his woodland friends have sparked childhood imaginations ever since they were written by A.A. Milne in 1926. Milne lived at Cotchford Farm in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, and based his stories on the adventures of his own son, Christopher Robin, who spent his childhood exploring this dream-tinged land, always accompanied by his trusted teddy bear. A lifelong Pooh fan, I was keen to visit the locations that had inspired the stories, but with landmarks as whimsical as ‘The Enchanted Place’ and ‘Pooh’s Thoughtful Spot’, I was going to need some pointers. I took a morning tour of the forest with Gerry Manser, head guide of local company Pooh Trek. Gerry grew up with the Pooh stories and read them to his own children. He has explored every corner of Ashdown Forest’s 6,500 acres (somewhat larger than Pooh’s ‘100 Aker Wood’), taking small groups of ‘Poohthusiasts’ like myself to discover the real-life places that inspired Milne’s timeless tales. First stop on our Pooh pilgrimage is Gill’s Lap (Galleon’s Leap in the books), where most of the familiar locations from the books can be found. To reach it, we walk along a Roman road that slices through the forest across open heathland, surrounded by heather, bracken and gorse. This richly historic landscape is ancient indeed: a stone axe found close to the Roman road dates from prehistoric settlers 40,000 years ago. The Romans settled in the area because of its plentiful iron ore – its reddish colour can be seen on the path underfoot. Easily extracted, it was shovelled out in copious amounts, then wheeled down on carts to the River Medway, ending up in a foundry in France to be made into tools, goblets and armour to be shipped throughout the Roman empire. Later, Henry VIII used the iron ore here to make cannons to fortify his newly established Royal Navy, with the forest’s plentiful trees fuelling his blast furnaces. The forest was also a royal hunting ground, inhabited by wild boars and wolves. Although these may be BRITAIN 2026 43
PHOTO: © VISITSCOTLAND/AIRBORNE LENS
scottish highlands
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scottish highlands
Take the high road
The celebrated North Coast 500 road trip takes in the ancient sights and spectacular scenery of far northern Scotland WORDS EMMA GIBBS
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PHOTOS: © SAM FIELD PHOTOGRAPHY/ALLARD SCHAGER/ALAMY
the channel islands
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the channel islands
Island time In an age when travel can feel increasingly hurried, the Channel Islands offer something quite different: the chance to slow down WORDS NATASHA FOGES
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Cultural capital
A short stroll from the British Museum, The Bloomsbury sits at the cultural heart of London’s literary quarter, home to generations of writers, artists and academics. Designed in the 1920s by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the hotel occupies a striking neo-Georgian building that still bears his signature elegance: think sweeping stone staircases, grand fireplaces and the calm symmetry of classic English architecture. Inside, that heritage is matched by the elegant interiors. Rich velvets, dark woods and curated bookshelves nod to the neighbourhood’s literary past, while the airy guestrooms are refined retreats, offering an indulgent base for exploring the museum’s treasures just minutes away. Guests gather for cocktails in the buzzy Coral Room, a vibrant, Deco-style bar with Murano glass chandeliers; or linger over afternoon tea at Dalloway Terrace, whose decor is updated with the seasons. Whether you’re heading out to explore the British Museum’s ancient artefacts or hitting the shops on nearby Oxford Street, this bohemian bolthole offers the perfect mix of historic charm and contemporary London glamour. doylecollection.com
A Stonehenge stay
PHOTO: © DANIEL HERENDI
Stonehenge stands in splendid isolation on Salisbury Plain, so finding somewhere to stay nearby (for an early-morning visit to watch the sunrise, perhaps) can be a challenge. The most inviting option is Rollestone Manor, a charming country escape a mere stone’s throw from the prehistoric site. Rollestone’s seven rooms are simply furnished with heritage wallpapers, carved wooden beds and soft country tones. The Cardigan Room, with its ornate four-poster and roll-top bath, is the standout. Dinner is a relaxed affair in the cosy dining room, where seasonal dishes are made using local produce. Afterwards, step into the gardens for stargazing – a peaceful reminder of the timeless landscape that has drawn travellers here for millennia. rollestonemanor.com www.discoverbritain.com
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