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Crown treasures Inside Britain's historic royal palaces

SHILLINGS & SOVEREIGNS Coins of the realm through the ages

IN LOVE WITH LINCOLNSHIRE

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STORY OF THE SEASIDE

The Victorian craze that endures to this day

Wolds and windmills

Blooming lovely

Glorious gardens of Kent & Sussex

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EDITOR'S LETTER As Britain begins to emerge into a new spring, we are more ready than ever to embrace the season’s life-affirming joys. This issue, we smell the roses (literally) in the blooming gardens of Kent and Sussex (Wonders of the Weald, p14) and explore the quaint, lost-in-time villages of Lincolnshire (Hidden England, p66). We also look back at the heyday of the great British seaside getaway, beloved of buttoned-up Victorian ladies and gents for its collar-loosening effects (Beside the seaside, p30). And we ponder the history of money and minting – once a murky business that even tarnished Henry VIII (Coin of the realm, p39). Now that stately homes are reopening, join us for a spin around four historic houses (Stately splendour, p22), and get an insider’s view from Tracy Borman, who looks after the likes of Hampton Court and the Tower of London (Curating the Crown, p48). For historic finds, grisly Tudor tales and tips on where to find the capital’s best afternoon tea, step this way... Enjoy the issue!

Sissinghurst Castle Garden

CONTENTS VOLUME 89 ISSUE 3

PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANDREW BUTLER/ASHMOLEAN, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD/STUART BLACK/ALAMY

FEATURES Natasha Foges, Editor @BRITAINMAGAZINE FACEBOOK/BRITAINMAGAZINE @BRITAIN__ MAGAZINE PINTEREST/BRITAINMAGAZINE

FIND YOUR

BRITAIN THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

TRAVEL CULTURE HERITAGE STYLE

Inside Britain's historic royal palaces

Coins of the realm through the ages

IN LOVE WITH LINCOLNSHIRE

Blooming lovely

Glorious gardens of Kent & Sussex

STATELY SPLENDOUR

BESIDE THE SEASIDE

COIN OF THE REALM

CURATING THE CROWN

WIN A GREAT

BRITISH HOLIDAY with free flights

STORY OF THE SEASIDE

The Victorian craze that endures to this day

Wolds and windmills

OFC_BRI_MayJune.indd 2

WONDERS OF THE WEALD

AWARD-WINNING MAGAZINE

Crown treasures SHILLINGS & SOVEREIGNS

MAY/JUNE 2021 £4.95

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23/03/2021 16:53

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Cover image: Hampton Court Palace, Greater London © Ian Shaw/Alamy

A sunny swathe of Kent and Sussex, so little changed over the centuries, harbours some of the country’s finest gardens Discover London’s finest stately homes, conveniently clustered together in the city’s westernmost reaches Sea, sand and (sometimes) sun: the great British seaside holiday has been a much-loved and ever-evolving tradition since Victorian times Fifty years ago Britain adopted decimal coinage: a momentous step that was first proposed centuries earlier. We tell the eventful story of Britain’s coinage Joint Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, Tracy Borman shares the highlights of the job and reveals her favourite haunts

FEATURES 57 63

The houses of our greatest poets are intimate and revealing spaces that still have much to tell us about their former inhabitants

SHREWSBURY Shropshire’s proudly independent county town has both a unique heritage and a contemporary buzz

HIDDEN ENGLAND With its sleepy stone villages and rolling countryside, timeless Lincolnshire is full of charm

LETTERS Share your stories and memories of Britain, and your thoughts on the magazine

THE BULLETIN

COMPETITION

CITY GUIDE: GLASGOW

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Your chance to win a luxury holiday in Britain, including free international flights One an industrial powerhouse and the second city of the British Empire, today this merchant city continues to thrive

A Buckinghamshire pub has Charles I to thank for its place in the history books

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BRITAIN is the official magazine of VisitBritain, the national tourism agency. BRITAIN is published by The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ Tel: 020 7349 3700 Email: info@britain-magazine.com Editorial Editor Natasha Foges Art Editor Clare White Production Editor Jenny Rowe

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IN THIS ISSUE

SCOTLAND

GLASGOW p77 HILLSBOROUGH CASTLE p48

DOVE COTTAGE p57

IRELAND

SHREWSBURY p63 STAMFORD p66

WA L E S

TENBY p30

ENGLAND

BRITAIN (ISSN 2396-9210) (USPS 004-335) is published bi-monthly by The Chelsea Magazine Company, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ , UK Distributed in the US by NPS Media Group, 2 Corporate Drive, Suite 945, Shelton, CT 06484. Periodicals postage paid at Shelton, CT and other mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BRITAIN, PO Box 37518, Boone, IA 50037-0518 Publications Mail Agreement Number 41599077, 1415 Janette Ave, Windsor, ON N8X 1Z1. Canadian GST Registered Number 834045627 RT0001 © The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd., 2021. All rights reserved. Text and pictures are copyright restricted and must not be reproduced without permission of the publishers The information contained in BRITAIN has been published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. However, where appropriate, you are strongly advised to check prices, opening times, dates, etc, before making final arrangements. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or damage caused by reliance on the information contained within this publication is hereby excluded. The opinions expressed by contributors to BRITAIN are not necessarily those of the publisher or VisitBritain.

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YOUR LETTERS

Write to us with your thoughts on the magazine and memories of Britain

LETTERS FROM AFAR

STAR LETTER STEP BACK IN TIME Our star letter wins a tin of Royal Palace Tea, whose delicate design is inspired by the Historic Royal Palaces (£10.99). www. historicroyalpalaces.com

After marrying an American Airman in 1989, I moved away from my home on the North Essex/Suffolk border to the United States. Now living through this pandemic in a small mid-western town, I find myself waiting patiently for the day I can once again visit England. I was, therefore, thrilled to open my latest BRITAIN magazine to instantly recognize the timber houses of Suffolk [Vol 89 Issue 1]. The article highlighting the wool villages of Suffolk brought back many memories. As a teenager, I worked in Sudbury and spent many days driving the country roads

through Clare, Long Melford and Lavenham. The small village of Kersey, just a few miles outside of Lavenham, was made famous for kersey, a wool cloth. Kersey’s main street is lined with beautiful listed buildings and is one of the best representations of medieval England. At the centre of the village is a ford. Wade through the water (minding the ducks) or take the footbridge and walk up the hill to the Church of St Mary’s. Then turn back to look at the village. You will then truly feel you have stepped back in time. Margaret Settle, St Robert, Missouri, USA

Thank you for publishing the letter from Shirley Johnson regarding her English pen pal. In 1952 I was living in a very small town of Hobart, Oklahoma. One day I received two letters from England and communicated with both of these young girls for a couple of years. One of the girls, Lenore Langston, sent me a copy of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation book. Quite a thrill for a small town girl from Oklahoma. Unfortunately, I moved many times and lost touch with both girls. However, visiting England was my major goal, and I was able to go for the first time in 1986. I’ve since made 10 more trips and even taken a summer course at Cambridge. Carole Schneider, Thompsons Station, Tennessee, USA

TEA & ROSES I took my first trip to England 25 years ago to the lovely city of York. My last trip was to Cornwall and Devon. My favourite memory of that trip was a visit to a farm for a Cornish Cream Tea and a tour of the owner’s colourful rose garden. I am 81 years old now and I think my days of traveling abroad are over. But your wonderful magazine is a sort of journal of my travels and a great memory inducer. I look at a picture and exclaim, “Hey, I was there.” Sara Mohr, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

As lovers of Britain, its countryside and its history, your magazine has given us many hours of pleasure over the years. Back in 2001 and 2005 we got to spend a few unforgettable weeks over there. Now in our retirement, we decided to build this model train layout [right], highlighting some of the most memorable places we visited on our travels. An ongoing project of course, and a true labour of love! Rich & Jill Bailey, Juneau, Alaska, USA WRITE TO US! By post: Letters, BRITAIN, The Chelsea Magazine Company, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ Via email: editor@britain-magazine.com FOLLOW US! Twitter: @BritainMagazine Instagram: @britain_magazine Facebook: www.facebook.com/BritainMagazine Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/britainmagazine

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Explore ancient chambers and sacred springs in the heart of Bath.

Book your slot online at: romanbaths.co.uk

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BULLETIN Domestic history, naval battles and royal birthdays

NEW OPENING

PHOTOS: © CHRIS RIDLEY/MUSEUM OF THE HOME

Home improvements Having been confined to our own homes for more days than we care to count, it will be a treat to escape and explore East London’s Museum of the Home. Set to reopen in May 2021 following a major £18.1 million development, much more of the museum’s collections will now be on display in new galleries exploring personal experiences of home life over four centuries. In addition, the much-loved Rooms Through Time

displays have been revived, bookended with new offerings such as ‘Domestic Game Changers’, which showcases how everyday objects have had a radical effect on the quality of life at home through history. And in a supernatural twist, a new Victorian room will present the clashing textures and patterns of a middle-class London parlour set up to welcome guests to a séance. www.museumofthehome.org.uk

HISTORY / NEWS / REVIEWS / INSPIRATION

L I T E R AT U R E

Austenites, assemble!

Art from the heart In 1848, seven young artists, including John Everett Millais, William Holman Hunt and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, formed The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood to rebel against the teachings of the Royal Academy of Arts. A new exhibition at The Ashmolean will bring together rarely seen works on paper including a number of small, personal sketches that offer insights into the artists’ private lives. One will be Rossetti’s profile watercolour of Elizabeth Siddal (1854), an early example of the now iconic conception of the Pre-Raphaelite woman. Rossetti and Siddal went on to marry six years later. www.ashmolean.org

SHOPPING

F E S T I VA L

Open-air opera In the heart of the Cotswolds, Longborough Festival Opera (1 June-3 August) has a new look for the 2021 season – and they’re ready to weather whatever storms UK government restrictions may bring too. Three of this year’s productions – Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Monteverdi’s The Return of Ulysses, and Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen – will be performed in The Big Top, a giant circus tent allowing for socially distanced seating (including a live orchestra). Performances will include a 90-minute dining interval, so you can enjoy your picnic in the grounds with views over the bucolic countryside. www.lfo.org.uk

Special birthdays This year we celebrate not one but two major royal birthdays. Prince Philip will reach the momentous age of 100 on 10 June, having enjoyed just four years of retirement from royal duties – he has completed 22,219 solo engagements since 1952. On 26 April Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will turn 95: the first British monarch to reach the age. This milestone is commemorated in this limitededition fine bone china plate designed by Caroline Dadd. The piece is exclusive to Goviers of Sidmouth, a well-known name in the world of fine gifts since 1904. www.goviersofsidmouth.co.uk

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EXHIBITION

2021 sees the return of Jane Austen Regency Week (19-27 June), with events celebrating all things Jane and the Regency period taking place in the town of Alton in Hampshire and nearby Chawton. Visit Jane Austen’s House, where she lived, thrived and wrote six novels. A new multi-sensory visitor experience uses scent and sound to bring the house to life. Now you can step back in time to 1816 and be a part of Jane’s daily life, listening in to her early morning piano practice and the happy clatter of a family breakfast. www.janeaustenregencyweek.co.uk; www.janeaustens.house

HISTORY Set between the two buildings of the Old Royal NavalBattle College in Greenwich, London, the Queen’s House was England's first classical building, built in the 17th-century by architect Inigo Anyone who’s ever enjoyed the thrilling tale of the Spanish Jones for Anne of Denmark, as a gift from her husband, James I. Armada of 1588 will be glad to hear that ten hand-drawn, Four hundred years later, the splendid royal villa is due to Elizabethan-era maps depicting the Armada, one of the most reopen on 11 October following extensive renovations, which significant naval battles in history, have been saved for the nation. have seen an overhaul to the galleries housing its famous The extremely rare maps had been sold to an overseas buyer for collection of art – including key works by Gainsborough and £600,000 but after an export ban the National Museum of the Hogarth – and original features, such as the Tulip Staircase.

Ifmaps that’s not reason enough to visit, it is likely to be the home of the historic Armada portrait of Queen Elizabeth I (pictured above), one of the most iconic images of any British monarch. Royal Navy (NMRN) in Portsmouth raised the same sum via The painting has been the subject of intensive fundraising public donations to buy them back. The ink and watercolour to save it for the nation since it was put up for sale. With the maps, created a year after the battle, depict ‘the Englishe fleete’, funding target due to be hit this summer, the Queen’s House with its paltry 66 ships, pitted against ‘the Spanish fleete’, twice will be the perfect place to view the portrait: Elizabeth I was its size. The NMRN is now hoping to raise further funds to put born at Greenwich Palace in 1533 and Queen’s House is the last these special maps on display. www.nmrn.org.uk remaining part of the palace complex. www.rmg.co.uk

HISTORY / NEWS / REVIEWS / INSPIRATION

READING CORNER Take inspiration for your British adventures from these great reads

RECIPE

Apricot & Lemon Thyme Cobblers The Pie Room by Calum Franklin (Bloomsbury Absolute, £26; www.bloomsbury.com) is a must-buy if you’re a fan of this enduring British classic. Renowned as ‘London’s King of Pies’, Franklin shares eighty achievable recipes for pies, various pastry-encased close relatives and several pie-enhancing sides – both sweet and savoury. Each is as mouth-watering as the next.

I n g re d i e n t s : SERVES 6 (2 EACH) 500g sweet shortcrust pastry 1 vanilla pod

80g cold salted butter, diced

15 apricots, halved and stone removed

20g lemon thyme, leaves picked

80g caster sugar

For the crumble:

80g ground almonds

60g caster sugar

100g plain flour

10g flaked almonds

Method: Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/gas mark 4 and line two trays with baking paper. Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 1.5cm. Cut out six pastry circles large enough to line the cups of a six-hole muffin tray and place in the freezer for 30 minutes or until hard. While the pastry cases are chilling, put all the ingredients for the crumble mixture in a mixing bowl and rub together until just combined. Spread the mixture over the first lined baking tray. Lay the apricot halves on the second lined baking tray, flat side down. Remove the muffin tray from the freezer, line each case with paper and fill with dried pulses. Place the muffin tray and both baking trays in the preheated oven to blind bake the pastry cases and roast the crumble mixture and the apricots for 20 minutes, gently turning them halfway. Then remove both baking trays and set aside to cool. Remove the muffin tray and the beans from the pastry cases. Increase the oven temperature to 180°C fan/200°C/gas mark 6, return the muffin tray to the oven and cook the pastry cases for a further 5 minutes or until an even golden colour. Transfer the apricots to a mixing bowl, sprinkle in the sugar and scrape in the vanilla. Stir together, gently breaking up the apricots. Spoon the apricot mixture into the cases. Loosely scatter the crumble over the top of the filling and finally add the picked lemon thyme leaves to decorate the cobblers.

BRITAIN

Great Britain’s Railways: A New History by Colin Maggs (£12.99, Amberley Books). An expert's take on 400 years of British railway history, with a look to its future too. The Crichel Boys: Scenes from England’s Last Literary Salon by Simon Fenwick (£25, Constable). The biography of a house in Dorset that became a hub of literary and creative activity. John Keats: Poetry, Life and Landscapes by Suzie Grogan (£19.99, Pen & Sword). Grogan places Keats and his poetry clearly on the map, tracing his short life through the UK, from London to the Lakes and beyond. Magnificent Women and their Revolutionary Machines by Henrietta Heald (£9.99, Unbound). The story of Britain’s trailblazing, boundary-breaking first female engineers.

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © JOHN CAREY

Serve your cobblers the British way with custard, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top

Life after Gravity: Isaac Newton’s London Career by Patricia Fara (£25, Oxford University Press). This new biography overturns the idea that Newton cared little about money and fame.

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SCOTLAND

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BRITAIN 13

kent & sussex gardens

Poppies at Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent

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kent & sussex gardens

WONDERS of the

WEALD

A sunny swathe of Kent and Sussex, so little changed over the centuries, harbours some of the country’s finest gardens

WORDS NATASHA FOGES

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kent & sussex gardens

icture a quintessentially English landscape and it probably looks much like the slice of southeastern England known as the High Weald. This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty presents a timeless ensemble of wooded hills, sunken country lanes and magical villages dotted with Tudor manors, medieval churches and the red-brick oast houses that once held kilns for drying hops. It was Henry VIII who first crowned Kent ‘the Garden of England’. The High Weald, spanning 560 square miles across Kent and neighbouring Sussex, has long been renowned for its horticultural wonders. Nurtured by a warm and sunny microclimate and fertile soil, an extraordinary number of beautiful gardens bloom here, tucked away down ancient country lanes. First stop for any dedicated garden enthusiast should be Sissinghurst. When the author Vita Sackville-West and her husband Sir Harold Nicolson bought this plot in the heart of the Weald in 1930, it was “a garden crying out for rescue”, a weed-strewn wasteland filled with “old bedsteads, old cabbage stalks…and mountains of old sardine tins”. Over the course of thirty years they turned this derelict five-acre plot into one of the finest gardens in England. A tall tower of pale-pink brick at the garden’s heart is all that remains of a grand Tudor mansion fit for a queen

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(Elizabeth I was a former guest). At first sight, Vita was captivated by the structure – which had, centuries earlier, held captive thousands of French sailors, prisoners of the British in the Seven Years War (1756-63). A harsh place, it was grimly nicknamed ‘le chateau’. The name stuck and the garden that, little by little, grew around it became Sissinghurst Castle Garden. Laid out as a series of diverse ‘rooms’, the garden marries Vita’s love of tumbling, romantic displays with her husband’s fondness for order and geometry. The celebrated Rose Garden, which Vita envisaged “foaming” with blooms, is all delicate romance, while the magical White Garden, with its frothy Queen Anne’s lace and silvery weeping pear, is a cool contrast to the fiery hues of the Cottage Garden. From Sissinghurst, make the short detour to Cranbrook, a tiny town that is improbably known as ‘the Capital of the Weald’; its parish church, St Dunstan’s, is ‘the Cathedral of the Weald’. The town’s pretty streets hold listed buildings, quaint shops and the Union Windmill, open to the public on summer afternoons. From here it’s a few miles to romantic Scotney Castle, whose medieval ruin encircled by a moat stands at the heart of a rambling garden. It is the essence of a fairytale castle tower, especially when veiled in white wisteria in

PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JO HATCHER/ANDREW BUTLER/LOOK/ROBERT HARDING/HEINZ WOHNER ILLUSTRATION: © MICHAEL A HILL

Right: Sissinghurst's Cottage Garden in bloom in April Below: The moated Scotney Castle

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kent & sussex gardens

PHOTOS: © SHUTTERSTOCK/BBA TRAVEL/GRAHAM PRENTICE/ALAMY

Clockwise from this image: The ruins of Hastings Castle; the Long Border and Manor at Great Dixter; cobbled streets in Rye

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kent & sussex gardens

springtime. A priest hole hidden within its walls dates back to the 16th century, when the castle was owned by the Catholic Darrell family, who secretly harboured a priest here for seven years when anti-Catholic feeling was at its height. In 1778 Edward Hussey bought Scotney from the Darrells and reimagined the garden in the newly fashionable ‘picturesque’ style. He even carefully ‘ruined’ the dilapidated castle even further to fulfil his dreamily romantic vision. This might seem like sacrilege, but glimpse its crumbling turret through cloud-like masses of rhododendrons and azaleas and you might just forgive him. A few miles drive south, passing through the crossroads village of Hawkhurst – once ruled by the notorious Hawkhurst Gang, who ran a thuggish trade in blackmarket tea and rum in the mid-18th century – you arrive at one of England’s most famous gardens. Serious gardeners speak about Great Dixter in tones of hushed reverence. It is the creation – and life’s work – of the late gardener and journalist Christopher Lloyd, who returned to the house, his childhood home, in 1950 after studying horticulture. Keen to question the sometimes precious world of gardening, he eschewed long-held ‘rules’ and practices in favour of experimental pairings and unexpected twists. Disappointed with his crop of roses one year, for example, Lloyd replaced the rose garden – hirtherto a must for any self-respecting English country garden – with a planting of lush exotics, proving that plants such as dahlias and the Japanese banana could extend the flowering time of a English country garden well into the autumn.

PHOTOS: © JOHN GLOVER/TONY WATSON/ALAMY

Serious gardeners speak about Great Dixter in tones of hushed reverence Even those not attuned to the garden’s innovative idiosyncrasies will appreciate its luxuriant borders and technicolour plantings. Lloyd pioneered the idea of the mixed border, and Great Dixter’s puts on a dazzling display from April to October, with the 15th-century manor house, adapted in 1910 by the architect Edwin Lutyens, providing the perfect backdrop. Tucked away nearby, down a quiet country lane, is wisteria-covered Pashley Manor, another handsome Tudor house brought to life by glorious blooms. The gardens are a labour of love for owners James and Angela Sellick, who have tended and transformed them over the course of 30 years. Visit in the spring for the Tulip Festival, an annual extravaganza that sees some 43,000 tulips of all varieties and colours emerge in all their glory. The house, usually closed to the public, has an intriguing historical connection: Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s unfortunate second wife, is thought to have spent parts of her childhood here, as her family used it as a hunting lodge. A statue of Anne stands on the moated island; her ghost, it is said, haunts the manor still. Further west, across the Kent border into Sussex, www.britain-magazine.com

Wakehurst is the rural outpost of London’s Kew Gardens. Less manicured than its city sister, it has a sprawling 500 acres of woodland and the Millennium Seed Bank, a collection of over 2.4 billion seeds from around the world, housed in sub-zero underground chambers to conserve them for the future: a botanical Noah’s Ark. Visitors can also roam a Southern Hemisphere Garden, a Himalayan Glade and an Asian Heath Garden, and plans are afoot to create an American prairie. Nearby Borde Hill Garden exchanges Wakehurst’s wild and sweeping spaces with peaceful, intimate garden ‘rooms’ and bucolic Wealden views. A secret-garden atmosphere prevails as you wander from the tranquil Italian Garden – a lily pond framed by geranium-filled terracotta pots and pink pelargoniums – to the romantic ruins of the Old Potting Sheds and the Rose Garden, bursting with David Austin roses. Beyond, woodland dells are scattered with rare trees, many of which are ‘champions’ planted in the early 20th century by Colonel Stephenson R Clarke. The Colonel bought the Elizabethan mansion at the heart of the gardens in 1893 and sponsored the great plant-hunters

Clockwise, from above: The Long Border at Great Dixter; the Elizabethan Mansion at Wakehurst now belongs to the National Trust; the Rose Garden at Borde Hill in the summer

kent & sussex gardens

THE PLANNER GETTING THERE AND AROUND All of the gardens are less than an hour from London by train, then a short taxi ride; see the individual gardens’ websites for information. Seeing multiple gardens is easiest on a self-drive tour, perhaps over the course of two or three days. Alternatively, there are tour companies that will organise the transport and accommodation for you and guide you around, including Brightwater Holidays, Flora Garden Tours and Classic England. www.thetrainline.com; www.brightwaterholidays.com; www.flora-garden-tours.com; www.classic-england.com WHERE TO STAY AND EAT Gravetye Manor is the perfect hotel for garden enthusiasts, with historic gardens created by William Robinson in 1885 and luxurious country-house-style rooms. The Michelin-starred restaurant uses produce from the hotel’s kitchen garden in dishes such as Creedy Carver duck with lavender, honey and parsnip. www.gravetyemanor.co.uk

This image: The manor house ruins at Nymans Below: Wisteria and tulips in bloom at Pashley Manor

FURTHER INFORMATION www.highweald.org

to travel all over the world in search of new and exotic specimens. Four generations of his family have looked after the 200-acre estate since. The fearless Edwardian plant-hunters also supplied Nymans, where our tour concludes, with rare exotics. Look out for the Handkerchief Tree, draped with unusual white ‘flowers’ in May. It was collected from a cliff edge in China in 1901 by Ernest Wilson, plant-hunter to the aristocracy. Though shipwrecked on his way home, Wilson managed to hold onto the precious seeds and fulfil his mission. No wonder the tree was once considered the Holy Grail of exotic flora. The estate was bought in 1890 by Ludwig Messel, a German Jewish émigré who had become a successful stockbroker. It was his son and heir Leonard who enhanced the garden’s horticultural value by sponsoring far-flung plant-hunting expeditions. Leonard remodelled the Regency house at Nymans into a medieval-style manor, but it was partly destroyed by a catastrophic fire in 1947 on the night of his 75th birthday. When the National Trust bought it six years later it was left a ruin, its stage-set beauty the perfect foil for the naturalistic gardens that surround it. The double border in the Walled Garden is at its exuberant best in midsummer, but quieter times of year – February for snowdrops, daffodils and crocuses, October for flaming foliage – can be equally rewarding. One of the most celebrated gardens of Edwardian England, it hasn’t lost its magic.  For more on Kent and Sussex, see www.britain-magazine.com

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kent & sussex gardens

Below: The moated Herstmonceux Castle

The Rose Garden in June at Nymans

Sissinghurst The magnificent White Garden is at its peak in July, with an all-white display of gladioli, irises and pompom dahlias. www.nationaltrust.org.uk Scotney Castle Visit in spring to admire the view of the ruined castle through clouds of pink rhododendrons. www.nationaltrust.org.uk Great Dixter Highlight of this wonderful Arts and Crafts garden is its Long Border, bursting with colour throughout the summer. www.greatdixter.co.uk Pashley Manor Gardens Visit in late April or early May for the spectacular Tulip Festival, with tulips planted in themed garden ‘rooms’. www.pashleymanorgardens.com Wakehurst April and May see swathes of bluebells carpeting the woodlands at Wakehurst. www.kew.org/wakehurst Borde Hill Garden Visit in June or July to experience the Rose Garden at its sweetly scented best. www.bordehill.co.uk Nymans In February Nymans’ magnolia trees start to blossom, while the arboretum puts on a stunning display in the autumn. www.nationaltrust.org.uk BRITAIN

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GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS

stately homes

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PHOTOS: © MAURITIUS IMAGES GMBH/ALAMY/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/CHRIS DAVIES

This image: Ham House and the Cherry Garden Left: Chiswick House was built in 1729

STATELY SPLENDOUR Discover London’s finest historic houses, conveniently clustered together in the city’s westernmost reaches WORDS MONICA WOODS

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PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANDREW BUTLER

stately homes

s well as palaces, parks and parliamentary buildings, the British capital is dotted with a number of splendid stately homes. West London seems to have more than its fair share, no doubt explained by its proximity to the Thames and ease of access into town. These westernmost reaches offer a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of central London, but rewind 300 or so years, and they would have represented a proper rural retreat. For today’s visitors, an easy day-trip provides an authentic taste of life to the manor born. Nestled between two of London’s busy arteries, heading towards Heathrow airport and into the city centre, Chiswick House is a striking, chalk-white mansion set in exquisite gardens. Built in 1729 in the neo-Palladian style, with a six-columned entrance reached by symmetrical staircases, it was inspired by Lord Burlington’s travels in Italy. But this wasn’t a token post-Grand Tour commission. Richard Boyle, the third Earl of Burlington, designed the house himself, with the help of his friend and protégé William Kent. Two Grand Tours had fuelled Lord Burlington’s fascination with classical art and architecture and the work of the 16th-century Venetian architect Andrea Palladio, in particular. Chiswick House was inspired by Palladio’s Villa Capra in Vicenza, although Burlington incorporated elements of other Roman buildings – the coffered effect inside the dome, for example, was modelled

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Above: The east front at Osterley Park and House Right: The Blue Velvet Room at Chiswick House

on Rome’s Basilica of Maxentius. The debt Burlington owed to Palladio, and to his English disciple Inigo Jones, is made clear by the statues of both men standing at either side of the front staircases. The house functioned as a showcase for Lord Burlington’s extensive art collection and a symbol of his passion for Palladio. Paintings by Velázquez, Rembrandt and Van Dyck once hung in the lavish reception rooms, where the walls are lined with rich velvet, and elaborate gilding catches the light. With no kitchen and limited bedchambers, the villa was not intended as a private home. It was deemed ‘Too small to live in, and too big to hang to a watch’ by courtier Lord Hervey, but provided ample gallery and entertaining space, as well as peace and quiet in the grounds. William Kent designed the gardens to complement the house. Columns, sphinxes, obelisks and even an Ionic temple are arranged around the grounds, lending an air of formality. But with his gently sloping lawns and naturalistic water features, Kent was in fact conceiving a new, informal approach to gardening which would inspire the English Landscape movement. Kent’s designs had an impact as far away as New York, where they influenced the planting in Central Park. The gardens have other claims to fame, as the home of a famous camellia collection and as the location of the world’s first promotional pop videos, filmed by The Beatles in 1966 to accompany the songs Paperback Writer and Rain. www.britain-magazine.com

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stately homes The Chiswick House estate passed by marriage to the Dukes of Devonshire in 1753. The fifth Duke made substantial changes, demolishing the original Jacobean house, to which Burlington’s villa was linked, adding wings on either side and redesigning the gardens. When the Devonshires rented out the house, many historic items were moved to Chatsworth, where they remain today. Some £12 million was spent on a major restoration in 2010, which has helped return the house and gardens to a close likeness of their 18th-century splendour. Heading a little further west delivers more Neoclassical splendour, and more green space, but on a larger scale. National Trust-run Osterley Park and House was described as ‘the palace of palaces’ by Horace Walpole – whose own Gothic-revival pad, Strawberry Hill House, is not far south in Twickenham. The original 16th-century building here was transformed, from 1761, by Scottish architect and designer Robert Adam for the wealthy Child family, whose ancestor Josiah Child was Governor of the East India Company. The relatively plain red-brick exterior – albeit with imposing turrets and double portico – belies a sumptuous interior, including an elegant entrance hall adorned with intricate plasterwork and statuary, and the Long Gallery, which spans 40 metres and has featured in films such as The Young Victoria. These grand rooms provide a backdrop to the family’s original collection of fine furniture, much of it specifically designed by Adam, as well as porcelain, silverware and tapestries.

Strolling through Osterley’s gardens, park and farmland, city life seems very far away. The summerhouse, designed by Adam, was a favourite retreat of Sarah Child, who lived at Osterley from 1763 to 1793. A keen gardener, she planted exotic blooms in front of the semi-circular structure, which was filled with scented plants and fragrant citrus trees. Mrs Child’s Flower Garden has been recreated following the original planting and comes into its own in the summer months. In addition, the Tudor walled garden is bursting with blooms and includes an ornamental vegetable garden, whose bounty is used in the Stables Café. Grazing creamy-white Charolais cattle complete the bucolic scene. Nearby Syon Park, the London home of the Duke of Northumberland, hugs a bend in the Thames, facing the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Syon Abbey, its name taken from Mount Zion, once stood on the site. Under Henry VIII, however, the Bridgettine order was dissolved and the property passed into royal hands. It was rebuilt in an Italian Renaissance style, with the interiors later remodelled by Robert Adam. Henry VIII has more than one connection with the place: Catherine Howard, his fifth wife, was imprisoned here before her execution, while

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PHOTO: © CAPTURE IT LTD/SYON HOUSE

Pocahontas travelled to London and stayed in the Brentford area in the last year of her life. A plaque at Syon House commemorates her visit

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The Great Hall at Syon House

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the funeral cortege of Henry himself paused here, en route to Windsor. An even more surprising cameo appearance was made by Mataoka, better known as Pocahontas. Having married an Englishman in her homeland of Virginia, Pocahontas travelled to London and stayed in the Brentford area in the last year of her life (1617), possibly at the invitation of the 9th Earl of Northumberland. A plaque at Syon House commemorates her visit. The grounds at Syon may be no match for Kew, but they do boast a huge glasshouse, a pioneering feat of architecture and engineering. Completed in 1830, it was the first large-scale metal and glass conservatory of its kind. In the 1880s, great bamboos and palms swayed underneath its high, filigreed dome. Today, the best botanical specimens are to be found in the park itself, which is home to more than 200 species of rare trees, introduced from North America, the Himalayas and China in the late 18th century. The park’s open vistas and ornamental lakes are the work of Capability Brown, following the tenets of the English Landscape movement forged by William Kent. The winding Thames and its leafy banks conjure up particularly picturesque scenes as the river meanders west. Nowhere more so than at Ham House, situated right on

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Above: The Green Closet at Ham House

the river – the name of the small district derives from the Old English hamm, meaning ‘land in a river bend’. The best way to approach this historic Restoration property is via the traditional passenger ferry, boarding on the north bank, near Marble Hill House (another Palladian villa). The most complete surviving 17th-century mansion in Europe, Ham House was originally built in 1610. The house and estate were gifted to William Murray by his childhood friend, King Charles I. Murray undertook major alterations from 1637, but it was his daughter, Elizabeth, and her later husband, the Duke of Lauderdale, who masterminded the house as it stands today. The Duke and Duchess lavished funds and energy on their project, commissioning Baroque ceiling murals, carved oak panelling and a gilded staircase. Their rich collections of lacquerware, textiles, books and paintings are displayed to stunning effect in the unmatched grandeur of these interiors. The couple designed the garden themselves, the layout of which is one of the oldest surviving examples in Britain. It includes a space for contemplation, the Wilderness, a walled organic kitchen garden, and a formal, lavenderfilled Cherry Garden. As with the house, the Duke and Duchess aimed to impress, and succeeded.  For more on stately homes, visit www.britain-magazine.com www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JOHN HAMMOND

Check the houses’ websites for information on opening times. Chiswick House Lord Burlington’s splendid Palladian villa has 65 acres of gardens to explore. www.chiswickhouseandgardens.org.uk Osterley Park and House A handsome Georgian country estate surrounded by formal gardens and parkland. www.nationaltrust.org.uk Syon Park The London home of the Dukes of Northumberland for more than 400 years, Syon Park boasts a fine art collection. www.syonpark.co.uk Ham House This atmospheric 17thcentury mansion is reputed to be one of Britain’s most haunted houses. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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For your UK short break, look no further than Great Little Breaks, experts in handpicked holidays with added extras Want to book a short break in the UK but overwhelmed by the choice on offer? Your first port of call should be Great Little Breaks and their curated selection of brilliant breaks across the country. Great Little Breaks handpicks the very best accommodation providers, attractions and partners, bringing them together to create unforgettable memories and experiences for you. Breaks are grouped into Collections, such as Coastal, Country and Romantic, so you can easily zoom in on your perfect break – or you can simply browse by region, from the South Coast to Scotland. Whether you’re keen to feel the sand between your toes, soak up countryside views, discover a new city or take in the bright lights of London, Great Little Breaks offers a variety of delightful options. You can make your break extra special with a choice of added extras, from afternoon tea or dinner in an award-winning restaurant to little touches such as the option of late check-out or a packed lunch to take on your day’s adventure. Great Little Breaks will take care of it all, so you can relax and look forward to your getaway. You can book with confidence too. They pride www.britain-magazine.com

themselves on their customer service: 98 per cent of customers would recommend Great Little Breaks to their friends and family. Most of the short breaks are fully flexible, giving you the peace of mind that, should you need to, you can change your dates or cancel your booking free of charge. And they are ABTA bonded, so customers are financially protected too. A generous price promise means you won’t be out of pocket should you find the same short break at a lower price anywhere else.

Further afield, explore the outstanding Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, boasting 185 million years of history, perfect for keen walkers – be sure to keep an eye out for fossils along the way... When it comes to finding the perfect escape, there really is no better place to unwind than this picturesque coastal town. For more inspiration and a choice of coastal locations, call 01905 792801 or browse the options at www.greatlittlebreaks.com/britain-magazine

Feature Location: Bournemouth Discover the meaning of true relaxation with the perfect coastal getaway to Bournemouth. Sink your toes into soft, golden sand, sit back and relax on a deckchair with a good book, or enjoy a stroll along the town’s seven miles of award-winning beaches. There’s plenty to keep you entertained beyond the beach too. Wander along the famous pier, admiring the breathtaking views, take in the impressive collections of the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum or visit Bournemouth’s beautiful parks and gardens, idyllic places to watch the world go by. BRITAIN

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Tenby Harbour and North Beach in Pembrokeshire, South Wales

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Beside the

SEASIDE

Sea, sand and (sometimes) sun: the great British seaside holiday is a much-loved and always evolving tradition WORDS NEIL JONES

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traditions Medieval pilgrims prayed at a shrine at Winchester Cathedral

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PHOTOS: © FUNKYFOODLONDON - PAUL WILLIAMS/STUART BLACK/IMAGEBROKER/TRAVELLINGLIGHT/ALAMY

elaxing in a colourful deckchair, sand between your toes. Rock-pooling, beachcombing, swimming and surfing. The whiff of fish and chips drifting along the promenade is irresistible, and who cares if the candyfloss is sticky? As the music hall song would have it, we “do like to be beside the seaside”; indeed a love of bathing in the briny and building sandcastles seems written into our DNA. Yet, surprisingly for an island nation, we were rather slow to embrace the leisure potential of our coast. The great British seaside holiday only really began in the 18th century as people slowly moved from ‘taking the waters’ for their health at inland spas to the newly fashionable alternative of bathing in the sea. Scarborough on the Yorkshire coast, by virtue of already having been a mineral-spa town, styles itself Britain’s original seaside resort, but it was the Dorset town of Weymouth that reaped a notable royal seal of approval when King George III, following medical advice that a dip in the sea could help alleviate his ailments, spent 14 summers here between 1789 and 1805. Conveyed into the water in a bathing machine (like a beach hut on wheels in which people could undress hidden from public gaze), George bravely took the plunge. “Think but of the surprise of His Majesty,” a member of the royal party recorded, “when, the first time of his bathing, he had no sooner popped his royal head under water than a band of music, concealed in a neighbouring machine, struck up ‘God save great George our King’.”

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Clockwise, from top left: Traditional beach huts at Southwold, Suffolk; Beer Beach, Devon; Weymouth, Dorset; Saltburn Cliff Tramway, North Yorkshire

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Clockwise, from top left: Statue of King George III in Weymouth; Punch and Judy in Brighton; Blackpool Central Pier, Lancashire; Glamorgan Heritage Coast, Wales

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You can see a replica of the royal bathing machine on Weymouth’s esplanade, where handsome Georgian terraces and a statue to the king bear testament to the early days of the resort, still popular thanks to its wide bay and fine sands beloved of bucket-and-spadewielding families. Perhaps the most stunning royal seaside architectural legacy, however, is to be found along the coast at Brighton, where George’s son, later George IV, was advised by physicians to try seawater treatments; he loved his stays so much he built the exotic pleasure palace that is the Royal Pavilion. At first bathing was generally a naked activity – ‘modesty hoods’ covering the end of the bathing machine enabled users (aided by attendants called dippers) to slip into the water unseen. Later, even when people donned voluminous costumes, some places segregated the sexes onto separate beaches. From the mid-19th century a growing railway network, combined with the Bank Holidays Act (1871, England, Wales, Ireland), put seaside resorts on the map for the day-tripping masses, who eagerly made the most of their new public holidays by leaping aboard excursions laid on by canny train operators. While the health benefits of seawater and ozone were still a draw, it was the seaside as a place of entertainment that now grabbed the imagination. Piers sprang up and with them the carefree blend of the posh, pricy and sedate with the vulgar, cheap and racy that became a distinctive feature (and attraction) of the seaside experience. Serving as landing stages for

visitors arriving by paddle steamer, piers also allowed landlubbers the novelty of ‘walking on water’ – “Here for the sum of twopence you can go out to sea and pace this vast deck without need of a basin,” the Victorian novelist William Makepeace Thackeray rejoiced of Brighton’s since-vanished Chain Pier (you can still enjoy breathtaking views from the Palace Pier as well as quite literally breathtaking funfair rides). Not content to pocket landing dues at one end and pedestrian tolls at the other, pier operators soon lightened strollers’ pockets in between by means of food kiosks, shops and musical performers. Among the 70 or so piers built in four decades of boom from the 1860s, Teignmouth in Devon (opened 1867) stole a march with the first coin-operated ‘What the Butler Saw’ peep-show machines. Meanwhile Blackpool, Bournemouth and Brighton boasted three piers apiece, each catering for different tastes, and the Indian Pavilion on Blackpool North Pier spawned a veritable rash of pavilion-building around the country where concerts, balls and end-ofpier shows could be staged. Indeed Blackpool, still with three piers (filled with modern thrill-seeker rides, shows and arcades), has been at the forefront of ever bigger, brighter (and brasher) entertainments from the outset, with its Tower (1894), ballroom, circus, Pleasure Beach of white-knuckle adventures, and six miles of world-famous Illuminations. In the 1890s the resort was also among the first to heavily market that jaw-breaking favourite, seaside rock. BRITAIN

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Above: Princess Gardens and Pavilion on Torquay Seafront, part of the English Riviera Below: Durdle Door, a natural landmark on Dorset's Jurassic Coast

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Elegant promenades were another feature of seaside resorts that grew up in Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian times, and seafronts like the palm-lined promenade of Torquay on ‘England’s Riviera’ entice to this day. Bandstands sent music floating through the air – the current one in Eastbourne, built in 1934, is still going strong with the claim to be “the busiest bandstand on planet Earth”. To avoid unwarranted exertions on your coastal excursion – past or present – you might take a cliff lift to the seafront: constructed in 1912 and measuring just 130ft, the one at Southend-on-Sea is Britain’s shortest funicular railway (the resort also boasts the world’s longest pier, at 7,080ft). At Saltburn you can gently descend in Britain’s oldest working waterbalanced cliff tramway (1884). Once on the seafront, all manner of giddy delights awaited – perhaps a ride along the beach on a donkey, a tradition begun in the late Victorian era, or the spectacle of a knockabout Punch and Judy show, rooted in Italian commedia dell’arte and given a British seaside twist. There were showmen aplenty, like stunt diver ‘Professor Davenport’ who thrilled Edwardian onlookers at Hastings Pier by jumping into the sea inside a burning sack; reports of his wider repertoire enthused: “he dives smoking a cigar [...] which he brings up again alight. He can also dive from a bicycle from a flying trapeze.” Buttoned-up ladies and gents and factory workers alike succumbed to the collar-loosening effects of the seaside. As the 20th century unfolded, trouser legs were well and truly rolled up and heads sported knotted hankies, while cheap and cheerful souvenirs and the sending of saucy postcards became de rigueur. There was always the knobbly-knees competition to win at a seaside holiday camp and, thankfully, swimwear progressed from droopy wool-knitted styles to more water-suitable numbers. Package holidays to sunnier overseas climes dented the British seaside holiday trade in the latter half of the 20th century but tides turned again with the rise of the staycation: bolstered by a doughty British spirit unafraid of the occasional rain-shower and by the sheer diversity of seaside escapes within easy reach, always evolving while always offering that sense of joyous freedom at the heart of their allure. Thus today you can enjoy top surfing experiences at Newquay in Cornwall, traditional bucket-and-spade holidays from Bournemouth to Tenby, the bohemian buzz of Brighton and the candy-coloured beach-hut charms of Southwold. Winner of ‘Pier of the Year 2020’, Clacton in Essex is Europe’s largest pleasure pier, while Margate’s Dreamland channels retro amusement-park thrills. You can walk in the footsteps of dinosaurs on Dorset’s craggy Jurassic Coast or get away from it all along the Glamorgan Heritage Coast or the expansive sands and dunes of Northumberland. All these – and everything in between – are why we still like to be beside the seaside.

For more on Britain’s coast, see www.britain-magazine.com www.britain-magazine.com

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Best of

BOTH WORLDS

Explore England’s coast and countryside without lifting a finger with English Cottage Vacation, a new breed of luxury holiday English Cottage Vacation is far more than your standard, luxury catered cottage; it’s an “appanage”, a term that hosts Nathan and Laura Kurton use to define their new holiday concept’s special attributes. An “appanage” is tailor-made, ultra-luxurious, completely private, and has one all-inclusive price. To top it off, it’s the level of care and attention to detail that you’ll experience here, which elevates the “appanage” above other luxury options. This is where the traditional comfort and elegance of the English nation meets exceptional hospitality. Well Cottage itself, which sleeps six, is an 18th-century, thatched gem, ideally placed in the small hamlet of Bedchester. Located on the outskirts of both the Cranborne Chase and Dorset Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is within easy reach of both the English seaside and beautiful landlocked landscapes. Head southwest and you’ll www.britain-magazine.com

find yourself on Dorset’s famous Jurassic Coast, with its skyscraper-high cliffs, sweeping sandy beaches and 185 million years of archaeological history. Meanwhile, stay inland and you can explore Downton Abbey’s real-life double Highclere Castle, Longleat House and Gardens, Salisbury Cathedral and the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site among many other attractions. While you have complete control over your itinerary and how you spend your time, you won’t have to do anything for yourself. Having spent 10 years working on high-end, luxury charter yachts, Nathan and Laura decided to anchor the quality of their seafaring hospitality expertise to their homeland. As ‘live in hosts’, Laura is your housemaid and personal chef, providing gourmet dining for three (or more) meals of the day, with drinks and snacks to suit every occasion available on demand.

Meanwhile Nathan is your personal chauffeur, tour guide, waiter and barman. Well Cottage really does offer the best of both worlds: brilliant access to both land and sea, while combining superlative service - usually the reserve of charter yachts and five-star hotels - with the flexibility and privacy that comes with selfcontained holiday accommodation. Thanks to Nathan and Laura’s passion for and knowledge of their country, your English Cottage Vacation will be truly unforgettable. For more information, please visit www. englishcottagevacation.com or contact Nathan and Laura at info@englishcottagevacation.com. BRITAIN

Every Item Has a Story... 399 Strand

If it seems unusual that the PUC £1 - a stamp used to promote a conference about international co-operation - features a very elaborate, yet violent, design showing St George attacking a dragon. it is because this design was not originally intended for this stamp.

This Elizabeth I pound is a superb example of English Renaissance metallic art. Elizabeth was extremely fussy about her appearance; she personally inspected examples of her portrait and chose designs as it’s known that she destroyed any which she judged to be inferior.

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history

PHOTO: © ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

Coin of the Realm

Fifty years ago Britain adopted decimal coinage: a momentous step that was first proposed centuries earlier. From the beginnings of minting to present-day pounds and pence, we tell the eventful story of Britain’s coinage WORDS NEIL JONES

The Oxford Crown depicts Charles I riding through the Oxford cityscape, 1644 www.britain-magazine.com

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history

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etail chaos, confusion and even riots had been predicted. But when Britain finally adopted decimal coinage in 1971 the transition proved surprisingly smooth. Fifty years on, with many people having known nothing different, you can be forgiven for wondering what all the delays and fuss had been about. Proposals for decimal coin systems had been made in Britain as far back as the late 17th century – Sir Christopher Wren was one notable fan – and a decimal lobby in the Victorian era had managed to secure the introduction of a florin (worth one-tenth of a pound) in 1849. But it took until the 1960s, with Britain in danger of being the only major country in the world without a decimal currency, for the government to decide to replace the centuries-old money system based on 12 pennies to the shilling and 20 shillings to the pound with the simpler system of 100 pennies to the pound and denominations of 5p, 10p, 50p and the like. Intensive preparations, publicity campaigns and the phasing in of new coins culminated in ‘D Day’, or Decimal Day: 15 February 1971. Of course, coins have never simply been about their value as money and Britain’s deep-rooted attachment to its pre-decimal system highlighted how much coins reflect a nation’s sense of itself, its culture, technology, power struggles and beliefs. Minting (manufacturing coins) in Britain began around the end of the 2nd century BC, was largely put on hold during Roman rule, and got going again with the appearance of gold coins around AD 630, followed by silver ‘sceattas’ – the first English pennies. Alfred the Great silver pennies c.880, bearing a stylised portrait of the king and explicit ‘Londonia’ monogram, are often taken as a convenient start-point for the story of The Royal Mint. The London mint was one of many around the country – more than 70 existed in the reign of Aethelred the Unready (978–1016) – but by the time of Henry VIII www.britain-magazine.com

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history

Top left: Sir Isaac Newton, Master of the Mint Left: The Decimal Currency Board oversaw the phasing in of decimalisation with publicity campaigns Right, top to bottom:

Inside the Bank of England; a 50p coin celebrating the 50th anniversary of Decimal Day; the 95th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen will be celebrated with a new £5 coin BRITAIN

it was normally the only mint in operation: a noisy, hot, dangerous sprawl of workshops, melting houses and mint officials’ lodgings within the safety of the Tower of London. The operation stayed here until the need for more space to accommodate new steam-powered machinery prompted a move, from 1810, to Tower Hill. Purpose-built quarters at Llantrisant, ten miles north of Cardiff in South Wales, opened in 1968 to cope with the extra work of decimalisation, and production fully decamped to Llantrisant in 1975 where The Royal Mint, a government-owned company, continues to operate. Britain’s much-loved pre-decimal coins developed over the course of centuries. Early silver pennies – 240 weighed a pound – gained a deserved international reputation during the Norman era for their consistency and reliability, and it’s thought that the term ‘sterling’ originated as an adjective (from Middle English ‘ster’ meaning strong or fixed) that was applied to these pennies before the range of denominations grew and sterling came to represent the currency as a whole. At first, if you needed to pay less than a penny for something you simply cut it, but by the 13th century halfpennies and farthings (‘fourthings’) were among regular coins. It was 1489, during the reign of Henry VII, before the much higher-denomination pound coin developed: in the form of a dazzling gold sovereign, its name and appearance trumpeted the power and majesty of the new Tudor monarchy. The silver shilling or testoon also appeared during Henry’s reign, one of the first English coins to bear a realistic portrait of the monarch. Tudor crowns and half-crowns followed and in Edward VI’s reign silver sixpences and threepences were issued. Sixpences would become one of the best-loved British coins, tucked into a bride’s shoe or Christmas puddings for good luck, and ‘Save our Sixpence’ campaigns prior to decimalisation kept the coin (equating to decimal 2.5p) in circulation until 1980. There were constant battles against counterfeiting and clipping (shaving precious metal from the edges of coins), and even royalty got up to occasional skulduggery. Henry VIII, ever desperate for funds, debased coins with copper – earning him the nickname Old Copper Nose (rubbed coins revealed the base truth beneath the shiny surface of his portrait). Henry’s daughter Elizabeth I restored order by melting down and replacing all old coins with new. Equally zealous in upholding standards, Sir Isaac Newton, Warden and then Master of the Mint (1696–1727), would don disguises and mix with seedy informants in taverns in his (very successful) pursuit of counterfeiters. Following the introduction of machine-milled edges to coins and the use of cheaper alloys in place of gold and silver, clipping would lose its appeal, and today The Royal Mint employs all manner of sophisticated anti-counterfeiting technology to maintain the integrity

Henry VIII, ever desperate for funds, debased coins with copper – earning him the nickname Old Copper Nose 42

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Clockwise, from top left The London mint in the Tower of London, c.1800; a penny produced in 1903 that was later defaced by the suffragettes; a silver testoon bearing a portrait of Henry VIII; a gold coin featuring Queen Victoria

DID YOU KNOW? l By tradition, since the 17th century monarchs are shown on coins facing in the opposite direction to their predecessor. l There have been five images of HM the Queen on coins since 1952, evolving from stylised to a more natural appearance. l The Queen’s 95th birthday is to be commemorated on a new £5 coin this year, which will bear the words "my heart and my devotion", a reference to her 1957 Christmas broadcast, the first to be televised.

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history

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history of the coins it produces. The world’s leading export mint, it makes more than 3.3 billion coins and blanks for more than 30 countries a year. You can tour behind the scenes at The Royal Mint factory to learn about the intricate processes involved in creating coins: a breathtaking marriage of traditional handcraft skills with precision computer and machine technology culminating in dazzling showers of money. Exhibitions also feature rarities like an Edward VIII gold sovereign that, due to the abdication, never went into circulation. From design concept to finished coin can take two to three years. The ‘constant’ is the royal portrait on the obverse (heads side), while regularly changing designs on the reverse (tails) capture images of our changing nation – over 100 feature on currently circulating coins, from heraldry to anniversary commemorations of Samuel Pepys, the Mayflower and VE Day. An enduring favourite, Britannia (personifying Britain) has appeared on coins of every monarch since Charles II. In today’s world of contactless payments, mobile apps and the rise of crypto-currencies, the question is, will conventional coins survive? An estimated 29 billion coins are in circulation in the UK, suggesting many of us still like the jingle in our pockets, and The Royal Mint, which also makes medals and offers investments in precious metals, has a thriving coin collecting service (the modern sovereign is its flagship bullion coin). Each year customers eagerly snap up commemorative coin sets and fittingly the 2021 Annual Set includes a 50p coin celebrating the 50th anniversary of Decimal Day. Worth making a fuss about.

FOLLOW THE MONEY The Royal Mint Experience Displays tell the story of The Royal Mint, and fascinating guided tours of the Llantrisant factory reveal processes involved in creating coins. www.royalmint.com The Royal Mint Museum An important research resource (by appointment), the Llantrisant museum boasts nearly 100,000 coins, 50,000 master tools and dies, plus other coin-related materials. www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk The Ashmolean The Oxford Crown (1644), produced when Charles I had an HQ and temporary mint in the city during the Civil War, is just one highlight of the Oxford museum's Money Gallery. www.ashmolean.org/money-gallery Bank of England Museum Located within the Bank of England in the City of London, the museum tells the story of the bank since its foundation in 1694, from handwritten bank notes and wooden tally sticks to electronic systems. www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum The British Museum The Citi Money Gallery (Room 68) explores the different forms of money through 4,000 years. www.britishmuseum.org Tower of London The ‘Coins and Kings’ interactive exhibition delves into life at the mint c.1279–1812 and how coins reflect power struggles and politics. www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london Museum on the Mound Unlock the story of the Bank of Scotland from its foundation in 1695 at this Edinburgh museum, and have a go at cracking a safe. www.museumonthemound.com

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Clockwise, from top left: The most recent coin portrait of HM The Queen displayed by a Royal Mint engraver alongside her four previous portraits; the grand facade of the Bank of England; a sixpence from 1951; gold held in the Bank of England's vaults BRITAIN

me i t any 2 n ke 202 a t e une b an ore J c ze f Pri be

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London luxury Starting with free flights (for overseas entrants), the winner and their guest will travel to London for a luxury one-night stay at the Athenaeum, a five-star hotel in the heart of Mayfair – just a short stroll from

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Historic Edinburgh Next, our winner and their guest will head to Edinburgh for a stay at the luxury Radisson Collection Edinburgh, located on the famous Royal Mile, with stunning views of the Old Town. During your stay you’ll visit the iconic Edinburgh Castle, followed by a special three-course dinner.

The charming Cotswolds To conclude your trip, it’s time to escape to the countryside to visit one of Britain’s finest stately homes and the birthplace of Winston Churchill: Blenheim Palace. Accommodation for the night will be at Minster Mill, a glamorous and luxurious hotel on the banks of the River Windrush in the historic village of Minster Lovell. After a full English breakfast, you can take advantage of the hotel’s top-class facilities – from its spa to its croquet lawn – or explore your surroundings: the idyllic Oxfordshire Cotswolds are home to some of England’s most beautiful villages. www.britain-magazine.com

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Two annual tickets to Blenheim Palace, one of the country's finest stately homes and the birthplace of Winston Churchill. www.blenheimpalace.com

One-night stay for two at The Athenaeum, a five-star hotel in London's Mayfair district, near Buckingham Palace. www.athenaeumhotel.com

One-night stay for two at Minster Mill, a luxurious Cotswolds hotel near Blenheim Palace. Includes breakfast. www.minstermill.co.uk

Two-night stay for two including breakfast at the Radisson Collection Edinburgh on the city's Royal Mile. www.radissonhotels.com

Two premium theatre tickets, plus a three-course meal at Prezzo for two with wine from Buyagift, the UK’s leading provider of experience days. www.buyagift.co.uk

Visit Edinburgh Castle, the Scottish capital's unmissable historic attraction, followed by a three-course dinner for two from go-to gift experience company Red Letter Days. www.redletterdays.co.uk

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insider’s view This image: The White Tower and castle walls at the Tower of London Right: Joint Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, Tracy Borman

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CURATING

PHOTOS: © EYE35/ALAMY/RICHARD LEA-HAIR/HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES

the

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Joint Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, Tracy Borman shares the highlights of the job and reveals her favourite haunts WORDS JENNY ROWE

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insider’s view

uthor of biographies on Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Thomas Cromwell, as well as the fictional The King’s Witch trilogy, Tracy Borman is a historical force to be reckoned with. She is possibly one of the most well-read guides to the capital that we have ever presented in our pages, and even after decades of writing and rifling through books and sources, her curiosity remains unsated. Here, we pique yours with some of Tracy’s favourite anecdotes and nuggets of advice for a trip from Tudor through to modern-day London. What has been the highlight of your time as joint Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces? There have been so many! It’s a close-run thing, but meeting the Duchess of Cambridge when she came to open the Magic Garden at Hampton Court Palace was probably the most memorable and special, particularly as my daughter presented her with a bouquet. The Duchess was so lovely and I chatted to her for a long time – I took about a million photos and have dined out on it ever since!

Clockwise, from this image: Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland; portrait of Elizabeth I by an unknown artist, c.1600; portrait of Henry VIII after Hans Holbein the Younger, c.17th century; the Cupola Room in Kensington Palace; the Bacton Altar Cloth

What are you working on right now? Just before lockdown, we were in the middle of installing a truly dazzling new exhibition at Hampton Court Palace, Gold and Glory: Henry VIII and the French King, to mark the 500th anniversary of their famous meeting known as the Field of Cloth of Gold. Although it masqueraded as an expression of peace between these two rival kings, it was really a battle of the bling as each tried to outdo the other in splendour and magnificence. The exhibition will bring together a host of treasures from 1520, with gold aplenty (of course), and is now scheduled to open in May 2021. As Historic Royal Palaces is an independent charity, we really rely on the income from visitors to help us care for these incredible buildings, and to put on exhibitions and activities like this. 2020 hit us hard, so I really hope that readers will consider paying us a visit in the coming year!

PHOTO: © HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES COURTESY OF ST FAITH'S CHURCH

What is the most unusual object you’ve curated at the Palaces? It has to be the Bacton Altar Cloth – otherwise known as the lost dress of Queen Elizabeth I. I first discovered it

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insider’s view while researching my book, Elizabeth’s Women, back in 2008. I was visiting a church in Bacton, a beautiful and remote village in Herefordshire, to see a monument to Blanche Parry, Elizabeth’s favourite lady-in-waiting, when I saw this exquisite piece of embroidery in a glass case on the wall. The label just said ‘Altar cloth, c.16th century’. I didn’t think too much more about it until years later my colleague, dress curator Eleri Lynn, visited the church and her jaw hit the floor when she saw the embroidery. She knew at once it was something special and arranged for it to be loaned to Historic Royal Palaces so that it could be conserved. As soon as they took it out of the case, they realised it was no altar cloth but a dress – and a very high status one at that. Painstaking investigation by Eleri has provided compelling evidence that it is the only surviving dress from Elizabeth’s extensive wardrobe (which comprised 1,900 dresses by the time of her death) and that it was probably given to the church in memory of Blanche. It was the discovery of a lifetime and drew the crowds when we put it on display at Hampton Court Palace in 2019. What is the most challenging part of your job? Trying to be in six different places at once! I’ve managed to attend meetings at three of our palaces on the same day, but all six might be a tall order – especially as one of them is the beautiful Hillsborough Castle and Gardens in Northern Ireland. But since lockdown, we have all had to get very savvy with online meetings, so I don’t do much palace-hopping these days. I must admit, I really miss it. What is the strangest thing you’ve ever been asked? Why Henry VIII built Hampton Court Palace on a flight path. What is your favourite anecdote about The Tower of London? Researching my book, The Story of the Tower of London, was a constant source of surprise, fascination and – at times – horror. So many pivotal events have taken place there in its 1,000-history that it felt like writing the history of Britain, not just the Tower. Because of its key roles as a fortress and prison, I’m afraid not many of the stories have a happy ending. But one close to my heart does: I got married there five years ago, in the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula, originally built by Henry VIII and the final resting place of two of his wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, as well as former favourites such as Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell. Not the most romantic place to get married, perhaps, but for a Tudor historian like myself it was a dream come true. Tell us a grisly tale from the Tower of London archives. The one that stands out is the execution of poor old Lady Margaret Pole. Imprisoned by Henry VIII because of her royal blood, she languished in the Tower of London for two and a half years before finally being sent to her death. This indomitable 67-year-old protested her innocence to the end and refused to lay her head on the block. It is said that it took the bungling executioner 17 blows of the axe to sever her head.

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What was Tudor London like? Although I spend most of my working life exploring or writing about London’s royal palaces and their occupants, the vast majority of Tudor London’s dwellings were a good deal less salubrious. Its streets were lined with tightly packed houses and were so narrow that they ‘do not permit us to see the heavens’, as Thomas More remarked. Few streets were paved and drainage was poor, which meant that when it rained they would rapidly become a quagmire. In an attempt to remove the mud and filth from their shoes, people would spread rushes on the floors of their houses. But as one horrified visitor observed, it was not unusual for inhabitants to wade through twenty years’ worth of ‘unspeakable filth’ in their homes, including ‘spittle, vomit, dogs’ urine and men’s too, dregs of beer and cast-off bits of fish.’ I think I’ll stick with the palaces... What is your favourite time of year in London? Springtime. I love it when the days grow longer, enticing

Clockwise, from top left: The Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula; the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace; afternoon tea at Sketch www.britain-magazine.com

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insider’s view

you to get out of bed a little earlier and stay out later in the evening rather than rushing straight home. During lockdown, I became a cycling addict and regularly got up at the crack of dawn to do a couple of laps of Richmond Park or, when I was feeling particularly energetic, cycle up Box Hill just outside London. Which is your favourite museum? The National Portrait Gallery is very close to my heart. I always make a beeline for the Tudor gallery. Seeing Holbein’s startlingly realistic portraits of Henry VIII and his courtiers is like stepping back in time. [The museum is closed until 2023 for refurbishment but its collections can be viewed online.] What is the most underrated attraction in the city? Kensington Palace. Obviously, it’s well known as a royal residence, but much less so as a visitor attraction. It is the only palace in London to boast four centuries of continuous www.britain-magazine.com

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From left to right: Inside the Church of St Bartholomew the Great; a statue of Queen Victoria stands in Kensington Palace Gardens

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royal occupation and there are so many fascinating stories to discover – from the scandalous court of Queen Anne to the antics of the Georgians, the birth of Queen Victoria and some very rebellious royal princesses. There’s a wonderful programme of exhibitions, too, so do keep an eye on the Historic Royal Palaces website.

the 12th century and survived the Great Fire of 1666 and the Blitz. I discovered it while filming a documentary about the fall of Anne Boleyn. The beautiful and atmospheric interior has featured in a number of popular films and TV series, including Elizabeth: the Golden Age, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Real Sherlock Holmes.

Which is your favourite London park? Regent’s Park, because when I first moved to London 23 years ago, I worked at the Royal College of Physicians and spent many happy lunchtimes strolling through this beautiful park with my workmates. Some of them became close friends and have remained so ever since.

If a tourist wants to experience London at its best and most British, what should they do? Go for afternoon tea. In common with my historical heroine, Queen Elizabeth I, I have a very sweet tooth, so I’m something of a connoisseur of London’s tea rooms. The Ritz is the most iconic, of course, but my favourite has to be Sketch. A bit pricey but worth it for the divine delicacies and funky decor. Oh, and the most extraordinary toilets in London. I’ll say no more – you have to experience them for yourself to find out. For information on exhibitions and events at the Historic Royal Palaces, see www.hrp.org.uk

Have you recently discovered any hidden gems? The Church of St Bartholomew the Great, which lies in the heart of the city close to the Barbican, is nestled among modern high-rises and is the very definition of a hidden gem. The oldest parish church in London, it dates back to

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insider’s view

Applicants must be between 18 and 35 years old and have at least one publication prior to August 15, 2021. These works can include essays, research papers, books, and articles. Topics must be thematically consistent with positive social impact and business. Themes include, but are not limited to, climate change, racial/gender equality, sustainability, and innovation. To apply, send your published pieces (link or PDF) and a brief (1- to 2-page) working plan addressing your future writing endeavors and career plans (the next 5–10 years) to sydney@ahcgroup.com (cc: marti@ahcgroup.com). Please contact Sydney with any questions you may have. Submissions accepted until August 15, 2021. The $5,000 award will be granted in a public ceremony in Albany, New York, in conjunction with the New York State Writers Institute. We look forward to reading your submissions.

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The houses of our greatest poets are intimate and revealing spaces that still have much to tell us about their former inhabitants WORDS FELICITY DAY

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have left no immortal work behind me...if I had had time I would have made myself remember’d” fretted John Keats before his untimely death in February 1821. Much maligned by contemporary reviewers, a long-term legacy was unimaginable to the 25-year-old former surgeon. Yet 200 years on, he is one of Britain’s best-loved bards. Far from leaving no imprint on the world, his poetry has left its mark on hearts and minds, and his life a matching imprint on the house in Hampstead he once called home. Now preserved as a living memorial to his creative genius, it’s one of our pick of poets’ houses to visit around the UK.

Top, left to right: John Keats; George Gordon Byron. Bottom, left to right: William Wordsworth; Robert Burns; Dylan Thomas www.britain-magazine.com

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JOHN KEATS

No object better explains why John Keats treasured the brief period he spent living at Wentworth Place, an elegant Regency villa in the leafy London suburb of Hampstead, than the gold and garnet engagement ring now on display in one of its bedrooms. This was the ring he gave to Fanny Brawne, the ‘elegant, graceful, silly, fashionable and strange’ girl-next-door who captured his heart in 1818, soon becoming his fiancée – though never his wife. A diagnosis of tuberculosis forced the poet to leave for Rome in September 1820, and the disease cut short his life and the couple’s romance just months later. But their story of young love lost still reverberates around the Hampstead house – from the parlour where an ailing Keats lay on a daybed, to the lush, sheltered garden where they strolled together. Although it’s now one building instead of the two residences, separated by an internal wall, that once housed Keats and the Brawnes, the re-instatement of the original decorative schemes has created a fitting memorial to a special time in the poet’s life – personally and professionally. For here he completed some of his most admired works, from narrative poem The Eve of St Agnes to Ode to a Nightingale – apparently penned under a plum tree in the garden. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

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culture

LORD BYRON

Few homes could be more suited to a Romantic poet of Lord Byron’s reputation than Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire. The former priory, acquired by his ancestors after the dissolution of the monasteries, was (and still is) all turrets and towers, latticed windows and pointed Gothic arches. It had a suitably reprobate series of former tenants, too: from a group of rebellious, drunken Canons in the 1530s, to the poet’s great-uncle, the ‘wicked’ 5th Baron Byron, who killed his cousin, abducted an actress and wasted a fortune. The poet took up residence in 1808, four years before his verse tale, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, turned him into an overnight literary sensation. ‘Thou, the hall of my Fathers, art gone to decay,’ he lamented then, though the gloomy, decaying surroundings of Newstead – long-neglected and heavily encumbered by debt – were the perfect source of inspiration for his brand of poetry. Loans enabled him to make a series of rooms habitable, but the estate’s perilous financial position eventually forced Byron to sell up in 1818. Subsequent owners restored and revived the house, which makes for a fascinating tour. Byron’s private apartments have been recreated and hold a sizeable collection of memorabilia, from his writing desk to the pistols he once used for shooting practice in the then-dilapidated Great Hall. newsteadabbey.org.uk www.britain-magazine.com

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ROBERT BURNS

A modest abode in the village of Alloway, in Ayrshire, is the traditional place of pilgrimage for fans of the Scottish national bard, Robert Burns. The poet was born in 1759 in a small box-bed in the three-room clay cottage, built by his father, a tenant farmer. He lived there – along with the family’s farm animals – until the age of seven. The humble property, and the agricultural work to which Burns was born, were responsible for his being somewhat misleadingly branded ‘the heaven taught ploughman’ – in fact, the poet’s father had ensured he received a solid, literary education. Nevertheless, ‘Rabbie’ was no stranger to either farming or poverty, which influenced his work – as did the home of his youth. Alloway provided the backdrop for his 1791 epic, Tam o’Shanter, and modern-day visitors delight in a stop at the Auld Kirk – the romantic ruin of a 16th-century church – and the Brig o’Doon – a medieval cobblestone bridge – as part of a trip to the Burns Birthplace Museum, which itself boasts an impressive collection of over 5,000 Burns artefacts. www.nts.org.uk

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

It was on a walking tour of the Lake District in 1799 that William Wordsworth spotted Dove Cottage and decided there and then to make the small slate-roofed property a home for himself and his sister, Dorothy. The pair – creative companions and close friends – thrived in their new house, ‘the loveliest spot that man hath ever found’ as William declared it. Here, endlessly inspired by their long walks in the wild landscapes of the Lakes, the poet wrote most of his greatest poetry including I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, while Dorothy penned her Grasmere Journal, recording details of their simple, sometimes challenging, existence. An atmospheric new visitor display, with a homely arrangement of furniture and personal possessions in the cosy spaces, gives a glimpse of daily life as it was for the siblings, who were joined in 1802 by William’s new wife Mary, and later the couple’s first three children. Also recently restored is the half-wild garden they cultivated, with the moss hut they built for a creative haven – a wrench for the poet to leave behind in 1808 when the need for more space prompted a reluctant removal to nearby Allan Bank. www.wordsworth.org.uk

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DYLAN THOMAS

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What poet wouldn’t want a writing retreat looking out over the rugged scenery of southwest Wales? Swansea-born Dylan Thomas was lucky enough to acquire one in 1949, when one of his patrons bought him the Boathouse, a waterside property in the Carmarthenshire town of Laugharne. Here, after a previously peripatetic existence, Thomas, his wife and three young children found a permanent home, and in the four years before he died, aged just 39, the poet enjoyed his most productive period. Seeking refuge from family life in his writing shed – which teeters on stilts above the Taf Estuary, offering superb views – he created some of his most famous works, from haunting poem Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, to Under Milk Wood, the radio play possibly inspired by Laugharne. Though the Boathouse’s terrace provides a perfect spot for quiet reflection, Thomas’s shed – or ‘the shack’ as he called it – is the highlight of a visit to his final home, evocatively preserved as it was when he died, its desk strewn with papers and a stash of boiled sweets, and curled-up pictures pinned to the walls. www.dylanthomasboathouse.com BRITAIN

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weekender

This image: Tudor buildings on Church Street in the town centre Below: The Old Market Hall

hrewsbury is compact and characterful, sheltered from the modern world by a loop of the River Severn that all but makes its town centre an island. Since the plot was first occupied by the Anglo-Saxons, Shrewsbury has been a buzzing hub of British business, and with 660 listed buildings, ranging from its Norman castle to its trailblazing Georgian mill, you’ll find the evidence everywhere you look. Previously known as Pengwern, Shrewsbury was the seat of the Welsh princes of the kingdom of Powys throughout the 5th and 6th centuries. Later they were conquered by King Offa and the town was absorbed into Mercia, the most powerful kingdom in Anglo-Saxon England. Close to the England/ Wales border, Shrewsbury’s strategic position on the river peninsula made it a prized conquest and much fought over. It was 1074 by the time a relative of William the Conqueror, Roger de Montgomery, was created first Earl of Shrewsbury and a red sandstone castle to guard the town’s river crossings was completed. Through the Middle Ages the town’s merchants prospered from the

wool trade, buying in Welsh cloth to finish and then sell on. The Old Market Hall that occupies Shrewsbury Square today was completed in 1597, though a market has been held here since the mid-13th century. Indeed, Shrewsbury’s Tudor roots remain remarkably intact, with numerous black and white houses lining cobbled streets. A little further out of the centre hides one of the town’s lesser-known but landmark claims to fame: Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings was constructed in 1797 using an innovative cast-iron frame, making it grandparent of the skyscraper – even if it’s only five storeys tall. Historic England are now in the latter stages of its long overdue renovation. Another notable feature of the Shrewsbury skyline is Laura’s Tower at the castle, which was built by Thomas Telford in 1790 for the daughter of MP Sir William Pulteney, as a 21st birthday present. Intended as a (very extravagant) summer house, from the top you can spy the full coil of the Severn and spot both the abbey, founded by the first earl, and cathedral. Allegedly, when Henry VIII offered Shrewsbury cathedral city status, its

SHREWSBURY

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Shropshire’s proudly independent county town has both a unique heritage and a contemporary buzz WORDS JENNY ROWE

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weekender For more things to see and do in Shropshire, see www.britainmagazine.com

burgesses – the town’s officials – turned down his offer, seeding the term ‘proud Salopian’, which captures their resistance to change. The term is still used, referring to residents who are proud of Shrewsbury just as it is. Regardless of the town’s earlier attitude, a cathedral was eventually built in 1856 to the design of Edward Pugin, the son of Augustus Pugin, architect of Big Ben. The cathedral’s conservators recently uncovered 19th-century Biblical wall paintings hidden under layers of paint; a project is underway to restore them to their former glory. To fully immerse yourself in Shrewsbury’s history, take to the water courtesy of Sabrina. As part of her popular 45-minute part-guided cruises, you’ll sail past the ‘Slinky’, an abstract structure that celebrates Shrewsbury’s most famous son: Charles Darwin. Thought to represent dinosaur bones, DNA or a backbone, its proper name is The Quantum Leap and it was erected in 2009 to mark the bicentenary of the British naturalist’s birth in Shrewsbury. Afterwards, if you’re seeking dry land and wide, green spaces, head to the Quarry, a 29-acre expanse of riverside parkland where you can mosey along shaded pathways with

a coffee or even an ice cream in hand and watch rowers glide by. In normal times, we’d recommend you time your visit to coincide with one of Shrewsbury’s annual festivals. Its Winter Festival delivers crafts and carols in the Quarry, whereas in the summer the Flower Show is popular. In 2021, however, Shrewsbury is focusing on recreating this atmosphere all summer with laid-back live music and pavement cafés and restaurants. And if any town can revive its free spirit post pandemic, it’s Shrewsbury. The steep and winding Wyle Cop is believed to have the longest uninterrupted row of independent shops in England, most of them kookily crammed onto overhanging Tudor buildings. Some retailers are new and passionate about joining this unique hub, while others are old hands – Tanners Wine Merchants, located at the bottom of the hill, was first established in 1842. You could “wyle” away a whole day on this single street, but if you do need further entertainment, you’re in luck, with the Roman ruins of Wroxeter close by, as well as the stately Attingham Park and Battlefield 1403, the site of the bloody Battle of Shrewsbury, a precursor to the Wars of the Roses.

THE PLANNER GETTING THERE There are irregular Avanti West Coast trains that run direct from London Euston to Shrewsbury in around 2hr 30min. Alternatively, at least every hour you can catch a train to Crewe, and change there for Shrewsbury (2hr 45min). www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk; www.thetrainline.com EAT, DRINK, SLEEP Packed with artisanal delis and quirky cafés, you will be spoilt for choice. For a top-notch sandwich, try Philpotts, who are award-winning and charmingly situated in the 15th-century Abbots House along Butcher Row. Nearby is Number Four, where there is the option to be seated outside on the cobbles, or you could try the newbie on the block, The Orchard Cafe, set in the cathedral grounds. The only AA four-star hotel in the town centre, the Prince Rupert Hotel is the pick of the bunch. Also located on Butcher Row, this Grade II-listed hotel boasts 12thcentury Mansion House Suites, 15th-century Tudor Suites and three fabulous restaurants, as well as its own tearoom and garden courtyard. www.philpotts-shrewsbury.com; www.number-four.com; www.orchardshrew.co.uk; www.princeruperthotel.co.uk

FURTHER INFORMATION www.originalshrewsbury.co.uk

Clockwise, from this image: The Drawing Room at Attingham Park; Shrewsbury Castle; Sabrina cruises along the River Severn

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PROMOTION

Th e Spirit of th e BRITISH BRASS BAND

Made by musicians in Lincolnshire, The Gentlemen Distillers’ characteristically smooth, herbal range of gins are infused with locally sourced botanicals Dreamt up in the historic city of Lincoln, The Gentlemen Distillers launched their first spirit, Bandsman Gin, in 2019. Founded by James Wood, the product’s name – and the company’s ethos – stems from the people behind the products, who are all current or former brass band members. As in music, harmony, nuance and precision are all key to this small, family-based distillery’s manufacturing process. Excellence is their aim, but along the way they support and involve many other local producers, creating a unique spirit truly representative of Lincolnshire’s multi-talented community. One of the more surprising ingredients in Bandsman Gin is fresh tomatoes, which, when combined with basil, rosemary, parsley, dandelion root and the all-important juniper, conjures up the aroma of a Great British kitchen garden. A dash of elderflower cordial sourced from the nearby Belvoir Fruit Farms is used as a finisher, completing this versatile spirit, which tastes just as distinct and www.britain-magazine.com

delicious with all mixers – or none at all! Its robust flavour is largely achieved via a very old method of gin-making known as cold compounding. As opposed to the usual redistillation process, this creates a more intense and unusually smooth gin, reminiscent of the original genever brought over by Dutch sailors in the late 16th century. Their signature spirit, Bandsman Gin was intended as a tribute to the brass band – a British institution. Whether performing at a village summer fête or military band march, their music is an enduring source of national pride. As such, it proved extremely popular both at home and away, with musicians across the pond in the USA ordering bottles. So, work soon began on a second gin. Bandmaster London Dry Gin was released in November 2020, swiftly followed by Bandsman Carollers’ Reserve. Bandmaster uses a similar recipe to Bandsman. The addition of fresh citrus peel creates a lighter, more delicate London Dry gin, while retaining a

strong herbaceous quality. Carollers’ Reserve is a heart-warming gin liqueur made using sloes from just over the River Trent, honey from Doddington village mere miles away, and damsons hand-picked by a brass-banding family in the Staffordshire moorlands. All being well, a new pink gin, which is currently in development, will be released in summer 2021. All Gentlemen Distillers’ products can be purchased from online and readily delivered to locals in Lincolnshire and all over the UK. www.bandsmangin.co.uk

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RURAL BRITAIN

Hidden England

With its sleepy stone villages, handsome market towns and rolling countryside, timeless Lincolnshire is full of charm WORDS HILARY MACASKILL

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rural britain This image: Blekjfkj jdfklj iojfkjoiekisc soioidoiejday

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Left: Looking across the meadow towards the Abbey Church in Bourne, south Lincolnshire

incolnshire is at the heart of England but somehow remains remote and otherworldly. First impressions of England’s second-largest county are of open spaces and vast skies, with far views emphasised by the imposing buildings that landmark the countryside: Lincoln Cathedral and the Boston Stump, as the lofty church tower of St Botolph’s is known. But tucked away in the exposed landscape are picturesque villages like Edenham, near Bourne, and Tealby, nestling in the lee of the Lincolnshire Wolds. A frequent winner of the ‘best-kept village’ competition, Tealby has the county’s oldest thatched inn – The Kings Head, dating from the early 14th century – as well as one of Lincolnshire’s numerous medieval parish churches, the 12th-century All Saints Church. Tealby is just one of many places in the county ending with a ‘by’, a legacy of the Vikings, who had a great influence over the county in the 9th and 10th centuries. Names ending in ‘by’ meant homestead or village; such as Navenby, south of Lincoln, home of a Bronze Age cemetery and also the fascinating Mrs Smith’s Cottage, dating back not quite that far but to the simpler times of the early 20th century. A simple brick-built cottage, it is a rare time capsule, named after its last resident who lived BRITAIN

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there until she was 102 years old and resisted what she regarded as unnecessary change. Lincolnshire is full of such anachronisms, like the Bubblecar Museum at Byard’s Leap near Sleaford, a true one-off. Here you can travel back in time through British motoring history and see row upon row of dinky ‘microcars’ from the 1950s and 1960s with names like Meadows Frisky, the Peel and Scootacar. On a similar theme is the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft: the world’s largest collection of preserved trolleybuses. You can take rides, browse 1950s shop windows, look round a lovingly recreated postwar ‘prefab’ bungalow – and wallow in nostalgia. And everywhere there are windmills. Because the area was largely rural, with few large towns, the small country windmill held its own and Lincolnshire was one of the last places to use wind power to any extent. The county is home to the largest in the country, in Moulton, where a colossal tower mill of 80 feet dominates the pretty village and its 12th-century church. There are still a number of working mills – including Sibsey, Boston and Heckington, the latter the world’s only eight-sailed windmill – often conveniently with tearooms attached where you can tuck www.britain-magazine.com

rural britain Castle Howard is a Baroque masterpiece Inset: The 1981 adaptation of Brideshead Revisited was filmed at the house

This image: Holkham Hall’s Old Kitchen Below: The secret staircase at the heart of the house

Clockwise, from above: Burghley House; Woolsthorpe Manor, Isaac Newton’s birthplace; the 14th-century Kings Head inn at Tealby; Moulton Windmill, the largest windmill tower in Britain

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Clockwise, from this image: St Botolph’s Church, also known as the Boston Stump; the Rose Parterre at Grimsthorpe Castle, Bourne; Maiden Lane in the market town of Stamford

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The prettiest town hereabouts is Stamford, once a key coaching stop on the Great North Road

into Lincolnshire fruit cakes and loaves, and then buy the flour to try and recreate them at home. For all its rural charm, there are eminent towns, such as Lincoln, with its majestic cathedral, cobbled streets and medieval buildings. The city’s new Cornhill Quarter is a shopping hub, with many of the stores set in refurbished heritage buildings. The inland port of Boston, meanwhile, has links to the Pilgrim Fathers; a memorial on the River Haven marks the place where the Puritans attempted their escape to religious freedom in 1607. But this is essentially an agricultural area, from the fertile soil of the fens to grazing land – the county even has its own sheep, the incredibly shaggy Lincolnshire Longwools – and it is the market towns so crucial to a largely farming community that give Lincolnshire its character and style. Louth, a market town since the 8th century, has a fine array of Georgian houses and beautiful St James’ Church, locally known as the Cathedral of the Wolds: its soaring 295-foot spire is an identifying beacon from miles around. But in keeping with its market status, Louth is particularly renowned for its food. The town is packed with local producers, with farmers’ markets and a weekly cattle market. The market town of Grantham is best known for its one-time inhabitants: it was the birthplace of both Isaac Newton and Margaret Thatcher. You can visit 17thcentury Woolsthorpe Manor, the site of some of Newton’s most significant breakthroughs, and see the apple tree, still going strong, that inspired him to develop his theory of gravity. A statue of Newton stands outside Grantham’s Town Hall; a more controversial memorial to Margaret Thatcher, the daughter of a grocer who became Britain’s

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OPEN SPACES. GREAT PLACES. At Lincoln’s recently re-invigorated Cornhill Quarter there’s plenty of new places to shop, dine, meet and relax. Food and drink, unique independent shops and favourite high street brands. Cinema, culture, art and celebrations. It’s really easy to make a day or night of it.

VISIT CORNHILLQUARTER.CO.UK TO SEE WHAT’S HERE AND WHAT’S ON

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first female Prime Minister, is due to be erected in the town this year. The prettiest market town hereabouts is Stamford, once a key coaching stop on the Great North Road, but now skirted by the A1 – and by the 21st century. Georgian houses in golden-coloured stone line the cobbled streets, while five (of an original seventeen) medieval churches are evidence of the town’s wealth in the Middle Ages. Wandering the streets, you might be reminded of the more famous Cotswolds: the limestone used here is the same. Burghley House, regarded as the grandest surviving building of the Elizabethan age, is right on Stamford’s doorstep. The house was built by William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I, between 1555 and 1587. He was a powerful right-hand man to the Queen, and his home, which contains a precious art collection, is a magnificent reflection of his status. The house is celebrating the 500th anniversary of Cecil’s birth this year with a series of exhibitions, talks and events. Another must-visit stately home in the area is Grimsthorpe Castle, which has been home to the same family since 1516. Henry VIII presented it as a wedding gift to William, 11th Lord Willoughby de Eresby and his Spanish bride, Maria de Salinas, lady-in-waiting and confidante of Henry’s Queen, Katherine of Aragon. It’s a fascinating hybrid of architectural styles, from the 13th-century King John’s Tower to the grandiose facade by Vanbrugh, the architect of Blenheim Palace. The de Eresby family still hold the hereditary office of Lord Great Chamberlain, the Queen’s representative at the Palace of Westminster – which is why its sumptuous interior boasts one of the largest collections of royal thrones and furnishings in the land. Though on a much humbler scale, St Andrew’s Church in Epworth attracts its fair share of visitors. This historic town is associated with the Wesley family: Samuel was the rector of the church for 48 years, and his sons John, founder of Methodism, and the hymn-writing Charles – two of 19 children born to Samuel and his wife Susanna – were brought up in the Old Rectory. The Georgian

Burghley House was built by William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Elizabeth I: her powerful right-hand man

This image: The lush Lincolnshire Wolds, which inspired the poetry of Alfred Tennyson Above right: The Heaven Room at Burghley House

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THE PLANNER GETTING THERE Fast trains run from London Kings Cross to Lincoln (2hrs). A bus network covers most places of interest in the county. www.thetrainline.com; www.lincsbus.info

This image: The Old Rectory in Epworth, the birthplace of John and Charles Wesley Below right: The west front of Lincoln Cathedral

Rectory replaced a thatched building that had dramatically burnt down; the 6-year-old John Wesley was plucked from the burning building before it collapsed. The house is full of the family’s belongings, including John’s preaching chair and Charles’s music stand. You can also visit the Market Cross in the centre of the town, where John often preached, and the Red Lion inn where he lodged on later visits. A century or so after Wesley, Alfred Tennyson, later to become Queen Victoria’s Poet Laureate, and also the son of a vicar, was born in the hamlet of Somersby, hidden away among woods and along narrow winding lanes and set in countryside that Tennyson later described as being rich with “plaited alleys of the trailing rose”. The first poem he wrote, aged eight, was called Flowers in Somersby Garden, and much of his early work was inspired by the landscapes of the Lincolnshire Wolds. The Tennyson Trail tracks the landmarks of his early years, while its landscapes recall his much-loved poem The Lady of Shallot: “On either side the river lie/Long fields of barley and of rye/That clothe the wold and meet the sky”. This lyrical landscape of rolling hills and meandering lanes – a place “of calm and deep peace on this high wold”, as Tennyson wrote, are yet another example of the unexpected, confounding the idea that the county is unremittingly flat. Lincolnshire is full of discoveries.

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WHERE TO STAY There’s no shortage of old-world inns in this lost-in-time county. The Angel and Royal in Grantham is, indeed, a contender for England’s oldest inn. Currently being refurbished, it was originally built as hostel for the Knights Templar, and King John held court there in 1213. Alternatively, base yourself in pretty Stamford, where The George is wonderfully old-fashioned, with an ivy-clad exterior and a maze of cosy rooms. www.angelandroyal.co.uk; www.georgehotelofstamford.com WHERE TO EAT For a vintage afternoon tea, head to Lady Rose’s in Lincoln, where tea is served in the style of the great houses of the Edwardian era. Frilly-aproned waitresses and period furnishings add to the experience. For a special meal, head to The George in Stamford, where the oak-panelled dining room has a silver-domed carvery trolley for special-occasion dining. The quaint King’s Head in Tealby, Lincolnshire’s oldest thatched pub, serves delicious seasonal dishes in historic surrounds. www.ladyroses.co.uk; www.georgehotelofstamford.com; www.thekingsheadtealby.co.uk

FURTHER INFORMATION www.visitlincolnshire.com

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PPROMOTION ROMOTI O N

Culturally Curious CYCLING

The diverse landscape of Greater Lincolnshire is entwined with culture and heritage. Take in the sights and delights of Lincolnshire as you leisurely travel around the county on two wheels. Here Visit Lincoln shares four cycling routes for you to enjoy this summer

Cycle to see the diverse cultural offering across Greater Lincolnshire, meandering past ruined castles and ancient churches, impressive stately homes and grand outdoor sculptures, through the natural, untouched landscape, and to the majestic Lincolnshire coast.

Humber to the Wash Make the most of the boundless skies and fascinating features of the Lincolnshire coast on an extensive and challenging cycle route covering the county's entire length. Pedal past hedge-lined lanes and over the limestone cliffs that skirt the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds as you head towards miles of rolling sand dunes and sweeping golden beaches. The bewitching sea marshes of Donna Nook will inspire your curiosity, and you will also enjoy a local coffee-shop stop overlooking the North Sea and striking offshore wind farms from the North Sea Observatory. There's more diversity en route as you head towards Skegness's vibrant traditional seaside attractions and onwards to the port of Boston, once an ancient powerhouse of trade.

Historic Lincoln Start in the historic city of Lincoln, journeying towards magnificent castles and handsome Georgian houses. Enjoy a choice of traffic-free, accessible cycle routes that shadow ancient waterways and are decorated with locally inspired sculptures along the way. Travelling west along the Fossdyke Navigation Trail, you'll discover Doddington Hall and Gardens and ancient woodlands. Venture out east, and you'll reach the home to the Dambusters at The Petwood Hotel and the 15th-century Tattershall Castle.

Lincolnshire Wolds Roam around a web of almost deserted lanes between dykes and deep hedges that stretch from the coastal flatlands to the rolling Lincolnshire Wolds. A procession of quiet country lanes, canal-side cycleways and reclaimed railway paths will take you on a leisurely journey across Lincolnshire's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Explore the culture of the Georgian market town of Louth before riding along the canal to Ticklepenny Lock, passing abbeys and ruined castles, and some of Britain's oldest churches.

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Southern Stately Homes Embark on a voyage of cultural discovery and cycle your way past the historical highlights of South Lincolnshire. Follow riverside parkland routes near Belton House, travel along quiet country lanes to Grimsthorpe Castle and Sir Isaac Newton's birthplace at Woolsthorpe Manor and finish your journey at one of the finest stone towns in England. While in Stamford, take the time to explore the breath-taking Elizabethan mansion, Burghley House, to round off an unforgettable trip. Discover more about the cycle routes amongst the cultural destinations in Lincolnshire and build your itinerary. Explore cycle-friendly places to stay and the finest places to eat and drink local produce along the way: visitlincoln.com/cycling

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MORRISON

E OBE

2 02 1 SOLO EX HIBITIONS The Tolquhon Gallery, Ellon, Aberdeenshire, May. Corrymella Scott Gallery, Newcastle, June. The MacLaurin Gallery, Rozelle House, Ayr Retrospective July/August. The Archway Gallery, Lochgilphead, August. The Torrance Gallery, Edinburgh, September. The Glasgow Gallery, Glasgow, November. Exhibition dates can be subject to change with regards to government restrictions and may go ahead online only. Please check Gallery websites for more information. www.facebook.com/JolomoArt www.twitter.com/JolomoArt www.instagram.com/JolomoArt www.jolomo.com

city guide

TOP 10 GLASGOW

Once an industrial powerhouse and the second city of the British Empire, today this merchant city continues to thrive

WORDS NATASHA FOGES

lasgow, Scotland’s largest city, sprung up on the banks of the River Clyde and became a model of Victorian progress: it was the world’s biggest shipbuilding centre by the turn of the 20th century. But Glasgow’s story begins long before, with the arrival of the Christian missionary St Mungo in the 6th century. The saint built his monastery on a tributary of the Clyde, and the cathedral named after him occupies the same spot today. St Mungo’s miracles are commemorated in the bell, bird, tree and fish in Glasgow’s coat of arms, along with his prayer to 'let Glasgow flourish'. Thanks in no small part to the river that brought St Mungo to settle there, Glasgow has done just that. Granted city status in 1492, Glasgow soon became a major industrial port. In 1707 the Union of the Scottish and English Parliaments granted Scots access to the colonies in North America and the Indies, sparking a period of rapid expansion. Favourable trade winds gave the city an advantage of up to three weeks over their English competitors in the www.britain-magazine.com

journey across the Atlantic, shipping consumer goods out and bringing tobacco back. The Victorian age, though, was Glasgow’s boom time, with the city growing from 77,000 inhabitants at the start of the century to 800,000 by its end. By then, the city had turned to the industry with which it is most associated: shipbuilding. For over a century the shipyards were a hive of activity, while the city expanded hugely and grand civic buildings were built to signal Glasgow’s new-found wealth and status. By the 1970s, however, almost all of the shipyards stood empty and derelict – but the city’s most remarkable trait is its capacity for change. With characteristic determination, Glasgow was to transform itself again, becoming European City of Culture in 1990. This was the start of a remarkable rejuvenation that saw the old docks revamped and the city evolve into a stylish cultural hub. Glasgow is a city that uniquely blends sophistication with a proud working-class grit: a true Scottish gem. BRITAIN

city guide

Glasgow University Founded in 1451, Glasgow University has more listed buildings than any other university in the UK. It’s a lovely place to wander around, with atmospheric cloisters and quads. www.gla.ac.uk

Glasgow Cathedral This impressive Gothic cathedral is thought to have been built on the site of St Mungo’s tomb, and is the only medieval cathedral on the Scottish mainland to have survived the 1560 Reformation almost entirely intact. www.glasgowcathedral.org

Charles Rennie Mackintosh design Fans of the Glaswegian artist and designer’s work are spoilt for choice in the city. Among the highlights are the Martyrs’ school, Queen’s Cross church, the Mackintosh House at the Hunterian – a faithful recreation of the designer’s own home – and Mackintosh at the Willow, where you can also enjoy a superlative afternoon tea. www.mackintoshatthewillow.com

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city guide

George Square At the heart of the city’s public life, George Square has a dazzling collection of civic buildings, including the City Chambers, with its sumptuous marble staircase and banqueting halls. Look out for the statues of famous Scots: Robert Burns, James Watt, Sir Robert Peel and Sir Walter Scott. www.visitscotland.com

The Tenement House On the first floor of a typical tenement block, the Tenement House was home to Miss Agnes Toward for over 50 years. Remaining virtually unchanged from the day Miss Toward moved in in 1911, it gives a real flavour of life in early 20th-century Glasgow. www.nts.org.uk

Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum Housed in a Baroque Victorian building that is one of the most-visited attractions in the country outside London, this is a splendid collection that encompasses art by the likes of Dalí, Monet and Van Gogh, as well as an eclectic array of exhibits, from armoury to stuffed aardvarks. www.glasgowlife.org.uk

Riverside Museum This magnificent museum on the waterfront is home to an impressive transport collection, including intricate ships’ models. Walk down an old cobbled Glasgow street, climb aboard a vintage tram or explore the Clyde-built ‘Tall Ship’ berthed outside, which circumnavigated the globe four times. www.glasgowlife.org.uk

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Botanic Gardens In the heart of the city’s bohemian West End, the lush Botanic Gardens are free to wander around. The highlight is the Kibble Palace, a domed glasshouse housing the national fern collection and dotted with exotic blooms. www.glasgowbotanicgardens.com

Necropolis Next to the cathedral and modelled on Père-Lachaise in Paris, the atmospheric Necropolis is a Victorian garden cemetery full of crumbling tombs and Neoclassical temples. Climb to the summit of the grassy mound for splendid views over the city. www.glasgownecropolis.org

THE PLANNER GETTING THERE There are direct flights from London, the US and Canada to Glasgow Airport, 8 miles southwest of the city. Trains from London Euston run hourly and take from 4hr 40min. glasgowairport.com; thetrainline.com WHERE TO STAY The Kimpton Blythswood Square is the ultimate in luxury, with contemporary interiors and a top-notch spa, all set in a beautiful Georgian building. For a more intimate bolthole, try 15 Glasgow, a boutique B&B with original features in a tranquil garden square. kimptonblythswoodsquare.com; 15glasgow.com WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK For high-end Scottish dining, book a table at Cail Bruich, one of the city’s best restaurants, whose tasting menus are bursting with locally sourced produce, some of which is sourced from the restaurant’s own garden. Alternatively, head for Glasgow’s foodie strip in the Finnieston area. Try The Gannet for contemporary dishes at moderate prices. Nearby, the Old Toll Bar is an atmospheric spot for a wee dram. Built in 1860, it's all wood panels and stained-glass windows. cailbruich.co.uk; thegannetgla.com; oldtollbarglasgow.com

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FURTHER INFORMATION www.glasgowlife.org.uk

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Pollok Country Park Just one of the city’s 90-odd parks, Pollok offers riverside walks, as well as the Palladian Pollok House and the Burrell Collection of late medieval and early Renaissance art, pottery and tapestries, due to reopen in 2021 after a 5-year restoration. www.nts.org.uk

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hidden gems

The Royal Standard of England A timeless country pub in Buckinghamshire has King Charles I to thank for its place in the history books

ritain boasts numerous creaky old pubs, many of them dating back centuries, but none are as historic as an ancient red-brick inn tucked away at a leafy fork in the road deep in rural Buckinghamshire. The Royal Standard of England has a good claim to being Britain’s oldest pub – it has been trading for over 900 years, ever since its days as a Saxon alehouse, and its long history brims with intriguing tales. Step through the creaking grille door and it’s easy to see how local tales of highwaymen, ghosts and kings are so readily believed. As legend has it, the pub was a safe haven for Royalists during the Civil War, and the low black rafters beneath a higgledypiggledy roof made the perfect hiding place for Charles I. After Charles I’s execution and Charles II’s subsequent restoration to the throne, the king showed his gratitude by granting the landlord permission to change the pub’s name from The Ship to The Royal Standard of England: the only pub in England to bear the name. This was not mot merely a case of honouring the landlord’s loyalty to his father; it is said that Charles II frequently met his mistresses in the upstairs rooms. Like many atmospheric old buildings, The Royal Standard is said to be haunted by ghosts, one of which is the spectre of a young drummer boy killed by the Roundheads in 1643, whose drumbeats

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are sometimes heard echoing in the car park. A shadowy figure, thought to be the ghost of an executed Cavalier, occasionally strides across the bar and vanishes through the wall. In the candle-lit lounge, you’ll find a bulging settle from an Elizabethan ship and a fireplace rescued from the nearby home of the parliamentarian Edmund Burke when it was destroyed by fire in 1797. Medieval Penn tiles grace the worn and rustic floors. The rambling curio-filled rooms are bedecked with brass bugles, ancient tankards and medieval pottery, musket rifles and flint-lock pistols. Undulating tiled passages, stained-glass windows, weathered oak panelling, embroidered tapestries and church-pew seating all contribute to a sensation of stepping back in time to the era of the weary traveller, drawn in from the road by the warm promise of a tankard of ale and a home-cooked meal. The pub’s signature (and strongest) ale is Owd Rodger, brewed here for many generations. The menu reflects the pub’s rustic, traditional feel, serving slow-steamed steak and kidney puddings, homemade sausages and country pies. Many pubs have historic tales to tell, and these often have to be taken with a large pinch of salt. But there’s something about The Royal Standard that makes you think, or at least hope, that the legends might just be true. rsoe.co.uk www.britain-magazine.com

WORDS IMOGEN BOLE

Celebrating 95 Years of Heart and Devotion We’re wishing Her Majesty The Queen a happy 95th birthday with a celebratory collection, including new and historic coins to mark this very special occasion. Join the celebration. royalmint.com/royalty C E L E B R AT E | C O L L E C T | I N V E S T |

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