Issuu

FIND YOUR

BRITAIN 6

HISTORY HERITAGE TRAVEL CULTURE

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

Big Ben revealed

Back with a bong after its magnificent restoration

COURT & COURTSHIP

WIN a luxury stay

in the Scottish Highlands

KING ARTHUR

Searching for Camelot on the magical Cornish coast

Becoming Anne Boleyn

HOME GROWN

2,000 years of British gardens

Meet the Queen’s Swan Marker Step back in time in St Albans England’s prettiest seaside resorts

JULY/AUGUST 2022 £4.95

www.britain-magazine.com

SAVE £100 PER BOOKING ON 2022 UK HOLIDAYS BOOK BY 30TH JUNE 2022

Llangollen Railwayy

Railways of Wales

6 DAYS FROM £499 £399pp The tranquil beauty of Wales is waiting to be uncovered. Admire rugged mountains, visit picturesque towns, and journey on the scenic Welsh Highland and Llangollen Steam Railways. Day 1. Llandudno Arrive in Llandudno and meet your Tour Manager at the family-run Kensington Hotel, boasting fantastic views of Llandudno Bay.

Day 4. Llandudno Your day is free to explore Llandudno or perhaps ride the Great Orme cable-hauled tramway for breathtaking views of Snowdonia and Anglesey.

Day 2. Portmeirion Enjoy an excursion on the steam-hauled Ffestiniog Railway today, founded in 1832. Wind through the spectacular scenery of Snowdonia National Park to Porthmadog. From here it’s on to Portmeirion, famous for its colourful, Italianate architecture.

Day 5. Caernarfon Journey through dramatic mountain scenery to Caernarfon. Here, enjoy a guided tour of famous Caenarfon Castle, a royal fortress-palace. Afterwards, board the Welsh Highland Railway, a narrow-gauge line running along the foothills of the Snowdonia Mountain range to pretty Beddgelert.

Day 3. Llangollen Steam Railway Board the Llangollen Steam Railway for a journey through some of the most beautiful scenery in the UK, along the banks of the River Dee to Carrog Station. After some free time for lunch, enjoy a horse-drawn boat trip along the Llangollen Canal.

“Excellent”

Day 6. Llandudno & home After breakfast this morning, you’re free to begin your journey home. Alternatively, explore more of this wonderful area.

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

Professional UK Tour Manager from start to ﬁnish

All rail & coach travel throughout your tour 5 nights in a 3-Star hotel 10 meals All tour excursions

DEPARTURES

Jul - Oct 2022

Go online to see available dates at raildiscoveries.com

based on 1,372 service reviews

CALL OR GO ONLINE TO BOOK OR REQUEST YOUR FREE BROCHURE

01904 730319 • www.raildiscoveries.com/LLS Protected by ABTOT. Dates and prices are subject to availability. Prices shown are per person, based on 2 people sharing. Prices may change prior to and after publication.*Save £100 per booking on all 2022 UK Rail holidays when you book by 30th June 2022. Terms and conditions apply. Please see website for details.

EDITOR'S LETTER Bong! Time’s up on the 5-year restoration of Big Ben. This issue we delve into the fascinating history of this great British landmark, and speak to the team that worked on the once-in-a-lifetime project (The Time Machine, p23). We time-travel back to the glory days of another landmark, Hampton Court Palace, once home to Henry VIII, which stands on a scenic stretch of the Thames (Down by the River, p14). And Henry also makes an appearance in our history piece, Becoming Anne Boleyn (p31): the pair first met at court 500 years ago. Elsewhere in the issue, we follow the King Arthur trail through the romantic landscapes of North Cornwall (Searching for Camelot, p66). From mystical Tintagel to the wilds of Bodmin Moor, tales of the legendary king linger – but are they truth or fairytale? The ceremony of Swan Upping might also seem like the stuff of fairytales, but this centuries-old tradition is still going strong. We join the Queen’s official Swan Marker as he dons his swan’s-feather hat, ready to cast off (A day with David Barber, p80). Enjoy the issue!

Richmond’s bustling riverside

CONTENTS

For the best articles straight to your inbox, sign up to our free BRITAIN newsletter at www.britain-magazine.com/newsletter

FEATURES

@BRITAINMAGAZINE FACEBOOK/BRITAINMAGAZINE

BRITAIN 6

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

Back with a bong after its magnificent restoration

Becoming Anne Boleyn

Meet the Queen’s Swan Marker Step back in time in St Albans England’s prettiest spots by the sea

JULY 2022 USA&CAN $7.99

www.britain-magazine.com

Cover image: Big Ben’s new look is revealed © Chris Mouyiaris/AWL Images Ltd

Big Ben has been under wraps for five years, its iconic bell silenced. This year, restored to its former glory, the world’s most famous clock shows its face again

COAST ALONG

WIN

KING ARTHUR

THE TIME MACHINE

a luxury stay in the Scottish Highlands

Searching for Camelot on the magical Cornish coast

COURT & COURTSHIP

Between Richmond and Hampton Court is a storied stretch of the River Thames, whose banks are lined with grand houses and royal parks

BECOMING ANNE BOLEYN

HISTORY HERITAGE TRAVEL CULTURE

Big Ben revealed

DOWN BY THE RIVER

@BRITAIN_MAGAZINE FIND YOUR

VOLUME 90 ISSUE 4

Natasha Foges Editor

PHOTOS: © MAURIZIO RELLINI/4 CORNERS IMAGES/PAUL HARRIS/AWL IMAGES LTD

Five centuries after her first appearance at the court of her future husband, we chart Anne Boleyn’s glittering rise and dramatic fall The England Coast Path will be completed this year, giving access to some of Britain’s loveliest spots, from soaring cliffs to quaint fishing villages

DIGGING THROUGH HISTORY From medieval herb gardens to the futuristic Eden Project, how has the form and function of Britain’s gardens evolved through the ages?

FEATURES 55 63

REGULARS 6

LETTERS

THE BULLETIN

COMPETITION

CITY GUIDE: ST ALBANS

A DAY WITH...

THE GREAT BRITISH QUIZ

www.britain-magazine.com

LAND OF LEGENDS Scotland’s magical landscapes are home to countless myths, passed down through generations of storytelling Scots

ILFRACOMBE This pretty Devon harbour town has been a magnet for visitors since Victorian times

SEARCHING FOR CAMELOT The timeless myths and legends of King Arthur and his brave knights endure in the magical landscapes of North Cornwall

SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES USA and Canada: www.britsubs.com/britain Tel: 1-888-321-6378 (toll free) Email: btncustserv@cdsfulfillment.com Post: BRITAIN, PO Box 37518, Boone, IA 50037-0518 (USA only); OR BRITAIN, 1415 Janette Avenue, Windsor, Ontario N8X 1Z1 (Canada only) UK and Rest of World: www.subscription.co.uk/chelsea/help Tel: +44 (0) 1858 438 878 Email: britain@subscription.co.uk Post: BRITAIN, CDS Global, Sovereign Park, Market Harborough, LE16 9EF, UK

Sparkling treasures, summer opera and a new view of an old masterpiece Win a two-night stay in the Scottish Highlands This charming mini-city in Hertfordshire is bursting with history

Did you know you can manage your subscription online? Oversee your print and digital subscriptions online today simply by signing up at https://www. subscription.co.uk/chelsea/solo/. Stay up to date with the latest issues, update your personal details, and even renew your subscription with just a click.

David Barber, the Queen’s Swan Marker

Annual subscription rates (6 issues) UK – £35; Europe – £45 USA and Canada – US $75 Australia – AUD $105 Rest of World – £55 www.britain-magazine/subscribe Back issues www.chelseamagazines.com/shop News distribution USA and Canada: NPS Media Group, 2 Enterprise Drive, Suite 420, Shelton, CT 06484. UK and Rest of World: Seymour, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT, UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7429 4000

IN THIS ISSUE LOCH NESS p55 SCOTLAND

LINDISFARNE p38 NORTHERN IRELAND

EIRE ENGLAND WA L E S

ILFRACOMBE p63 TINTAGEL p66

4 BRITAIN

Advertising Group Sales Director Catherine Chapman Head of Sales Operations Jodie Green Advertising Manager Daisy Welch Senior Sales Executive Melissa Arancio Publishing Chairman Paul Dobson Managing Director James Dobson Publisher Simon Temlett Chief Financial Officer Vicki Gavin EA to Chairman Sophie Easton Subs Marketing Executive Bret Weekes For VisitBritain Sarah Wagner Printed in England by William Gibbons Ltd Production All Points Media

Share your stories and memories of Britain

Test your knowledge of Britain’s finest stately homes in our new quiz

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 Rhian Colley Assistant Editor Henrietta Easton

ST ALBANS p75

RICHMOND p14

BRITAIN (ISSN 1757-9732) (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 Enterprise Drive, Suite 420, 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., 2022. 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.

HEVER CASTLE p31

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/CHRIS LACEY/NADIA ISAKOVA/AWL IMAGES LTD/TRAVELLINGLIGHT/SHUTTERSTOCK

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

Visit No. 1 Royal Crescent in Bath this Summer

Experience life as a Georgian as you step inside our authentic house with its dressed interiors. Our immersive experience reveals what it would have been like for a family renting a house for the season, and the lives of those that served them. Enjoy a special Jane Austen tour on the last Friday of every month.

Come and see how the Bridgertons lived! www.no1royalcrescent.org.uk

YOUR LETTERS

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

STAR LETTER ON THE BRONTË TRAIL

Your article about West End theatre [Vol 90 Issue 2] brought back warm memories of a dear friend who passed away in 2016. He had worked as an actor and director in London, and for over twenty years he and his wife escorted groups of eager Vancouverites for ten days of sightseeing and theatregoing in London. I participated in a dozen of these excursions, and have visited every one of the theatres you highlighted, along with many others, and nothing would please me more to visit them again. London’s theatre scene is the most remarkable and diverse in the Englishspeaking world. Barbara-Anne Eddy, Vancouver, Canada

Our star letter wins a copy of English Garden Eccentrics by Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, which chronicles 300 years of extraordinary and quirky English gardens (£30). yalebooks.co.uk

TASTY TREATS

CHEESE PLEASE

My sisters and I attended St. Peter’s School for Girls in the 1950s. Our greatest delight was when our dear maid Violet would make us delicious ‘British’ teas. My mouthwatering memories are wonderful still. Would you ever consider publishing a magazine devoted to the recipes you have already produced; and perhaps (wishful thinking) add a few more delectable ones, please? Katherine Brown, Toronto, Canada

Just finished the excellent article on Leicester [Vol 90 Issue 1]. It mentions that Stilton cheese originated in Wymondham in Leicestershire 300 years ago. The village of Stilton, however, is 34 miles away in Cambridgeshire. The owner of a coaching inn on the Great North Road got the cheese from a relative in Wymondham and sold it to his many guests that stopped there. These guests spread the word about the delicious cheese from Stilton. Robert Ward, Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA

BRITAIN replies: We’re glad you like the recipes, Katherine! We’d love to collate them one day.

BRITAIN replies: You’re right, Robert! 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

BRITAIN

Strangely enough, Stilton can no longer be made in the village that gave it its name: by law it can only be made in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © VISITBRITAIN/TRISTAN VINCE/SHUTTERSTOCK /DANIEL HEIGHTON/ JOHN KERNICK /CAKE IMAGE FROM TEA AT THE PAL ACE BY CAROLYN ROBB

I was delighted to see an article on the Brontë family [Vol 90 Issue 2], a family to which I have some connections. My GreatGreat-Great-Grandmother Elizabeth Hirst was a friend of Mrs Patrick Brontë, and I like to think that perhaps the children of both ladies played together whilst their mothers talked. Passed down in the family is a remark made by an ancestress that the Brontë sisters were “queer lasses”. I am a Brontë enthusiast, and have

visited many of the places associated with them. Oakwell Hall, the Fieldhead of Charlotte’s novel Shirley, is a gem, a beautiful 16th-century manor house with a panelled hall, set in an attractive formal garden. In the late 1920s there was a plan to dismantle the Hall and send the stones to the USA where it would be erected. However this scheme was thwarted. I love the place, have visited it many times over the years and know every nook and cranny. Sometime I will go again! Thank you for the memories. Brian Arundel, Siegen, Germany

IN THE LIMELIGHT

‘WE LAUGHED UNTIL THE TEARS RAN DOWN OUR FACES’ Joanna Lumley

Cast may appeasron larger in per

THE LONGEST RUNNING COMEDY IN THE WEST END

PLAN AHEAD BOOK NOW | +44 (0)330 333 4810 | ThePlayThatGoesWrong.com

DUCHESS THEATRE, LONDON

WORLD & ANCIENT COINS PLATINUM SESSION & SIGNATURE® AUCTION Chicago – Dallas | August 25-26

ANA World’s Fair of Money – Auctioneer Event Partner Highlights Already Consigned

CYPRUS. Salamis. Evagoras I (ca. 411-374/3 BC). AR stater or didrachm NGC AU 4/5 – 4/5, Fine Style

German States: Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle. Christian von Minden Taler 1624-HS MS65 NGC

Great Britain: Archbishops of Canterbury. Ceolnoth (833-870) Penny ND (c. 855-856)

Transylvania: George Takoczi II gold 10 Ducats 1655-ND AU Details NGC

Japan: Meiji gold Pattern 10 Yen Year 3 (1870) MS66 NGC

Great Britain: William III gold “Fine Work” 5 Guineas 1701 MS63 NGC

Great Britain: Victoria Proof “Gothic Crown” 1847 PR65 NGC

Aelia Pulcheria, Eastern Roman Empire (AD 414-453). AV solidus NGC MS 5/5 – 4/5, edge bend

Great Britain: Elizabeth I (15581603) gold Pound ND (1595-1598) MS66 NGC

Always Accepting Quality Consignments in 40+ Categories Immediate Cash Advances Available 1.5 Million+ Online Bidder-Members BP 20%; see HA.com 64941

HISTORY / NEWS / REVIEWS / INSPIRATION

The

BULLETIN Sparkling treasures, summer opera and a new view of an old masterpiece EXHIBITION

The golden touch The glittering treasures discovered in 1939 at Sutton Hoo, Britain’s most famous Anglo Saxon archaeological site, revolutionised the way that we see that period of history forever. In 2009, the largest hoard of Anglo Saxon gold ever found was unearthed in Staffordshire, bearing a remarkable resemblance to the items found at Sutton Hoo. Historians now believe that many of the artefacts were made in the

same 7th-century East Anglian workshops, and this year for the first time treasures of both hoards will be reunited in a special exhibition. From sparkling gold and garnet jewellery to intricate weaponry fittings, Swords of Kingdoms: The Staffordshire Hoard at Sutton Hoo (until 30 October) will reveal the Anglo Saxon period as a golden age of craftmanship. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/suttonhoo

HISTORY / NEWS / REVIEWS / INSPIRATION

ANNIVERSARY

Birthday flowers

F E S T I VA L

Opera extravaganza The fun and frothy works of the legendary Victorian operatic duo Gilbert and Sullivan are perfect for summer. Returning to the genteel spa towns of Buxton and Harrogate for its 28th year, the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival is an all-singing, all-dancing spectacle (30 July–21 August). Known as the ‘friendliest opera festival in the world’, it is a joyous celebration of Britain’s most iconic musical partnership. With crowd-pleasing favourites such as The Pirates of Penzance alongside the exciting and rarely performed Utopia, Limited, the festival will stage something for everyone. Whether new to opera or a G&S aficionado, you’ll be singing all the way home: guaranteed. gsfestivals.org

Once the tallest building in the world, commissioned by William the Conqueror, and now regarded as one of Europe’s finest Gothic buildings, Lincoln Cathedral celebrates its 950th birthday this year. The cathedral’s popular Flower Festival (4–8 August) will mark this milestone with stunning displays blossoming in every corner of the cathedral. The special theme of ‘Vision’ will pay homage to the history of this iconic building and the visionaries who have shaped it through the ages. lincolncathedral.com

SHOPPING

Pretty as a picture

OPENING

Bath time Cementing Bath’s status as one of Britain’s richest cultural and historical cities, the newly opened World Heritage Centre, bursting with interactive exhibits and displays, will be a hub for visitors and locals alike. Make it your first port of call, whether you’re in town to visit the worldfamous Roman Baths, to track down Bridgerton locations or to walk the city’s honey-hued streets in the footsteps of Jane Austen. Fans of the latter visiting in September may find themselves swept up in the annual Jane Austen Festival (9-17 September), which draws Austenites from all over the world for guided walks, concerts and – of course – costumed balls. www.bathworldheritage.org.uk; janeausten.co.uk

BRITAIN

PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST/ANGUS WAINWRIGHT/2021 JANE STOKES/ DJ STOTTY IMAGES/360IMAGE/ANDY FLETCHER PHOTOGRAPHY/ NICKSMITHPHOTOGRAPHY.COM/DAVID JOHN KING

There’s plenty of garden inspiration this issue (see p46), so here’s hoping for a sunny summer. We can’t always rely on the English weather, but we can let the sunshine in and the flowers bloom with the botanical bounty on offer at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Our pick of their floral-inspired products is this delightful set of jigsaw puzzles (£21.99). The three 100-piece jigsaws feature uplifting summery scenes illustrated by Emily Taylor, and once completed, the tins can be used as decor – and perhaps even filled with your home-grown blooms. shop.kew.org www.britain-magazine.com

ART

A new view of the Thames Set between the two buildings of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London, the Queen’s House was England's first The largest known painting by the English artist John Constable classical building, built in the 17th-century by architect Inigo has been restored to its former glory – and has simultaneously Jones for Anne of Denmark, as a gift from her husband, James I. revealed a long-lost view of the Thames, delighting conservators Four hundred years later, the splendid royal villa is due to and historians alike. It was only when layers of dull varnish were reopen on 11 October following extensive renovations, which removed from the painting, entitled Embarkation of George IV from have seen an overhaul to the galleries housing its famous

collection of art – including key works by Gainsborough and Hogarth – and original features, such as the Tulip Staircase. Whitehall: the Opening of Waterloo Bridge, 1817, that the hidden details If that’s not reason enough to visit, it is likely to be the home were exposed, showing how the skyline has been transformed in of the historic Armada portrait of Queen Elizabeth I (pictured the last 200 years. The work will now return to Anglesey Abbey in above), one of the most iconic images of any British monarch. Cambridgeshire, where it will take pride of place in a special display The painting has been the subject of intensive fundraising of Constable’s works. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/angleseyabbey to save it for the nation since it was put up for sale. With the

HISTORY / NEWS / REVIEWS / INSPIRATION

READING CORNER Take inspiration for your British adventures from these great reads Britain’s Sacred Places: A guide to ancient and modern sites that stir the soul by Martin Symington (£14.99, Bradt). A fascinating guide to places of both religious and secular pilgrimage in the UK.

RECIPE

Lavender and Honey Panna Cotta Serving up history, quality time and a touch of decadence, the National Trust’s cafés are an essential stop on any visit, and National Trust Favourite Recipes: Over 80 delicious classics from our cafes (National Trust Books, £14.99) will allow you to take a little piece of this wonderfully British institution home with you.

I n g re d i e n t s : 2 sheets of gelatine

1 tsp vanilla extract

300ml (½ pint) double cream

60g (2¼ oz) honey, plus extra to serve

120ml (4fl oz) milk

200g (7oz) strawberries, hulled and chopped

3 sprigs of lavender/1–2 tsp dried lavender flowers

2 tbsp strawberry jam

Method: Put the gelatine in a shallow dish, cover with cold water and leave to soften for 5 minutes. Warm the cream, milk, lavender and vanilla in a saucepan over a low heat and slowly bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and leave the pan on the hob for 5 minutes, squeezing the lavender flowers from time to time to extract as much flavour as possible. Turn off the heat and stir through the honey. Remove the gelatine from the water and squeeze to remove excess water. Add to the warm cream mixture and stir until the gelatine has completely dissolved. Strain the cream mixture through a sieve into a jug, then divide between four 150ml (5fl oz) pudding moulds. Leave to cool, then place in the fridge and leave to set for at least 4 hours, or overnight. To make the compote, mix the chopped strawberries and strawberry jam together in a bowl. To serve, dip each mould, one at a time, into a bowl of just-boiled water, count to four, gently loosen around the edges of the panna cotta with a fingertip and turn out on to a serving plate. Spoon over a portion of the compote and drizzle over a little honey.

BRITAIN

Miss Wilmott’s Ghosts by Sandra Lawrence (£25, Blink). The eye-opening story of one of Britain’s most famous female horticulturalists, wrongly remembered as malicious and difficult. The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys by Jack Jewers (£16.99, Moonflower Books). In his debut novel the historian reveals the life of the famous diarist – after he put down his pen. Rogues, Rebels and Mavericks of the Middle Ages by John Brunton (£20, Amberley Publishing). A juicy history of the criminals, heretics and audacious pioneers of the Middle Ages. A Very British Picnic by Lucy Davies (£17.95, Hoxton Mini Press). Nostalgic images capture the wonderful Britishness of the picnic, and those that brave it no matter the weather.

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JAMES DOBSON/OL A O SMIT

Serve with ripe fresh strawberries and a drizzle of honey for the perfect summer pudding

Book by August 31, 2022 and save

$100pp*

Discover Albion’s range of fully escorted tours exploring the culture and heritage of Britain Call to request your FREE brochure today Tel: 1-866-834-8358 and quote: ‘Britain’ for discount

*Offer is only valid on new bookings and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Terms and conditions apply.

Step Back in Time – Traditional Country House Christmas

Find your special place

From contemporary coastal barn conversions to charming thatched cottages, we’ve hand-picked the very best properties to bring you holiday memories to treasure.

From $3,990pp | Departures: 30 Nov 2022 and 6 Dec 2023

Christmas in England conjures up images of Dickensian London and A Christmas Carol or traditional country houses where families gather around roaring fires. We celebrate the spirit of Christmas past and catch a glimpse of festivities of times gone by as we travel from London to the pastoral Home Counties. We enjoy enchanting visits to magnificent properties which are specially decorated for the season, from the royal residence of Windsor Castle to Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. To complete our festive getaway we experience the magic of Christmas at Kew and also visit the lovely city of Oxford, where we indulge in the quintessentially British tradition of afternoon tea and have time for some Christmas shopping. What’s Included

Return airport transfers from London Heathrow* 3 nights at the Macdonald Windsor Hotel 2 nights at the Hartwell House Hotel Welcome drink and canapés Full English/Continental breakfast each day 3-course table d’hôte dinner on 3 nights at the hotels (with after-dinner tea and coffee) 1 dinner at a local restaurant Services of a tour director throughout your stay

Travel to and from all excursions All excursion costs Porterage where possible *supplement applies for transfers from all other airports

Special extras included in your itinerary

Audio guided tour of Windsor Castle Guided walking tour of Oxford Afternoon tea at the Randolph Hotel Festive lunch* at Waddesdon Estate Private carol singing performance at the Macdonald Windsor Hotel

*Please inform us at the time of booking of any special dietary requirements.

T&Cs. For the latest applicable terms and conditions, please refer to our website: www.albionjourneys.com/ terms-and-conditions. Just Go Holidays Ltd trading as Albion Journeys. USA address: 27 North Chestnut Street, New Paltz, NY 12561, USA. UK registered address: 1st Floor, 111 High Street, Cheltenham GL50 1DW, United Kingdom.

1-866-834-8358 (US toll free)

eys.com

1-866-834-8358 (US toll free) ? info@albionjourneys.com

albionjourneys.com albionjourneys.com

A portfolio of over 600 luxury, self-catering holiday homes in the UK and Northern Ireland

01386 897 959

ruralretreats.co.uk Do you have a property you would like to let with Rural Retreats? If so, please get in touch with one of our experienced ? info@albionjourneys.com Property Managers today.

newowners@ruralretreats.co.uk ? info@albionjourneys.com

? info@albionjourneys.com www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN 13

ALONG THE THAMES

PHOTO: © MAURIZIO RELLINI

Down by

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

ALONG THE THAMES

the River Between Richmond and Hampton Court is a storied stretch of the River Thames, whose banks are lined with grand houses, royal parks and Henry VIII’s favourite palace WORDS EDWARD AVES

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

ALONG THE THAMES

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

ALONG THE THAMES

PHOTOS: © PETER L ANE/DINKO KYUCHUKOV/AL AMY/ILLUSTR ATION: © L AUR A HALLETT

Previous page: Richmond’s pretty riverside has been a popular spot since Victorian times Left: The magnificent entrance to Hampton Court Palace Right: Rowing boats to rent by Richmond Bridge

he picturesque stretch of the Thames between Richmond and Hampton Court has provided refuge from the bustle of London life for centuries. After attracting the patronage of the Tudor royals – their legacy is preserved in the jaw-dropping magnificence of Hampton Court Palace – the area became a fashionable retreat for the city’s nobility, who built grand houses along its riverbanks. By the mid-18th century, poets and artists were likening it to Arcadia, the pastoral Utopia of ancient Greece. In the 19th century, the riverside was opened up for all to enjoy, and today a stroll through this verdant slice of the city ranks high on any Londoner’s list of soul-quenching urban escapes. Just 15 miles upstream from central London (15 minutes by train), well-to-do Richmond owes its name to Henry VII, who erected a sumptuous royal palace on the river and christened it after his Yorkshire earldom. Richmond Palace was a favourite winter residence of Elizabeth I, who died here in 1603 – her body was carried downriver to Westminster Abbey by barge – and though mostly demolished, its turreted gatehouse still survives, tucked into a corner of Richmond Green. This expansive open square, lined with Georgian terraces, was once a jousting ground, and the sporting tradition lives on today – cricket has been played on the green since at least 1730. It’s a short stroll down pretty Old Palace Lane to Richmond’s bustling riverside, where all manner of boating expeditions – from paddle steamer cruises to rowing boat rental – are on offer. Yet, even on the busiest weekend, the scene doesn’t compare with the heyday of the late-Victorian boating craze, when up to 3000 river vessels crammed the

www.britain-magazine.com

stretch downstream to Teddington, catering to the crowds of boater-hatted young men and women who would rush down from the city to meet and mingle on the water. It’s a gentle saunter from the riverside into Richmond Park, a vast expanse of undulating grasslands spotted with dense woods, where herds of fallow and red deer – at current count over 600 – have roamed freely since the time of Charles I. First-time visitors are often amazed to find such untamed wilderness so close to London. The Arcadian riverscape of yesteryear is best preserved a mile and a half south of Richmond in a pair of fine mansions, set in verdant meadows, on opposite sides of

BRITAIN

ALONG THE THAMES

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

ALONG THE THAMES

PHOTOS: © MATT CHUNG/JULIA GAVIN/AL AMY/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/CHRIS DAVIES

Clockwise from top left: The Gallery at Strawberry Hill House; Henry VIII created Bushy Park as a hunting ground for Hampton Court; Ham House was designed by architect William Samwell

the Thames. Grandest is the red-brick, Jacobean Ham House, famous for the extravagant interiors created by the resourceful Elizabeth Dysart, Duchess of Lauderdale – said to have been simultaneously Oliver Cromwell’s lover and a financial donor to King Charles II – and virtually unchanged in 350 years. From Ham House, the quaint Hammerton’s Ferry will whisk you across the river to Marble Hill House, a graceful Palladian villa newly reopened after a stunning restoration. Marble Hill was designed for Henrietta Howard, a former mistress of the Prince of Wales (later George II), who captivated society with her intelligence and wit. Henrietta cultivated a circle that included Alexander Pope – who helped create the gardens – and Jonathan Swift; her parties were said to rival those at court for their lavishness. Restoration has returned the house’s interior to its original lustre – a highlight is the sumptuously gilded Great Room – and reinstated the gardens to their 18th-century prime, complete with grotto and nine-pin bowling alley. Beyond the bustle of central Twickenham lies the most idiosyncratic of the area’s mansions. A whitewashed fantasy of fairytale towers, pinnacles and battlements, Strawberry Hill was the summer residence of 18th-century man of letters Horace Walpole, youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first prime minister. Walpole eschewed the Palladianism of the day in favour of a new “Gothick” style – in so doing pioneering Gothic Revival, a movement that would dominate architecture for the next 150 years. Strawberry Hill was built to entertain, and even today a

www.britain-magazine.com

visit is a theatrical experience. The rooms feature elaborate tracery and colourful stained glass; as the sun moves around the house, each has its moment to shine – what Walpole called his “moving pictures”. After dinner in the Great Parlour, the host would lead his guests upstairs to the show-stopping Gallery – a visual feast of crimson damask wallpaper and gilded fan-vaulting – to gossip about court, as music drifted up from the cloister (now a delightful café) below. The scene is easy to picture, never more so than during the house’s occasional candlelit evenings, when staff dress up as characters from The Castle of Otranto, Walpole’s Gothic romance that inspired a new literary genre. A mile upriver, a series of locks at Teddington mark the end of the tidal Thames – said to be the point where the river changes colour (casting off its city brown for a country green). It’s also a place of pilgrimage for fans of Monty Python, who filmed their famous fish-slapping dance – a surreal spectacle of pilchards and pith helmets – by a lock-keeper’s cabin here. Continuing onwards, Kingston upon Thames played a central role in England’s early history. In the 10th century, Cyningestun (as it was then) lay on the boundary of the kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia, prompting Æthelstan to choose it as a symbolic location for his coronation as King of the Anglo-Saxons in 925. Two years later, he went on to conquer Northumberland, uniting England for the first time. Today, Kingston is an attractive market town, with a reminder of its Anglo-Saxon days – a short hop from the BRITAIN

ALONG THE THAMES

Each of Henry’s six wives lived for a time at Hampton Court, and the tumult of his later years still resonates through the apartments ancient Market Place, the Coronation Stone is a sarsen block supposedly used as a throne during the crowning ceremonies of Æthelstan and six more Saxon kings. Back across the river, vast Bushy Park – second largest of the royal parks after Richmond – was created by Henry VIII as the hunting grounds for Hampton Court, and remains home to several hundred free-ranging red and fallow deer, including a few ghostly white specimens that seem to have stepped out of a fairy tale. Fittingly, perhaps, because the park is indeed a magical place, especially atmospheric on misty mornings. Wartime history buffs may like to head to the northern Shaef Gate, where a memorial recalls the three months in 1944 when this corner of Bushy hosted the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied forces – it was from here that General Eisenhower masterminded plans for D-Day. But don’t delay, for to the south, beyond the park’s Lion Gate, Hampton Court awaits. Originally built for Cardinal Wolsey, Hampton Court was a royal residence up to the reign of George II, although will of course forever be associated with Henry VIII, who prised it from Wolsey as he cast him from grace. The king spared no expense in transforming it into a lavish royal abode. Each of Henry’s six wives lived for a time at Hampton Court, and the tumult and tragedy of his later years resonate through what remains of the Tudor apartments. Henry ordered the construction of the magnificent Great Hall, where banquets were put on for hundreds of courtiers. While smitten with Anne Boleyn, her emblems were integrated into its design, yet he expunged almost all trace of her after her demise. In the Great Watching Chamber, courtiers received the tragic news of Jane Seymour’s death days after she gave birth to a long hoped-for son in 1537. And, famously, the ghost of Catherine Howard is said to stalk the Processional Gallery, where the unfortunate queen – barely out of her teens – was dragged screaming by guards back into house arrest

BRITAIN

after a failed final entreaty to the cold-hearted king for her life. Spectre or not, the temperature does seem to drop a notch or two as you step down the corridor. The chaos at court is brought vividly to life in the Council Chamber, where you can listen to an audio re-creation of Henry’s embattled councillors snarling at each other as they plot the succession. And don’t miss the exquisite Chapel Royal, where in happier times Henry and Catherine gave thanks for their marriage – the stunning blue and gold ceiling, unchanged since Tudor times, is one of the highlights of the entire palace. Perhaps more than anywhere else, the gargantuan scale of the Tudor court is evident in Henry’s VIII’s Kitchens, where cooks would toil in ferocious heat to churn out up to one thousand meals a day. The king himself would usually dine privately, gorging on feasts of up to forty dishes – an appetite that sent his waistline soaring from a trim 32 inches in his twenties to a doublet-popping 54 inches at the end of his life. That any of the Tudor palace survives is no thanks to William and Mary, who instructed Sir Christopher Wren to demolish it and rebuild it in Baroque style. The project ran out of steam after Mary’s death, but their grand state apartments brought the palace a new lease of life. William was also responsible for the exquisite Privy Garden, which stretches from the South Front to the river. A manicured masterpiece of order and harmony, it’s just one of many highlights of the grounds – never lovelier than in early July, when the RHS’s Hampton Court Garden Festival takes root along the banks of the Long Water. This year promises a rose tea garden in commemoration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Finally, no visit to Hampton Court is complete without getting lost in the famous maze – if in doubt, adopt Paddington Bear’s cunning strategy and lay chunks of marmalade along your path to enable a speedy exit.

THE PLANNER GETTING THERE There are regular trains from London Waterloo to Richmond (15min) and to Hampton Court (35min). www.thetrainline.com WHERE TO STAY The Richmond Harbour Hotel & Spa is set in a stately Georgian mansion with tasteful contemporary interiors and a fabulous spa where you can unwind after a day spent strolling the riverside. The rooms are luxurious with a bohemian edge, enlivened with local art on the walls and vibrant textiles. There’s a buzzy

restaurant and bar and a leafy courtyard terrace too. www.harbourhotels.co.uk WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK The Roebuck pub, dating back to the 1500s, enjoys one of the most unspoiled views in London from its lofty perch on Richmond Hill: the perfect place for a pint or a pub lunch. www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

FURTHER INFORMATION www.visitrichmond.co.uk; www.hrp.org.uk/hamptoncourt-palace

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © HISTORIC ROYAL PAL ACES

Left to right: The Privy Garden at Hampton Court was installed by King William; The King’s Staircase at Hampton Court features murals by Antonio Verrio and an intricate wrought iron balustrade by Jean Tijou

ALONG THE THAMES

For more on historic Hampton Court, see britainmagazine.com

BRITAIN

PHOTO: © CHRIS MOUYIARIS/AWL IMAGES

The

Time Machine The world’s most famous clock has been under wraps for four years, its iconic bell silenced. This year, restored to its former glory, Big Ben once again shows its face WORDS: ROSE SHEPHERD

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

LANDMARKS

t 12.01pm on August 21, 2017, something went missing from the soundscape of London. The 13.7-tonne bell that had tolled the knell of passing day for 154 years, through the reigns of six monarchs, fell silent, to be heard only on Remembrance Sunday and New Year’s Eve, as work began on the restoration of the most recognised clock tower on the planet. Since then, hundreds of specialist craftsmen and women – stonemasons, glass artists, painters, gilders and horologists – have brought their skills to the £80 million conservation project. The clock and tower have stood the test of time remarkably well, despite decades of wear and tear, bomb damage, snow and ice, wind and rain, the ‘pea soupers’ of Victorian times, and modern air pollution. The effects of such pitiless conditions were keenly felt by conservation teams, working at dizzying heights on narrow gangways, when, in 2018, with the cold snap known as the ‘Beast from the East’ on the rampage, the temperature dropped to -8C, only to soar to 45C in the following year’s heatwave. Originally named St Stephen’s Tower, and rechristened the Elizabeth Tower in 2012, to mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, the edifice colloquially known as ‘Big Ben’ was largely the creation of the driven genius Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, his most iconic contribution to Charles Barry’s Palace of Westminster and its crowning glory. Completed in 1859, standing 96 metres tall, with 334 steps from ground to belfry, and with the world’s largest and most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock,

this was to be Pugin’s last project. “I never worked so hard in my life for Mr Barry,” he wrote in February 1852 to his friend John Hardman, “for tomorrow I render all the designs for finishing his bell tower & it is beautiful & I am the whole machinery of the clock.” Aged just 40, Pugin was descending into madness, possibly from mercury poisoning. He would die that September, never to see his plans realised for this beacon of democracy and symbol of the Mother of Parliaments. His letter was only partially coherent. “What he meant to write, in his deluded state,” according to Rosemary Hill, author of God’s Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romantic Britain, “was that he was to design the mechanism… But what he actually wrote was the truth.” Big Ben is pure Gothic, pure Pugin, and it is his monument. Big Ben, or ‘the Great Bell’, the largest of the tower’s five bells, was cast in bronze at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in East London, established in 1570, whose name resonates from Philadelphia to St Petersburg. The Whitechapel foundry cast the bells of St Clement Danes of Oranges and Lemons fame. It cast the original Liberty Bell, symbol of American Independence, and the 9/11 Bell, a gift from the City of London to the people of New York. The Whitechapel Great Bell was not, however, the first to be hung in Pugin’s tower. In 1856, with the building incomplete, a bell cast by John Warner & Sons of Stockton on Tees, Co. Durham, made its debut. Predicted to bong in the key of E, it required “six or eight lusty artisans” to tug at the clapper rope. “The vibration penetrates every vein in the body,” The Times reported, “it strikes every nerve, it

Previous page: Big Ben's new face, under scaffolding since 2017, has now been revealed Clockwise from left: Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin; a 1953 song about Big Ben, made famous by Vera Lynn; an image of 'the Great Bell' from the Parliamentary Archives; a sunset view from Westminster Bridge; cleaning the tower's clock face in 1930

DID YOU KNOW? The tower's clock is adjusted using pre-decimal pennies. Adding one penny to the pendulum causes the clock to gain two-fifths of a second in 24 hours Strong wind on the clock hands can affect the clock’s accuracy Big Ben’s bongs were first broadcast by the BBC on 31 December 1923, and the tradition continues on New Year's Eve to this day The origin of the bell's nickname is not known for sure, though some believe it was named after Benjamin Caunt, a heavyweight boxing champion

BRITAIN

The latin inscription under the clock face translates as ‘Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First’ A special light above the clock faces is lit when parliament is in session The clock is hand-wound three times a week. Each winding takes about 1.5 hours to complete The Elizabeth Tower contains its own prison cell, originally designed for unruly Members of Parliament

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © CHRONICLE/IMAGEBROKER/ALAMY/LOOK AND LEARN/PETER JACKSON COLLECTION/BRIDGEMAN IMAGES/PARLIAMENTARY ARCHIVES/MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY

LANDMARKS

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

LANDMARKS

Clockwise from above: Big Ben is broken up to be recast in 1858; the clock shows different times during repairs in 2022; the clock face has been restored to its original colours; a conservation worker inside the clock tower

BRITAIN

attacks and tries every fibre in the muscle, it makes your bones rattle and your marrow creep.” It was as well, then, that, after 11 months, the infernal bell cracked beyond repair. Its lighter replacement arrived from Whitechapel by Thames barge, crossing Westminster Bridge in a carriage drawn by six white horses, as crowds flocked to see it. Initially, it was judged to be little better than its predecessor, its song “so unearthly, sepulchral and miserable, that one would suppose it was tolling the funeral dirge of the whole human race”. After it, too, cracked, repairs rendered it more subdued, and from November 1863 it rolled out its solemn pronouncements for five miles in all directions, until that August day in 2017 when, for Londoners, it was as if Father Time himself had fallen mute. Big Ben sends shivers down the spine when it gives voice – and when it does not, whether the clock has been stopped for maintenance, or for reasons of deep historical significance. The bell intoned for the state funerals of Edward VII, George V and George VI. It maintained a speaking silence for two years in the First World War, and for the funerals of Sir

Winston Churchill and Baroness Thatcher. There is a unique, portentous stillness, after the chiming of the Westminster Quarters, an attenuated moment of anticipation, felt most keenly at midnight on December 31 as the bell musters itself to usher in a new year. As Virginia Woolf describes it in Mrs Dalloway, “one feels… a particular hush, or solemnity; an indescribable pause; a suspense… before Big Ben strikes. There! Out it boomed. First a warning, musical; then the hour, irrevocable. The leaden circles dissolved in the air.” The timekeeping is a wonder of the clockmaker’s art. Designed by Edmund Beckett Denison, a lawyer and amateur horologist, with Astronomer Royal Sir George Airy, the clock was constructed by Edward John Dent, and completed on his death by his stepson, Frederick Dent, with innovative modifications that would set a new standard for tower clocks. The dials, seven metres in diameter, are works of art, framed in cast iron, glazed with 324 pieces of opal glass. The gun-metal hour hands, 2.7 metres long, weigh some 300kg; the copper minute hands, 4.2 metres long, weigh 100kg.

From November 1863 it sounded for five miles in all directions, until that day in 2017, when it was as if Father Time himself had fallen mute

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBR ARY/PJR TR AVEL /AL AMY/UK PARLIAMENT/JESSICA TAYLOR

LANDMARKS

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

LANDMARKS

Clockwise from above: The dials on the clock faces have been glazed with 324 pieces of beautiful opal glass; a view of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament from London's Southbank

The entire apparatus has had to be dismantled piece by one-thousand piece, for shipping to the Cumbria Clock Company in the Lake District village of Dacre, for overhaul, before being reinstalled. With the progress on schedule, by summer Big Ben should have been reconnected to the original clock mechanism, ringing out regularly once again. The entire project has clearly been an intense journey for all concerned. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Keith Scobie-Youngs, Cumbria Clock Company director. “We transplanted the heart of the UK up to Cumbria. We were able to assemble the time side, the heartbeat, and put that on test in our workshop, so for two years we had that heartbeat ticking away in our test room, which was incredibly satisfying.”

“We transplanted the heart of the UK up to Cumbria. For two years we had that heartbeart ticking away in our test room”

VISITING THE ELIZABETH TOWER With the restoration scheduled for completion this summer, once the site is cleared Parliament will resume ownership of the building and start to prepare its internal spaces for future use, handing over to teams delivering the visitor experience. Preparations, including the installation and testing of exhibitions and tour routes, are expected to complete in the winter, before tours begin early in 2023. www.parliament.uk

BRITAIN

“To have had our hand on every single nut and bolt is a huge privilege,” said Ian Wentworth, Parliamentary Clock Mechanic. “It’s going to be quite emotional when it’s all over – there will be a sadness that the project has finished, but happiness that we have got it back and everything’s up and running.” At the beginning of 2022, as the scaffolding came down, the clock revealed bolder, brighter faces, painstakingly recreating Charles Barry’s colour scheme. Alexandra Miller, Senior Project Manager at Cliveden Conservation, led the team responsible for the restoration of the clock faces. “This was one of the most humbling and career-defining projects we have been fortunate to be part of,” she said. “It cements my lifelong relationship with my beloved hometown of London.” The blackened metalwork of the dial, hands and roman numerals have been returned to the original Prussian blue and gold, with new, white opalescent glass, while the gilt cross and orb at the tip of the tower glisten as in Victorian times, a source of immense pride. “A clock always absorbs a bit of the person working on it,” Keith Scobie-Youngs has poetically reflected, “and Cumbria will now be linked to this clock for ever.” Or, as Pugin put it, “It is beautiful, and I am the whole mechanism of the clock.” www.britain-magazine.com

LANDMARKS

PHOTOS: © UK PARLIAMENT/JESSICA TAYLOR/CHRIS MOUYIARIS/AWL IMAGES

For more iconic London landmarks, see www.britainmagazine.com

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

Association of Anaesthetists Heritage Centre

Telling the remarkable story of anaesthesia From its first public demonstration in 1846 to modern day anaesthetists working in the aftermath of wars and terrorist attacks. The Anaesthesia Heritage Centre is located in central London and is free to enter. The Association of Anaesthetists Heritage Centre is open Monday to Friday 10:00 – 16:00 (closed bank holidays). Last admission is 15:30.

www.anaesthetists.org/heritage

2678-Margate-Mercury-Summer-Advert-AW.indd 1

30 BRITAIN

17/05/2022 5:26 pm

www.britain-magazine.com

HISTORY

Becoming

IMAGE: © HEVER CASTLE AND GARDENS

ANNE BOLEYN

Five centuries after her first appearance at the court of her future husband, Henry VIII, we chart Anne Boleyn’s glittering rise and dramatic fall WORDS NEIL JONES

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

HISTORY Previous page: The 'Hever Rose' portrait of Anne Boleyn by an unknown artist, c.1550 Clockwise from far right: Blickling Hall; Hever Castle; Henry VIII by Hans Holbein the Younger, c. 1543-47, on display at Petworth House

ive hundred years ago, in 1522, Anne Boleyn made her first recorded appearance at the English court of Henry VIII. A mock castle called Château Vert had been created as a centrepiece for an evening pageant at which eight satin-clad gentlewomen cast as ‘virtues’ waited for eight gentlemen, including the king, to storm the towers and liberate them from ‘vice’. Anne was given the role of Perseverance, a rather appropriate choice, as history would prove. The story is well known of how Anne boldly schemed to become Henry’s second wife, and in doing so precipitated religious turmoil that divided the country for generations to come. Yet, she has always been the most enigmatic of the king’s six wives. Now, a new exhibition at her childhood home, Hever Castle in Kent, throws a spotlight on her family background and early influences to help explain what made her into the woman who so famously caught Henry’s eye. Becoming Anne: Connections, Culture, Court (until early November) is spread across several of the castle’s rooms including the Book of Hours Room, featuring Anne’s two beautifully illuminated prayer books. Artefacts range from portraits and letters to a recreation of the Château Vert pageant set. The Boleyn family had risen to wealth and status through a combination of trade, court advancements and astute marriages. It was Anne’s great-grandfather Geoffrey who bought Blickling Hall in Norfolk, where she was probably born around 1501, and Hever Castle where she spent much of her early childhood. Her parents – courtier and diplomat Sir Thomas Boleyn and Lady Elizabeth Howard, daughter of the 2nd Duke of Norfolk – had five children, though two sons died young. Anne was sandwiched between her surviving younger brother George and older sister Mary. “Thomas Boleyn was a humanist and believed in educating his daughters to a similar level to his sons,” Hever’s Assistant Curator Kate McCaffrey says. He arranged for Anne, aged 12, to polish her education at one of the great centres of European culture, the court of Archduchess Margaret of Austria, Regent of the Netherlands, who delightedly reported of her charge: “I

At an evening pageant, her first appearance at the court of Henry VIII, Anne was given the role of Perseverance, an appropriate choice 32

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

IMAGES: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/DERRICK E WITTY/ANDREW BUTLER/JON DAVISON/ALAMY

HISTORY

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

IMAGES © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/HEVER CASTLE AND GARDENS/ARTEPICS/ALAMY

HISTORY

find her so bright and pleasant for her young age.” Anne duly showed off (with apologies for her spellings) her growing French skills in a letter to Thomas that is recreated and recited in Hever’s exhibition. In 1514 Anne was then sent to Paris, to the court of Louis XII and Mary, Henry VIII’s sister, and when Louis died a few months later she stayed on until 1521 to attend Queen Claude, the young wife of his successor Francis I. While at these ‘finishing schools’ abroad Anne became an accomplished singer, dancer and musician, developed a love of visual arts, and was exposed to the reforming religious currents sweeping across the Continent. She returned to England at the end of 1521 full of chic French

BRITAIN

manners that she proceeded to deploy, along with her witty intelligence, to distinguish herself from other women at court. “You would never have guessed she was just an English girl, instead you would have taken her for a fine French lady,” it was observed. A brunette of middling height, Anne was not conventionally beautiful, but she exuded sexual allure, with dark eyes that it was said “she well knew how to use with effect.” During her appointment as a lady-in-waiting to Henry VIII’s queen, Catherine of Aragon, numerous men fell under Anne’s spell, among them Henry Percy, heir to the earldom of Northumberland. However, an official match was blocked and Anne was briefly banished to

Clockwise from above: The Arrest of Anne Boleyn at Greenwich, by David Wilkie Wynfield, 1872; portrait of Anne Boleyn at Knole house; Anne's Book of Hours is on display at Hever Castle

www.britain-magazine.com

HISTORY

Hever “whereat she smoked [fumed].” By 1526 King Henry himself had turned his roving eye upon Anne. He had already taken and discarded her sister Mary as his mistress, but Anne proved a far wilier proposition, flirting yet refusing to submit to him despite a stream of gifts and lovelorn letters. She wanted more than to be a royal mistress and, constantly pressed by Henry, finally delivered a shocking ultimatum: she would only give herself to him physically as his wife. The king, desperate for a male heir that it seemed unlikely Catherine of Aragon, now in her 40s, would provide, decided to take a gamble on the more nubile Anne. Unfortunately, and perhaps inevitably, the Pope declined www.britain-magazine.com

to annul the king’s first marriage and the devoutly Catholic Catherine refused to go quietly. Anne complained about delays: “I have been waiting long, and might in the meanwhile have contracted some advantageous marriage.” To help matters along, and drawing on her interest in the radical religious ideas that were to blossom into the Protestant Reformation, Anne gave Henry a copy of William Tyndale’s controversial The Obedience of a Christian Man that argued the King, not the Pope, should have authority over the Church. Seemingly endless political wrangling continued, but eventually Henry married an already-pregnant Anne in secret in January 1533 – four months before his marriage to Catherine BRITAIN

Clockwise from far right: an engraving of the execution of Anne Boleyn on 19 M`ay 1536 at the Tower of London; miniature portraits of Anne will be on display at Hever's exhibition; Anne Boleyn condemned

Anne’s triumph was short-lived. The feistiness that Henry had once found so bewitching now began to grate

BRITAIN

BOOK AHEAD

Becoming Anne: Connections, Culture, Court is at Hever Castle & Gardens until early November. Hever’s Assistant Curators Kate McCaffrey and Dr Owen Emerson have co-authored a

fascinating book to accompany the exhibition and will also be talking about Anne on 10 August as part of Hever Festival Theatre’s programme. www.hevercastle.co.uk

www.britain-magazine.com

IMAGES © CHRONICLE/CLASSIC IMAGE/ALAMY

was annulled – and, having broken with Rome, he went on to declare himself supreme head of a newly established Church of England. Long sought, Anne’s triumph was to last just three years. Her feistiness that Henry had once found so bewitching now began to grate. When Anne, jealous over his pursuit of an attractive young woman at court in 1534, “used words to the King which he did not like,” he told her she had to turn a blind eye and remember “he could humiliate her in only a moment longer than it had taken to exalt her.” The royal couple’s relationship, always tempestuous, ultimately failed over the continuing absence of a male heir. Anne’s first pregnancy had disappointingly resulted in the birth of a girl, Elizabeth, and she suffered two stillbirths and a miscarriage, prompting an unsympathetic Henry to mutter, “I shall have no sons by her.” The queen had made many enemies, not least for her callous attitude to Catherine of Aragon, and there were plenty of courtiers willing to whisper against her in the king’s ear for her part in causing the political and religious upheavals of the last decade. Matters came to a swift and brutal conclusion in 1536 when trumped-up charges were laid against Anne: of adultery with four men at court, incest with her brother George, and treason. She denied all charges, typically dismissing one alleged lover on the grounds that he “was the worst dressed man in the Palace,” but she was imprisoned nevertheless in the Tower of London and brought to trial. Despite her “wise and discreet answers” she was sentenced, like her co-accused, to be executed. Back in the Tower she nervously joked, “I heard say the executioner was very good and I have a little neck.” Anne faced her execution on Tower Green on 19 May 1536 with remarkable courage and composure. She had boldly played for high stakes and lost. Yet, mindful perhaps of her daughter’s future safety, she avoided any protests and instead prayed for the king, “for a gentler nor more merciful prince was there never.” That daughter, Elizabeth, would go on to become one of the most spectacular of England’s monarchs, the unexpectedly glorious legacy of a doomed royal marriage.

HISTORY

For more on the life of Anne Boleyn visit www.britainmagazine.com

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

PHOTO: © NADIA ISAKOVA /AWL IMAGES LTD

ENGLAND’S COAST

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

ENGLAND’S COAST

Coast along The England Coast Path will be completed this year, giving access to some of Britain’s loveliest spots, from soaring cliffs to quaint fishing villages WORDS KEITH DREW

s a nation, the English do like to be beside the seaside. So it’s apt that the new England Coast Path will become the world’s longest coastal walking route when it’s completed later this year. Combining various national trails with new waymarked routes, the path dips, weaves, and climbs its way around almost 2,800 miles of glorious coastline. The path passes through 23 English counties, taking in smugglers’ coves in Cornwall, puffin-topped cliffs in Cumbria, Northumberland’s crumbling castles and much more besides. We’ve cherry-picked the most stunning stretches, as well as the best places to stay along the route (p45).

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

ENGLAND’S COAST

Kent

The coast that frames the southeast of England is full of surprises. The geography can be intriguing: Samphire Hoe is technically the newest part of the country, a nature reserve constructed from 4.9 million cubic metres of chalk marl that was excavated during the creation of the Channel Tunnel. The landscape can be downright strange: the surreal thumb of shingle that makes up Dungeness (right) is often described as Britain’s only desert. For the most part, the terrain is pancake-flat, but the coast rises famously at the White Cliffs of Dover, where there are spectacular views across the English Channel. Being so close to the continent has left its mark on Kent. In Sandwich, Dover, Hythe and New Romney, the county has four of the original five Cinque Ports, a confederation of harbours that protected England against invasion from France; elsewhere, you’ll find Roman forts and Norman castles and, in Folkestone, a moving memorial to the Battle of Britain.

Northumberland

Stretching up to the present-day border with Scotland, Northumberland has always been a frontier region, and its turbulent past is writ large in the magnificent castles that dominate this part of the English coastline. The skeletal ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle are eerily evocative, especially when one of the area’s regular sea mists descends. But it is Bamburgh Castle, which presides over a magnificent sweep of golden beach from atop a granite outcrop, that steals the show. The coastal path is usually quiet wherever you go along this stretch, but for true tranquillity you should head to Lindisfarne, or Holy Island (above). Known as the Cradle of Christianity in England, the monastery here was home to St Cuthbert and is only accessible (via a causeway) at low tide.

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © NADIA ISAKOVA /NICK LEDGER /AWL IMAGES LTD/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANNAPURNA MELLOR

ENGLAND’S COAST

Yorkshire

The Yorkshire coast runs from Bridlington in the south to Staithes in the north. Here, the England Coast Path trundles in and out of traditional fishing villages – where you can try traditional fish and chips – and through historic towns, most notably Scarborough, Britain’s original seaside resort. Whitby (above) is famous for its appearance in Bram Stoker’s Dracula – and the ruins of its 7th-century abbey look like they’re straight off the pages of a Gothic horror story – but was also the home of Captain James Cook, whose expeditions all set sail from the Yorkshire coast. Away from the towns, there are beaches and bays, huge cliffs and tiny rockpools, and the moody presence of the dramatic North York Moors, which reaches down to the shoreline at Ravenscar and picturesque Robin Hood’s Bay, a photogenic collection of cobbled streets backed by precipitous hills. www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

ENGLAND’S COAST

Cornwall

The county of Kernow – as it’s known in the local language – has the longest coastline in Britain and the warmest weather in the country. You’re following the route of the South West Coast Path here, one of the world’s finest long-distance walks, which writhes its way around England’s southwest corner. This is a coast of two halves. The north is a wild and windswept run of ragged cliffs and hunkered-down fishing villages; folklore fills the salty air around Tintagel, which has been entwined with the legend of King Arthur since the 12th century (see p66), while the spectre of the county’s tin-mining past looms large at Wheal Coates and its iconic chimney-topped engine house. The south is all sheltered coves and rambling seashore, punctuated by the occasional tree-lined estuary and pretty little harbours like Fowey and Polperro (above).

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

ENGLAND’S COAST

Norfolk

Cumbria

Cumbria’s watery attractions more famously lie inland, but the coast here is worth exploring just as much as the meres, tarns and waters of the Lake District. With the opening of a new section of the England Coast Path in February 2022, walkers can now enjoy one of the best views in the county – a far-reaching vista from Millom over the Duddon Estuary to the high fells beyond. The Cumbrian coast combines Roman ruins and historic harbours, and features salt marshes, farmland and dunes. It’s at its wildest around St Bees Head, where a red sandstone bluff supports northwest England’s only colony of cliff-nesting seabirds, a cacophony of kittiwakes, fulmars, guillemots and puffins. The path can easily be broken up into three or four day-hikes, although tired legs can always hop a ride on the train: the trail shadows the scenic Cumbrian coastal railway for several sections between Whitehaven and Green Road.

PHOTOS: © 4CORNERS IMAGES/SEBASTIAN WASEK /FREDERICK WOOD/PUNCHY/CHRIS GOMERSALL /AL AMY

There’s a little bit of everything on the Norfolk coast. Fishing villages give way to seaside resorts, stately homes sit behind vast expanses of butter-coloured beaches, there are pine woods and salt marshes and red-and-whitestriped cliffs, and the wildlife is wonderful throughout. The historic Georgian market town of Holt makes a good base for coastal rambles, while buzzing Great Yarmouth offers a throwback to the bucket-and-spade breaks of yesteryear. Elsewhere along the coast, you’ll see fishing boats bobbing about in the harbour at Brancaster Staithe and puppy-eyed seals lolling around on the spit at Blakeney Point. There’s architectural interest, too, in Palladian-style Holkham Hall, the seat of the Earls of Leicester, and in the flint cottages that lend a charming air to pretty settlements like Wells-next-the-Sea. The beach at Wells is superb, backed by colourful stilted huts (below), while the beach at Holkham is surrounded by purple sea lavender and golden dunes.

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

ENGLAND’S COAST

Dorset

PHOTOS: © SIMON BURT/SETH CARNILL /NIOBE SHAW/MARK ASHBEE/MATT AUSTIN IMAGES 2013/AL AMY/BILLY STOCK

For more coastal beauty spots around Britain, see www.britainmagazine.com

The Dorset coast is special. But then it has been over 200 million years in the making. The entire length of the county’s coastline – from Lyme Regis up, down and around to Old Harry Rocks – is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and walking the England Coast Path here is a lesson in geology. This is the Jurassic Coast, a shoreline created when the Pangaea supercontinent began fracturing in two, and much of modern-day Britain lay under a tropical sea. Lyme Regis, in particular, is a rich hunting ground for fossils: crinoids, calcified ammonites and the bones of giant marine reptiles. There are natural landmarks galore – from the red striated cliffs at Burton Bradstock to horseshoe-shaped Lulworth Cove and the soaring limestone arch of nearby Durdle Door (below) – and beautiful beaches at Swanage, Weymouth and Bournemouth, fondly nicknamed ‘Bournebados’ by the locals thanks to its long swathe of sand and sunny climate.

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

Coastal havens

ENGLAND’S COAST

Six wonderful places to stay beside the seaside

The Nare, Cornwall

The Rose, Kent

The Victoria, Norfolk

The Nare is a traditional country house hotel by the sea on Cornwall’s stunning Roseland Peninsula. Its rooms are elegantly appointed, with printed wallpapers, Persian rugs and luxurious textiles. Days are pleasantly spent on the beach or in the glorious gardens, and there are plenty of spaces to relax in the hotel too: sink into a comfy armchair in the lounge to read the papers or indulge in afternoon tea. In the restaurant, smartly attired waiters serve up the likes of Portloe lobster, and crêpes Suzette are flambéed at your table. www.narehotel.co.uk

This formerly down-at-heel pub in Deal has been immaculately renovated, and is now a jewel of a B&B with eight bedrooms. Each room is different, but all are equally show-stopping, with dense, cocooning colours on the walls, vintage furniture and rich velvets. Dotted with houseplants, books and magazines, the rooms are a home away from home. Downstairs is the cosy restaurant, which majors in British cuisine with a twist – slow-roasted pork belly with Bramley apple, perhaps, followed by marmalade on toast ice cream. www.therosedeal.com

The Holkham Estate borders one of the country’s loveliest stretches of coast and is home to one of its finest stately homes, Holkham Hall. The 19th-century Victoria inn on the estate has luxurious rooms decorated in country-house style. In the excellent restaurant, reminders of the country pursuits of hunting, shooting and fishing are everywhere, from the antlers on the wall and the tweed-attired waiters to the menu, where beef and game from the estate and fish and samphire from the coast are much in evidence. www.holkham.co.uk

Lympstone Manor, Devon

Alexandra Hotel, Dorset

Seaham Hall, County Durham

This imposing Georgian country house sits on a sloping lawn overlooking the mouth of the Exe estuary, where the sunsets are legendary. The interiors have been decorated with contemporary verve, with statement chandeliers and works by local artists enlivening the light-filled rooms, while cosy shepherd’s huts overlook the hotel’s vineyard. It’s just a stone’s throw to the estuary, source of the mussels and scallops served up in the Michelin-starred restaurant, helmed by Michael Caines, one of Britain’s most celebrated chefs. lympstonemanor.co.uk

Sitting atop the cliffs of Lyme Regis, the Alexandra enjoys unparalleled views across this fabled stretch of coast, which was immortalised in Jane Austen’s last great novel, Persuasion (filming has recently taken place in the town for the new big-screen adaptation). This is every inch the genteel English seaside hotel, with its neat-lawned garden dotted with deckchairs, elegant interiors and an orangery restaurant with lovely views of the sea. The hotel has direct access to the beach and will pack a lunch for you to take exploring. www.hotelalexandra.co.uk

One of the North East’s finest spa hotels, this handsome Georgian mansion has a historic pedigree: Lord Byron was married to Annabella Milbanke here in 1815. The airy rooms are decorated with splashy colours and vibrant textiles, and there are two restaurants. The new Bungalow Suites come complete with hot tub and firepit; floor-to-ceiling windows allow you to soak up the coastal views. The main event is a visit to the luxurious spa, which has 17 treatment rooms, reached by an atmospheric, dimly-lit walkway over running water. www.seaham-hall.co.uk

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTO: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JOHN MILLER

Digging through

History From medieval herb gardens and the refined English country estate to the futuristic Eden Project, how has the form and function of Britain’s gardens evolved through the ages? WORDS LIZ PICKERING

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

GARDENS

icture the perfect English garden. What do you see? The classic cottage garden, a jumble of rambling roses, hollyhocks and scented honeysuckle; the manicured emerald lawn of a stately home, dotted with topiary; or the rolling parkland, lakes and follies of an 18th-century landscape garden? Designs have waxed and waned over the centuries, but the best gardens reflect the passions and innovations of their time. “The history of garden design reflects our changing attitudes to nature,” says Pam Smith, the National Trust’s Senior National Consultant for Gardens & Parklands. “Are we afraid of it and need to keep it at arm’s length by creating enclosed, safe spaces such as gardens within castle walls? Do we want to control nature to create idyllic countryside views, as did ‘Capability’ Brown? Or do we garden with the grain of nature, encouraging naturefriendly solutions such as meadows in our gardens?” As far as we know, gardens first came to Britain with the Romans, and included an area for food and medicine as well as formal gravelled walks, box hedging and spaces for statues and seats. The classical influence has cropped up many times since then. When the Normans invaded England, they brought with them a cultural revolution of language, art, architecture, and – you guessed it – gardening. Monasteries and manor houses dictated garden style in medieval times. Gardening was still mostly concerned with feeding people and treating illness. Monasteries often had

magnificent cloistered gardens with vineries and orchards, a vegetable garden, and a herb garden close to the infirmary. A fascinating example has been excavated at Mount Grace Priory in Yorkshire. An authentic medieval garden has been recreated at Tretower Court in Powys, surrounding a courtyard house built in the 1460s. The garden nestles against the medieval house, stone tower, and remains of a motte and bailey castle, offering an unusually intimate view into the past. The Renaissance brought with it romance and courtly love. The garden came to be seen as a sort of paradise in which to recline with an instrument or woo a lady. The Renaissance influence continued into the Tudor period but it was a time of great change. Henry VII established himself firmly in power after years of warfare between the ruling houses of York and Lancaster. He rebuilt Richmond Palace in the style of a French château and grew the first knot garden, a low-lying pattern of dwarf evergreens, edged with sand and decorated with threedimensional heraldic beasts. It was his son, Henry VIII, who really took the idea of ‘power gardening’ and ran with it. He was the first to emphasise the garden’s purpose for leisure, building bowling alleys, tiltyards for jousting, and butts for archery, all surrounded by raised viewing galleries for his adoring subjects. In Elizabethan times gardening was even more excessive, characterised by low-level mazes, complex knot patterns filled with flowers, topiary, terraces, alleys and Italianate obelisks. While no Tudor gardens remain intact, a faithful reconstruction can be seen at Kenilworth in Warwickshire. Originally created in 1575 by Robert Dudley to impress his Queen, the castle became a ruin and the garden was lost to the world for 400 years. Using historical records and state-of-the-art archaeology, the garden has been restored to its former glory, with carved arbours, a bejewelled aviary and an 18-foot-high marble fountain. Gardens became increasingly formal through the following two centuries. They took their lead from French gardens, in particular the Sun King’s jardins at the new Palace of Versailles. Our own James I employed Salomon de Caus to work on a number of royal gardens, and later Charles I employed Salomon’s younger brother, Isaac, to add further continental touches. The French influence can be felt at Levens Hall in Cumbria, whose gardens were laid out by Guillaume Beaumont, gardener to James II, in 1694, and have remained largely unchanged ever since; the topiary here is thought to be the world’s oldest. Garden trends have usually been led by the monarch of the time. Once the Dutch rulers William and Mary took the throne the French influence diminished, though

Previous page: Colourful summer blooms line the borders at Nymans, West Sussex Clockwise from right: Levens Hall's gardens were first laid out in 1694; Westbury Court's Dutch water garden; the gardens at Kenilworth Castle were created by Robert Dudley; the fountain garden at Tretower Court

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © CROWN COPYRIGHT (2018) CADW/HISTORIC ENGLAND/ENGLISH HERITAGE TRUST/MIKE HANNEY 1983/STOCKIMO/ALAMY

The Renaissance brought romance: the garden was a paradise in which to play an instrument or woo a lady

GARDENS

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

GARDENS

Clockwise from above: The Temple of Apollo at Stourhead; irises at Sissinghurst Castle; Painswick's rococo garden and Red House; the pagoda at Kew

BRITAIN

gardens remained formal. The Dutch baroque style had plenty of water features, all very symmetrical with stately walks, statues and geometrically elaborate parterres. The Dutch also introduced plate-bande, where plants are thinly distributed with bare soil in between, to show off their rarity and quality. Westbury Court in Gloucestershire is the only restored Dutch water garden in the country, complete with canals, elaborate fountains and formal walks, and the borders laid out authentically plate-bande. Visitors flock to see the 150-year-old giant tulip tree that flowers at the end of June. The 18th century saw a move away from rigid formality to a more natural style, spearheaded by the architect and designer William Kent, who “leaped the fence, and saw that all nature was a garden”. Designs were inspired by the idealised landscapes of antiquity, and included temples, statues and lakes. Kent’s garden at Rousham in Oxfordshire is virtually as he left it: a stage-set design where every path culminates in the drama of a statue or building. In the second half of the 18th century, the names

Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and Sir Humphry Repton became synonymous with dignified English landscape design. Uncluttered expanses of rolling parkland were tastefully dotted with serpentine lakes and clumps of trees: the perfect landscape for the 18th-century pursuits of hunting, shooting and carriage-riding. It was landscape gardening on an epic scale. Whole villages and rivers were moved to make way for the creator’s vision. Stourhead in Wiltshire, designed by Henry Hoare in the 1740s, was at the forefront of the new style. The River Stour was dammed to form a great lake and each view was designed to look like a painting by Claude Lorrain, dotted with temples and Gothic ruins. The more bizarre side of Georgian gardening arrived with the fashion for rococo, at its peak between 1730 and 1770. It was an architectural style that spilled over into gardens in the form of shell-studded grottoes and artificial caves twinkling with imported ores and stalactites. Painswick in the Cotswolds is one of the best surviving examples. When you add to this the Anglo-Chinese fashion, as www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/CHRIS LACEY/ANDREW BUTLER/JOAB SMITH/HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES

It was landscape gardening on an epic scale. Whole villages and rivers were moved to make way for the creator’s vision

GARDENS

For more glorious gardens, see www.britainmagazine.com

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

GARDENS

BRITAIN

In the early decades of the 20th century, the trendsetters included Lawrence Johnston, Norah Lindsay and Vita Sackville-West. The latter created the famous garden at Sissinghurst in Kent. While her diplomat husband worked abroad, Vita Sackville-West worked on her garden, inspired by Lawrence Johnston’s one at Hidcote Manor, and wrote numerous gardening books and articles. Sissinghurst is the epitome of the fashionable Edwardian garden, particularly known for its White Garden with a profusion of white blooms, lilac and silver foliage, compartmentalised by box hedging. Later in the 20th century and into the 21st, it is debatable whether there is any one overall theme for modern gardens. The Prince of Wales has been a champion of organic gardening for many years, and that movement has seen great success across the country, in agriculture as well as gardening. The ultimate example of environmentally aware, sustainable gardening can be seen at the Eden Project in Cornwall. So ambitious, its giant biomes each create a world within a world, and explore the global human journey from wildness to domestication. Perhaps the best thing about 21st-century gardening is the knowledge of all that has gone before. Accumulated technologies, botany and design are available for every person’s own use and interpretation, both affordable and free from pressure to conform.

Above: An elevated view of the impressive Rainforest Biome at the Eden Project, Cornwall

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTO: © JUSTIN FOULKES

can be seen in the unusual pagoda at Kew, it amounts to a rather strange hotchpotch of inspiration. Most of it can be put down to the grandiose whims of the aristocracy, at a time when wealthy young men were sent on a Grand Tour to see the great buildings and landscapes of the world before they settled down. The Victorian era heralded a new way of thinking. The Industrial Revolution was underway, the empire was flourishing, and there was an explosion of interest in plants and gardening. Formal parterres were filled with brightly coloured bedding plants, as seen at Hughenden in Buckinghamshire, and gardens featured impressively constructed rockeries and exotic blooms from Latin America and South Africa, grown in technologically advanced greenhouses. By the 1880s people had grown tired of the gaudy flower borders. William Robinson is usually credited with the beginnings of the move back to nature. He created his own gardens at Gravetye Manor in Sussex, now an elegant hotel and restaurant where guests can roam the restored garden. Gertrude Jekyll, John Ruskin and William Morris went further in their ambition to reclaim a ‘lost’ way of life: a backlash against Victorian mass production. Jekyll worked with the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, who designed gardens as a series of ‘rooms’. Jekyll blurred the hard edges by using a soft fringe of plants. A good example of their partnership can be seen at Hestercombe Gardens in Somerset.

ROUSHAM HOUSE & GARDEN Family run self-drive hire business since 1969

• Cars • Mercedes • BMW Mini • Hybrids • Multiseaters • 9 & 14 seaters • 9st Auto Mercedes

Rousham represents the first phase of English landscape design, and remains almost as William Kent left it, one of the few gardens of this date to have escaped alteration. Many features which delighted 18th century visitors to Rousham are still in situ, such as the ponds and cascades in Venus’s Vale, the Cold Bath and seven-arched Praeneste, Townsend’s Building, the Temple of the Mill, and, on the skyline, a sham ruin known as the ‘Eyecatcher’. OPEN: Daily from 10am, last admission 4.30pm. No children under 15 and no dogs. Entry fee £8 per person. Tel: 01869 347110 Rousham, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX25 4QU

www.rousham.org

Choose your size or style of vehicle to rent and either collect direct from any of our 12 sites or, if you are flying into Gatwick or Heathrow – let us meet you at the airport.

www.kendallcars.com T: +44 1483 574434 • E: info@kendallcars.com Head office: 34 Aldershot Road,Guildford GU2 8AF Branches in: Ash, Camberley, Canterbury, Chertsey, Guildford, Leatherhead, New Malden, Raynes Park, Wandsworth, Wimbledon, Woking.

Tour of English Castles & Mansions A magnificent journey through the South East of England and the Heart of England Join us on a small group tour unlike any other

A 9 day tour in the South East of England with the option to extend to 14 day to include the Heart of England (Days include 3 days international travel) • 5 nights in Canterbury and 4 nights in Worcester

No daily unpacking and packing! Don’t forget our popular Tour of the English Cotswold, our Isle of Wight, our English Channel Isles and our Isles of Scilly MIX & MATCH! for an extended vacation Enjoy you own Private Tours Customize your private tour with family or friends. in the Garden of England. Ask for more information A gardeners paradise For brochures and more information on the above call Barry Devo on 330 284 4709 EDT Canton OH email barrydevo@prepcotravel.com or visit www.prepcotravel.com and click on Start Planning www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN 53

7 NIGHTS UK WALKING FULL BOARD FROM ONLY £699PP*

DISCOVER THE BEST OF BRITAIN

 17 UK country houses in prime walking locations with full board accommodation  Guided Walking | Self-Guided Walking | Guided Trails & Island hopping | Special Interest and Wellness holidays  Over 100 years’ experience organising walking holidays in the UK and abroad

VISIT: HFHOLIDAYS.CO.UK | CALL: 020 3974 8864

*T&Cs apply and are subject to availability. Brochure price shown is per person based on two sharing a ‘classic’ room on a 7-night UK Self-Guided walking holiday. Non-member fee £30pp applies. Please go online for our most up-to-date offers and prices plus full details: hfholidays.co.uk

Celtic Haven Resort

Welsh escapes to remember

Lydstep,Tenby SA70 7SG Relax, explore and play at a holiday resort on the Pembrokeshire Coast with 30 cosy cottages, an onsite restaurant, Elemis Premier Spa, golf course, indoor swimming pool and much more. 2022 short stays starting from just £260, explore full availability on our website.

01834 870 000 54 BRITAIN

celtichaven.co.uk www.britain-magazine.com

LAND OF Scotland’s magical landscapes are home to countless myths, passed down through generations of storytelling Scots WORDS HELEN OCHYRA

SCOTTISH FOLKLORE

here’s nothing like a good old yarn, a story to tell around the fire as darkness descends or around the table as bread is broken. The best date back centuries, perhaps even longer, and have passed into folklore. Tales as old as time, and as memorable once heard as the most haunting of music. Scotland is home to more than its fair share, and these are some of our favourites.

Strange octagonal basalt columns stretch up from frothing waters to a dark and knobbly ceiling, their lines regimented enough to suggest sculpture via machine, or at least human hand, rather than nature herself. And yet stranger still than this cave on the island of Staffa is the story of Ossian, an epic cycle of poems published by writer James Macpherson in the 18th century. Was Macpherson a fraud, or was he a translator of ancient mythological tales passed down by generations via oral history? The debate about the origin of these poems rages still, but the story of giant Finn MacCumhaill has passed into popular mythology, as the story of Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway and its alleged ‘other end’, seen here at Fingal’s Cave. The cave itself is said to have been created by Finn MacCumhaill (or MacCool) as part of a causeway across the Irish Sea, thrown down to get him across the water for a fight with Scottish giant Benandonner. It is said that when Finn saw the size of Benandonner he fled back to Ireland and disguised himself as a baby. When Benandonner followed him and saw what he thought was a baby, he fled in turn, imagining how large the baby’s father must be. He tore up the causeway as he went, leaving only the two ends as we see them today. Science tells us a different tale, of volcanic activity and cooling lava, while composer Mendelssohn gave us the Hebrides Overture, inspired by the sound of the ocean beating against the columns and echoing back across the arched roof. Discover the cave for yourself on a boat trip with Staffa Tours (www.staffatours.com), departing from Oban, Mull or Iona.

The kelpies

What’s that, down by the water? A plaintive cry can be heard on the breeze, as if perhaps a man or woman is drowning out there in the dark expanse of the loch. But beware, legend has it that the sound comes not from a human being but from a water horse, or kelpie, and that this mystical Celtic creature seeks to drown those who come too close – it is said to possess the strength of 100 horses. There is a secret method of taming the kelpie though: tear off its bridle and it will bow to your command. You’ll meet these beautiful but deadly beasts at the Helix sculpture in Falkirk, their 30-metre-high heads rearing up in glistening steel above the Forth and Clyde

BRITAIN

Canal. It’s also said one can be heard at ruined Vayne Castle in Angus, where a hoof-print in the sandstone marks a spot near the riverbank where the kelpie can be heard at dawn and dusk.

The Loch Ness Monster

Surely the most famous – and infamous – Scot of all time, the Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie, has captivated and mystified visitors to the loch for centuries. She is said to inhabit the icy depths of the loch, swimming in the very darkest and deepest of waters, a marine creature of indeterminate form. Is she a dinosaur? A beast? Or simply a figment of many overactive imaginations? The first recorded tale of Nessie comes from the 6th century, when Irish monk St Columba travelled to Inverness to visit the King of the Picts. He is said to have encountered a fearsome creature who had been terrorising the locals, commanding her to stop and using the sign of the cross to banish her back to the waters of Loch Ness.

Previous page: According to legend, Fingal's Cave is the other end of Ireland's Giant's Causeway Left to right: Sunrise over Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness; The Kelpies in Falkirk were designed by sculptor Andy Scott

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © PAUL HARRIS/AWL IMAGES LTD/COLIN LESLIE/ALAMY/VISITSCOTLAND/KENNY LAM

Fingal’s Cave

SCOTTISH FOLKLORE

The water horse, or kelpie, is a mystical Celtic creature that seeks to drown those that come too close, and is said to possess the strength of 100 horses

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

Your Ultimate Platinum Jubilee Souvenir THE

HAPPY & GLORIOUS THE REMARKABLE LIFE AND TIMES OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II

Your Ultimate

PLATINUM JUBILEE

WIN

a Right Royal Stay in Edinburgh

Souvenir

Over 100 beautiful images spanning 70 years

Lady in waiting The young princess The Royal Palaces Behind the scenes Pomp & pageantry Jubilee highlights

ORDER ONLINE NOW

Crowning glory Secrets of the Queen’s jewels U.K. £8.99 01 9 772754 573017

www.britain-magazine.com

Cover_happyGlorious_12.indd 2

Balmoral to Britannia Her Majesty’s favourite places 15/03/2022 13:03

This year, Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first British monarch to reign for 70 years. Happy & Glorious is your essential Platinum Jubilee souvenir, bringing Her Majesty’s remarkable story to life through colourful features, lavish images and archive photos. From the publishers of BRITAIN magazine, Happy & Glorious is a keepsake to treasure for years to come.

Order online for only £9.99 (UK) / $14.99 (US) / £12.99 (RoW) at britain-magazine.com/Happy&Glorious and have it delivered direct to your door Also available at good newsagents

SCOTTISH FOLKLORE The monster did as she was told, and yet sightings of her continue, with hundreds of eyewitness accounts recorded over the centuries. And with waters some 800 feet deep and 23 miles long to hide in, whatever you believe about Nessie, you can’t argue with the fact that a very large beast could indeed be hiding in the loch’s dark waters.

Robert the Bruce and the spider

When a spider weaves a web, they face disappointment. They may fall, or fail, or find themselves somewhere they didn’t want to be. And yet they continue, and often they triumph. This was the lesson Robert the Bruce learned from a spider in a cave on the island of Arran. In 1306 Robert was crowned King of Scotland, but his first year was a disaster. Defeated repeatedly by the English, Robert retreated to Arran and to the cave now known as King’s Cave. While regrouping here he watched a spider, spinning its web, falling and getting back up again. Emboldened by the creature’s tenacity, Robert rose once again to fight the English, ultimately winning at Bannockburn in 1314.

The Corryvreckan

Amid the wild navy-blue waters that churn between the islands of Jura and Scarba lies one of the world’s largest whirlpools, the Corryvreckan. Flat calm at certain tides, at others this white-capped maelstrom seethes with power, its roars heard some 10 miles away, its waves reaching up to 15 feet in height. The whirlpool’s name comes from folklore, and a Scandinavian prince named Breacan who wanted to marry the daughter of the Lord of the Isles. He must have been an undesirable groom, since the Lord of the Isles tasked him with proving his love by keeping his boat steady in the whirlpool for three days, an impossible feat that saw him and his boat sink without trace, into the cauldron, or “corry”. Centuries later the whirlpool almost claimed another famous victim, the writer George Orwell, who was holed up on Jura writing his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, and while taking a boat trip with his son, almost drowned here. Dangerous waters, undoubtedly, but you can visit safely on a boat trip with Jura Boat Tours (www.juraboattours.co.uk).

The selkies

A human on land but a seal in water, the immortal selkies are said to swim in the ocean around Orkney and Shetland, slipping ashore to capture human hearts. Emerging from the water and shedding their skin, the selkies can take either male or female form but are eternally elegant and seductive, seeking out romantics and stealing their hearts before disappearing back to sea forever, leaving their desperate lovers bereft and broken-hearted. To return to sea a selkie must slip back into their seal skin, stashed somewhere in secret during their time ashore. Tales abound of skins stolen by mortal partners, thus trapping the selkie on land, and of children born to human-selkie couples who vanish off to sea with their selkie parent.

Above: The selkies are most associated with the Western Isles, especially Orkney Left: The treacherous Corryvreckan whirlpool is the third largest in the world

 For more on beautiful Scotland, see www.britain-magazine.com www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

COMPETITION

WINA TWO-NIGHT STAY IN THE P

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

ride of Britain Hotels is a collection made up of the finest properties, each full of character. With manor houses, castles, woodland retreats, elegant lodges and city boltholes, each stay ofers a unique experience. One lucky winner and their guest will win a two-night stay at one of Pride of Britain’s beautiful Scottish properties: The Airds, an elegant lochside country house hotel. Set in the heart of the Highlands on the magnificent West Coast – one of the world’s most sought-after locations – it’s difficult not to get swept up in the sheer romance of The Airds. Our winner and their guest will enjoy a

4-course dinner on one night at the hotel’s 3 AA Rosette-winning restaurant, one of Scotland’s best. Then take your place by the fi re in this former ferry inn, a single malt to hand: the barman will fi nd one to suit your taste. The hotel’s garden boasts stunning views. Throw a blanket around your shoulders and watch the light playing across Loch Linnhe, its sheer size and majesty astonishing. Take in the Morvern mountains, the sunlight catching the peaks. If you look for long enough they blend into the clouds and look like the sea, the horizon somewhere between the two. If you can bear to tear yourself away from

ENTRY FORM

HOW TO ENTER For your chance to win this fantastic prize go to www.britain-magazine.com/ competitions/Airds to apply or fill in the coupon with the answer to the following question: Q: Which loch does The Airds overlook? a) Loch Linnhe b) Loch Lomond c) Loch Tay

SEND YOUR COUPON TO: US and Canada readers – Airds Competition, BRITAIN magazine, PO Box 207, Des Moines, IA 50301, US UK and Rest of World readers – Airds Competition, BRITAIN magazine, The Chelsea Magazine Company, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ , UK

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

My answer: Name: Address:

Email:

Please tick if you are a subscriber of BRITAIN magazine Please tick if you are happy to receive relevant information about new products or services from the competition partners via email , post , or phone , and/or The Chelsea Magazine Company via email , post , or phone

✁

Postcode: Tel no:

this romantic retreat, explore the shores of the loch on horseback, tour the nearby castles, and see the fabled wonders of the Highlands and Islands, all within easy reach. For more information please visit www.prideofbritainhotels.com

Closing date for entries is 12pm GMT 19 September 2022. The prize is for two people sharing a double or twin room and includes breakfast each morning and dinner on one evening. The prize must be taken between 1 October 2022 and 31 March 2023, excluding the Christmas and New Year period, and is subject to availability. Travel, meals and extras other than those featured are not included, and the prize is not transferable.

www.britain-magazine.com

visitbritain.com

US ADD.indd 1

26/05/2022 14:23

DISCOVER THE

WINCHESTER DISTRICT HISTORIC CITY VIBRANT MARKET TOWNS B E A U T I F U L V I L L A G E S U N S P O I LT N A T U R E +44 (0)1962 840 500 King_Alf

KingAlfWinchester

214_britain_magazine_advert_202x129.indd 1

www.britain-magazine.com

visitwinchester.co.uk KingAlfWinchester

VisitWinchester

01/06/2022 15:18

BRITAIN 61

One Day & Multi-Day Tailor Made Private Tours for the Discerning

www.bhctours.co.uk | info@bhctours.co.uk | +44 (0)1303 258193

This is more than an exhibition; this is a call for action. Step into Goal Power! and make a pledge to actively support, grow and shout about football for all.

18.06 – 25.09.22 BRIGHTON MUSEUM & ART GALLERY Open Tue–Sun 10am–5pm Closed Mon (except Bank holidays 10am–5pm) Admission fee payable

62 BRITAIN

Group discounts available 03000 290900 | International: +44 (0)1273 071273 brightonmuseums.org.uk

www.britain-magazine.com

WEEKENDER

ILFRACOMBE

framed document hanging in Ilfracombe’s little town museum charts 28 different spellings of the town’s name, from Alfreincoma in 1086 to Ilfracomb in 1675. The unusual moniker describes a place (‘the wooded valley where Alfred dwells’) that’s a world away from today’s bustling harbour town, whose hillside is steeply stacked with colourful houses. Dating back some 2,000 years, the remains of a hillfort stand on a greencloaked headland known locally as ‘the sleeping elephant’ for its distinctive shape. From this lofty viewpoint over the harbour (atop the elephant’s head) it’s plain to see why the settlers chose this strategic location. Through the centuries the townspeople made their living from the sea, and by medieval times Ilfracombe was substantial enough to send six ships to Edward III for his war with France in 1346. The town became a thriving trading port, a safe haven from the unpredictable, stormy waters of the Bristol Channel. Perched high above the harbour, tiny St Nicholas’ Chapel, originally a place of www.britain-magazine.com

This pretty Devon harbour town has been a magnet for summer visitors since Victorian times WORDS NATASHA FOGES

worship for fishermen, is Britain’s oldest working lighthouse, its rooftop beacon welcoming sailors home for over 650 years. Remains of the ships that didn’t make it home litter the sea bed, including the London, which was carrying prisoners, possibly slaves, from the West Indies and was wrecked in a ferocious storm in 1796. Numerous relics from the ship have washed up on nearby Rapparee Cove, from coins to bones. Of the three chests of gold that were on board, only two were ever found. Above: A view of Ilfracombe’s picturesque harbour Next page, from left: Ilfracombe’s rocky coastline; the hilltop St Nicholas’ Chapel, Britain’s oldest working lighthouse; the Verity statue guards the harbour

Heedless of the dangerous waters, smugglers were rife, ferrying contraband into town by means of underground tunnels. Their hiding places and haunts can be found all over town, such as the George & Dragon, the town’s oldest inn, which dates back to 1360. The inn still has its original oak door and beams, thought to have been salvaged from local shipwrecks, as well as a number of resident ghosts – one of many buildings around town said to be haunted. Today, the harbour is smuggler-free but still a working quay, brimming with maritime charm. Catches of crab and lobster are landed daily, and there’s an array of boat trips on offer, including cruises that take in the dramatic coastline up to Exmoor and day-trips to the legendary Lundy Island, once a base for pirates and smugglers. Today it’s a tranquil place, famous for its puffins. Boat trips also give the best views of Verity at the harbour mouth. This 66ft-high steel and bronze sculpture by the artist Damien Hirst was loaned to the town for 20 years in 2012. Depicting a naked pregnant woman holding aloft a sword while carrying the BRITAIN

WEEKENDER

BRITAIN

grand Ilfracombe Hotel three years later that really cemented Ilfracombe’s status as a fashionable holiday resort. Once boasting luxuries including a ballroom and a private sea promenade, the hotel attracted important guests such as the wealthy American Vanderbilts and the Prussian prince Wilhelm, later Kaiser Wilhelm II. Locals tell the story of how in 1878 ‘Kaiser Bill’ had an altercation with a boy named Alfie on the beach, who punched the Kaiser on the nose after he refused to stop throwing stones – an event that supposedly sparked his animosity towards the English and, as legend has it, fuelled the grudge that led to the First World War. All that’s left of the landmark hotel today is the old laundry, which now houses the excellent Ilfracombe Museum, crammed to the rafters with curiosities, from collections of butterflies and taxidermy to Victoriana, ship models and a rare collection of photographs of First World War servicemen and women from the town. It encapsulates the appeal and spirit of Ilfracombe: no longer the height of fashion, maybe, but quirky, colourful, and full of stories.  For more on what to see and do in Devon, see www.britain-magazine.com

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS GETTING THERE Trains run from London to Exeter, where you change to the Tarka Line to Barnstaple, with bus or taxi connections to Ilfracombe. Or there’s a direct coach service from London Victoria to Ilfracombe. Devon Ghost Tours run historical walks. www.thetrainline.com; www.nationalexpress.com WHERE TO STAY The Carlton Hotel, right next to the Tunnels Beaches, has comfortable, modern rooms and helpful, friendly staff who are full of advice on what to see and do. The food is excellent too. www.ilfracombecarlton.co.uk WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK Maddy’s is the locals’ choice for fish’n’chips. For fine dining, Thomas Carr 1873 was awarded a Michelin star in 2021 and has a 6-course tasting menu. At the 16th-century Hele Corn Mill, scones and cakes are homemade with stoneground flour from the mill. www.thomascarrdining.com; www.helecornmill.com FURTHER INFORMATION www.visitilfracombe.co.uk

www.britain-magazine.com

scales of justice and standing on a stack of law books, it’s said to be an allegory of truth and justice. The statue divided locals when it first arrived, but seems to have won most round, as well as attracting its fair share of curious visitors. Ilfracombe’s first tourists were drawn by the fashion for seawater bathing in the 1820s. Welsh miners were employed to hand-carve six tunnels through Ilfracombe’s hillside (you can still see the pickaxe marks), allowing access to a beautiful sandy cove with three tidal bathing pools – two for ladies and one for gentlemen. A bugler sat between the two sections and would blow an alarm if a man was caught peeking. The Tunnels Beaches elevated Ilfracombe from a sleepy fishing village to a popular seaside resort. Today the tunnels are lined with information panels and memorabilia that whisk you back to the town’s heyday. Amusing guides to Victorian etiquette include instructions such as ‘Great care must be taken not to splash the ladies [while boating], either in first dipping the oars or subsequently’ and advice for boys (‘Lower your voice sometimes; everyone is not deaf’) and girls (‘When you talk, keep your hands still’). It was the arrival of the railway line to Barnstaple in 1854 and the opening of the

Join our 2022/2023 small group tours in

The Four Corners of Cornwall An Historic County in the Southwest of England Like all our tours, no daily packing and unpacking, just leisurely daily excursions from a base hotel 2, 5, or 8 day pre-organized, custom-built and private tours. Including Poldark and Doc. Martin locations plus ask for more information on our Cornwall Gardeners Paradise Tour Transfers from anywhere in Britain plus international flights if needed.

Castles & Mansions

Relaxing Coastal Villages for a pint and Fish and Chips

The traditional Cornish Cream Tea

Rain Forests and other wonders at the Eden Project IMAGES COURTESY OF LOUISE WEST

Your specialist for Vacations and Tours in Britain Call or email Barry Devo for brochure. Call 330 284 4709 EDT Canton OH Email barrydevo@prepcotravel.com or visit www.prepcotravel.com and click on Start Planning

Enjoy a day out 1,400 years in the making

Kids Go

FREE* until 31 October 2022 *Visitor entry. T&Cs apply

NEW visitor experiences, tours and exhibition for 2022 Less than an hour from London • Search ‘Canterbury Cathedral’ www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN 65

RURAL BRITAIN

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

RURAL BRITAIN

Searching for

CAMELO T The timeless legends of King Arthur and his brave knights live on in the magical landscapes of North Cornwall WORDS NATASHA FOGES

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

RURAL BRITAIN

The British Isles are scattered with sites linked to the Arthurian legend, but few places can rival the romance and mystery of Tintagel

nights and dragons, warriors and wizards, swords and stones: the ancient myths and legends of King Arthur are tales of storybook valour that have sparked imaginations for centuries. The timeless stories are known the world over. Brave King Arthur presides over the chivalrous Knights of the Round Table in the court of Camelot, defeating the invading Saxons and rescuing many a damsel in distress. Mortally wounded in battle, Arthur is taken to the mysterious Isle of Avalon, where the ‘once and future king’ has slumbered with his knights ever since. The British Isles are scattered with sites linked to the Arthurian legend, but few places can rival the romance and mystery of Tintagel, on Cornwall’s wild north coast. Perched high on a craggy, sea-lashed headland and accessed via a dramatic footbridge, the ruined castle here swirls with the stories of Arthur’s magical conception. It’s not hard to imagine the life of the heroic king beginning here, in this mystical and elemental place. According to the account of the 12th-century historian Geoffrey of Monmouth (see box, p71), it was at Tintagel that the wizard Merlin disguised King Uther Pendragon as Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, so that Uther might seduce the duke’s wife Igraine, leading to Arthur’s birth. Arthur later became the king of Britain after the murder of his father… and the rest is history (or not). Geoffrey of Monmouth probably drew on Tintagel’s past as a seat of Cornish rulers when writing his fanciful tales. From the 5th to the 7th centuries there is evidence of a thriving and prosperous settlement at Tintagel, which traded closely with the Mediterranean world. It was likely to have been a stronghold of the ancient rulers of Dumnonia (Devon and Cornwall), one of several royal sites across Britain. Geoffrey of Monmouth’s book was read far and wide, and Tintagel’s new-found literary fame almost certainly swayed Richard, Earl of Cornwall to build his cliff-top castle here in the 1230s; it is the relics of this ancient fortress that you can see today. History and legend have become intertwined over the centuries, imbuing the ancient site with drama and intrigue. Look out for Gallos, a larger-than-life bronze sculpture inspired by Tintagel’s ancient royal rulers, and Arthur himself; and on the beach below the castle, Merlin’s Cave, where the wizard is said to have hidden the young Arthur and prepared him for kingship. Whether fact, fiction or somewhere in between, the

BRITAIN

legend of King Arthur forms a large part of Tintagel’s allure. It’s no surprise that over the years, devotees of the legend have traced Arthur’s story to other sites nearby. The King Arthur trail weaves through the fabled Cornish landscape, joining the dots between the Arthurian myths and bringing them thrillingly to life. In the pretty town of Tintagel – where inevitably the shops on the high street are not short of Arthurian knick-knacks – you can visit King Arthur’s Great Halls. This handsome stone building may have little claim to authenticity, but fans of the legend will find a meticulously assembled tribute to the court of Camelot, built in 1933 by Frederick Thomas Glasscock, a custard millionaire. A passionate student of Arthurian legend, Glasscock built

Previous page: The dramatic ruins of Tintagel Castle Opposite, clockwise from top left: King Arthur's Great Halls; the Gallos sculpture; the footbridge leading to Tintagel Castle; Boscastle's Witchcraft Museum; Dozmary Pool on Bodmin Moor

www.britain-magazine.com

RURAL BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

RURAL BRITAIN

In romantic Boscastle, thatched cottages cluster around a harbour that was once a hive of wreckers, smugglers and witches

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

RURAL BRITAIN

Left: The pretty fishing village of Boscastle was supposedly home to witches, who enticed sailors with the promise of 'selling the wind'

the building as the headquarters of the Order of the Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table. He commissioned a sequence of over 70 stained-glass windows depicting the myths, as well as recreations of King Arthur’s throne and ‘Round Table’. As Cornish legend has it, the real Round Table is buried deep below an ancient circular earthwork called Bossiney Mound, less than a mile from Tintagel. It can only be seen on Midsummer night, when it is said to rise, shimmering gold, and illuminate the sky for a moment before sinking once more into the depths. A tranquil walk through a wooded valley cut through by the River Trevillet leads to St Nectan’s Glen, where a spectacular waterfall gushes through a narrow fissure in the rock and plunges 60ft to the basin below. In this enchanted place the Knights of the Round Table were said to have been blessed before setting off on their quest for the Holy Grail. Over the years it has evolved into a spiritual and sacred site, reputedly the haunt of fairies and piskies. The trees here are hung with ribbons, crystals and other tokens left by the thousands of pilgrims who visit every year. There are more tales of wonder at the romantic village of Boscastle, where whitewashed thatched cottages cluster round a harbour that was once a hive of wreckers, smugglers – and witches. In days of old, the local ‘witches’ were in the business of ‘selling the wind’ to sailors. They would capture the wind in knots of rope, and the sailors would then buy the charmed rope to blow their ships’ sails on their way. The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in the village, established 70 years ago, tells the story of the Boscastle witches and other magical tales.

DID KING ARTHUR REALLY EXIST?

www.britain-magazine.com

The question of whether or not Arthur truly existed continues to puzzle historians. One view is that Arthur lived at the end of the 5th century and was a warrior, not a king; following the retreat of the Romans from Britain, he united the Celts against the Saxon invaders. Most believe that Arthur is a composite of several historical and mythological characters, embellished and romanticised with the retellings of successive authors. The first writer to tell Arthur’s story was the 12th-century monk Geoffrey of Monmouth, who in his History of the Kings of Britain presented the tale of King Arthur as fact, and introduced key elements such as Arthur’s father Uther Pendragon, his wife Guinevere, the wizard Merlin and the sword Excalibur. Geoffrey begins his History with a dedication claiming that the book is merely a translation of a “very ancient book”, but this was a common claim at the time to add authenticity to new writing. Whatever the truth, medieval readers eagerly swallowed the story, and heroic King Arthur entered public consciousness. More romantic, whimsical twists to the tale – Camelot, Avalon, the Holy Grail, and Lancelot, Gawain and Galahad – came later, woven out of folklore. Works such as Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur in the 15th century and Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Idylls of the King in the 19th century further embellished the legend to fit the social and political mood of their time.

BRITAIN

Left to right: Seaside cottages in Boscastle; the Cheesewring stone circle on Bodmin Moor; the waterfall at St Nectan's Glen

A few miles inland from Tintagel along winding country roads is Slaughterbridge on the banks of the River Camel, where Arthur is said to have met his end in the Battle of Camlann. A 6th-century inscribed stone is reputed to mark the spot where he was fatally wounded by the poisoned sword of his nephew, Mordred. The Arthurian Centre here is staffed by enthusiasts, and there’s an exhibition, archaeological site and tearoom. While some claim Tintagel as the legendary site of the court of Camelot, there are other local rivals. The medieval market town of Camelford is a front-runner thanks to its similar name and its proximity to the site of the last battle, but this charming place has no plausible connections to the legend. Bodmin Moor, a vast expanse of heathery moorland dotted with mysterious stone circles and cairns, gives rise to yet more tales of Arthur. The still and silent waters of Dozmary Pool are said to be where King Arthur’s magical sword, Excalibur, was forged by ‘The Lady of the Lake’. As he lay dying after the Battle of Calmann, he divested himself of his sword, symbol of his earthly power, asking one of his loyal knights, Sir Bedivere, to return it to the lake. As soon as the knight hurled Excalibur in, a white arm reached up to grab it. And what of the fabled Isle of Avalon, to which the ‘once and future king’ was borne on a barge after his final battle? Avid Arthurians claim the Isles of Scilly, off Cornwall’s southwest tip, as the legendary site. Whether noble King Arthur and his brave knights were a work of pure make-believe, or whether there’s truth in the tales of the distant warrior-king, we will probably never know. But thanks to our enduring love of a good story, in this mystical corner of Cornwall the legendary king has taken on a life of his own.

For more on the enduring legends of King Arthur, see www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

RURAL BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

RURAL BRITAIN

THE PLANNER GETTING THERE Trains from London Paddington run to Bodmin Parkway (4hr). You can book a taxi to take you to Tintagel, 15 miles away. Alternatively, take a tour of the King Arthur Trail with Unique Cornwall Tours or Cornish Heritage Safaris. www.thetrainline.com; www.uniquecornwalltours.com; www.cornishheritagesafaris.co.uk WHERE TO STAY The Port William Inn near Tintagel is a boutique 8-bedroom inn whose pretty bedrooms are decorated in breezy nautical tones. It overlooks Trebarwith Strand, a dramatic sweep of beach, and floor-to-ceiling windows in the excellent restaurant allow you to take in the majestic views. On chilly days, a cosy woodburner keeps it snug, while on summer evenings the panoramic terrace is a magical place to watch the sun set. theportwilliam.co.uk WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK The Harbour Light Tea Garden in Boscastle is a lovely spot for a Cornish cream tea. For the proper country pub experience, seek out the Blisland Inn on Bodmin Moor, where Toby jugs hang from the beams and there are traditional pies on the menu. After lunch, explore the picture-perfect village, whose parish church the poet John Betjeman claimed was the prettiest in England. For fine dining, book a table in the Georgian dining room of the Wellington Hotel in Boscastle. Dishes might include West Country mussels with white wine and garlic or Cornish venison with Pont-Neuf potatoes, watercress and a pepper sauce. www.wellingtonhotelboscastle.com FURTHER INFORMATION www.visitcornwall.com

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

Great savings

when you subscribe to Discover Britain As a subscriber you will enjoy these benefits: •Fascinating insights into Britain’s landmark anniversaries, quirky traditions and the real lives of its historical figures •Expert travel guides to both renowned and off-the-beatentrack destinations

E E FdeR livery to

your home

•Regular features exploring Britain's storied cities and rich cultural heritage

E SpAtoV 19 % u

•Competitions and discounts to stay at luxury British hotels •Free delivery straight to your door, so you never miss an issue

off the usual price

Annual subscription to Discover Britain magazine: UK £23.95 | Europe €41.95 | Australia $79.95 US $24.95 | Canada $34.95 Rest of World £39.95

Two easy ways to order

UK & ROW go to www.chelseamagazines.com/CHERBT22 Or phone +44 (0)1858 438 834 (quote code CHERBT22) USA & Canada go to Chelseamagazines.com/DB-KB23SA Or phone 866-926-0261 (quote code DB-KB23SA) If for any reason you’re not happy with your subscription, you may cancel within 14 days of placing your order

CITY GUIDE

TOP 10 ST ALBANS

Just 20 minutes from central London, this charming city in Hertfordshire is bursting with history WORDS NATASHA FOGES

et high on a hill, St Albans’ city centre is a historical gem, its Roman remains vying for attention with its charming medieval streets. Lying on the river Ver, Verulamium (as it was then known) was built in AD 50 and was the third-largest town in Roman Britain, encircled by stone walls. The city takes its name from St Alban, Britain’s first saint, who in 209 AD gave up his life for his faith after meeting a priest who taught him about Christianity. Alban protected the priest, who was fleeing from persecution, by exchanging clothes with him and allowing him to escape. The authorities decreed that since Alban was offering himself up as the priest he would suffer in his place unless he disavowed his faith. Alban refused and was executed on a hilltop outside the city walls. www.britain-magazine.com

St Alban’s shrine, in the Cathedral, is a must-see. Made by piecing together over 2,000 fragments of the medieval shrine after it was demolished during the Reformation, it is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year. Wander the town's cobbled streets and there are reminders of the past everywhere you look. The city’s new Blue Plaques scheme celebrates one-time residents, from John Ball, leader of the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt, to the physicist Stephen Hawking. And don’t miss the array of ancient Roman sights around Verulamium Park. You can even do as the Romans did and watch a performance at the ancient Roman Theatre: a lovely way to soak up the atmosphere of this uniquely historic place. BRITAIN

CITY GUIDE

CITY WALLS In picturesque Verulamium Park lie the remains of the Roman city walls, which were built between 265 and 270 AD to defend the city. The walls can still be traced for most of their two-mile circuit, in parts reaching an impressive four metres in height. www.english-heritage.org.uk

VERULAMIUM MUSEUM ST ALBANS CATHEDRAL Originally founded in 793, this medieval masterpiece wasn’t completed until 1115, when it became England’s first Benedictine abbey. It houses a stunning collection of medieval wall paintings, England’s longest nave and the shrine to St Alban, which has attracted pilgrims for over 1700 years. www.stalbanscathedral.org PHOTOS: © STEPHEN BURKE PHOTOGRAPHY/ KL CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY /NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/PAUL WATSON

This engaging museum is crammed with ancient treasures including the Sandridge Hoard, a collection of Roman coins that was unearthed by a metal detectorist in 2012 just north of St Albans. Recreated Roman rooms make for an immersive experience, filled with some of the finest mosaics outside of the Mediterranean. www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

CITY GUIDE

SHAW’S CORNER Six miles from St Albans is this Edwardian villa, the playwright George Bernard Shaw’s home for over 40 years. The gardens are a delight, their herbaceous borders vibrant with alliums, foxgloves and delphiniums in summer. Don’t miss Shaw’s writing hut, which revolved to that he could follow the sun as he worked. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

CLOCK TOWER The city’s 15th-century clock tower is still used today. The only medieval town belfry in England, locals once used it as a way to declare their resistance against the power of the abbot of St Albans. The Tower allowed the town to sound its own hours, ringing for the last time in 1901 for Queen Victoria’s funeral. Climb the stairs for sweeping city views. www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk

ST MICHAEL’S CHURCH The beautiful ancient church of St Michael’s was built over the site of an ancient Roman basilica and has a strong claim to being the oldest site of known Christian activity in the British Isles. It is thought to be where Alban was tried for being a Christian before being executed outside the town walls. www.stmichaels-parishchurch.org.uk

www.britain-magazine.com

SHOPPING DISTRICT St Albans is heaven for shoppers, its winding streets lined with independent boutiques. The traditional street market, which takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays, dates back to the 9th century, and was granted a Royal Charter in 1553. Stalls sell everything from bread and local cheeses to clothing and crafts. www.enjoystalbans.com BRITAIN

CITY GUIDE

HATFIELD HOUSE East of St Albans is this magnificent stately home, famous for its association with Elizabeth I, who was brought to live here as a 3-month-old baby. Elizabeth was reputedly sitting under an oak tree in the grounds when she received the news that she was Queen of England. www.hatfield-house.co.uk

ROMAN THEATRE The arena of the ancient Roman Theatre of Verulamium is unique, being a theatre with a stage rather than an amphitheatre, the only example of its kind in Britain. Built in 140 AD, it could seat up to 2,000 spectators and would have been used to stage wild beast shows, wrestling and dancing. It still hosts performances all summer long during the Roman Theatre Festival. ovo.org.uk/roman-theatre

ST ALBANS MUSEUM & GALLERY The city’s imposing Georgian Town Hall now houses a museum where you can explore the old Assembly Rooms, once used for parties and balls, and the town’s former courtroom and cells. There’s also a lively programme of exhibitions and events. www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk

GETTING THERE Regular trains run from London St Pancras station to St Albans (20min). www.thetrainline.com WHERE TO STAY St Michael’s Manor, which dates back over 500 years, is set in five acres of private gardens and is within easy reach of Verulamium Park and the cathedral. The 30 rooms are all individually styled; those in the garden wing are traditional with contemporary touches, and

BRITAIN

overlook the garden and lake. There's an excellent restaurant too. For a more luxurious stay, try Sopwell House, a Georgian country-house hotel on the outskirts of town with a celebrated spa. www.stmichaelsmanor.com; www.sopwellhouse.co.uk WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK Right by the cathedral, Lussmans is a bright and airy restaurant with a menu of crowd-pleasing classics, from shepherd’s pie to duck confit. For

afternoon tea, book a table at the elegant Sopwell House, whose superior cakes are made by the in-house pastry chef. For a sweet treat after visiting the cathedral, try The Pudding Stop, half-café, half-bakery, which serves a memorable sticky toffee pudding. www.lussmanns.com; www.sopwellhouse. co.uk; thepuddingstop.com

FURTHER INFORMATION www.enjoystalbans.com

www.britain-magazine.com

THE PLANNER

THIS BEAUTIFUL EARTH - CREATED FOR A PURPOSE There are in the world today many fears and anxieties for the future of humanity and of life upon earth. There is concern over the loss of natural habitats and natural resources. There is concern for the climate and frequency of natural disasters. There is grave concern that war and the use of destructive weapons will escalate.

The Holy Bible is the inspired Word of the Living God. Its pages reveal that He is in control and that there is a solution to these problems. He, as the Creator, has a Purpose with the earth, which is altogether logical. The Bible reveals how it is possible to have a part in His Plan.

Please send for free copies of:Jesus Christ – His Life and Work The Second Coming of Jesus Christ The Kingdom of God What is the Christian Hope? The Local Secretary, The Household of Faith, 11, Maplebeck Road, Arnold, Nottingham. NG5 7JT

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN 79

INTERVIEW

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

INTERVIEW

A day with...

DAVID BARBER

The Queen’s Swan Marker talks us through a typical day of Swan Upping, an ancient summer tradition used to monitor the welfare of the swans in the River Thames

5.30am: On a Swan Upping day – which takes place in July every year – I have an early alarm call and we take breakfast at 6.15am. After breakfast I ensure all the uniforms are correct, and then I might have an early morning interview for television or radio before we board the coach that takes the Swan Uppers to their river destination for the day. Swan Upping dates back to the 12th century, when swans and cygnets were served at banquets and feasts. The Crown bestowed the right to own swans to many wealthy people and Swan Upping was a form of census of the ownership of these swans. Today there are only three organisations who can claim ownership of mute swans in the United Kingdom, excluding The Queen. They are the Abbotsbury Swannery and the Vintners’ and Dyers’ livery companies, who have owned swans since the 14th and 15th century respectively. Today, swans are not eaten but are legally protected, and Swan Upping now focuses on conservation. 9am: I usually speak to the media before they board their own press boat, and then all the boats will depart together. We have 19 Swan Uppers in total; this includes the Swan Uppers from the Vintners’ and Dyers’ livery companies. The first boat to see a family of swans will cry ‘All Up!’ which is a signal that we need to get the boats into position. The boats circle the family of swans and gradually move closer together until we can lift the adults and their cygnets from the water. The main challenge is to have a successful catch; as you can imagine, catching a family of swans is not easy and all six boats must work together as a team! 10am: The family of swans is taken ashore where they are checked for injuries or signs of ill health; we often find swans caught in fishing tackle. The most rewarding part of the job is being able to de-tackle a young cygnet that has been caught in fishing line. The cygnets will be weighed and measured, and a small identification ring is placed on www.britain-magazine.com

their legs. Once the data has been collated the family is released back to the water and the process continues as we travel upstream. I have a keen interest in wildlife and have always worked in the marine industry on the Thames. I used to help my predecessor rescue swans and move them from various regatta courses. He taught me a great deal about swans and when he retired my name was put forward for the position. I was very proud to be appointed The Queen’s Swan Marker in 1993. 11am: We stop at pre-arranged locations throughout the day, where we meet primary school children. Swan Upping these days is about conservation and education, and we teach them about the importance of what we do, covering everything from the ecology of swans to the type of boats we use. The children love it – particularly when they are able to see a very young cygnet up close. Seeing their amazed faces is my favourite part of the day! Her Majesty The Queen has also joined us to meet schoolchildren and, along with the Princess Royal in recent years, to watch the Swan Upping on several occasions. 1pm: There are often press interviews to be done when we stop, and then lunch will usually be a seated affair, served at a riverside restaurant; the Swan Uppers spend the mornings rowing and catching swans which can be rather exhausting, so the break for lunch is always appreciated! Then, we’ll continue upriver. 5pm: After we have finished the day’s work, we all sit down and have a well-deserved pint. Although the Swan Upping is only for five days every year, I run a boat yard at Cookham on Thames and, whether it’s for a swan rescue organisation, Natural England or members of the public, I deal with some form of swan issue every day of the year. Swan Upping will take place from 18 to 22 July this year. Locations and timings will be published on www.royal.uk/swans in June. BRITAIN

LAST WORD

THE GREAT BRITISH QUIZ

Do you know your Blenheim from your Beaulieu? Put your knowledge of Britain’s stately homes to the test in our new quiz starred in both Brideshead Revisited and Bridgerton? Beaulieu in the New Forest in Hampshire is home to an important museum specialising in what? a) natural history b) cars c) cameras What is the name of the ‘real Downton Abbey’ (above)? Which red-brick palace, set in parkland in London, was the birthplace of Queen Victoria?

a) Lyme Park b) Stansted Park c) Petworth House What is the name of the house below, set in countryside surrounded by Neolithic standing stones? a) Shibden Hall b) Avebury Manor c) Chartwell

Which palace in Oxfordshire (below) was Winston Churchill’s ancestral home?

Which Derbyshire house (below) was home to Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire and Deborah Mitford?

Can you name Henry VIII’s favourite palace, built on the Thames by Cardinal Wolsey in 1514? What is the name of Her Majesty The Queen’s house in Norfolk? Anne Boleyn grew up in a moated castle in Kent. What is it called?

Unscramble O BRAY WEB BUN to find a stately home in Bedfordshire. In which Scottish stately home did the romantic poet Walter Scott live? a) Mount Stuart b) Glamis Castle c) Abbotsford

Which Kent stately home was rescued by Olive, Lady Baillie, an American-born heiress, and shares its name with a northern English city? Designed by John Vanbrugh, which grand Yorkshire stately home

The Cheshire house above was Pemberley in the BBC adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. What is its name?

Which stately home, seat of the Marquesses of Bath, opened the UK’s first safari park in 1966?

ANSWERS: 1 Highclere Castle 2 Kensington Palace 3 Longleat 4 Chatsworth 5 Leeds Castle 6 Castle Howard 7 b) cars 8 Blenheim Palace 9 Sandringham 10 Hever Castle 11 a) Lyme Park 12 b) Avebury Manor 13 Hampton Court 14 Woburn Abbey 15 c) Abbotsford

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

The Cotswold Sculpture Park Offering unique sculptures for your garden and interior spaces

The Cotswold Sculpture Park works closely with a vast array of wonderful sculptors to provide wonderful sculptures for private and public spaces. The exhibition which is located in the beautiful Cotswolds is home to 10 acres of land which is beautifully enhanced with sculptures - their website boasts an impressive number of sculptures which are all available to buy. A family run business which provides a personal touch, the Cotswold Sculpture Park has helped enhance garden and home spaces all over the world with wonderful and unique sculptures in all material and sizes. Visit their website

www.cotswoldsculpturepark.co.uk The Cotswold Sculpture Park

cotswold_sculpture_park

MADE IN STRATFORDUPONAVON, SHARED ACROSS THE WORLD

FIND OUT MORE AT

RSC.ORG.UK

THEATRE AT ITS BEST