Discover Britain April/May 2022

QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE THE NATION CELEBRATES

HISTORY • HERITAGE • TRAVEL

WIN

A Great British Holiday WORTH £5,000

A magical mystery tour 25 YEARS OF HARRY POTTER

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Meet the real-life household of Highclere

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EDITORIAL

Welcome!

QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE THE NATION CELEBRATES

HISTORY • HERITAGE • TRAVEL

WIN

A Great British Holiday WORTH £5,000

A magical mystery tour 20 YEARS OF HARRY POTTER

Downton Abbey

The Queen’s JUBILEE Celebrating Her Majesty’s remarkable reign

APR/MAY 2022 £4.95

www.discoverbritainmag.com

On the cover: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, photographed in 1957, four years after her coronation.

Read more about the Platinum Jubilee on page 10.

DB Cover 227_4.indd 1

COVER: KEYSTONE PRESS AGENCY/KEYSTONE USA VIA ZUMAPRESS.COM/MARY EVANS/CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY IMAGES

Meet the real-life household of Highclere

24/02/2022 16:54

Hello, and welcome to the latest issue of Discover Britain, which is my first as editor (I know, the photos rather gave me away).

It’s been a busy few months for me, establishing our small but excellent team and pulling together a band of brilliant photographers and writers to bring you some (hopefully) page-turning articles.

Of course, I’m biased, but I think this issue is jam-packed with fantastic stories.

First up, we couldn’t let the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee pass by without fanfare, and I hope our article on page 10 suitably captures the mood of the nation.

Harry Potter fans can now start plotting their next trip, thanks to our magical mystery tour, which reveals the places that inspired the book and which featured on film, on page 22.

Meanwhile, on page 32 photographer and writer Jeremy Flint was given exclusive access to Highclere Castle – the ‘real’ Downton Abbey.

Our National Treasure this issue is the Lewis Chessmen (page 82), a fascinating medieval hoard found in Uig on the Isle of Lewis – a place I’ve been lucky enough to visit (see above right).

But as any editor knows, it’s not for me to judge how successful my efforts have been, but you, our readers. Please get in contact and let me know what you think of my first issue, and what you’d like to see more of in the future. At your service.

GET IN TOUCH! Post: Letters, Discover Britain, The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ, UK Email: sally.coffey@chelseamagazines.com Twitter @We_love_Britain Instagram @discover_britain Facebook facebook.com/ DiscoverBritainMag

Sally Coffey, Editor

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

ADVERTISING Group Sales Director Catherine Chapman Head of Sales Operations Jodie Green Sales Executive Melissa Arancio

PUBLISHING Chairman Paul Dobson Managing Director James Dobson Publisher Simon Temlett Chief Financial Officer Vicki Gavin EA to Chairman Sarah Porter Subs Marketing Manager Bret Weekes Group Digital Manager Ben Iskander

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PUBLISHING OFFICE

Discover Britain (ISSN 0950-5245, USPS 000-135; Digital ISSN 2397-7108) is published bi-monthly by The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ, England. Tel: +44 (0)20 7349 3700 Distributed in the US by NPS Media Group, 2 Corporate Drive, Suite 945, Shelton, CT 06484. Periodicals postage paid at Shelton, CT and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Discover Britain, PO BOX 37518, Boone, IA 50037-0518.

News distribution in the UK and Rest of World: Seymour, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT, England. Tel: +44 (0)20 7429 4000 © 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 Discover 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 THE within this publication is hereby excluded. The opinions expressed by contributors to Discover Britain are not necessarily those of the publisher.

LTD

CHELSEA

MAGAZINE

COMPANY

discoverbritainmag.com 3

Issue 227

JEREMY FLINT PHOTOGRAPHY/CROWN COPYRIGHT CADW

CONTENTS

Page 32 Lady Carnarvon invites us inside her home, the real Downton Abbey

CELEBRATES 10 AIn theNATION Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year, we look back at the coronation celebrations of 1953 and look forward to events taking place this June to mark the occasion

THE MAGIC TO LIFE 22 BRINGING Grab your broomsticks and join us on a Harry Potter tour of Britain as we visit the places that inspired JK Rowling, plus the beautiful locations that star on screen

32

LIFE IN THE BIG HOUSE We meet the people who live and work in the real-life Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle in Hampshire, and discover how their lives differ from those in the TV series

42 THE COLDEST OF CASES

Did King Richard III really kill his two young nephews, the Princes in the Tower? An intriguing new theory asks new questions of the centuries-old mystery

4 discoverbritainmag.com

52

Page 72 Beaumaris Castle is one of the highlights of the North Wales Way

ERNEST SHACKLETON In the centenary year of his death, we examine the legacy of the Anglo-Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton

6

FISH & SHIPS

WISH YOU WERE HERE

and discover the maritime history that has shaped it

30

56 Take a culinary tour of North Norfolk’s picturesque coast 62 Meet a modern-day thatcher who ensures this DOWN THE THATCH

traditional craft not only survives, but thrives today

TOWNS: BUXTON 68 HISTORIC Its natural spas have attracted visitors for millennia, and

72

REGULARS

COMPETITION

46

MY BRITAIN

81

Buxton still lives up to its title, Capital of the Peak District

CROSSWORD & QUIZ

THE NORTH WALES WAY

82

Journey along this old trading route with us, and enjoy castles, coastal scenery and cute villages along the way

NATIONAL TREASURES

POSTCARDS

Wish you were here...

Inspiring postcards from around the British Isles

6 discoverbritainmag.com

CASTLE CARY, SOMERSET First-class train travel, private garden tours and local tastings – what’s not to like?

We may just have found the perfect countryside escape from the capital, whether you’re a resident or a visitor. Setting off by train on a Friday or Saturday morning from London’s Paddington station, on the Great Garden Escape you’ll be whisked to The Newt in Somerset, a beautiful country estate set around the Georgian Palladian property, Hadspen House. Today Hadspen is an elegant country house hotel and you’ll enjoy a day of touring, tasting and exploring.

On arrival, you’ll be greeted with refreshments, before being taken on an exclusive garden tour, followed by lunch and further exploration – look out for the Beezantium, a lakeside apiary for honey-bees.

In the afternoon, you’ll visit the ‘Cyder’ house to find out how this countryside tipple is created, followed by a tasting, of course.

Then, just when you think the day couldn’t get more idyllic, on the journey home you’ll be served afternoon tea to enjoy at your leisure. Perfect. ➤ thenewtinsomerset.com/great-garden-escape

discoverbritainmag.com 7

POSTCARDS

SANDRINGHAM, NORFOLK The Royal Family’s country estate has some exciting plans this summer Running from 9 April to 13 October 2022, an exhibition at the Royal Family’s Norfolk hideaway, Her Majesty The Queen at Sandringham: An Exemplary Reign and a Unique Country House, will look at the many ways in which The Royal Family have spent time on the estate. Images and objects relating to The Queen’s love of horses and the great outdoors will be displayed, as well as audio-visual footage of her first televised Christmas Day speech.

On 2 June the Sandringham Beacon will be lit, accompanied by live music from a piper and the Hunstanton Concert Band; on 3 June Katherine Jenkins OBE and The Military Wives will perform an outdoor concert; and on 4 June the ‘Platinum Party at the Palace’ will be shown on a big screen in the Royal Parkland. sandringhamestate.co.uk

LIVERPOOL, MERSEYSIDE

SANDRINGHAMESTATE/THE BEATLES STORY

Handwritten lyrics and notes from the Fab Four have gone on display in their home city for the first time If you’ve been transfixed by The Beatles: Get Back documentary, then The Beatles Story, in Liverpool, is a must for your next trip.

The museum recently announced that a notebook belonging to The Beatles’ tour manager, Mal Evans, is going on display.

In the notebook, you can see Paul McCartney’s handwritten lyrics for Hey Jude, plus scribbles for Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and recording notes by George Harrison for All You Need Is Love.

Mary Chadwick, general manager of The Beatles Story, said: “The story of Mal’s relationship with the band after the recent Get Back documentary has sparked a keen interest from fans, and each page tells a story.

Along with Paul’s handwritten Hey Jude lyrics, the notebook offers visitors a unique glimpse into their lives at the time.”

8 discoverbritainmag.com

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GRANGER HISTORICAL PICTURE ARCHIVE/ALAMY

THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE

This image: Queen Elizabeth II and members of the Royal Family on Buckingham Palace balcony after her Coronation on 2 June 1953

10 discoverbritainmag.com

A nation

CELEBRATES As Her Majesty The Queen marks 70 years on the throne, Sally Coffey and Henrietta Easton look back at the celebrations that swept across Britain in the Coronation year of 1953, plus how to celebrate in true British style this year

discoverbritainmag.com 11

THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE

Right: One of the first official photographs of the Queen, taken by Dorothy Wilding on 26 February 1952, which will go on display at Buckingham Palace this summer Opposite: A children’s street party in Essex to celebrate the Coronation

B

unting hung between lampposts, fluttering its intermittent silent applause, Union Jacks were waved with fervour, sandwiches packed with coronation chicken (or the closest substituted ingredients that could be found) and thick slices of cake were served on tiered dishes, and tea was drunk by the pot-load.

When Britain celebrated the crowning of its new queen in 1953, as well as the crowds who watched events unfold in London, where the newly crowned monarch emerged onto the famous Buckingham Palace balcony, with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, her son Prince Charles, and her daughter Princess Anne, up and down the country jubilant street parties took place.

Street parties are a traditional part of British culture.

It’s thought the tradition first began in 1919 when a number of streets held ‘Peace Teas’– communal tea parties to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Versailles at the end of the First World War. Since then, they have been used as a way of marking historic moments and bringing people together. During street parties, households work together, bringing out indoor tables and chairs to line up in the middle of the street, and taking it in turns to make sandwiches, cakes and pots of tea.

Though street parties had been held to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935, the Coronation of his son, King George VI, and both VE and VJ days, the street ➤ parties of 1953 appeared even more animated.

Street parties are used to mark historic moments and bring people together 12 discoverbritainmag.com

➤

ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/ © HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II 2022/MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY 2015

THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE

discoverbritainmag.com 13

THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE

Above: The crowd cheer the Queen in her gilded carriage on her Silver Jubilee Opposite page, top to bottom: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in Kenya in 1952 on the eve of her father’s death; Her Majesty on Accession Day, 6 February 2022

This was no doubt aided by the fact that the event was being televised, which led to many neighbours cramming around one TV set, or meeting in public spaces such as community halls, where TV licences had been granted.

Street parties fell out of favour in the later part of the 20th century, but in 2009 the tradition was revived under the guise of The Big Lunch, bringing communities together in the spirit of friendship, encouraging neighbours to get to know each other.

The Big Jubilee Lunch, to celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, was a roaring success, and so this year despite the fact most people have their own TV sets, the royal household is hoping British residents and members of the Commonwealth will come together once again to “share friendship, food and fun with neighbours” during The Big Jubilee Lunch on 5 June 2022.

The Big Jubilee Lunch will coincide with the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, the culmination of a four-day weekend from Thursday 2 – Sunday 5 June in which Her Majesty The Queen’s historic reign will be celebrated.

It was 70 years ago this year, on 6 February 1952, that Her Majesty’s father, King George VI, died in his sleep at the family’s countryside home of Sandringham, Norfolk, and the young princess became Queen Elizabeth II, aged just 25.

14 discoverbritainmag.com

On the day of her father’s death, Princess Elizabeth was less than a week into a trip to Kenya with Prince Philip, her husband. The couple were standing in for King George on a long-planned international tour that was also supposed to take them to Australia and New Zealand.

The 56-year-old king had been too ill to travel.

At the time of the king’s death, the pair were relaxing at a game-viewing lodge, the now famous Treetops Hotel, 100 miles from Nairobi. Because their location was so remote, news of the king’s death took some time to reach the royal party. When Her Majesty heard the news, arrangements were made for the immediate return home and she wrote letters to all those she was supposed to visit, apologising for cancelling the remainder of her tour.

On the eve of the anniversary of Accession Day this February, a statement released by Her Majesty touched upon the fact that it is a bittersweet anniversary for her.

In the statement, Her Majesty said: “It is a day that, even after 70 years, I still remember as much for the death of my father, King George VI, as for the start of my reign.”

This year will also be bittersweet as it is Her Majesty’s first Jubilee without her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

In her statement she expressed her gratitude for her ➤ husband’s steadfast support: “I was blessed that in

KEN GOFF/CONTRIBUTOR/KEYSTONE/STRINGER/GETTY IMAGES/CHRIS JACKSON/BUCKINGHAM PALACE/VIA GETTY

At the time of the king’s death, the pair were relaxing at a remote game-viewing lodge, 100 miles from Nairobi

QUEEN VICTORIA’S SCOTLAND

discoverbritainmag.com 15

Above: The Goring hotel in London was awarded a Royal Warrant by the Queen in 2013 and will be serving a Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea

Prince Philip I had a partner willing to carry out the role of consort and unselfishly make the sacrifices that go with it,” she said.

Although Her Majesty officially acceeded to the throne in February 1952, her Coronation did not take place until the summer of 1953.

Meteorologists had advised that 2 June 1953 would be the best date because it was predicted to be the day most likely to produce sunshine that summer – although, of course, it rained.

Since then, June has remained the preferred date for the Silver, Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilees as it promises warmer, sunnier weather than the first weekend in February ever could.

This year’s bank holiday weekend is set to include celebrations throughout the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and around the world.

Events in London will begin with The Queen’s Birthday Parade, otherwise known as the Trooping of the Colour, on Thursday 2 June, followed by the lighting of the Platinum Jubilee Beacons.

On Friday 3 June there will be a special Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral. Saturday 4 June will

16 discoverbritainmag.com

see the Queen attend the Epsom Derby with members of the Royal Family. In the evening, the BBC will stage and broadcast a live concert from Buckingham Palace.

Sunday 5 June is the official day of The Big Jubilee Lunch and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.

Aside from the official celebrations, many other events will take place this year. At The Goring, the London hotel awarded a Royal Warrant by The Queen in 2013, the Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea will recreate The Queen’s Coronation Menu dinner, while at Cliveden House, in Berkshire, its Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea will include royal favourites and nods to traditional dishes from the UK’s four nations. Visitors to Buckingham Palace this summer are in for a special treat with the photographic display Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Accession.

As Britons, we are known for our love of a good party, and what better reason to celebrate than the landmark achievement of our monarch, who has ruled for longer than any other monarch in British history and done so with such grace and devotion. Bottoms up. ➤ To keep up to date with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations go to discoverbritainmag.com/ the-queens-platinum-jubilee to read our official guide.

SIM PHOTOGRAPHY

Events in London will begin with The Queen’s Birthday Parade on Thursday 2 June

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THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE

In Britain, residents are being encouraged to host their own street parties this Jubilee weekend (2-5 June 2022). Here’s how.

• Residents are advised to plan their party at least six weeks in advance – this is mainly to allow time to contact the local council should they wish to get a temporary road closure. You can always host the party on a private driveway instead, if the owner agrees • No risk assessment or license is needed (as long as you’re not planning to sell alcohol or use amplified music as one of the main purposes of the event) • You can serve food – though our advice is to club together with neighbours and arrange to bring one dish per household • Tea and other tipples are absolutely fine – it’s time to make use of your best china and crockery • Decorate and celebrate – bunting, balloons, confetti and streamers are all welcome, just make sure you clean up after yourselves • Have a flutter – raffles are allowed, as long as prizes are not rolled over from one event to another, no more than £100 is deducted for expenses and no more than £500 is spent on buying prizes • If all else fails, get some bunting, lashings of tea, cake, invite your friends over, and have a party for yourself at home

18 discoverbritainmag.com

THEODORE LIASI/ALAMY

PLAN YOUR OWN JUBILEE PARTY

Above: An afternoon tea for the Jubilee at Cliveden House Left: Children enjoying a street party for the 2012 Diamond Jubilee in south London

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Balmoral to Britannia Her Majesty’s favourite places 02/03/2022 16:15

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.

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PROMOTION

Fit for a

QUEEN As the UK’s leading retailer of Royal commemoratives, Goviers is marking this year’s Platinum Jubilee with a very special collection, from teddy bears and jigsaws to fine bone china

G

oviers is the UK’s leading retailer of Royal commemoratives and has built up a worldwide reputation as the place to go for the very best pieces to mark any major Royal occasion. Originally based in the seaside town of Sidmouth in Devon, Goviers is now in the heart of the Potteries, just outside the city of Stoke-on-Trent. As well as working with the very best manufacturers, Goviers also designs and commissions our own ranges of fine bone china and wooden jigsaws, all proudly made in the UK. The Platinum Jubilee is something that none of us is likely to see again.

We hope that the collection we have put together to mark this occasion is a fitting tribute to the scale of Her Majesty’s achievement, and the lifetime 20 discoverbritainmag.com

of service she has given. These items will become a unique reminder of this historic moment for future generations.

Steiff is the biggest name in the world of teddy bears, and so, as you would expect, it has developed two special bears for the Platinum Jubilee.

The Long to Reign Over Us musical bear is only available from specialist retailers in the UK, and as such is likely to be in very heavy demand. The Platinum Jubilee Bear is already sold out at the factory, but Goviers has an allocation from which a small number have been reserved for readers of Discover Britain. But, act quickly as they will not be available for long!

Merrythought Bears are made in the historic town of Ironbridge, still a family-owned business, that is justifiably proud of its heritage and its

PROMOTION

fabulous bears. Goviers has commissioned an exclusive, limited-edition Queen Bear, of which a few remain, and a lavish Platinum Jubilee Bear with cape and crown.

Belleek, based in Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, can trace its history back to 1857. Today the hand skills of the potters remain and are evident in the hugely complicated Queen’s Basket: a work of art that has fans all over the globe, and something we know the Queen herself appreciates.

Moorcroft is another iconic name from Stoke-on-Trent, with a proud history and a highly skilled workforce. Many of the pieces are still hand-thrown and turned, before being hand-decorated with tube-lined slip and then hand-painted. Moorcroft has chosen to depict the highly important Sagana Lodge on its beautiful commemorative vase.

The lodge was given to HRH Princess Elizabeth and HRH Prince Philip by the people of Kenya on the occasion of their wedding in 1947. It was while she was in Kenya that Her Majesty learned that her father, King George Vl, had died, and she had become Queen. At that moment, her life changed for ever.

Sheffield has always been the home of silver production in the UK, and family-owned company Carrs of Sheffield continues to uphold that proud tradition today. It is not often that a new commemorative hallmark is sanctioned by the British Hallmarking Council, but the Platinum Jubilee is one such occasion. Carrs has used this hallmark in the design of its range

of sterling silver frames. A talking point on antiques shows of the future we are sure.

The team at Goviers has many years of experience of the pottery industry between them, and love to support the industry in the UK. With such an important occasion it seemed only fitting that we had our own design produced by artist Caroline Dadd. This detailed design has been adapted onto our own bone china shapes, which are made and hand decorated in Stoke-on-Trent, as well as onto a wooden jigsaw, also made in the UK. All the pieces in our range include important elements from Her Majesty’s reign, as well as insight into her favourite cake!

Character jugs have been made in Stoke-on-Trent for decades and have a collector following all over the world. In recent years the numbers produced have fallen, but the skills remain and Goviers has commissioned a special limited-edition colourway of this superb piece. The amazing likeness of Her Majesty is accompanied by one of her beloved Corgis.

It gives us great pride that we have been able to put together such a varied and high-quality range of pieces to mark what we think is a truly fabulous achievement by the Queen, who has been a constant during most of our lives. Congratulations Your Majesty! n Visit our website www.goviers.co.uk for a wider range of pieces and to see the rest of our exclusive ranges.

We hope the collection is a fitting tribute to Her Majesty’s achievement

discoverbritainmag.com 21

DANITA DELIMONT STOCK/AWL IMAGES

HARRY POTTER’S BRITAIN

This image: The ‘Hogwarts Express’ Jacobite train travels over the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the West Highlands

22 discoverbritainmag.com

Bringing the Magic to Life To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the beloved Harry Potter books, Chris Beanland takes a tour of some of the real-life places that inspired the books and featured on film

discoverbritainmag.com 23

HARRY POTTER’S BRITAIN

H

arry Potter’s wizarding world has inspired children, and adults, around the globe for 25 years. The books are among the biggest selling in children’s literature history, and the resulting films catapulted Harry, Hermione, Ron, all their friends, and enemies, into the public eye.

Around the world, Harry Potter is synonymous with Britain, and tourists arrive in their thousands to revel in the locations that inspired JK Rowling to write the original books, and those that were made famous on the silver screen, when Harry launched from the page to the cinema.

Rowling endured difficult marriages and economic uncertainty living in London and Edinburgh in the 1990s.

She has said that the idea for Harry Potter came to her on the train from Manchester to London, and that the book first began life when she lived in Clapham, south London.

However, things really went into overdrive when she arrived in Edinburgh and began writing on a more full-time basis. Rowling famously spent her time in cafes due to a shortage of cash, writing in places like The Elephant House on Edinburgh’s George IV Bridge, which has a plaque outside the building commemorating her time writing there.

The cafe is being restored after suffering a fire in August 2021, but the table on which Rowling wrote was rescued from the charred rubble and is being carefully recovered by the cafe’s owners.

Rowling often walked the Edinburgh streets, and

Clockwise, from top left: Greyfriar’s Kirkyard; Victoria Street, Edinburgh; The JK Rowling Suite at the Balmoral Hotel; The Hogwarts Express on screen 24 discoverbritainmag.com

although she is loath to attribute places she passed to actual locations in the wizarding world, there’s no doubt that the dour architecture and gloomy gothic grandeur of the Scottish capital inspired the feel of Harry Potter.

Greyfriar’s Kirkyard is a spooky location Rowling passed many times, one where you feel ghosts could easily lurk. The grave of Thomas Riddle – yes, Lord Voldemort himself – is located here. The 1628 George Heriot School on Lauriston Place is a sprawling and unmissable sight on the Edinburgh skyline, and could easily have galvanised the feel of how Hogwarts might look. It is split into four houses, which compete with each other, just like at Hogwarts.

Victoria Street is an atmospheric thoroughfare that curves uphill and is lined with shops, its hustle and bustle is said to have inspired Rowling’s hidden wizarding street in London, Diagon Alley.

When Rowling started writing she was not wealthy but, thanks to the success of the books, became very rich, finishing her final book in the series, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, in the splendour of the Victorian ➤ Balmoral Hotel at the top of Princes Street. The room in

KAMIRA/PICTURELUX/THE HOLLYWOOD ARCHIVES/AGEFOTOSTOCK/ALAMY/HOTEL PHOTOGRAPHY

Edinburgh’s cobbled streets, spooky history, and gothic grandeur was the inspiration for much of the Potter world

PETER LOPEMAN/SCIENCE HISTORY IMAGES/ALAMY

HARRY POTTER’S BRITAIN

➤

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HARRY POTTER’S BRITAIN

which she wrote – 552 – has been rechristened the JK Rowling Suite. Visitors can stay here, and wannabe writers can put pen to paper on the actual desk on which Rowling wrote.

Travel out towards the West Highlands and you can see the mighty Glenfinnan Viaduct marching across the moors. This stupendous feat of Victorian railway engineering, completed in 1901, carries the West Highland Line between Fort William and Mallaig through some of Scotland’s most dramatic hills and seascapes. This is where the Hogwarts Express powers over the valley in the films. The heritage train, known as the Jacobite, still plies this route to keep fans happy. The puffing steam service travels from Fort William to Mallaig daily in spring and summer.

There are also regular rail services (scotrail.co.uk) several times a day which travel over the viaduct in case you miss the steam service. It’s worth walking the valley from Glenfinnan to see the viaduct from the surrounding ➤ hills, especially to watch the steam trains crossing –

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GREG SMOLONSKI/BODLEIAN LIBRARIES/UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD/BRITISH TOURIST AUTHORITY/PRAKICH TREETASAYUTH/ALBUM/ALAMY

Clockwise, from right: Alnwick Castle, Northumberland; Harry, Ron and Hermione in the library at Hogwarts; a staircase at Christ Church, Oxford, used in the first film; Duke Humfrey’s Library at the Bodleian became Hogwarts Library in the films

HARRY POTTER’S BRITAIN

➤

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HARRY POTTER’S BRITAIN

MAGIC FOR MUGGLES TOO Hop on your broom or grab a portkey, and visit these Potter-themed places • Edinburgh Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, The Elephant House, George Heriot School, the Balmoral Hotel and Victoria Street are all walkable in Edinburgh city centre. There are many guided tours and buses, but exploring yourself is much more fun. edinburgh.org/blog/the-ultimate-harrypotter-guide-to-edinburgh/ • The Jacobite steam train The famous Harry Potter steam train that runs over the Glenfinnan Viaduct departs every morning from April to October, and every afternoon from May to September, from Fort William to Mallaig and back. westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/ steam-train-trip • Glenfinnan Viaduct A car park on the A830, 17 miles from Fort William, is the start point for a walk to the Glenfinnan Viaduct if you want to

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watch the train as it passes over. nts.org.uk/visit/places/glenfinnanmonument/highlights/viaduct • Alnwick Castle The castle is open from March to December and tickets can be booked online. Alnwick is near Alnmouth Station and on the A1 between Newcastle and Edinburgh. alnwickcastle.com • Christ Church College Oxford Located in Oxford city centre, Christ Church College is open for visits – but remember to book online in advance. www.chch.ox.ac.uk/visit-us • Platform 9 ¾, King’s Cross You’ll spy the queue of fans waiting to get their photo taken by the trolley embedded in the brick wall at King’s Cross’s main concourse. Free and open whenever the station is.

The colleges of Oxford University, with their historic walls, libraries and cloisters, were also used for filming The college dates from 1546 and is part of Oxford University. In the historic hallways, Hermione shows Harry the Quidditch trophy won by his father, and the staircase is where Professor McGonagall meets Harry and the other first years on their very first day at Hogwarts.

The production team made the most of Oxford’s old buildings and filming also took place in the famous Bodleian Library complex of the university, where Duke Humfrey’s Library stands in for the Hogwarts Library.

New College Oxford also features – the large oak in its cloisters is where Harry has a face off with Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

One final stop on the itinerary must be King’s Cross Station, where Rowling used to catch her train from London to Edinburgh. This must have inspired the Hogwarts Express, which, as we all know, travels from the very secret Platform 9 ¾ at the station.

Don’t bother looking for that unless you can whip out your magic wand, but follow the throngs of visitors and you’ll find a luggage trolley embedded into the wall next to Platform 9, and next to it a Harry Potter-themed giftshop. Here you can get have your photo taken at the place where the young wizards would use their magic to walk through the wall and on to the secret platform – a spell which the many London commuters passing through the station probably wished they knew too. n

COWARD_LION/ALAMY

Above: Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station, a popular tourist spot for Harry Potter fans to visit and have their photo taken

there are spectacular photo opportunities to be had.

Leaving Scotland and travelling south across the English border, Alnwick Castle is set in the picturesque Northumberland market town of Alnwick.

The tiny town is a maze of small streets and independent stores, with the castle at its heart, overlooking the River Aln. The castle has been home to the Percy family for over 700 years, and the 12th Duke and Duchess live here with their children today.

In 2000, the castle was the location for the filming of large parts of Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, released the following year. In 2001, the production team returned to film Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. The Lion Arch is the entry point to the castle, leading out to the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid’s Hut. The Outer Bailey of the castle will be instantly recognisable to fans as the place where Madam Hooch teaches Harry and the rest of his classmates how to fly on their broomsticks and where Harry learns to play Quidditch. The Inner Bailey is, of course, the location where Harry and Ron crash the Weasley’s flying car.

Down in the handsome university city of Oxford, several university buildings provided locations for Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, and Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, including Christ Church College.

Discover Hestercombe Gardens Hestercombe's 50 acres of beautiful historic gardens are steeped in history and brimming with wildlife, and feature glorious formal gardens designed by Gertrude Jekyll and Sir Edwin Lutyens.

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H E R E F O R D C AT H E D R A L Built on a place of worship used since Saxon times, Hereford Cathedral contains some of the finest examples of architecture from Norman times to the present day.

Visitors can explore this beautiful building, take part in one of our many services and events, or visit the Cathedral Café which serves a selection of drinks, cakes and light meals.

A trip to Hereford Cathedral would not be complete without a visit to the Mappa Mundi & Chained Library Exhibition which, alongside our historic treasures, hosts special displays curated by our Library & Archive team.

herefordcathedral.org (+44)1432 374 200

discoverbritainmag.com 29

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discoverbritainmag.com 31

Life in The Big House

EXCLUSIVE

With the new Downton Abbey film imminent, we meet the household of the ‘real’ Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle Words and photos by Jeremy Flint

HIGHCLERE CASTLE

Above: Luis Coelho, head butler, welcomes guests to the Drawing Room Left: The exterior of Highclere Castle

HIGHCLERE CASTLE

Right: Lady Carnarvon in the Library, with one of her seven dogs

H

ighclere Castle is a magnificent stately home in the heart of Hampshire that has gained global recognition as the filming location for the British period drama Downton Abbey.

The six seasons and feature film have enthralled audiences worldwide, where, through the magic of TV and cinema, this Grade I listed house has been turned into the Yorkshire mansion in which the aristocratic Crawley family live.

With this captivating property, its beautiful interiors, lavish costumes, and manicured country estate vistas, providing the most picturesque of backdrops, Downton Abbey tells the story of how Robert Crawley risks losing the family estate after his heirs die on the Titanic.

Soon, the Crawleys are introduced to Matthew, the next heir, who resists their way of life. The programme and subsequent films follow the family’s challenges as they adapt to the modern age, while focusing on the bonds that link the upstairs nobles with the downstairs servants, bridging the social class divide.

Parallels can be drawn between the fictional Lady Crawley and the 5th Countess of Carnarvon, Lady Almina, who in August 1914 turned Highclere Castle into a hospital for officers returning from the First World War, as featured in Series Two. Today, Highclere is home to George Herbert and his wife Fiona, the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon (Lord and Lady Carnarvon), owners of the ‘real’ Downton Abbey castle.

With the much-anticipated movie Downton Abbey: A New Era about to grace our screens (in the UK in April and USA in May), we were invited behind the scenes at Highclere Castle to meet Lady Carnarvon and some of the many people who work there.

“Highclere is much older than people might think” says Lady Carnarvon.

The history of Highclere can be traced back through the landscape and early written records to AD749, and has been in George’s family since 1679, when it was a Tudor house.

“It has been adapted and recycled,” says Lady Carnarvon. “In 1838, the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon brought in Sir Charles Barry (architect of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben) to transform his home from a Georgian mansion into the grand Victorian Castle, which we know today as Downton Abbey.”

But how has Lady Carnarvon coped with sharing her home with camera crews and film sets for years?

By pulling up her sleeves and getting stuck in, by the sound of things.

“When filming the television series, they were here for 6 or 7 months at a time, so we all got to know each other very well,” Lady Carnarvon says. ➤ “My husband would open the door to them at 6 in the

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➤

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HIGHCLERE CASTLE

Above: John Gundill, Highclere’s general manager, in the Saloon Right: Luis, head butler, preparing the Dining Room for dinner

morning. It was a 13-hour day, and a team of guides would be on hand with John, our castle manager. I checked everything was unplugged as the day ended and would close the door behind them in the evening, once everyone had left,” she adds.

“Everyone was very respectful of our home and our treasured artworks, and our dogs were very fond of the catering van they brought! They had an excellent pop-up coffee shop with the latest film as well.”

Certain scenes have become special to Lady Carnavon.

“I remember Downton recruited extras at our real summer fete, to create the scenes in their fete, which was really enjoyable to see” she says.

According to Lady Carnarvon, life today in the big house differs greatly from the screen. “It has a different role than one for which it was created, I have more dogs – seven! – and there are more people who work here today than in Downton, playing varied roles as we welcome visitors,” she says. “A lot of work goes on in the gardens and on the farm in the real Downton Abbey!”

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Highclere Castle has featured on the UK tourist map since opening to the public in 1988, but Downton Abbey has brought an international audience. Highclere receives around 1,500 visitors a day during the peak summer season, with many coming from around the world.

Lady Carnarvon says: “We are working hard to make the best of the marketing platform Downton Abbey provides by building on our brand with Highclere Castle Gin. I have also written books. We are helping Highclere to play its part on the world stage.”

There are 250-300 rooms in the castle, including the state rooms from Downton Abbey. Some of the most elegant rooms include the Library, the Saloon, and the

There are more real people who work here today than in Downton, playing varied roles as we welcome visitors Dining Room, which cling onto their historical roots, furnished with extravagant chandeliers, wallpapers, and family portraits. You can tour the rooms and visit the cellars and old staff quarters, where you will find the Egyptian antiquities, celebrating the 5th Earl of Carnarvon’s role in the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun (which marks its centenary this year).

Lady Carnarvon’s favourite room is the library. “Who does not love the library?” she says. “But equally, I enjoy the Orient room, and of course climbing to the top of the Tower (the highest point of the castle) to look down on an Arcadian landscape and almost back in time.”

The castle looks out over 1,000 acres of spectacular

parkland, designed by the famous 18th-century landscape gardener Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.

“I have tried to share this [outdoor aspect of the castle] through the book Seasons at Highclere, offering stories, recipes, history and photos. Not everyone can watch the seasons as I can, and they offer havens, tranquillity, and inspiration. Of course, that then comes back inside the house for thinking about and sharing rooms with a view.”

At the helm of Lady Carnarvon’s esteemed team is John Gundill, Highclere’s general manager. John is responsible for the day-to-day running of the house, and events, working closely with all the castle staff. ➤ He manages the kitchen, banqueting, housekeeping,

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ELTHAM PALACE

gardeners, estate staff, farm workers, and pretty much anything else, where required.

John’s role has never really existed in Downton Abbey, as big houses in the first half of the 20th century weren’t businesses in the way they are today. Nevertheless, John loves managing the Downton Abbey filming requirements, as well as overseeing the larger outdoor park-based events, from concerts to game fairs and clay pigeon shoots, which take place during the year.

Having worked for Lord and Lady Carnarvon for over 16 years, John has many fantastic memories.

“No two days are the same” he says. “Both Lord and Lady Carnarvon are very hands on and involved in all

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aspects of the business and the public love to meet them.

“I think humour is hugely important. I don’t think I would do what I do if it didn’t involve laughter. I am able to enjoy the beauty of the estate, and the sunsets and sunrises never cease to inspire. I have seen many early summer sunrises for filming, and I have been privileged to share and be present at some amazing events during my time here at Highclere.”

Luis Coelho, head butler at Highclere, is the modernday equivalent of Mr Carson.

“I’ve been working at Highclere for 14 years as butler to Lord and Lady Carnarvon, and I am also the banqueting manager, overseeing all the food and

HIGHCLERE CASTLE

beverages for public opening and event days,” he says.

“It is an absolute pleasure to work for Lady Carnarvon and I am so grateful to be part of life at Highclere Castle.

Everyone likens me to ‘Carson’, only shorter with a better sense of humour.

“Carson is often described as a mirror for all parts of my role here and I have a great working relationship with Lady Carnarvon.”

Luis resides at the castle and entertains the family and friends of theirs, who often stay. “When family are in residence, we do a butler service in the same style as Downton, and I have a full team of butlers who work for me,” he says.

“My team share lots of roles and keep standards, it takes three hours to set the table and we ensure everything is perfect. We find out in advance whether there are any allergies, so we can make it a great experience for everyone.”

In the summer, with over a thousand visitors, Luis can manage 45-50 staff and all the food and beverage requirements, including a cocktail bar, takeaways, and a vintage ice cream van. “We work as they do in Downtown Abbey, although the kitchen is away from the house” says Luis.

Luis enjoys looking after the guests, whether VIPs or day visitors, and has endless funny moments to draw on from his time at Highclere. “Laughter is a big part of life at Highclere. We welcome thousands of people from all over the world and therefore we are never short of humour”, he says.

“We play games with the staff and have puppy parties, getting all the dogs together who were born here from different litters, including my Cocker Spaniel.” Lady Carnarvon, who is known for her sense of humour, always joins in, Luis says.

“I love the beauty the different seasons bring, including the colourful trees in autumn, and snow in winter. I even managed to go sledging with Lord and Lady Carnarvon and the dogs a few years ago, when we got snowed in,” Luis adds.

Luis’s highlight so far was the Highclere Castle Gin launch party, where the castle was turned purple to reflect the gin bottle. “It was both challenging and exciting to make cocktails for 200 people, including press and locals.

We wanted to wow people,” he says.

Jason Nash, a full-time housekeeper, is one of the newbies at Highclere, responsible for making beds, hoovering, and cleaning. He is part of a small team who keep the castle pristine for the family who live there and visitors who arrive.

“I liken my role to Mr Barrow,” he says, referencing the Downton Abbey character and footman. Jason’s favourite part of the job is having access to all areas of Highclere Castle, including the incredible Egyptian exhibition.

His most memorable moment was climbing the Tower “even if it was to hoover up dead flies” he says.

Mainly working back of house and behind the scenes, Jason sometimes covers front of house, assisting Luis with the guests. Although his time at Highclere has been brief, Jason has fitted in well and is a great team player. He loves working for Lady Carnarvon and describes it as like having a second family.

With the new Downton Abbey movie due to hit screens, it’s great to see the real-life castle thriving, with a wonderfully hard-working team at its core. n To find out more and to arrange a visit to the castle, go to highclerecastle.co.uk

Left: Jason Nash, one of Highclere’s housekeepers, adding some finishing touches in the Saloon

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PROMOTION

Killeavy Castle Estate S

The Future of Luxury

et within 350 acres of woodland and working farmland, in the foothills of Slieve Gullion in County Armagh, the luxurious Killeavy Castle Estate is the perfect base to experience historic, beautiful and vibrant Ireland.

Just one hour from both Dublin and Belfast, Killeavy Castle Estate has the beautifully refurbished castle as its centrepiece – a Grade A-listed, 19th-century gem that lay derelict for many years, before being restored. The castle is joined by an award-winning

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45-bedroom luxury boutique-style hotel, with spa, restaurant and bar, and a picturesque self-catering Gatelodge.

The estate opened in 2019 following a £12m investment, and sits within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. While the history and majesty of Killeavy Castle embodies the luxury experience, Killeavy is grounded in an ethos of sustainability, with a working farm and walled gardens providing 90 per cent of the food served in the award-winning restaurant.

PROMOTION

Clockwise, from left: A view of the Killeavy Castle Estate with the restored 19thcentury castle; the hotel spa’s pool area; the modern hotel bar with views of the surrounding woodland

The estate is also leading the way in sustainable tourism, with the aim of creating a legacy of sustainability. A new Farm Store and Estate Garden will open in March 2022. Guests can visit the farm animals, walk the walled gardens and see how the meat that features on the menus is cured, smoked and preserved. The estate has also introduced zero plastics and energy reduction policies, and plans to restore the 19th-century water wheel for renewable energy production. Working towards achieving net zero by 2027, the estate has embarked upon a reforestation initiative that will see the replanting of Slieve Gullion forest with broadleaf trees.

From the hotel, guests can enjoy the magnificent countryside surrounding Killeavy, with miles of scenic walking and cycling trails accessible directly from the estate. Foraging, forest bathing, mindfulness experiences and ebike hire are also on offer.

Killeavy Castle Estate’s central location makes it the perfect base to explore the east coast of Ireland. Take a day trip north to visit Belfast, with its vibrant shopping and entertainment scene.

The world-leading Titanic Belfast museum celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and the Cathedral Quarter, Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens and St. George’s Market are all worth a visit.

Just one hour south of Killeavy is Ireland’s capital city, Dublin, with its many attractions, including the Guinness Storehouse, Book of Kells, Trinity College and the historic Dublin Castle.

Closer to home, in County Armagh, guests can explore the historic cathedral city of Armagh, tour some of the many orchards that pepper the countryside, and visit the 250-year-old Robinson Library and the Armagh Planetarium.

Game of Thrones fans should visit the world’s first ever Game of Thrones tour at the Linen Mill Studios, Banbridge. For the adventurous, a short drive east takes you to County Down, where you can climb the Mountains of Mourne and master Slieve Donard, or take in some Irish history at St. Patrick’s grave and visitor centre in Downpatrick.

To find out more about Killeavy Castle Estate and make a reservation, visit KilleavyCastle.com

discoverbritainmag.com 41

HISTORY

F

The

or centuries, Richard III has worn the black hat of a ruthless uncle who murdered the young princes in the Tower of London.

Yet, aside from a collection of bones found under a staircase within the tower in 1674 – that, to this day, remain untested and in safekeeping at Westminster Abbey – there’s been no conclusion regarding their fate based on hard evidence.

Now, Philippa Langley MBE, who led the successful search for the remains of Richard III in 2012, is at the helm of The Missing Princes Project, an investigation committed to unravelling the truth, challenging everything we think we know about this enduring thriller and the man at its core.

coldest of cases

The Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses have been somewhat romanticised, encouraged in no small part by their emblematic moniker, which was propelled into the mainstream by Sir Walter Scott in the 19th century, the immortalisation of Henry VI and Richard III

by William Shakespeare, and the mystery of what happened to the two young princes in the Tower.

To put the more than 30-year-long conflict in a nutshell, the Wars of the Roses occurred between two competing branches of the royal Plantagenet family: the House of Lancaster (represented by the red rose) and the House of York (symbolised by the white rose).

The wars began on 22 May 1455 with the First Battle of St Albans, when Richard of York, who had a legitimate claim to the throne, challenged his ailing and unpopular second cousin once removed, Henry VI. So began three decades of civil wars, bloodshed, political gameplay, and much skulduggery.

A new theory casts doubt on the accepted story of the ‘Princes in the Tower’, but how plausible is it that Richard III did not have them killed after all?

Words by Kirsten Henton

In 1461, following the death of Richard of York and the Battle of Towton, Richard’s son claimed the throne as Edward IV. After a disputed start, Edward eventually ruled with a modicum of stability until he died suddenly aged 40 in 1483.

Edward’s two sons, Edward and Richard (for added confusion), were just 12 and nine respectively when their father died, but it was assumed that the eldest would succeed as Edward V. Given the tender ages, their ambitious uncle, Richard of Gloucester, was made Lord Protector.

Richard soon spirited the boys to the Tower of London, ostensibly for their own safety ahead of Edward’s coronation but, before he could be crowned, Richard declared them both illegitimate and they were never seen again.

King Richard III then emerged having, as legend tells it, ordered the killing of his two young nephews.

The story of the princes and Richard’s role within it, something heavily peddled by the Tudors, ➤ has ensured centuries of vilification and the Right: Edward V and the Duke of York in the Tower, 1831 by Hippolyte (Paul) Delaroche (1797 - 1856), the Wallace Collection

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THE TRUSTEES OF THE WALLACE COLLECTION/ WALLACECOLLECTION.ORG

Who were the princes?

HISTORY

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HISTORY

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HISTORY

popularisation of one of history’s greatest unsolved tragedies, all of which The Missing Princes Project is attempting to pick apart.

The Missing Princes Project If anyone were to seek to redress the way Richard III is perceived, it had to be the leader of the groundbreaking Looking for Richard Project and founder of the Scottish branch of the Richard III Society – writer, and producer Philippa Langley.

As she states on her website: “Although Richard is a uniquely controversial figure, many commentators through the centuries have merely nailed their colours to the mast of the Tudor portrayal so that the study of our history remains replete with blind repetition.”

Kick-started in 2016, The Missing Princes Project was the next logical step in the Richard III story, following on from the discovery of his remains in Leicester nearly a decade ago.

As stated on the project’s website, this is “a missing persons investigation; albeit one that is 500 years old.” It’s being treated as a medieval ‘cold case’, using modern policing techniques, experts, and an army of volunteers.

Think ploughing through sources and archives for evidence, mapping timelines, profiling, considering means, motive, and opportunity, applying forensic-style analysis and countless other tactics in the hope of unearthing previously neglected nuggets of information.

Edward V would have been when the window was commissioned in 1511.

In addition, there’s a face in the corner of the same window that is believed to represent Evans, who is holding a crown, not wearing it, and the window itself is above the spot where Evans’ tomb lies.

As for the tomb, it raises further questions with a mis-hammering – or is it? – in the carving of his name: researchers think that ‘Evas’ (instead of ‘Evans’) could be code for ‘EV’ meaning Edward V, while ‘AS’ may be a nod to the Latin ‘ASA’, which means ‘in sanctuary’. Upon inspection, the tomb was empty.

The church is also stuffed full of symbols relating to the House of York, such as York roses visible in the floor tiles and a ‘Sunne in Splendour’ badge, frequently used by Edward IV, carved into the roof.

Speaking of the new theory, Langley says: “The Coldridge line of investigation in Devon is fascinating. A number of the specialist police investigators working within The Missing Princes Project have told us to always investigate when a coincidence occurs – and there are quite a number of them.”

The church is also stuffed full of symbols relating to the House of York

ADAM BURTON/PHOTO.ECCLES/ALAMY

Introducing John Evans Such nuggets appear to be materialising. Hours spent trawling through archives at home and abroad have taken a team of sleuths, headed by John Dike, to the village of Coldridge in Devon. Their theory suggests that far from being murdered by Richard III, Edward V lived out his days in anonymity on land which had previously been seized from his half-brother, Thomas Grey, Marquis of Dorset.

Documents show that shortly after a trusted aide of Richard’s was sent on an undisclosed assignment to Coldridge, one John Evans moved into the village as Lord of the Manor and ‘Parker’ – keeper of the local herd of deer. Curiously, there’s no public record of John Evans prior to his arrival in Coldridge, which is unusual given his weighty titles.

There are other suggestive clues that make this theory a juicy one. Firstly, a rare stained-glass window in the local church of St Matthew’s, which was commissioned by Evans, depicts a young Edward V standing beneath a large crown, which is decorated with 41 deer on the ermine, or fur, which is how old

Seeing stars?

As with any great shake up, this developing theory has attracted both interest and caution.

Mark Lansdale, author of the new book The Psychology of Richard III, is wary. He argues, when you consider that the project is being run by The Richard III Society, who would naturally be looking for an outcome that “lets Richard III off the hook,” then “you have to question the subjectivity.”

He continues: “The balance of probability is that [the princes] were killed under [Richard’s] responsibility” but that we should think of it in the context of the time: “anybody in Richard III’s position would have done the same thing.” He adds, “I certainly think it’s possible that Richard was not responsible for the deaths of the princes, but the truth is there’s absolutely zero evidence.”

It’s understandable that this investigation is proving controversial. Is the tail wagging the dog? That said, it’s tempting to be dazzled by the many coincidences found in Coldridge.

Whatever the outcome, revisiting one of English history’s greatest unsolved mysteries is sure to attract attention, and there’s a sense that if anyone can get to the bottom of what happened, it must be the tenacious Philippa Langley. In her own words, “we look forward to John and the team discovering more as their research continues,” and we can guarantee she’s not alone. n

Clockwise, from top left: St Matthew’s Church in Coldridge, Devon; a stone effigy of John Evans in the church, now suspected to be of the deposed King Edward V; the church’s stained-glass window showing Edward V

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MY BRITAIN

Andrew Deamer, Wells Cathedral’s Ringing Master until January 2022, has been ringing bells at the cathedral for 30 years

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My Britain

PORTRAITS BY GARETH IWAN JONES

Wells Cathedral, the first wholly gothic cathedral to be built in England, has been welcoming both pilgrims and visitors for nearly 850 years. We spoke to the outgoing and incoming Ringing Masters, Andrew Deamer and Sam Shead, to hear what it’s like to bell ring in such a historic and iconic place, and their hopes for the future of bell-ringing at Wells Cathedral.

Andrew Deamer Ringing Master at Wells Cathedral for six years, until January 2022 I started bell-ringing 40 years ago and have been ringing at Wells for 30. My parents were churchgoers, and I was fed up with being in the choir. Once I started bell-ringing I worked out that it meant I was paid for my hobby, and I got to go to the pub aged 15…so that was good really.

Ringing at Wells Cathedral is very special, although the bells are very challenging. It is the heaviest ring of 10 in the world and our biggest bell, the tenor, is nearly 3 tonnes, so it takes a lot of practice to ring them well.

As Ringing Master, the challenge for me was teaching the band to ring as well as they could on such a difficult set of bells – not only are they heavy, the fittings of our bells date from over 100 years ago.

Bell-ringing is incredibly absorbing and completely diverting from anything else. The concentration is like nothing else. If you imagine a racing eight and one of them catches a crab, it affects the whole team.

That’s what bell-ringing is like. You are only as strong as the weakest member.

My favourite memory from ringing at Wells was ringing when the Queen came. I also rang at the turn of the Millennium, which was very special. In the good old days, when the pubs had closing times, hundreds of people used to gather and cheer when we rang in the new year.

Sam, the new Ringing Master, jokes that even if I say I’m going to take a backseat I’m always going to be involved. My advice is to keep the ringers happy and keep the ringing good. I know he will do a good job.

Now that I’ve stepped down, I will be concentrating on my job as a full-time teacher, which is challenging enough. I know Sam is keen for me to continue running local youth practices. Maybe a Bath and ➤ Wells youth team is in the running…

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MY BRITAIN

Sam Shead Ringing Master at Wells Cathedral from January 2022

The bells at Wells are huge and very loud, you need a good voice to teach in the ringing chamber. We have some newcomers and some extremely advanced ringers.

It’s part of my role to make sure everyone is motivated.

I started ringing when I was 13. My grandfather was a keen bell-ringer and I popped along to have a go. The rest, as they say, is history.

You will not meet a more welcoming group of people than the bell-ringing community. I have made friends for life and been invited places I never would have visited.

I first rang at Wells Cathedral on an ‘outing’ - this is a common pursuit of ringers to travel round trying out other bells. I have been a member of Wells for four years.

From a perfectly selfish point of view, if people don’t start ringing, this British art form may no longer exist. Ringing offers you the chance to make music, have a workout and awaken the mind.

One of the most wonderful aspects of ringing is being able to turn up to some of the most magnificent buildings in the world, knowing you are a fundamental part of that place. The organ is the heart that beats within, but the bells are the voice that sings aloud for all to hear.

Being Ringing Master means I have the chance to help our team progress in their ringing careers, and I can sculpt the future of ringing in Wells. I hope to leave some form of legacy after my time as Ringing Master.

We have bells in Wells Cathedral dating back to 1757; you can sometimes be ringing a bell that has been heard for 265 years, bells that would have been heard by King George II if he had visited the area.

Andrew is a force of enthusiasm and has driven Wells forward in its standard of ringing. I have learnt from Andrew, simply, that with dedication and buckets of enthusiasm you can make great things happen. n

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Sam Shead, Wells Cathedral’s new Ringing Master, has been bell-ringing since the age of 13

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PROMOTION

Rediscover England’s

First Cathedral Kids Go Free

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Explore 1,400 years of history at Canterbury Cathedral

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NESCO World Heritage Site, seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and resting place of saints and royalty, Canterbury Cathedral was founded in AD597 and its thrilling history spans hundreds of years, telling the stories that have shaped England.

Whether admiring the medieval stained-glass windows – including the oldest in Britain – marvelling at carved tombs, seeking out dragons and grotesques, or exploring the cathedral’s stunning cloisters and green spaces, there’s plenty to do. You might even be lucky enough to spot the peregrine falcons that sometimes make the cathedral their home.

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And with new visitor experiences and Kids Go Free until 31 October 2022*, there’s never been a better time to visit.

This year, a major new exhibition in the cathedral’s crypt allows visitors to explore up close, for the first time, a unique collection of artefacts that tell the complex, and often violent, story of Church-State relations. The incredible artefacts on display include the battle shield, gauntlets and jupon of medieval warrior Edward the Black Prince, and fragments of Thomas Becket’s shrine.

Making History: Church, State and Conflict focuses on the complex relationship between Church and State and the

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COME AND SEE Amazing objects that visitors will be able to see in the exhibition include: The Accord of Winchester – this 11th-century document, witnessed by William the Conqueror, his queen, Matilda, and Lanfranc, the Archbishop of Canterbury, amongst others, records the settlement establishing the supremacy of the Archbishop of Canterbury over the Archbishop of York. Each witness subscribed to the agreement by marking crosses, presumably in their own hand.

Papal Mandate from Innocent III – in this document from 1205, Pope Innocent III orders King John to accept Reginald, sub prior of Christ Church Priory, as elected Archbishop of Canterbury. However, John refused, and the country was cast out of the Church.

The Lyghfield Bible – the finest example of a complete illuminated book from the collection now held at the cathedral, The Lyghfield Bible is a late 13th-century, 690-leaf, pocket bible, written on high quality parchment or vellum.

21 pilgrim badges featuring Thomas Becket’s likeness– medieval badges worn by pilgrims, on loan from Canterbury Museums and Galleries.

DAVID KING PHOTOGRAPHY/CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL

The Liudhard Medalet – the first known piece of Christian art made in England after the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons, this 6th-century gold medalet shows Bishop Liudhard, whose arrival in Kent from the Frankish court started the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. On loan from National Museums Liverpool.

struggles between archbishops and kings, with a particular focus on Canterbury Cathedral’s important role within this relationship, illustrated in the cathedral’s buildings, collections, and the stories of its people.

The exhibition explores the national and international dimensions of Church-State relations and how they have changed and developed over the centuries – from the cathedral’s 6th-century origins, through the upheaval of the later Anglo-Saxon period, to the remodelling of both buildings and religious practice forced by the Norman Conquest, and beyond.

Dr Sarah Turner, collections manager at Canterbury Cathedral, said of the new exhibition: “This exhibition has been a long time in the making; it is a small treasure at the heart of the cathedral building. Each object tells a story, sometimes of faith or trust, of anger or repentance, and each one shines a light onto the complex history of the cathedral. The care and attention of conservators, researchers, our generous lenders and the wider cathedral team, has ensured we can bring these stories to all the visitors to the cathedral, and we are excited to do so.” n Book now at www.canterbury-cathedral.org for a day out 1,400 years in the making! *Kids Go Free until 31/10/22 (Ts&Cs apply).

From left to right: The historic Canterbury Cathedral was founded in AD597; the tomb of Edward the Black Prince, inside the cathedral; kids go free until 31 October 2022

The Canterbury Cross – a significant example of AngloSaxon Christian art with deep connections to the religious and cultural heritage of the city of Canterbury and the wider Anglican Communion. On loan from Canterbury Museums and Galleries.

Grant from William de Tracy – one of the four knights who murdered Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170, de Tracy made this grant (see inset) of 100 shillings (the equivalent of approx. £10,000 today) as a penitential gesture for his role in the killing, very soon after Thomas Becket was canonised, making him a saint.

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GREAT LEADERS

Ernest Shackleton n 5 January 1922, in the harbour of a small British subantarctic island, South Georgia, one of Britain’s greatest explorers died. Sir Ernest Shackleton; irrepressible, determined and heralded as one of humanity’s greatest leaders.

On the face of it, Shackleton oversaw a series of failures. Of four Antarctic expeditions, he was sent home from the first, turned his party back within 100 miles of the South Pole on the second, lost his ship on the third, and never returned from the last.

Was he a victim of endless misfortune? Or was he careless, even reckless? Did he choose a profession to which he was profoundly unsuited or does closer scrutiny reveal something else?

As Apsley Cherry-Garrard wrote in his memoir, The Worst Journey in the World, “Polar exploration is at once the cleanest and most isolated way of

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having a bad time which has been devised”. Where some have triumphed during the two hundred years that humans have been in Antarctica, many more have not. Yet some characters loom large in our consciousness, and their accomplishments have become hallmarks of leadership and heroism.

Ernest Shackleton was born in County Kildare, Ireland, raised in London and schooled at Dulwich College in southeast London. His father encouraged him to join the merchant navy aged 16, in the hope of getting his adventurous spirit out of his system before he pursued a more respectable career as a doctor.

But if anything, the navy emboldened young Shackleton, and he set his sights on Antarctica. In 1902 Captain Scott chose him as his third officer for an attempt on the South Pole. Things went badly.

Shackleton became ill with respiratory problems and ➤ eventually Scott sent him home on health grounds.

Left to right: Members of Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, photographed while marooned on Elephant Island, April-August 1916; a portrait of Ernest Shackleton by an unknown artist c.1909

GRANGER HISTORICAL PICTURE ARCHIVE/HERITAGE IMAGE PARTNERSHIP LTD /ALAMY

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In the centenary year of his death, Camilla Nichol, CEO of the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, details the great strides taken by Shackleton, which paved the way for those who came after

NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES

GREAT LEADERS

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Polar exploration is at once the cleanest and most isolated way of having a bad time which has been devised This page: Ernest Shackleton’s grave at Grytviken, South Georgia Opposite: Shackleton’s boat, Endurance, trapped in heavy ice during the TransAntarctic Expedition

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Unable to forgive his former leader for that decision, a feud developed, and Shackleton set his sights on leading the next expedition himself.

Before embarking on his next Antarctic venture, though, Shackleton turned his hand to different jobs: journalism, administration, even an attempt at politics. In 1907, after considerable planning and scraping together enough funds to secure the former whaling schooner Nimrod and a crew of around 50 men, he led his own Antarctic expedition. This time Shackleton was the boss.

His vision was bold – to be the first to reach the South Pole. The Discovery Expedition, led by Captain Scott, which set off in 1901, had come closest at 82°17’S before aborting at around 530 miles away in 1902. Shackleton was determined to go all the way.

This was his first leadership test. The trek to the South Pole was unimaginably hard and the team of Shackleton, Wild, Adams and Marshall endured incredible hardship to slog to within 97 miles of their goal. At that point Shackleton recognised that while they had ample food supplies to reach the pole, they did not have enough to make it back.

So, despite being so close to his goal and all the glory which might follow, he took the agonising decision to turn his men back and get them home alive. They achieved a new record of 88°23’S, which held until the pole was finally conquered by Roald Amundsen in December 1911, just five weeks before Scott’s expedition reached the pole in January 1912, doomed never to return.

After the pole had been reached, Shackleton set his sights on a trans-antarctic crossing. In 1914, with the blessing of Sir Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, he led an ambitious expedition to cross the continent. The Imperial Trans-Antarctic, or Endurance Expedition, is perhaps the greatest story of exploration, peril, leadership, and survival ever told.

Once again, the vision was bold; Shackleton had convinced financial backers and assembled two parties of men to follow his plan to cross Antarctica.

His leadership was tested in the most dramatic fashion when his ship was crushed by ice and lost to the Weddell Sea. Forced to abandon the original goal, he was adamant he would get his men home safely.

But what makes study of his leadership style so interesting is not bullish courage, but an emotional intelligence that maintained spirits, nurtured a strong team ethic, and upheld discipline when it could have so easily deteriorated. His was a surprisingly light touch, with optimism at its core – he encouraged singing and games and for the men to look out for one another and share duties. He inspired great loyalty and subdued any dissent with measured command rather than a barked order. He did, however, have a long memory, and those who questioned his leadership paid when it came to recommendation for polar medals – he refused to put four men forward.

While his men were stranded on the sea ice for months, Shackleton convinced them all that they would survive, and that he would lead them to safety.

Without his vision, his ability to change course, to be creative in solving impossible problems and to keep every one of his men with him, the outcome of the story of Endurance would have been quite different.

Shackleton’s legacy has been felt across the world; not only are his stories revisited over and over in popular media, but academic interest in the man and scrutiny of his actions, his decisions and even his health remains high. There is something about his incorrigible spirit, his relentless optimism and his leadership that can inspire us today, even if we are nowhere near Antarctic ice. As he said: “Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all.” n To find out more about Shackleton’s legacy, go to ukaht.org

MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY 2015

GREAT LEADERS

GREAT LEADERS

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You know where the fish has landed, and from what boat, and it’s as fresh as you can get

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FOOD FOCUS

Fish & Ships North Norfolk’s culinary scene is intertwined with its maritime history and it’s all the better for it, says Mark Nicholls

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Left to right: Fishing boats at Brancaster Staithe; Titchwell Manor is renowned for its tasty seafood

he tastes and textures of North Norfolk’s cuisine are inextricably linked to the coastal terrain of this part of England.

Gently rolling farmland reaches down to the sea, buffered by broad, sandy beaches, or marshes where sheep graze and birdlife thrives.

To visit is to savour its flavours – fabulous shellfish and seafood, prime seasonal game, fresh vegetables and salads, even wines, ales, spirits, and cordials that have their botanicals rooted in this rich landscape. ➤ Speak to the innovative chefs who run restaurants

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FOOD FOCUS

Growing reputation And out of this coastal and rural setting, a food scene that is good enough to keep the stream of demanding Londoners looking to escape the city for a few days happy, has emerged, which makes good use of the many ingredients that can be sourced locally.

From succulent Cromer crabs, and lobster from Sheringham (the shellfish are in such abundance that the resorts jointly host an annual crab and lobster festival), to herds of cattle and pigs, fruit-filled orchards, seasonal vegetables, and fields of barley that fuel a thriving microbrewing industry, the flavours are distinct.

Eric Snaith is the chef-owner of Titchwell Manor, which has been in his family for 33 years.

The hotel has a formal dining restaurant with three AA rosettes, plus a bar-brasserie, and Eric also runs fish-andchip shops and a pizza restaurant.

“The real stand-out [stars] from our stretch of coast is the shellfish,” he says. “It is as good as you can get anywhere in the world, and they naturally become the favourite dishes.

“Mussels and oysters will always be really popular, and the fact that people can eat in sight of the sea lifts it. With the shellfish, the freshness is so important. Crab is also hugely popular; people love classic dishes like moules marinière and crab salads.”

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Passionate about produce Father and son Cyril and Ben Southerland supply restaurants along the North Norfolk coast from their oyster and mussel beds at Brancaster Staithe Harbour.

“They are about a mile away from us,” says Eric, “and have been supplying the hotel for over 30 years.”

Meats, seasonal vegetables, and salad are also plentiful, with local estates supplying venison, partridges and pheasant, and marsh-fed lamb.

Eric believes the standard of food at independent restaurants in North Norfolk has risen significantly in recent years.

“We have good chefs come into the area and the relationship with local producers has got closer,” he continues. “We are dealing with people who are passionate about producing food to the best standard.”

With seasonality an important facet for the area’s chefs, combined with strong links with local suppliers, the fresh produce travels only a few miles from field or grazing pasture, or the sea, to the plate.

Pub with a view With panoramic views across the tidal salt marsh, The White Horse at Brancaster Staithe with its sun deck terrace, marsh-side bar, and fresh, local, and seasonal food “with a north Norfolk twist,” is an in-demand dining spot.

Mussels and oysters are favoured by customers here too, sourced from Brancaster Staithe Harbour where they are grown on trestles in the creeks, taking advantage of natural nutrients that run through the salt marshes. It was at this harbour that it’s thought a young Nelson managed to persuade fishermen to teach him to sail.

Inevitably, the seafood platter for two is popular, with native lobster, dressed Cromer crab, smoked salmon, prawns and mackerel, crispy squid, and crayfish prawn cocktail, sourced from Wells, Cromer, King’s Lynn, Brancaster, and ‘day boat’ Lowestoft fishermen.

Head chef Fran Hartshorne says: “There are so many amazing ingredients, but I love using ‘day boat’ fish for specials as you know where the fish has been landed, and from what boat and, it’s as fresh as you can get.”

The fish is smoked at Staithe Smokehouse, at The White Horse, by ‘Smokey Phil’ (Fran’s husband).

The White Horse also names producers on the menus, with much of the vegetables and fruit supplied direct by ➤ local producers.

Clockwise, from above: The pretty village of Burnham Market, and the Hoste Arms hotel, where Lord Nelson awaited orders to return to sea; colourful beach huts and golden sand at Wells-nextthe-Sea on the North Norfolk coast; the opulent library at Houghton Hall, the former home of Sir Robert Walpole; a fresh oyster is served at Titchwell Manor

SIMON WHALEY LANDSCAPES/KEVIN SNELLING/ALAMY/PETE HUGGINS

here and they will tell you how important the freshest local ingredients are to the dishes they serve, whether we’re talking fine-dining feasts or a superior twist to traditional fish and chips.

The produce for the most popular dishes – crab, lobster, oysters, shrimps, cockles, and mussels – is harvested in the shallows, where maritime history still runs deep.

Lord Nelson was born in Burnham Thorpe, and you can visit the church where his father was rector and the hotel in Burnham Market – The Hoste Arms – where he awaited orders to return to sea, to eventually “do his duty” at the Battle of Trafalgar of 1805.

Meanwhile, Burnham Norton, just a few miles away, is where you’ll find the grave of Richard Woodget, Captain of the Cutty Sark as it made record-breaking voyages laden with wool from Australia in the 1870s. Woodget spent the latter years of his life teaching local youngsters to sail – something akin to the modern-day equivalent of having Lewis Hamilton teach you to drive.

➤

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Mussels and oysters are grown on trestles in the creek, taking advantage of natural nutrients

WIDENING THE NET Food aside, North Norfolk has a lot of appealing attributes, here are some places to factor into your visit.

GRAND DESIGNS There are several grand buildings to visit in the region, but Houghton Hall, the former home of Britain’s first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, is perhaps one of the biggest surprises. Walpole had the house built in 1720 by two of the most revered architects of the time, Colen Campbell and James Gibbs, with ostentatious interiors by William Kent.

Despite Walpole only visiting twice a year, the house was a means of displaying his immense power and status, and it remains one of the finest examples of a Palladian house in England to this day, with a world-beating contemporary art collection to view, too. houghtonhall.com BUCKET-AND-SPADES AT THE READY Seaside nostalgia can be indulged at the popular beaches of Brancaster, Holkham and Wells-next-the-Sea, where the multi-coloured beach huts are some of the most coveted in Britain, while Cromer has its famous Edwardian pier with end-of the pier shows and a lifeboat station.

There are also lovely harbours, with boat trips from Blakeney to see the seal colonies, while inland is the Georgian town of Holt, connected to Sheringham by the steam trains of the North Norfolk Railway. visitnorthnorfolk.com/beaches; nationaltrust.org.uk/blakeneynational-nature-reserve; nnrailway.co.uk

Top to bottom: The view from the garden in winter at The White Horse; the seafood platter at The White Horse

“It’s all a matter of getting to know your supplier,” says Fran, who studied catering and worked in New York and Florida before returning to The White Horse, where she has been head chef for a decade.

“It’s about research and sustainability of the products, and the ethos of a company. I am always looking for quality ingredients from small suppliers. Quality is key but the product needs to be consistent.

“I feel the luckiest chef on the Norfolk coast, creating in a kitchen that faces out across the stunning tidal marsh, it can’t get much better than that.” n

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CRAFTS

I

NICK TURNER

t is surprising to learn that Dan Quartermain, who as a master thatcher spends much of his time high up on roofs, hesitated as a 16-year-old to begin an apprenticeship in the craft because he was scared of heights. “I thought: I’ve got to get over this issue or I won’t be doing the job,” he recalls with a rueful smile. “So, I forced myself and I’ve never looked back.”

That’s lucky for Dan’s customers who rely on him to keep the roofs of their thatched cottages – the chocolate-box epitome of English villages – in good repair.

Based in the Cotswolds and now with more than 35 years’ experience, Dan works with his team across Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, and beyond. “We get all sorts, complete re-thatches to maintenance, and it’s nice to work at both ends of the spectrum: on historic, listed [protected] properties, as well as on modern, new-build projects.”

Notable commissions have included re-thatching Anne Hathaway’s Cottage at Shottery, the one-time home of Shakespeare’s wife. “It’s a traditional timberframed building of the Warwickshire style and we used a straw-based material for the roof as they would have historically in the area. The main challenge for us was it was open to the public and every time we got down from the ladders, people stopped us to talk.”

At the contemporary end of the spectrum, Dan finds a growing demand for thatched additions to people’s properties. Dan says he’s been called out to do tree houses ➤ and summerhouses, “even

Opposite: Dan Quartermain, master thatcher for over 35 years, working on a thatched roof in Wroxton, Oxfordshire

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Down the

Thatch

How does the traditional craft of thatching not only survive, but thrive today? Diana Wright meets a modern-day thatcher to find out

NEALE CLARK/JILL TATE/MICHAEL BROOKS/MIKE TWIGG/FOTOCAPRICORN/ALAMY

CRAFTS

ultra-modern swimming pool buildings where you have thatch capped off with a big flat roof made of glass reinforced plastic: the modern material meeting the traditional older material can be elegant and stunning.”

To ‘thaec’ once meant to cover a roof with any locally available material, including grass, rush, or heather, and from Bronze Age dwellings to modernistic must-haves, the craft has moved with the times.

Different regional building styles developed over centuries, such as shallow-pitched ‘pudding basin’ roofs in the West Country, or steeperpitched roofs in East Anglia.

In the 21st century, with the ubiquity of alternative, cheaper materials, instead of being the poor man’s choice of roofing, thatch became more of a luxury. So too the craft moved out of the hands of farm labourers to the specialist few – estimates suggest there are around 800 or so master thatchers in the UK. Dan’s order book is full up to a year in advance.

“I first began learning by helping a local Cotswold thatcher in the school holidays, which in 1985 led to my four-year apprenticeship with him.

Then I started working for myself in 1990,” Dan says. “Thatching appealed because invariably you are working in some of the most beautiful parts of the countryside.”

Keen to perpetuate the skills he, in turn, includes an apprentice in his team.

“There are two basic materials used today, straw-based and reed.

Where we work, we thatch mainly with straw-based materials, which we largely source from Devon and Somerset. It has to be grown and harvested in a particular way.”

From selecting and tidying straw into ‘armfuls’ to carry onto the roof, ➤ to cutting out gables, every stage Opposite, clockwise from top left: Anne Hathaway’s cottage, Warwickshire; self-catering cottage Purton Green in Suffolk; a cottage in Cavendish, Suffolk; the Drum Inn in Cockington, Devon

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THATCHED DELIGHTS

Here are some of the ways to admire English thatching in person TAKE A HISTORIC TOUR Anne Hathaway’s Cottage near Stratford-upon-Avon has been thatched since first being built in 1463, and Dan Quartermain re-thatched the roof of this quintessential English country cottage around 15 years ago. You can also channel Shakespeare at the re-constructed, thatched Globe Theatre in London (the original Globe burnt down in 1613 after a misfired canon during a performance of the Bard’s Henry VIII set the roof alight).

Or visit Queen Charlotte’s Cottage, a decorative ‘cottage orné’ in Kew Gardens, Richmond, where Georgian royals stopped for refreshments when out for walks . shakespeare.org.uk/visit/anne-hathawayscottage; shakespearesglobe.com; hrp.org.uk/kew-palace/whats-on/queencharlottes-cottage VISIT PRETTY VILLAGES Top chocolate-box scenes around England include Cavendish in Suffolk, where pastel-coloured thatched cottages sit beside the green; Dorset’s Milton Abbas with its famous long street of 18th-century whitewashed cob-and-thatch dwellings; and Cockington in Devon, whose thatched Drum Inn was designed by the famous British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. www.cavendishvillage.uk; visit-dorset.com/ explore/villages/milton-abbas; englishriviera. co.uk/explore/the-english-riviera/cockington STAY IN A COSY COTTAGE Indulge your dreams of living in a thatched cottage with a self-catering holiday with holidaycottages.co.uk, with available hideaways as varied as Tuckaway Thatch, in St Agnes, Cornwall; and Grade II-listed Honey Cottage, in Wool, Dorset. We also love The Landmark Trust’s Purton Green at Stansfield in Suffolk, evolved from a medieval hall-house. Restoration to create the self-catering accommodation here included re-using the medieval thatching spars in the roof. holidaycottages.co.uk/thatched-cottages; landmarktrust.co.uk

CRAFTS

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CRAFTS

of thatching is labour intensive.

When re-thatching with straw the existing roof material is stripped back a little – “there’s a fair chance the bottom layer will be the original, quite old layer of thatch” – before the fresh coat is overlaid on top: resulting in a characteristically rounded, flowing look. (Reed is laid directly onto bare timbers, with all the old thatch having been removed, giving a more ‘angular’ look.)

“For an average cottage we probably remove a ton of material when stripping off and put back two-anda-half tons of material,” Dan says, adding, “It really matters to us that materials are grown organically.

Also, the old thatch we remove goes to be used as animal bedding.

Afterwards it goes out onto the muck pile and eventually onto the field – completely recycled.”

Dan pegs armfuls of straw into place using large-hairpin-like hazel twisted spars, and he works in ‘courses’: vertical three-feet-wide strips running from the bottom of the roof to the top.

More-wieldy reed is nailed to the timberwork using 12ft-long steel bars and Dan works along the roof in horizontal lines. A new layer of thatch is around 13 to 14 inches thick, and the pitch is at least 45 degrees, in order to shed water efficiently.

Tools – spar hooks to split hazel spars, shearing hooks for tidying and trimming – have scarcely changed over the years and are handmade. “The leggett is most well-known, a foot-square bat with a textured side that you use to smooth and bat the lines of straw or reed into place.”

Dan creates a weather-tight ‘turnover’ ridge by folding straw over the apex of the roof. Plain flush ridges are most traditional, while ornamental block-cut ridges featuring scallops, diamonds and suchlike patterns have been popular since “thatchers began fancying up their work around the 1950s to sell

their trade. If you have a small, plain property, block ridging really lifts it – that chocolate-box look.”

Customers sometimes request sculpted straw rooftop ornaments, a modern-day innovation.

Further back in tradition, thatchers supplemented their income by catching sparrows that nested in thatched roofs: four pence was earned for catching a dozen birds in 1774. Today protective wire netting over roofs helps to deter feathered visitors.

There are many variables, but a strawbased roof lasts around 25 years and a reed-based roof five to ten years longer, while ridges need replacing every 10 to twelve years.

“There isn’t any part of thatching that is easy or not strenuous,” Dan says.

“We work all year, in snow, wind and rain, but summer can be most draining because you get a lot of heat reflected off the thatch. It’s sometimes over 50 degrees on the roof and you have to come down every half-hour to rest.

“But the rewards are you are doing a job you can be proud of. I’m proud to be in a line of tradition, maintaining historic properties and thatching new ones, using materials from renewable sources.”

Having conquered his fear of heights, he adds: “You get great bird’s eye views over villages – you can’t see the roads, just the buildings, it’s timeless, and you think: some guy thatched this house a hundred years ago and he pretty much looked at the same view.” n Find out more about Dan Quartermain’s work at danquartermain.co.uk

Above image: Dan thatches using straw-based materials, grown and harvested in a particular way, and sourced from Devon and Somerset

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NICK TURNER

Further back in tradition, thatchers supplemented their income by catching sparrows that nested in thatched roofs

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HISTORIC TOWNS

HISTORIC TOWNS

BUXTON

Known as the ‘capital’ of the Peak District, this attractive Georgian spa town is home to independent shops and tearooms, elegant façades, and has good walks all around, writes Richard Franks

R

elaxation seekers have been flocking to Buxton for well over three thousand years, and it’s very easy to see why. Perched high in the Derbyshire Hills, and cloaked by the Peak District National Park, Buxton lays claim to some of the purest mineral water in the country – so much so that the bottled water proudly bearing its town’s name is still one of England’s favourites.

Early records of Buxton as a spa town date back to AD80 when the Romans built its baths, with those remains first excavated in the 17th century. Buxton’s position in the near centre of England, plus its constant natural spring water temperature of 82 degrees fahrenheit, made it a desirable and accessible place to visit.

Much of Buxton’s development came during the 18th century, when William

Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, funded the construction of several prominent buildings, including the Great Stables (now the Devonshire Dome).

Its centrepiece is indeed the iconic Crescent, a Grade I listed Georgian masterpiece, with pure water bubbling beneath its foundations. Construction of the Crescent was completed in 1789 by architect John Carr and is said to have been inspired by Bath’s famous Royal Crescent.

Nowadays, the Crescent houses a visitor experience, hotel, independent shops, and a natural spa in the baths next door.

At a cool 1,000ft above sea level, Buxton is also officially England’s highest market town. This makes the town prone to snowfall – so much so that in June 1975 an inch of snow even once stopped play during ➤ a summertime cricket match.

Clockwise, from top left: Buxton hosts an annual well dressing festival each July – a tradition that dates back to the 17th century; Buxton Opera House and St John’s Church; Solomon’s Temple on Grin Low hill, on the outskirts of Buxton; the original site of the natural thermal spring waters of Buxton Baths

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PHILIP BARTON/TRAVELLINGLIGHT/ALAMY/TRAVELLIGHT/SCOTT COBB/SHUTTERSTOCK

HISTORIC TOWNS

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HISTORIC TOWNS

Local hero There is perhaps nobody who left more of a mark on Buxton than William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, without whom the town would not have prospered.

Cavendish, the eldest son of his namesake father William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire by his wealthy wife Lady Charlotte Boyle, used profits from his local copper mining business to fund some of the town’s most famous buildings, including Buxton Crescent.

Cavendish also instructed the building of the Devonshire Dome, a stable block that at one time was home to the Royal Devonshire Hospital.

The 5th Duke’s Buxton build projects mostly took place during the late 1700s, and upon his death in 1811, he was succeeded by his eldest son William George Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire.

Places to stay Buxton is peppered with historic haunts and boutique lodges, but visitors should look no further than the Old Hall Hotel (ensanahotels.com/old-hall-hotel/en).

Located on the edge of the twee Pavillion Gardens, the Old Hall dates from 1573 and claims to be England’s oldest hotel; its oldest part was once a four-storey fortified tower that housed Mary, Queen of Scots between 1573 and 1584, under the custodial orders of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury.

Today this quaint ivy-clad building houses more than 30 unique bedrooms, with one even bearing an original inscription from Mary, Queen of Scots on a windowsill.

Photo opportunity Buxton is brilliantly photogenic, making those photo-worthy spots not too difficult to come by. However, for a little inspiration

head up The Slopes, directly opposite the Crescent, for excellent views of the city’s architecture.

Further up the hill, another pertinent photo opportunity can be found beside the Kings Head pub on Eagle Parade, looking back down towards The Slopes. Strolling around Poole’s Cavern & Buxton Country Park, and visiting Solomon’s Temple, also provides opportunities for keen eyes.

Chrome Hill, just outside of the town centre, is also a favourite with landscape photographers due to its rugged topography, and the way the often-fleeting sun catches the peaks.

Extend your trip Lofty Buxton is hugged like a little sibling by the sprawling Peak District National Park below. Just 12 miles west of Buxton lies the charming market town of Bakewell, famed for the frangipane and almond pudding first produced at the Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop, and Chatsworth House is just 16 miles east of Buxton.

The Upper Derwent Valley moorlands to the north offer the sort of craggy environment ideal for walking off all those puddings.

Mam Tor, nine miles to the northwest, is one of the most idyllic hills in the Peak District. Meanwhile, the highest of the lot, Kinder Scout, offers a more challenging hike with one of England’s most photographed spots at its plateau.

Further reading Celia Harwood’s series of murder mystery novels set in Buxton are especially gripping if you know the area – but also really rather intriguing if you don’t. The sixth book in Harwood’s trilogy, High Pique, set in 1924, revolves around the Buxton Well Dressing Festival, and a body found on an ancient Celtic temple site nearby, sparking a domino effect of events in her latest ‘whodunit’ book.

And for a fascinating insight into Buxton’s thriving mining history, The Coal Mines of Buxton by A F Roberts and J T Leach taps into the remnants of an industrial past still visible today – ideal reading for ramblers looking to explore ancient sites.

Top to bottom: A view from the treetops in Buxton; visitors in the main chamber of Poole’s Cavern; a picturesque view of typical Georgian stone buildings in Buxton, taken from the park garden

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VISION BUXTON/POOLE’S CAVERN/SHUTTERSTOCK

Today, Buxton is a bustling town with plenty to see and do for all ages; from the miniature railway that coasts through the Pavillion Gardens’ lush grounds in the summer months, to year-round live music, stand-up comedy, and theatre at the nearby Opera House. There are cute shops to browse on the historic streets or amid charming arcades, and traditional tearooms for refreshment breaks.

ENSANA BUXTON CRESCENT/ROGER BEVERLEY

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The Heart of the Peak District

rom stunning architecture, natural wonders and refreshing spas, to outdoor pursuits, worldwide cuisine, art, ornamental parks and a year-round programme of festivals, fairs and events, this small town in the hills really does have it all.

Built on the source of its famous mineral water, Buxton is the ideal place to refresh your body, heart, mind and soul. The revitalising spring rises from deep under the Peak District hills and emerges beside our magnificent Georgian Crescent and Spa. Buxton has attracted people for thousands of years, and is easily explored through guided tours, heritage experiences, museums and treasure hunts.

Buxton overflows with art and culture but is refreshingly welcoming and unstuffy. There’s usually something going on, from the summer International Festival of opera, music, literature and jazz, to the traditional craft of well dressing and a busy programme at the Frank Matcham-designed Opera House.

You can drink in the air too. The surrounding countryside and encircling woodlands are distinctive features of the town itself and the wider Peak District is on the doorstep. Relax and reconnect in the stunning landscape, the peaceful woodlands or the town’s beautiful parks.

There is no need to choose between the wild beauty of the outdoors, the stunning delights of Chatsworth House or the comforts of theatre, pubs, restaurants, cafes and shops. In Buxton you can have the best of all worlds – there is simply no better place to base yourself when visiting the Peak District.

So, if you’re looking to relax, revive and recharge, then grab your walking boots and your opera glasses and plan your refreshing escape to Buxton at www.visitbuxton.co.uk

Clockwise, from top: The Grade-1 listed Buxton Crescent, dating back to the 1780s; the thermal pool inside Buxton Crescent Health Spa Hotel; Buxton’s historic town centre from The Slopes

Supported by High Peak’s European Regional Development Fund and UK Government’s Welcome Back fund.

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THE NORTH WALES WAY Our trail series continues with a look at some of the highlights along this old trading route, including castles, coastal scenery, cute villages and some excellent restaurants, by Sally Hales

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ROUTE

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ROUTE

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Wales is the country most densely packed with fortresses in the world, due in no small part to England’s King Edward I, and his mighty ‘Iron Ring’ of castles, which are a highlight of the route.

They were built during the 13th century to subdue the native population – particularly in Gwynedd, in northwest Wales, a stronghold of resistance to the English crown – following the conquest of Wales. The 10 castles that form the ring are some of the most important historical sites in the world and collectively form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The most impressive of the fortresses – Beaumaris, Caernarfon, and Conwy – are gathered near the North Wales Way, so taking a bite out of the fascinating era that gave rise to them is easy.

Northwest Wales remains a stronghold of the Welsh language – often said to be Europe’s oldest living language and Britain’s oldest native language. In towns such as Caernarfon, where almost 90% of residents are speakers, visitors can expect to hear it used in shops and on the streets, making a trip along the North Wales Way an ideal way to get an authentic taste of the country’s contemporary vibrant culture, as well as its history and heritage.

Turn the page to discover the eight key points along our route…

TOMAS MAREK/ALAMY/ROBERTHARDING/ALAMY. ILLUSTRATION: ELLY JAHNZ

or a relatively short trip, the North Wales Way (Ffordd y Gogledd) packs a big historical punch. There are ancient monoliths, the seat of the Welsh princes, industrial heritage, Victorian seaside towns, medieval castles, country houses and contemporary cultural institutions on the 75-mile route from Mold in the northeast of Wales, west along the coast to the island of Anglesey (Ynys Môn), set against backdrops of rugged coastline, beautiful beaches, and majestic mountains.

Even the way itself comes with an ancient pedigree. It follows a trading route used since Roman times to carry goods and resources from the market towns and industrial cities of northeast Wales and northwest England to the seaports on the northwest tip of Wales, from where they would travel the globe.

The North Wales Way can be navigated on foot, by bike, car and even on the waterways, linking up with the Wales Coast Path, which forms an unbroken route around the nation, and the Cambrian Way, which travels 185 miles down the spine of Wales to Cardiff and intersects at Llandudno, as well as other walking and cycling routes. The route is also ideal to ‘igam ogam’ (zig-zag) along, jumping off to explore inland treasures such as the Snowdonia National Park, the National Slate Museum, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, and the Rhug Estate.

Previous page: Conwy Castle, built during the 13th century as part of Edward I’s ‘iron ring’ of fortresses Opposite, top to bottom: Victorian seaside town Llandudno, the ‘Queen’ of Welsh seaside resorts; book a table at the Glynne Arms, before you start your journey

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Wales is the country most densely packed with fortresses in the world, and King Edward I’s ‘iron ring’ of castles are a highlight of the route

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ROUTE

DISTANCE: 75 MILES (121KM) ROUTE: MOLD TO HOLYHEAD

1

GLYNNE ARMS, HAWARDEN

The North Wales Way starts in Mold, but consider a diversion to the nearby village of Hawarden, just inside the Welsh border. Explore its castle ruins and Gladstone’s Library, before settling in for a meal at AA Welsh Pub of the Year 2019, The Glynne Arms. The pub, which has been at the heart of the village for more than 200 years, is brimming with history, however, a renovation in 2012 ensures its historic charm comes with plenty of creature comforts, and its menus are overseen by the former Chef Director at the Michelin-starred Petersham Nurseries, so expect tasty dishes. hawardenestate.co.uk

ST WINEFRIDE’S WELL SHRINE, HOLYWELL

This holy well is a few miles along the A55 from Hawarden. Known as the Lourdes of Wales, it is said the well has been bringing forth miracle cures for more than 1,300 years, making it the oldest continually visited pilgrimage site in the UK. Legend states that around AD630, a local chieftain, Caradoc, tried to seduce Winefride, who ran away towards a church built by her uncle, St Beuno. Caradoc chased Winefride and cut off her head. Where it fell, a spring of water appeared. The shrine, which comprises the Grade I listed crypt, outer pool, and small chapel, is open all year. stwinefrideswell.org.uk

3

LLANDUDNO

Known as the ‘Queen’ of Welsh seaside resorts, Llandudno is a Victorian seaside town that has remained largely unchanged for more than a century. Stroll along its North Shore promenade and out onto one of the UK’s finest piers, which, at 700m, is also one of the longest.

Donkey rides, deckchairs and Punch and Judy shows on the Blue Flag North Shore beach will spark memories of holidays gone by, while the second beach, the quieter, sand-duned West Shore, is perfect for a contemplative walk. Take the tramway or alpine cable car across to the Great Orme headland for dizzying views. ➤ llandudno.com Clockwise, from top right: The state bed in Lord Anglesey’s bedroom at Plas Newydd; Aber Falls Distillery; the Prince of Wales on a guided tour of St Winefride’s Well; Beaumaris Castle

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FUNKYFOOD LONDON/PAUL WILLIAMS /NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL/PA IMAGES/ALAMY

2

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CORNWALL’S TIN COAST

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ROUTE

4

ABER FALLS, ABERGWYNGREGYN

This waterfall, about two miles south of the historic village of Abergwyngregyn, is one of the most beautiful in Wales and has long been one of the most popular destinations in the Snowdonia National Park. A four-mile valley walk will take in the area’s history and wildlife.

Stop off at the foot of the waterfall for a tour of the Aber Falls whisky distillery, where there is also a bistro.

Abergwyngregyn itself is an ancient village, known to have been the site of one of the principal courts of the princes of Gwynedd.

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CROWN COPYRIGHT/CADW/VISIT WALES/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JAMES DOBSON/JOHN HAMMOND/PHILIP SMITH/STUART BLACK/FOTAN/ALAMY

CONWY, CAERNARFON, AND BEAUMARIS CASTLES

The first of the Iron Ring castles along the way at Conwy is one of the most magnificent fortresses in Europe, towering over the coastal town since it was built between 1283 and 1287. It features the most intact set of medieval royal apartments in Wales, while spiral staircases in the great towers allow visitors to walk a circuit around the battlements.

Caernarfon Castle, Wales’s most-famous fortress, is one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages and requires a short detour from the main route. The fortress, town walls and quay at Caernarfon were all built during the same 47-year period in the 13th century. Edward I intended the castle to be his seat in Wales and ensured his son, Edward II, was born here. Edward II was created Prince of Wales, a title given to the future king to this day.

Across the Menai Strait lies Beaumaris Castle – the greatest castle that was never built. Construction of Edward I’s masterpiece – a huge fortress with nearperfect symmetry –was halted due to a lack of money and trouble in Scotland. Beaumaris Castle is special because it is incomplete, a testament to the ambition, skill, and beauty of its medieval architect.

Harlech Castle, which completes the quartet of UNESCO sites, is about an hour’s drive from Caernarfon, on the northwest coast of Wales. Sat atop a sheer rocky knoll looking menacingly out to sea, it is the most spectacularly sited of all four castles and well worth the detour. https://cadw.gov.wales

6

DYLAN’S, MENAI BRIDGE

This seafood restaurant is an ideal place to admire the Thomas Telford-built Menai Suspension Bridge.

Opened in 1826, it was the world’s first iron suspension bridge and considered a triumph of civil engineering.

Diners can enjoy a view of the engineering marvel from almost every table. The menu focuses on produce from the surrounding seas and hills, including seafood sourced from the Strait, such as Menai mussels, lobster and Anglesey sea bass. dylansrestaurant.co.uk

7

PLAS NEWYDD HOUSE AND GARDEN, LLANFAIRPWLLGWYNGYLL

The National Trust-managed house on the north bank of the Menai Strait, near Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, is the country seat of the Marquess of Anglesey. The house was modernised in the 1930s by the 6th Marquess and the interior, which dates from the time, is famous for its association with the artist Rex Whistler, who painted a majestic mural in the dining room. Plas Newydd also houses one of the largest collections of Whistler’s works in the world. The 169-acre grounds include a spring garden, the Australasian arboretum, a croquet lawn, an Italianate summer terrace, a rhododendron garden, and a woodland walk. nationaltrust.org.uk/plas-newydd-house-and-garden

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SOUTH STACK (YNYS LAWD), YNYS MÔN

South Stack Lighthouse is on a small island off Anglesey at the northwest tip of Wales. Seasonal tours descend 400 steps down the 100m-high South Stack Cliffs to the former engine room, before a climb to the top of the lighthouse for views of the Llŷn Peninsula, Bardsey Island, and the cliffs, which are home to huge colonies of breeding seabirds including guillemots, razorbills, and puffins. Nature enthusiasts should also head to the nearby South Stack Cliffs Nature Reserve, where they will be delighted to find the RSPB Ellin’s Tower Seabird Centre, which also provides wonderful views across the seabird cliffs. rspb.org.uk; trinityhouse.co.uk

Top row, left to right: Harlech Castle looking out onto Tremadog Bay; the Menai Suspension Bridge; the garden at Plas Newydd House Middle row, left to right: Aber Falls waterfall, Abergwyngregyn; deck chairs on the beach at Llandudno; a south view of Caernarfon Castle Bottom row, left to right: Dylan’s Restaurant, Menai Bridge; South Stack Lighthouse, Anglesey; the Rex Whistler Mural at Plas Newydd

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CROSSWORD & QUIZ

Crossword no 227

Solutions in next issue

Teatime

QUIZ

Test your knowledge of Britain – answers below!

1. How many coronations have taken place at Westminster Abbey, aside from Her Majesty The Queen’s? a) 47 b) 38 c) 29

2. If you were to sit London buses on top of each other, how many would you need to reach the top of the Elizabeth Tower, where Big Ben resides? a) 21 b) 31 c) 41

Down 2 One of King Lear’s daughters (5) 3 County divided into seven districts including Breckland Broadland (7) 4 A boundary ditch with one side being a retaining wall (2-2) 5 Welsh town with a castle ruin (10) 6 ________ House, Scottish Borders home of the Duke of Buccleuch (7) 7 Eleanor of ________, mother of King Richard I of England (9) 8 Austrian composer who visited England twice in the 1790s (5) 9 Gerard Manley ________, 19th-century English poet (7) 13 Better rugs (anag) ________ part of London formerly associated with impoverished writers (4,6) 15 Creature such as a frog or toad (9) 17 12th-century King of England, grandson of William the Conqueror (7) 19 Broadest and longest valley of the North Yorkshire Moors (7) 20 Native of Tyneside (7) 21 Seabirds with long pointed wings and forked tails (5) 23 Upright tripod for displaying a painting (5) 24 ________ Britain, art museum in the City of Westminster (4))

4. Which monarch was held responsible by many for the murder of Thomas Becket in 1170? a) Henry I b) Henry II c) Henry III 5. King Edward I was known as the Hammer of the Scots, but what other nickname did he go by, due partly to his height? a) Shortshanks b) Longshanks c) Lankyshanks 6. Where was Antarctic explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton, born? a) Dulwich, London b) Dundee, Scotland c) Kildare, Ireland Solutions to crossword 226 Across: 1 Brighton, 6 Cecil, 9 Heralds, 10 Angevin, 11 Wolsey, 12 Shelley, 14 Ready, 16 Hawkshead, 18 High Force, 20 Besom, 21 Unicorn, 22 Nelson, 25 Beamish, 26 Ashmole, 27 Roses, 28 Minsmere.

Down: 2 Rural, 3 Gallery, 4 Test, 5 Near Sawrey, 6 Cygnets, 7 Cavaliers, 8 Lundy, 9 Haworth, 13 Sheringham, 15 Anglicans, 17 Dominie, 19 Florins, 20 Beecham, 21 Umber, 23 Stour, 24 Fawn Teatime quiz answers: 1. b, 2. a, 3. c, 4. b, 5. b, 6. c

Across 1 Town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, birthplace of Margaret Thatcher (8) 6 Location for sandcastles (5) 9 18th-century artist, painted The Rake’s Progress (7) 10 Seaside resort on the north coast of Cornwall (7) 11 Village on the southeast of the Isle of Anglesey, with a historic monastery (6) 12 Yorkshire village, home to “The Cathedral of the Dales” (7) 14 ________ Walton, author of The Compleat Angler (5) 16 Battle won by the Duke of Marlborough in 1706 (9) 18 Month in which the St Leger horse race is held at Doncaster (9) 20 Portion of land held by a parish priest (5) 21 A tangle of shrubs or trees (7) 22/26 Renowned 18th-century essayist, co-founder of The Spectator (6,7) 25 Historic town in Surrey (7) 26 See 22 27 ________ and Sensibility, a novel

by Jane Austen (5) 28 A formerly wooded district of southeast England (3,5)

3. What is the name of the steam train that travels across the Glenfinnan Viaduct, doubling as the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films? a) The Flying Scotsman b) The Mary, Queen of Scots c) The Jacobite Steam Train

discoverbritainmag.com 81

NATIONAL TREASURES

Lewis Chessmen This collection of medieval chess pieces proves that the Vikings didn’t spend all their time pillaging, but had some more sedentary pastimes, too

S

ometimes referred to as the Uig Chessmen, as they were found in the parish of Uig on the Isle of Lewis in 1831, the discovery of these 78 chess pieces has raised almost as many questions as it has answered.

Whose were they? Why were they found on a beach on the Atlantic coast? And was playing chess really how the powerful spent their time in the Middle Ages?

Largely made of walrus ivory, with some carved from whales’ teeth, the chess pieces are thought to date from the 12th century.

Today, most of the pieces can be found in the British Museum, but eleven are kept at the National Museum of Scotland.

In the BBC’s A History of the World in 100 Objects, it is suggested that the pieces, which were discovered in a hidden stone chamber in Uig Bay, may have been designed to show off intellect and taste.

Chess has been played for centuries, emerging from India around AD500 and spreading through the Middle East before coming to Europe.

While today chess is a harmless board game, for many who came before us, its set-piece battle makeup may well have been a way to sharpen real-life war skills.

The style of chess pieces often reflected the society in which they were made, and the Lewis Chessmen seem to reflect the power struggles that played out in Northern Europe in the Middle Ages, with oversized king figures sat on elaborate thrones, terrifying ‘beserker’ warriors, and indispensable pawns, who are shaped into featureless slabs like gravestones.

The style of the pieces is similar to carvings discovered in and around Trondheim in Norway, which suggest that this is where they were made.

Though today Lewis is on the western fringes of Scotland, in the 12th century, it would have been in the centre of the Norse world – the Outer Hebrides formed part of the Kingdom of Norway, and Gaelic and Scandinavian culture were intertwined.

Similar pieces have been discovered in Ireland, and Lewis would have been a staging post between Norway and Dublin, so perhaps they were lost en route, or hidden by a merchant planning to return later and sell them? Although with many important Norse people living in Lewis at the time, it’s possible they belonged to a local bishop or earl.

In the British Museum’s notes regarding the pieces, an entry by Zarnecki et al 1984, says: “Perhaps they formed part of the stock of a merchant ship wrecked on the island, hidden and not recovered. The pieces show virtually no signs of wear.”

Though today the pieces are pale brown, they were probably once red, and they do not form complete sets. There is, of course, the possibility that some of the pieces were not used to play chess at all, but another medieval game, such as hnefatafl – a game that uses kings and pawns. We’ll probably never know for sure, but that doesn’t make these pieces any less intriguing. n You can see some of the Lewis Chessmen at the National Museum of Scotland (nms.ac.uk) or at the British Museum (britishmuseum.org).

82 discoverbritainmag.com

© NATIONAL MUSEUMS SCOTLAND

The Lewis Chessmen seem to reflect the power struggles that played out in Northern Europe in the Middle Ages

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