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Editor’s note
IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT Colin
Firth, as Mr Darcy, emerged fully
clothed from Pemberley’s lake in the
1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and
Prejudice over 20 years ago. The
iconic moment, indelibly imprinted
on the (largely female) collective
imagination, calls to mind not only
the sight of Firth in rather damp
white shirt and breeches, but the
glorious stately home Lyme Park,
with its Italianate architecture and
sweeping grounds, which stands
in for Pemberley. Another source
of inspiration for perhaps Austen’s
best-loved stately home is the peerless
Chatsworth in the Peak District, seat
of the Dukes of Devonshire since
1549. Join us on a picturesque tour
Page 8 The 18th century landscape garden at Stourhead, Wiltshire, featured in Pride and Prejudice in 2005
of these and other sublime Jane
Contents
Austen settings – both real and as
imagined by film directors (p.8).
This issue is packed with iconic
British buildings – St Paul’s
Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament
and Banqueting House among them
8 40
– which have witnessed landmark
moments in our history from the
execution of Charles I to Horatio
Nelson’s funeral. Oxford University MANSIONS AND PORTOBELLO GOLD
MANNERS Pendle Harte steps out on the
alumnus Alexander Larman also Nancy Alsop tours estates colourful street made famous
takes a trip down memory lane as he used in Jane Austen screen by the film Notting Hill and its
revisits the city’s colleges (p.54), while adaptations and those that world-famous market
Nancy Alsop goes behind the scenes inspired her work
at Kensington Palace (p.30), home of
Queen Victoria, Princess Diana and
the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
18 46
COMPETITION AT HOME WITH
Those pining for wilder views Win an all-expenses-paid HOLMES
can feast their eyes on the majestic holiday to Britain with stays Nicola Rayner follows
in top luxury hotels and the clues to the Sherlock
Yorkshire moors (p.76), or the
other exciting treats Holmes Museum
whisky-making regions of Scotland Page 30 Queen Victoria’s palace
(p.86). And don’t miss your chance
to enter our competition for a
once-in-a-lifetime trip to Britain...
20 50
KEY TO THE THE INSIDER
NICOLA RAYNER Acting Editor
KINGDOM Brenda Cook casts her eye
Dover Castle is the entry point over the British Isles and
to Britain. Nigel Jones finds out reveals some hidden gems
how held it repelled invaders and undiscovered treasures
30 54
THE TREASURES OF DREAMING SPIRES
KENSINGTON PALACE Oxford University alumnus
On the covers: Radcliffe Camera, Oxford: Jon Bower/
We meet the palace’s senior Alexander Larman tours the
Loop Images/Corbis. A cottage in Thornton le Dale,
Yorkshire: Mike Kipling Photography/Alamy curator to discover its delights Page 18 Win a life-changing trip pick of the city’s colleges
discoverbritainmag.com 3
Contents
66
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News
Travel notes
Nicola Rayner tours the country to bring you
the last word in luxury travel
THE GOOD LIFE PAPER TRAIL

In the village of Timsbury, just outside
“I cannot sleep unless I am surrounded
Bath, budding chefs can combine a
by books,” said Jorge Luis Borges, who
trip to a beautiful part of Britain with
would have been very happy at the
improving their foraging and cookery
Beaumont in Mayfair, where co-owner
skills. Founded in 2013 by Bod and
Jeremy King personally selects all
Annie Griffiths, who escaped London
the books for the hotel’s bedrooms.
life to return to their rural roots, Vale
Celebrating the hotel’s first anniversary
House Kitchen is set in a local stone
– traditionally “paper” – owners King
outbuilding adjacent to the family’s
and Chris Corbin have paired up with
home and offers a wide range of “field
iconic Mayfair bookshop Heywood
to fork” courses – the most intensive of
Hill to offer A Year in Books, a special
which is the two-day Complete Game
deal that combines an overnight stay
Experience – with some of the best
with a visit to Nancy Mitford’s favourite
chefs and foragers in the West Country.
bookshop for a consultation with a
www.valehousekitchen.co.uk
dedicated bookseller. Over the course
of the following year, guests will
then receive 12 carefully picked and
beautifully gift-wrapped new books.
You can pick from the paperback or
hardback option with prices from £555.
www.thebeaumont.com
NANNY KNOWS BEST

An Arts and Crafts gem in the heart of the Lake District
has been nominated for a prestigious national award. Luxury
Ambleside venue Nanny Brow opened its doors in 2011
following the restoration of its exquisite original features.
Now offering 14 bespoke suites, the hotel is very proud of its
23-year-old manager, Emma Robinson, who started there as a
chambermaid and recently made the shortlist in the category
of Front of House Manager of the Year in the Boutique
Hotelier Personal Service Star Awards 2015.
www.nannybrow.co.uk
WALTER DIRKS; DANIEL WILDEY
Mansions
& manners
Jane Austen’s sublime settings are as famous as the heroes
and heroines of her novels. Nancy Alsop tours the estates
used as screen locations, and those that inspired Miss Austen
I
t has been coming on so gradually, that I hardly Historian Dr Robert Clark last year proposed a theory
know when it began. But I believe I must date it from that the home of relatives of Spencer Perceval, the only-
my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley.” ever assassinated British Prime Minister, also acted as the
Elizabeth Bennet’s words to her sister Jane following inspiration for Mansfield Park – which happens to be set
the news of her engagement to Mr Darcy, the man she in Northamptonshire. His claim that Austen’s heroine,
loathed until the volte-face finale to Pride and Prejudice, Fanny Price, came of age amidst this particular stately
illuminate two things. First, that it’s not just “a truth splendour is based on clues gleaned from a series of
universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession letters between the author and her sister Cassandra.
of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” but, more to In 1813, the latter received a missive from Jane, at the
the point, that one in possession of a beautiful home must time busy penning Mansfield Park, enquiring as to the
surely be seeking a mistress for it. Second, it shows how nature of Northamptonshire, a county it’s clear she didn’t
important place was to Miss Austen, who once noted: know. Dr Clarke’s suggestion is that the novelist was
“There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.” angling for Cassandra to gather descriptive information
As long as it is of a suitably grand order, naturally. from her friend Elizabeth Chute, whose sister, the
As well as the central love stories and the minutely Marchioness of Northampton, lived at Castle Ashby.
observed vagaries of human nature, the reason Austen’s He believes the key to Austen’s inspiration was the
novels have translated so well to the big and small screens Marquess and Marchioness’ political connections;
is the novelist’s preoccupation with beautiful setting. The the Marquess was cousin to Spencer Perceval, who
most recent of the stately homes to, belatedly, figure in supported the abolition of slavery, and who Dr Clarke
the Austen canon is Castle Ashby in Northamptonshire. believes would have appealed to Austen as a hero ➤
Left: The Octagon Drawing Room at Basildon Park, imagined as Netherfield in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film
Jane Austen
(indeed, it is telling of the times that, in Mansfield Park, Above: Lacock, But the country abounds with places connected to
Sir Thomas Bertram leaves for his plantation in Antigua). Wiltshire, which Austen – whether those she knew, or those latterly
Whether the theory has credence or not, visitors can doubles as Meryton imagined for the screen as the places in which she set her
in TV’s 1995 Pride
nonetheless visit the Northamptonshire pile, originally and Prejudice
novels. And as every Austen fan knows, the settings are as
built in the shape of an E to commemorate the coronation Below: Castle Ashby readily recognisable as the lovelorn heroes and heroines
of Queen Elizabeth I, to parade the grounds. While there, reputedly inspired themselves. Here are some of our favourites to visit.
note the 1624 Inigo Jones façade, the 1761 Capability Mansfield Park
Brown gardens and take a turn about the Orangery,
where you can clap eyes on an impressive profusion of Basildon Park and Lacock Village
NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/DENNIS GILBERT; ARNHEL DE SERRA; ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL;

waterlilies, before taking tea at its exemplary
walled-garden tea room. Basildon Park, an 18th century Palladian home, features
NICK MEERS; PORTRAIT ESSENTIALS/ALAMY; GRAHAM OLIVER; TOM WILKINSON

www.castleashbygardens.co.uk in a pivotal role in the 2005 big-screen adaptation of Pride
and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley. Although Austen
set much of her book in Hertfordshire, Basildon is slightly
west of that mark in the almost-neighbouring Berkshire.
Doubling up as Netherfield, the new country residence
of Mr Bingley, it is here that our story starts; the
Bennet girls – with varying degrees of enthusiasm and
embarrassment – are forced by their mother to take full
advantage of the arrival of this handsome and, more
to the point, monied new addition to the village.
It is here that Jane Bennet duly takes Bingley’s fancy
while Elizabeth Bennet riles – and is riled by – the even
wealthier and more handsome Mr Darcy. Visitors today
may not hope for such luck as to pique the interest of
such an eligible bachelor of £5,000 a year. But they may
instead explore one of the last Palladian mansions of the ➤
Gorey Harbour – Jersey
Mont Orgueil Castle,
25t March – 10 MAY 2016
h TH
Peel back the layers of the Channel Islands’ past during

the Heritage Festival – a celebration of a group of small
Islands with a big history, this year honouring our timeless
relationship with the sea. From our Ice Age past to Roman
wrecks, famous seafarers to privateering, shipbuilding to
great shipwrecks; explore museums and lighthouses, take
guided walking, cycling and bus tours and much more.
PICK UP YOUR FESTIVAL GUIDE OR FIND OUT MORE AT:

VISITCHANNELISLANDS.COM
@VISITGUERNSEY FACEBOOK.COM/VISITGUERNSEY
@VisitJerseyCI FACEBOOK.COM/VisitJersey
Xxx
Left: Chatsworth House in
Derbyshire is allegedly the real
inspiration for Pemberley in
Pride and Prejudice
Right: The dining room at
Lyme Park, which stood
in for Pemberley in the
BBC’s 1995 production
Xxx
Jane Austen
period in the country (finished in 1783, the architectural

fashion was on the cusp of giving way to neoclassicism).
In disrepair by the 20th century, for some years of
which it was used as army barracks, the 1950s saw it
snapped up by Lord and Lady Iliffe, who restored it to its
former glories – before gifting it to the National Trust and
thus posterity. Since then, it has not only welcomed film
crews recreating Austen’s England, but Basildon has also
starred as Grantham House in Downton Abbey.
Meanwhile, when not found staking out resident
wealthy bachelors, the Bennet girls could be seen in their
neighbouring hamlet of Meryton, which – in the 1995
BBC television adaptation – is imagined as the perfectly
preserved Wiltshire village of Lacock. The 13th century
parish provided the ideal backdrop for the town where
the silliest of the Bennet girls shopped for bonnets and
attempted to attract the attentions of stationed officers –
to disastrous effect for one particular sister.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/basildon-park
Chatsworth House and Lyme Park

Yet more Pride and Prejudice, but then it’s hard to ignore
the most beloved of all the Austen novels – and, indeed,
that best loved of all Austen’s stately homes: Pemberley.
Elizabeth Bennet, the story’s headstrong heroine, falls in
love with Mr Darcy’s ancestral home even before she falls
for the oscillating charms of the master of the house.
Austen writes of it: “It was a large, handsome, stone
building standing well on rising ground, and backed by
a ridge of high woody hills; and in front, a stream of some
natural importance was swelled into greater, but without
any artificial appearance.”
The real inspiration for the object of Miss Bennet’s
affections? Allegedly, the seat of the Duke of Devonshire,
Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, the same county in
which Austen sets the fictional Pemberley. It is fitting
then that it should have been used once more in the 2005
silver-screen adaptation of the book. Visitors will no ➤
Top left: The Tea Party – a
carving inside the pagoda in the
Chinese Room at Claydon House,
Buckinghamshire, featured in
Emma, starring Gwyneth Paltrow
This page: Stourhead landscape
garden in Wiltshire featured
in the 2005 film adaptation
of Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
For more beautiful photographs of

“real-life” Jane Austen locations, go to
www.discoverbritainmag/
jane-austen-on-location
doubt recognise its grand staircase Verney was standard bearer to King
and Painted Hall, which Lizzie tours Charles I and his ghost is said to have
with her aunt and uncle. Indeed, roamed the house since his demise at
Chatsworth has hung on to the bust the Battle of Edgehill in 1642).
of Mr Darcy, played by Matthew Today, the slightly austere exterior
Macfadyen, as a souvenir of the film. is the only part of the building still
If, like Lizzie Bennet, you are standing. It would once have made
disinclined to leave, you can stay on up the west wing of the larger house,
the Chatsworth estate in a holiday while the interior is, by contrast,
cottage. It may not have been grand all rococo opulence – hence the
enough for Darcy, but it will do for us. suitability for its role as Emma’s
Or, devotees of the BBC version lavish ballroom. Don’t miss the
may prefer to visit Cheshire’s Lyme bedroom of Florence Nightingale,
Park, an Italianate palace that has a regular visitor and sister of
also been home to Mr Darcy, so Parthenope, Lady Verney.
memorably played by Colin Firth. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/claydon
Visitors to the Peak District
mansion – with 1,400 acres and
a deer park – should see the Long
Bath and
Gallery and Edwardian interiors, Saltram House
before exploring the herbaceous To cast your eyes over the hand that
borders alongside the famous lake penned these much-loved tomes,
where he takes that impromptu dip. visit Saltram House in Devon,
For the real Austen devotee, next where Jane Austen’s letters to the
it’s time to head down south to the mistress of the house, Frances the
Stourhead landscape garden in first Countess, reside. Home for
Wiltshire, where the 2005 production 300 years to the Parker family,
used its Temple of Apollo for Mr it is magnificent place to visit.
Darcy’s first failure of a proposal But for the ultimate Jane Austen
to Lizzie Bennet. pilgrimage, the city of Bath, in
Famous for its 2,650-acre gardens, Somerset, where she set both
and replete with classical temples and Persuasion and Northanger Abbey,
resplendent lake, Stourhead opened is unbeatable. In the latter, she
its doors in the 1750s. Do venture writes: “They arrived in Bath.
into the house too, where visitors can Catherine was all eager delight; her
see the spectacular Regency library. eyes were here, there, everywhere, as
www.chatsworth.org they approached its fine and striking
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme-park environs...” So happy did it make
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead Austen that she adopted the city as
her home from 1801 to 1806. There
Claydon House are Austen walking tours, and a visit
NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JOHN HAMMOND; HPPAARCHIVE
to the Assembly Rooms – scene of

It takes little imagination to see why balls attended by both the writer and
Claydon House, a glorious example of the 18th century Top: Looking her heroines – is obligatory. (Indeed, so important were
stately home, featured in the 1996 film adaptation of through to the terpischorean skills to the writer that Hidden Britain Tours
Emma, starring Gwyneth Paltrow. The consummate Morning Room and offers a special Dancing Years package through Austen’s
Velvet Drawing Hampshire too). Yet the starting point must surely be Bath’s
matchmaker attends a ball at the fictional Donwell House,
Room at Saltram,
and it is here that our heroine realises that Mr Knightley Devon, where Jane Austen Centre, for full immersion into the world of
is more to her than simply a brother figure. Jane Austen was a one of the greatest writers Britain has ever produced. n
One of the older of the stately homes featured here, regular guest
Claydon in Buckinghamshire was built in 1620 for Bottom: Bath www.nationaltrust.org.uk/saltram
the Verney family. It still remains under this family’s Assembly Rooms www.janeausten.co.uk
ownership, while being open to the public. (Sir Edmund www.hiddenbritaintours.co.uk
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Competition
WIN a Great British holiday

Win a luxury, all-expenses-paid holiday to Britain, including free
flights if you live outside the UK, courtesy of Discover Britain
O
ur five-star, one-week country to visit the Treasure Houses
holiday for two will be of England, where you can admire
the trip of a lifetime as some of Britain’s most historic stately
our winners visit many of Britain’s homes such as Blenheim Palace,
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celebrity-style red-carpet treatment and moated Leeds Castle, and enjoy a
along the way. two-night stay as the special guest of
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How to enter
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KEY
TO THE KINGDOM
Dover Castle is the white cliffs’ crowning glory.
As the entry point to Britain, it has held its own
against French invaders; in civil wars; and is where
Dunkirk was masterminded, writes Nigel Jones
Kent
T
he medieval monk and chronicler Matthew
Paris called it “Clavis Angliae” (“England’s
key”). And anyone approaching Dover Castle
from land or sea can see why. Crowning the
chalk-white cliffs of Dover, the massive fortress – one
of Britain’s biggest castles – dominates the gateway to
the country, just as it has always done since William the
Conqueror began building fortifications here in 1066.
Apart from the Tower of London, arguably no fortress
has played a more central role in Britain’s island story
than Dover: from the Norman conquest to the Second
World War and beyond to the Cold War, when the castle’s
warren of subterranean tunnels were chosen as a seat of
regional government in the event of a nuclear attack –
until, that is, the penny dropped that chalk might, in fact,
be permeable to radiation.
The castle’s commanding site has always attracted
builders. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of Iron
and Bronze Age hill forts; a Roman lighthouse – called
a Pharos – still survives within the castle’s precincts.
Indeed, before the conquering Normans came this way
in 1066, the Saxons built a castle here from local clay.
But it was King Henry II who really set Dover in
stone in the 1180s when he ordered a master builder
known as Maurice the Engineer to turn Dover into an
unimpregnable stronghold. It was Maurice who raised
the huge rectangular stone keep at the castle’s centre, and
many of the stout girding curtain walls which encircle it.
Maurice’s work was soon put to the test of war when
the castle was besieged in 1216. It passed with flying
colours. The attackers were an army led by Prince Louis,
son of the French king, who had been invited to invade
England by the rebellious barons who, the previous
year, had forced “bad” King John to grant Magna Carta.
Having occupied the whole of south-east England apart
from Windsor and Dover castles, Louis settled down to
besiege the Kent fortress in mid-July.
His men bombarded the castle walls with siege engines
called mangonels, but they made little impression on
Maurice’s stout handiwork. The French duly dug into the
soft chalk to undermine the castle from below; in answer,
the undaunted defenders started their own counter-tunnel
(which can still be seen).
The French finally succeeded in toppling one of the
twin towers guarding the castle’s northern entrance, and
poured through the gap torn in the walls. But John’s loyal
garrison, led by the castle constable, Hubert de Burgh,
were waiting, having plugged the breach with wooden
beams cannibalised from the castle’s interior. After a hard
fight, they threw the besiegers back. In October, John
mercifully died and the siege was lifted. Hubert repaired
the damage and built new gateways on the castle’s
eastern and western sides.
Civil war came to the castle once more in 1642, when
the country divided between Royalist Cavaliers and
Parliamentary Roundheads. Dover town supported ➤
Clockwise, from left: An aerial view of the imposing and robust stone gate of
Dover Castle, which took shape in the Dover Castle, traditionally the gateway to
1180s on the orders of King Henry II and Britain; the ancient stone stairway in the
was designed by Maurice the Engineer; Great Tower at Dover Castle
Kent
Below: The Parliament, while its governor, MP Sir Edward Boys, the castle into a giant gun platform, building a huge
subterranean held the castle for the king. On 21 August 1642, a daring horseshoe-shaped rampart and brick bastions to carry
tunnel complex
Dover Roundhead, Richard Dawkes, surprised the sleepy the guns. When he ran out of space, he dug into the cliffs
created in 1803
to protect against garrison in the night when he led a raiding party up the beneath, creating miles of tunnels and underground
invasion by white cliffs and into the castle via the Avranches Tower. barracks housing 2,000 soldiers.
Napoleon and, An enraged Sir Edward laid siege to his own castle, but The labyrinth was abandoned after Waterloo in 1815,
later, where the Dawkes summoned reinforcements from elsewhere in but brought back into use during World War II. It was
miracle of Dunkirk Kent and the castle remained in Parliamentary hands from this subterranean vantage point that, in 1940,
was masterminded
throughout the civil war. Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay masterminded the miracle
Bottom: King
Henry II’s But Dover Castle’s finest hour was yet to come. In 1803, of Dunkirk – Operation Dynamo, the rescue of the British
bedchamber at when Napoleon threatened a cross-Channel invasion, army from the beaches of Dunkirk under the noses of the
Dover Castle the castle was put into the hands of a military engineer, Nazis. Later, the tunnels were extended and remained the
William Twiss, who transformed its defences. Twiss made nerve centre of Britain’s frontline defences throughout the
war, housing a telephone exchange, a military hospital, an
air-sea rescue service for plucking downed pilots from the
Channel, as well as dining rooms and dormitories.
The tunnel complex was opened to the public after
English Heritage took over Dover from the military, and
spent nearly £3 million on it. The labyrinth is still being
investigated and its secrets revealed, and more tunnels
may yet be unveiled. With its stirring history, well-
preserved architecture, and those tunnels testifying to
its proud patriotic past, Dover Castle truly is the key to
England. It is no wonder that some 350,000 people visit
it every year to experience its treasures for themselves. n
www.english-heritage.org.uk
ENGLISH HERITAGE/NIGEL WALLACE-ILES; JIM HOLDEN; ALAMY/DENNY ROWLAND; STEVE VIDLER; ISTOCK
Relax, Unwind, Experience
Join us at the Bella Luce, a small and independent family coast, lingering over a long lunch in our courtyard, or simply
run hotel situated in a historic Norman manor house on retreating with a book to an armchair next to the fire for
the tranquil island of Guernsey. an afternoon, the Bella is the perfect setting from which
to experience Guernsey, however you choose to do so.
An award winning hotel, restaurant and spa, the Bella
Luce is the perfect bolthole for a long stay or a few days We like to say that we offer a little bit of luxury but with
away. Whether you wish to spend your time exploring the your shoes kicked off, and we invite you to be our guest.
nearby dramatic cliffs and sandy beaches of Guernsey’s
For further information The Bella Luce The Bella Luce

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call 01481 238764 or visit www.bellalucehotel.com Hotel & Restaurant
La Fosse, St Martins,
Guernsey, GY4 6EB
Made in Britain
Left: William Morris-designed
apple tree embroidery
Below: A portrait of William
Morris, Arts and Crafts
Movement revolutionary
I
do not want art for a few any more than “The Firm”, picked up awards and adulation
education for a few, or freedom for a along the way, which led to a commission
few.” As a man with a keen appreciation to decorate the dining room at the South
for the power of words – known during Kensington Museum (later the V&A).
his lifetime as a poet as well as an artist – It was not until 1862 that Morris focused
William Morris certainly lived by his. Born in on wallpaper design. Using hand-cut wood
1834 to a middle-class family in east London, blocks, he created Daisy, Fruit and Trellis,
he is considered the greatest designer of the capturing English hedgerows and gardens –
Arts and Crafts Movement. and the public imagination. In 1880, Morris
This championed the use of traditional & Co was commissioned to decorate the
craftsmanship and had a disdain for ornate, entrance and banqueting rooms of St James’s
machine-produced pieces (“altogether an Palace, and later, in 1887, Queen Victoria
evil”) that had taken off during the Industrial knew just who to call on when she wanted
Revolution, insisting that the true designer- new wallpaper for Balmoral Castle.
maker should be considered an artist. As
such, Morris helped to make art available for Kelmscott Manor
all through its application to everyday items. Morris leased Kelmscott Manor in the
ART FOR
He told his disciples: “Have nothing Cotswolds in 1871. Its idyllic setting,
in your house that you do not know to however, did little to stem the pain at his
be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” A wife’s affair with Rossetti (who co-leased the
ALL
polymath, Morris’s range spanned poetry, house), or the frustration he felt with fellow
art, philosophy, typography and political members of The Firm. In 1875, he dissolved
theory and, while at Oxford, he fostered a it, instead setting up Morris & Co, alongside
dream with the artist Edward Burne-Jones of Burne-Jones and Webb; in 1877 they opened
an ideal and fair society – and of living amid
William Morris revolutionised a showroom on Oxford Street which brought
a simpatico artistic community. art and design in the Victorian the full Morris “look” – ceramics, lighting,
era and did more work than most wallpaper and embroidery – under one roof.
Red House would in 10 lifetimes, says It was a hit in the UK, while exports to the
Post-Oxford, Morris immersed himself in US became a mainstay of the business.
a group which called itself the Pre-Raphaelite
Rose Bateman By this time, Morris co-founded the then
Brotherhood. Along with architect Philip radical Society for the Protection of Ancient
Webb, in 1860 he designed a medieval style Buildings, which championed conservation;
red-brick house for himself and his wife, he campaigned against poverty, setting up
Pre-Raphaelite model Jane Burden. the Socialist League in the 1880s; and he
“Red House” in London’s Bexleyheath launched his own publishing company, the
represented the cherished ideal: his friends, Kelmscott Press, in 1891, seen as the finest
Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and collection in the private press movement.
Charles Faulkner converged on the property. It is no wonder that when he died in 1896,
They collectively decorated stained-glass his physician noted, “I consider the case is
windows, and created simple Arts and Crafts this: the disease is simply being William
furniture and embroideries, the latter finding Morris and having done more work than
its apotheosis in 12 large hangings, designed most 10 men.”
by Morris and made by Jane, that depicted As for his legacy, we look to his own
MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY 2015
Illustrious Women from Chaucer. words: “The past is not dead, it is living in us,
The collective’s cottage industry was soon and will be alive in the future which we are
formalised into a decorative business and now helping to make.” It just so happens that
its radical founder members, Burne-Jones, Morris did more to mould it than most. n
Ford Madox Brown and Dante Gabriel
Rossetti, would revolutionise art and design www.sal.org.uk/kelmscott-manor;
in the Victorian age. The studio, known as www.williammorrissociety.org.uk
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• THE TREASURES OF KENSINGTON PALACE •
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THE SHERLOCK HOLMES MUSEUM •
LONDON
PAGES
SHUTTERSTOCK; RHS; VISIT BRITAIN; ISTOCK; HEMIS/ALAMY; HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES
London
The
Treasures of
Kensington
Palace
Nancy Alsop meets Deirdre Murphy, senior
curator at Kensington Palace, to tour the
home of King George I, Queen Victoria,
Princess Diana and now the Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge
Slug
London
T
o Deirdre Murphy, senior residence and cleaner air to help with replace John Vanbrugh, despite the king’s
curator at Kensington Palace, his pronounced asthma. resolve that Kensington Palace should rival
its state apartments are Rebuilding the central state apartments, that celebrated architect’s achievements at
populated with familiar, hitherto a Sir Christopher Wren design Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
friendly faces. It’s not just (albeit one executed in haste), George I By 1723, Kent had decorated the King’s
that she is in possession of an excellent appointed the architect, interior designer, Staircase – the ceremonial entrance to the
imagination; it is also literally true. landscape architect and all-round palace – with wall paintings that depicted
In 1714, the advent of the Hanoverian Renaissance man, William Kent – the man actual characters from the king’s court. “You
King George I brought with it a makeover credited with “designing Georgian Britain” can see the yeoman of the guard and in this
for the palace, which had first been adopted – to bring his revamped Palladian ideals archway you can spot two of George I’s
as a royal household by the co-regents King to this pocket of what was then considered grooms of the king’s chamber – they were
William III and Queen Mary II, the former rural England. It was a bold move; Kent Turkish, named Mehmet and Mustafa,” says
of whom was looking for a country was a relative unknown, drafted in to Murphy as we ascend the stately entrance,
before pointing out one of the wall painting’s was.” All of the upper echelons of Georgian Previous page, main image: The King’s Staircase,
more eyebrow-raising curiosities. London society would have ascended these the ceremonial entrance to the palace, was designed
“Here, on the right-hand side, you can see stairs, situated atop the private quarters by William Kent in 1723 Top left: A statue of Queen
Victoria, who spent her childhood at the palace
a small boy known as ‘Wild Peter’. He was of the resident royals, as we do today, to
This page, clockwise from left: Detail from William
a feral child found in the woods in Germany, be admitted for parties in its public state Kent’s painting on the King’s Staircase; the King’s
who had been brought to the king’s court rooms, which remain as sparsely filled with Gallery looks much as it did in 1727; the ceiling of the
as a sort of human pet. We don’t know furniture now as then to allow guests to Cupola Room where Queen Victoria was baptised
anything more about him than that – we circulate unencumbered.
don’t know if he slept in royal splendour As palatial entrances go, Kent’s painted
or in the stables, though he wore a collar. characters imbue what could have been
“It’s always tempting to apply 21st a grandly forbidding – if beautiful –
century codes of morals, but you have to staircase with life, warmth and a sense of
try to remember how different a time it the lives played out at this elegant royal ➤
VISITBRITAINI/HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES; STEVE VIDLER/ALAMY
London
Below: The young Queen Victoria descends the
King’s Staircase, accompanied (behind) by her residence. For Kensington Palace abounds
controlling mother, the Duchess of Kent, with with characters, and intrigue – from
whom she lived at Kensington Palace Mary II, who died of smallpox aged 32 in
1694, to Queen Caroline’s humiliations
in the 18th century when her husband,
King George II, showed a particular
partiality to her own personal assistant.
On a tour of the state apartments,
visitors can marvel at its many treasures:
from the William Kent designed silk
wall hangings, and the Vasari painting of
Venus and Cupid in the King’s Drawing
Room, to the King’s Gallery, where
guests were infrequently invited. It was
reserved for the monarch’s quiet solace and
contemplation amongst the ceiling frescoes
depicting scenes from The Odyssey.
The magnificent Cupola Room – as
everything in the state apartments – was
commissioned by King George I, whose
accession to the throne had been aptly
marked at Kensington Palace with fireworks
and the drinking of six strong barrels of beer.
Once again, it is the handiwork of the ever
capable Mr Kent who, as a relative unknown,
charged less than half the official royal
painter, Sir James Thornhill. It is also in the
Cupola Room that you can clap eyes on the
spot where Queen Victoria was baptised.
By that time, the palace had fallen
into disrepair and as such was deemed
appropriate only for lesser royals, such as
Victoria’s father, the Duke of Kent. He died
young, leaving his daughter to pass her
childhood at the palace in semi-isolation, but
for the company of her controlling mother.
But her memories were not all unhappy
of this place; it was at Kensington Palace
that she became queen; and here where
she first saw her beloved Prince Albert.
It was only as queen that she moved into
Buckingham Palace.
20th century glamour

Today, the palace is famously home to the
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, but it was
in the 20th century that it was fully restored
to glamour. This is evidenced by Fashion
Rules, a long-running exhibition – set to be
restyled and relaunched in February – of the
official dress worn by three major royals: the
Queen, Princess Margaret, who lived in high
glamour at the palace, and, finally, Princess
Diana – by far its most famous former
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Hidden britain1-4 30/1/09 14:53 Page 1
Jane Austen
The Dancing Years
Explore Jane Austen’s
early life with Hampshire
Ambassador, Phil Howe.
Discover the villages,
churches, country houses
and trace the people she
A DAY TO REMEMBER describes in her letters.
D I S C OV E R O N E O F E N G L A N D’ S M O S T Tours can include a visit to
B E AU T I F U L A N D H I S T O R IC C A S T L E S the Jane Austen
House Museum, and
the village of Chawton.
h e verc ast l e.c o.u k
Email info@hevercastle.co.uk | Call +44 (0)1732 865224 Enjoy lunch at a Hampshire
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For more information Phone: +44 (0)1256 814222

e-mail: info@hiddenbritaintours.co.uk
or visit www.hiddenbritaintours.co.uk
Visit-Britain-99x129-V3.indd 1 16/12/2014 16:13

London
rules,” explains Murphy. “The exhibition the collection show store, that some of the ivory and gold. “Court dress stopped
looks at ideas around diplomatic dressing. unsung heroes are kept. They are altogether officially being worn in 1939. You’ll notice
So, for example, this dress was worn by quieter but no less compelling treasures. that this dress and train are different
the Queen on a visit to Pakistan, and it is “Kensington has had dresses on display colours. That’s because court dresses were
green and white to reflect the colours of since it was opened to the public in 1899,” essentially fashionable dresses with trains
the Pakistani flag.” explains Murphy as she lays out four attached to the shoulders.
We move through to the exotic fancy dress exquisite pieces for inspection. “The Royal “As a debutante, the regulations stated
donned by film star-esque Princess Margaret Ceremonial Dress Collection started life that you had to wear court dress and
through to the 1980s extreme silhouettes when we got a huge loan of court uniforms actually that whole scene had a huge impact
favoured by Princess Diana, complete with to the palace, and the collection has grown on the building of the couture industry. So
photographs of her, bouffant hairdo and all. around that. So uniform is a huge strength many of the big couture houses like House
of the collection, but it also includes clothes of Worth and Norman Hartnell would work
Hidden treasures worn by members of the royal family.” with girls every year – and their mothers.
But while the stars of the show twinkle on She gesticulates towards a Lanvin court “After all, you would only be presented
public display downstairs, it is upstairs, in dress from 1926, a showstopper in sparkling formally to the monarch once and there are
The exterior of Kensington Palace
O
NO UT
W!
a lot of very detailed newspaper descriptions the pièce de résistance, a uniform worn by
of huge courts from the 1920s and 1930s.
This 1926 dress shows just how important
Queen Victoria’s Lord-in-Waiting, whose
story is heartbreakingly poignant. NEW LONDON
2016 GUIDE
that industry was because Lanvin, of course, “It was worn by Lord Boston and he
was a Paris-based firm. The fact that it was required, when he got this ceremonial
was making court dresses is significant as post, to buy a royal household uniform.
it shows that there was obviously some You can tell it’s this, because it’s got red 164 PAGES PACKED WITH HUNDREDS OF MUST-VISIT DESTINATIONS AND INSPIRING IDEAS
competition to be fashionable. But also that cuffs and a red collar.

French couture houses were advertising.” “The uniforms were codified from
Many of the items do not represent literal the early 19th century; the amount
WIN
riches alone, but historic ones too, saturated
as they are with interesting narratives.
and configuration of the gold and silver
showed who you were. So in the 19th
YOUR
NEXT
TRIP 101 BEST
ATTRACTIONS
Take, for example, the buff-leather sleeved century, you would be able to walk into CAPITAL
SIGHTS
From Big Ben to Tower Bridge
Your itinerary starts here
waistcoat associated with King Charles I, a room and say, ‘I’m going to talk to THETheWEST END
shows set to
storm theatreland this year
designed to be worn under his armour. Or him, he’s definitely an influential person ➤ THE VIP LIST
Exclusive hotels, restaurants
and galleries
ROYAL INVITE
Go behind the scenes at
Buckingham Palace and
Hampton Court
164 S
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37
London
Clockwise from top left: A buff-leather sleeved
waistcoat associated with King Charles I; a 1926
debutante’s Lanvin court dress upon presentation
to the king; a splendid uniform worn by Lord Boston,
Lord-in-Waiting to Queen Victoria; a golf suit worn
by the Duke of Windsor; a Lanvin dress detail
because he’s got 5.5 inches of gold across his

chest,’” Murphy explains. “He was Lord-in-
Waiting in 1885 and then he suddenly lost
his job in 1886.
“He wrote to the Lord Chamberlain’s
office saying he didn’t understand what
was happening or what he should say to his
peers. The London Gazette announced that
someone else was put in that post, but that
Lord Boston had resigned.
“He spent the rest of his life trying to
find opportunities to wear the uniform.
Technically he wasn’t supposed to – he wrote
to the Prime Minister to say, ‘I know I am no
longer in this post, but would it be all right to
still wear the uniform?’
“He was 25 in 1885 and he lived until
1940, so he lived through three coronations
– 1902, 1911 and 1937. In the family
photographs, there are pictures of him
wearing it underneath his coronation robes.
The lining was replaced, the trousers have an
insert where he got a little bit bigger, but he
wore it for 55 years. It may, of course, have
been that he just wanted his money’s worth!”
And who can blame him? He would,
perhaps, then be gratified to think on the
afterlife his uniform has had – and indeed,
as Murphy says: “The stories that the pieces
tell are so important. Just looking at these
things, you think, ‘Wow, that’s a glamorous
relic of a world that no longer exists.’
“For example, uniforms were no longer
needed and valued after the war so you get
them being sold on Carnaby Street in the
1960s and rock stars like Jimi Hendrix and
Eric Clapton in them. There’s a fantastic
photograph by Annie Leibovitz of Michael
Jackson wearing a real court uniform.”
Kensington Palace makes regular new
acquisitions, which come out on show on a
rotating basis and are often lent to museums
around the world. As Murphy says: “It’s
astonishing sometimes what people have
in their lofts. And they don’t necessarily
attach importance or monetary value to
them, but to us they are invaluable, as
they capture this moment in time that just
doesn’t exist any more.” The same could
ALICIA POLLETT
be said of Kensington Palace as a whole. n
www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace
LORD’S MUSEUM & TOURS
Walk in the footsteps of cricket legends
A Tour of Lord’s provides a fascinating

insight behind-the-scenes of the most
famous cricket ground in the world.
With extraordinary architecture, and

a fascinating collection of art and
memorabilia, a Lord’s Tour is not only a must
for all cricket fans, but for everyone looking
for a quintessentially English experience.
For more information please visit lords.org/tours

London
Portobello Gold
Pendle Harte wanders Portobello Road, the street made famous by the film
Notting Hill, and samples the créme de la créme of the vibrant market and stylish shops
W
here can you shop for many visitors, its colourful houses, quirky see the actual blue door and visit Hugh
Victorian prints, antique vibe and thriving street trade epitomise Grant’s bookshop. But it’s less well known
watches, fruit, vegetables everything appealing about the capital. that until the mid-19th century the area was
and vintage fashion – while It was in 1999 that Portobello Road’s rural, mostly farmland, becoming built-up
snacking on falafel or frozen yogurt, beer or global status was inflated exponentially after the arrival of the railways in 1864.
bubble tea? Portobello’s enduring popularity by what is these days commonly referred By the 1950s, the area around Portobello
lies in its mix of old and new, traditional to locally simply as “that film”. Richard Road was largely poor, its large houses split
and modern, long-standing community Curtis’s Notting Hill drew the world’s into countless, overcrowded dwellings. By
and new incomers. This is London’s most attention to this vibrant part of town and the 1960s and 1970s, Notting Hill was at the
famous street antiques market and for tourists flocked from all over the globe to very heart of London’s counterculture,
MAP ILLUSTRATION BY JANE SMITH; ZORAN MILICH/MASTERFILE/CORBIS
its street life characterised by hippies, wives, expensively educated children and Carnival started out in the mid-1960s,
artists and musicians. teams of staff than the scruffy bohemian led by London’s West Indian community.
These days, things aren’t so laid-back. types of the late 20th century. Its anarchic spirit, soca music, steel pans,
Streets with a desirable W11 postcode And then, of course, there’s Carnival. costumes and rum punch make it an ever-
command some of the highest property Every year at the end of August, Portobello popular party (though many of those who
prices in the world – the large four-storey Road becomes host to Europe’s largest live on the procession’s route see it as
terraced houses regularly sell for around street party, attracting at least two a loud, messy and even dangerous affair). ➤
£12 million and inhabitants of the streets million revellers whatever the weather (in
around the market are now more likely recent years, even the most torrential of Above: The pretty multi-coloured houses made
to be international financiers with glossy downpours have not dampened spirits). famous by the film Notting Hill
London
Portobello today:
a walking guide
If you’re coming from Notting Hill Gate tube
station, it makes sense to start a Portobello
ramble with a fortifying ale at the Sun in
Splendour pub. This is one of the street’s
oldest hostelries, featuring on maps dating
back to 1850. Its window seats make a good
spot for people watching, especially on
Saturdays when the market is at its busiest,
and increasingly Fridays too.
Heading north, don’t miss the blue plaque
that marks novelist and political essayist
George Orwell’s first London home at 22
Portobello Road. These small cottages are
now brightly painted and desirable but
Orwell lived in poverty here in 1927,
before anybody had painted the outside
of their house pink.
Beyond the junction of Chepstow Villas
is where the antiques world begins. Alice’s
Antiques at number 86 has distinctive red
signage that has appeared in many films,
including The Italian Job in 1969 and, more
recently, Paddington in 2014. Portobello
Road became known for its antiques in
the 1950s and the stalls and labyrinthine
arcades are very much still in evidence,
though some have fallen victim to property
developers and chain stores. Along this
stretch you’ll also see the Portobello Gold
pub, known for its oysters and live music
(and infamously the place where Bill Clinton
left without paying in 2000).
Cross Westbourne Grove and the antiques
stalls continue, selling everything from
Victorian dolls to silverware to crockery –
do arrive early on a Saturday if you want
the best pickings. Note the entrance to
Vernon Yard, named after Admiral Lord
Vernon who, in 1739, took the Spanish port
of Porto Belo in the Gulf of Mexico, causing
the Victory of Portobello to be celebrated
throughout Britain. Around this time, a farm
in Notting Hill was renamed Portobello
Farm, giving the area its name.
Pass the American Hummingbird Bakery
(credited with bringing the cupcake to the
UK) and step in the Portobello Star, a site
that has been a pub since 1740. It’s now
home to Portobello Road’s own-label gin and
the Ginstitute, where you can discover the
history of London’s finest spirit, and create
your own blend by mixing a concoction of
distilled botanicals. And near the corner of ➤
Clockwise from left: Alice’s Antiques; scenes

and displays from Portobello Road
CORBIS/PAUL PANAYIOTOU; ZORAN MILICH/MASTERFILE; ATLANDTIDE PHOTOTRAVEL; VISITENGLAND/DIANA JARVIS; SHUTTERSTOCK
London
Elgin Crescent is relative newcomer,
La Fromagerie, which, together with long-
established Elgin Crescent delicatessen
Mr Christian’s and The Grocer on Elgin,
forms part of a serious foodie destination.
At weekends, the French cheese stall
and German bratwurst van on this stretch
draw serious crowds. Anyone wanting to
linger over a meal at this point should visit
the Electric Diner, an element of the ever so
stylish and now international Soho House
group. The diner is part of the Electric
Cinema, one of the UK’s oldest purpose-
built cinemas, now a luxe venue with sofa
seating but a chequered history, including
long periods of closure.
Opposite the cinema you’ll notice an
intense smell of coffee – this is the Tea
and Coffee Plant, home to organic and
fair-trade coffee on Portobello since the
1980s, long before the coffee chains took
over. Continuing northwards you can turn
left into Westbourne Park Road if you’re
searching for the Blue Door (number 280).
Back on Portobello Road there’s the brilliant
Spanish supermarket and deli, R Garcia
& Sons, and The Grain Shop, a vegetarian
takeaway restaurant, a relic from the area’s
hippy past, where lentil bakes and chickpea
curries are doled out in generous portions.
From here on, the market (on Fridays and
Saturdays) is dominated by vintage clothes;
the covered area is a treasure trove for
fashion fans. Browse leather jackets from
the 1970s, 1950s cocktail dresses, Victorian
nighties and rails of denim, as well as shoes,
handbags and countless accessories. The best
day for fashion is Friday, when you’ll spot
stylists and models from all over the world
browsing discreetly.
The final stretch of Portobello Road, north
of Portobello Green, is often neglected,
but on Fridays you’ll find a quirky array of
vintage ceramics and mid-century furniture
(as well as a lot of less interesting fare) and
on Saturdays there’s the Penny Market
(a penny for charity for each two pennies
spent) selling artisan foods.
Also worth a mention here is Pizza East
– grab a pavement table if it’s sunny – and
just north of Golborne Road, where the
antiques and bric-a-brac continue, is Swanky
SHUTTERSTOCK; STEVE VIDLER/CORBIS
Lash and Brow bar, where gossip is freely

exchanged over manicures and pedicures.
If you want to get a sense of local life, stop
in for a file, a polish and to shoot the breeze.
Just don’t ask the locals about “that film.” n
Top to bottom: Portobello’s stalls heave

under an eclectic array of wares
m a rt i n r a n d a l l t r av e l
Grand designs,
circa 1598.
5085
ABTA No.Y6050
A country house is much more than a house: great architecture, fine furniture, works of art,
glorious gardens, an ideal backdrop for music.
Special arrangements are a feature of all our tours. They range from a private visit of the state
apartments of Windsor Castle, to an evening concert in the Chapelle Royale of Versailles, to a
stay in an 18th-century Scottish country house which remains a private home.
Find out more at martinrandall.com or call +44 (0)20 8742 3355 Image: Montacute House, Somerset, lithograph 1842.
Houses of Parliament
parliament.uk/visiting
020 7219 4114
Visit one of the world’s most iconic buildings
Visitor Services Advert 202 x 129.indd 1 03/12/2014 16:29:58

London
I
t’s one of the most famous addresses
in London, if not the world, but while
most of us don’t have a precise idea of
what 10 Downing Street or No 1
London look like inside, the interior of
221B Baker Street is a familiar friend.
“Cheerfully furnished, and illuminated
by two broad windows,” as we are told
in A Study in Scarlet, the first-floor study
shared by Britain’s most famous fictional
detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his friend
and biographer, Dr Watson, is immediately
recognisable, with two chairs facing its cosy
fireplace and a sofa against the opposite
wall (which bears a patriotic “VR” (Victoria
Regina) inscribed in bullet holes, as
described in The Musgrave Ritual).
The most famous room in the Sherlock
Holmes Museum is not a spacious one
(Holmes is able to emerge from his bedroom
next door and take one spring across the
study to close the curtains) but, everywhere
you look, there’s something to recognise
from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories.
At home
“You can touch everything except the
knife, the violin and the syringe,” we’re
told by a friendly-looking Victorian maid
with
Holmes
(her counterpart outside is a period-style
policeman guarding the entrance).
There is a reason for the familiarity.
Sherlock Holmes is one of best known
fictional personalities in the world – it has
been said he shares the spotlight only with
With the return of the BBC’s Mickey Mouse and Santa Claus – and he
Sherlock to our screens in January, made his screen debut in 1900, in Sherlock
Holmes Baffled, a 49-second-long silent
Nicola Rayner dons deerstalker film, followed in 1905 by The Adventures
and magnifying glass to follow of Sherlock Holmes (shown in Britain as
the trail to London’s Sherlock Held for Ransom). “After this,” Michael
Holmes Museum Pointer writes in The Public Life of
Sherlock Holmes, “scarcely a year passed
without Sherlock Holmes appearing on the
screen somewhere in the world.”
Among the most famous screen
representations of Holmes in the past
are William Gillette, Basil Rathbone and
Jeremy Brett, but the latest actor to make
the part his own is Benedict Cumberbatch,
who returned to our screens with Sherlock:
The Abominable Bride, a one-off episode
set in London in 1895, on New Year’s Day.
The BBC show is, in fact, filmed in
North Gower Street in Euston with the
nearby Speedy’s Café on the to-see list
for admirers. However the number one
destination for scores of new fans – and
fanmail – is still 221B Baker Street, which
houses the Sherlock Holmes Museum.
First things first: the eagle-eyed will
notice that the Sherlock Holmes Museum ➤
A Study in Scarlet: The
first-floor living room
shared by Sherlock
Holmes, whose violin can
be seen tucked into the
right-hand corner, and Dr
Watson, whose medical
desk is on the left
London
Left: Sherlock’s deerstalker, pipe and magnifying
glass are laid out in front of the fire in the study
Below left: Staff attired in period dress man the
Sherlock Holmes Museum and gift shop
On the next floor, Mrs Hudson’s

and Watson’s rooms are more sparsely
furnished, with display cabinets featuring
photographs, letters and memorabilia:
Sherlock’s medal from the French
government, a wide selection of knives,
a revolver concealed in a Bible, a bust of
Napoleon and a hungry-looking hound. All
the museum’s artefacts are sourced from the
era or have been donated to the museum
(though as to where the Engineer’s Thumb
or the severed ears from The Cardboard
Box came from, the mind boggles).
Mrs Hudson’s room features a shrine
to her pragmatic nature and pastimes,
while Watson’s displays taxidermy and
medical equipment, as well as reminders
of his military past. A diary entry is open
to a page of notes for The Hound of the
is actually located at what was once 239 Baskervilles, while pride of place is given to
Baker Street. The building was reallocated the original cane chair used by the Victorian
the number 221B when it opened in 1990 artist Sidney Paget, who illustrated Conan
but, interestingly, 221B Baker Street did Doyle’s stories for The Strand magazine,
not exist in 1887 when A Study in Scarlet for The Greek Interpreter.
was published, marking the first appearance Look out for the silver steed – a nod to the
of Holmes and Watson – back then Baker story Silver Blaze (where the famous phrase
Street house numbers didn’t extend that far. “the curious incident of the dog in the
Nevertheless, the museum building is well night-time” comes from). On the third floor,
suited to its task, not least because from the stories make a more literal appearance
1860 to 1934 it was registered as a lodging in the form of wax figures. Irene Adler,
house – like that of Mrs Hudson, Sherlock the creepy blackmailer Charles Augustus
and Watson’s landlady, who Milverton, Sherlock’s
rented the rooms to the pair nemesis Professor James
between 1881 and 1904. The Moriarty (“the Napoleon
Georgian house fits the bill “221B Baker of Crime”) and even the
from the 17 steps from the Street did not Hound of the Baskervilles
ALAMY/MAURICE CROOKS; JOHN KELLERMAN; STEVE VIDLER; THE SHERLOCK HOLMES MUSEUM
ground-floor hallway to the appear as large as life.
first-floor (“I know there are exist in 1887” Of course, part of the fun
17 steps, because I have both is playing amateur sleuth
seen and observed,” says oneself – separating Sherlock
Holmes), to the lovingly recreated study, “fact” from Sherlock “fiction”. Apparently
a treasure trove for newcomers and Holmes never did say, “Elementary, my
dedicated fans alike. dear Watson.” And he “never actually
The latter will have fun spotting their wore the deerstalker”, we are told as we
own “clues” from the stories – chessboards, photograph ourselves with the hat and pipe
chemistry equipment and case notes among that are temptingly laid out in front of the
them. Portraits of the ill-fated General fire. The most serious fans, however, take
Charles Gordon and Henry Ward Beecher their dedication to a new level. Players of
adorn the walls – the pictures are key to “the Great Game” believe that the world’s
Holmes’ reading Watson’s thoughts in The most famous detective was not, in fact,
Cardboard Box. A more personal memento fictional at all. His presence is so strongly
from A Scandal in Bohemia can be found recreated at the museum that perhaps, after
propped on the mantelpiece: a photograph all this time, the case remains open… n
of “The Woman” – Irene Adler, who
famously outwitted the great detective. www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk
The Insider
Brenda Cook is a woman with
the inside scoop. She tours the UK
and asks… did you know?
BREAKING THE MOULD

Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Jacob Epstein… Britain has
shaped the careers of a long line of great sculptors. But did you
know that a short drive from London, amid the rolling Surrey
Hills, the appreciative can visit the Sculpture Park, which
showcases the work of some 300 renowned and emerging artists
from the 20th and 21st centuries across 10 acres? Clap eyes on
an eclectic collection of artwork, all displayed among heathland,
woodland and wildlife.
www.thesculpturepark.com
SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED

Dukes Hotel in St James’s is one of the London cognoscenti’s
most stylish sanctuaries. Exclusive and quietly tucked away, it
first opened its doors in 1908, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that
it earned its status as a London legend. For it was then that Ian
Fleming began to frequent its bar, which was staffed exclusively
by Italians who knew a thing
or two about how to make
a martini, the likes of which
were little known in the capital
then. But did you know that
Dukes is where Fleming’s
timeless character picked up his
most famous phrase, “shaken,
not stirred”? It originated
from the instructions of the
knowledgeable bar staff
(previously, stirring a martini
was accepted practice, but those
FOOT TRAILS; ANYKA/ALAMY
in the know said it “bruised” the

gin). Do try the Classic Vesper,
still on the menu today, which
follows the recipe from the first
Bond book, Casino Royale.
www.dukeshotel.com
London
LIFE’S A BEACH
Edinburgh tops every must-see list for first-time visitors to schlep all the way to the Maldives for your hit of white
to Britain and, consequently, the city is perennially sand and turquoise waters. The Outer Hebrides have a
abuzz with tourists keen to see its many historic population of just 26,000 people – and, as such, their
treasures. But did you know that Scotland also abounds resplendent jewel, Luskentyre Sands, on the west coast of
with many spots where you can get away from it all? the Isle of Harris is almost always empty (the nearest road
More specifically, its wealth of deserted, picture is some two miles away, after all).
postcard-worthy beach hideaways prove you don’t need www.visitscotland.com
BEST FOOT FORWARD

England’s green and pleasant land presents
a joy for ramblers and amblers keen to tread
its landscapes. But, in the pursuit of escaping
the hordes, the hiking connoisseur may find
themselves among unwelcome company:
some of the national trails, lovely as they are,
attract up to a million visitors a year. But did
you know that you can escape the throngs
with just a little inside knowledge? Which is
where Foot Trails comes in, a company run
by husband-and-wife duo Alison and David
Howell, who lead a variety of walks across
the land that are varied, impassioned and
always off the tourist trail. It’s the ultimate
way to explore villages, historic sites and rural
England on two feet.
www.foottrails.co.uk
The Insider
MUSIC TO OUR EARS

The Royal Academy of Music in Marylebone is the UK’s oldest conservatoire. But did you know
that, as well as chancing to hear beautiful phrases of classical music as you wander by, it also houses
its own museum? Here, visitors can explore unique instruments, manuscripts and art, and discover
the behind-the-scenes stories. Clap eyes on the “Viotti ex-Bruce” 1709 violin by Antonio Stradivari,
once played to Marie Antoinette, and Gilbert and Sullivan’s original score for The Mikado, or learn
how the academy’s alumni have influenced musical development for nearly 200 years. The museum
also holds free public musical and lecture events, museum tours, and offers children’s trails.
www.ram.ac.uk/museum
ALAMY/ LONDONSTILLS.COM; HOLMES GARDEN PHOTOS; CHRIS LAWRENCE
ORDER!
London’s multi-layered history is all part of the charm
of the city, even if parts of it continue to exist only as
museum pieces. But did you know you can step back in
time to a working environment courtesy of the ancient
Inns of Court? The Inner and Middle Temple, Lincoln’s
Inn, and Gray’s Inn are all far less crowded than many of
the city’s other attractions, yet tourists can freely wander
through the outdoor areas on weekdays and observe
barristers at work. Don’t neglect to visit Temple Church
while you’re there, built by the Knights Templar in the
12th century.
www.templechurch.com
POTTY
ABOUT POTS
From the mid-17th century,
the abundance of coal and
clay around Stoke-on-Trent
led to the beginnings of
the pottery industry in the
area. With the development
of ceramic manufacturing
techniques by master potters,
the industry boomed – did
you know the area has been
dubbed “the Potteries”? This
EVERYDAY year, the Edwards family,
HEROES owners of Moorcroft Pottery
St Paul’s Cathedral features on every in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent,
tourist trail. But did you know a celebrate 30 years at the
short walk north of Sir Christopher helm of the company with a
Wren’s awe-inspiring masterpiece, special collection launched
you can escape the crowds and find in their town of origin –
a spot for solace and reflection? Evesham. Another red-letter
Postman’s Park, so-called because day in 2016 for a company
lunching postmen from the nearby whose founder, William
former General Post Office favoured Moorcroft, was appointed
it for their break, is a little-known Potter to Queen Mary in
gem. It opened in 1880 on burial 1928, is HM The Queen’s
ground once belonging to the St 90th birthday, which
Botolph’s Aldersgate church and has been marked – how
later incorporating the neighbouring else? – with the creation
burial grounds of Christ Church of a beautiful vase, the
Greyfriars and St Leonard, Foster Buckingham Orchid.
Lane. The most moving aspect of the www.moorcroft.com
park is the Watts Memorial to Heroic
Self-Sacrifice, which commemorates
54 men, women and children who
lost their lives while attempting to
save another.
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
London
Dreaming spires
Oxford University is the oldest in the English-speaking
world. Alumnus Alexander Larman revisits his alma mater
to tour the most historic colleges open to the public
ILLUSTRATION BY LISA HELLIER; CORBIS/JASON HAWKES
T
he oldest and most famous university in the but the best known among their number are united in one
English-speaking world (sorry, Cambridge), crucial detail: each is richly historic and
Oxford enjoys a quirk that may come as of infinite interest to the architectural enthusiast.
a surprise to first-time visitors. There is no Happily, the most remarkable are open to the public,
such thing as “the main campus”, barring the Bodleian meaning that the curious can spend a rewarding couple
Library and a few historic buildings such as the of days wandering about, adopting a donnish air or simply
Sheldonian Theatre; instead the university is made up of observing the brightest and best in their natural habitat. If
its 30-odd colleges, each of which is an autonomous and you’ve only got time to visit a small selection of colleges,
self-governing institution. These vary in size and wealth, these are our favourites... ➤
Oxford
St John’s College
Begin a meander around Oxford on St Giles, the city’s
busiest main road and home to the historic Martyrs’
Memorial, commemorating the deaths of the heretic
Protestants Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley and Thomas
Cranmer. Nearby is St John’s College, which was founded
in 1555 by the merchant Sir Thomas White. It is the
university’s wealthiest college, thanks to some canny
investment in property in the 19th century – a detail
that gave rise to the probably apocryphal story that you
can walk from St John’s, Oxford to St John’s, Cambridge
entirely on land owned by one or other of the colleges.
The main historic interest in the college lies in the
oldest 16th century parts of the building: namely the front
quad, the chapel and the striking Italian Renaissance-
styled Canterbury Quad, which contains the college’s
library and an impressive selection of literature by some
of its distinguished alumni. These include the poets Philip
Larkin and Robert Graves and the novelist Kingsley
Amis. (Others ranking among that notable number are
Tony Blair and the classicist AE Housman). Entry to the
college is free of charge and visitors are welcome from
1pm until dusk (or 5pm in summer) except on Christmas
and Boxing Day and during special functions.
Previous page: An aerial view of Oxford’s historic colleges
Left and far left: St John’s College is Oxford’s wealthiest and alumni
include Tony Blair and Kingsley Amis This page, top: Merton College
Bottom: East window, circa 1295, at Merton College Chapel
Merton College
If you fancy a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle
of the city centre, take a walk through Christ Church
Meadow, admiring the cows on the way, and then
head back along the peaceful Merton Street, where the
eponymous college is located. With a fearsome academic
reputation for only admitting the very brightest students,
it habitually ranks at the top of the Norrington Table, the
university-wide ranking system of colleges.
Dating from 1264, it has a range of interesting
buildings, including a chapel whose quire goes back to
the 13th century, the 17th century Fellows’ Quadrangle
and St Alban’s Quad. Visitors can wander round these
buildings from 2pm until 5pm in the week, or 10am until
5pm at weekends, upon payment of £3 per person.
The college is proud of its almost formidably
distinguished alumni, including JRR Tolkien, who was
an English professor there for 14 years, and TS Eliot,
who studied philosophy from 1914 to 1915. Although
the latter apparently loathed his time there, he has been
celebrated with the recent opening of the TS Eliot lecture
theatre, as well as with a collection of rare first-editions
and memorabilia, including a bust of him by the sculptor
Jacob Epstein on public view. ➤
ALAMY/OXFORD PICTURE LIBRARY; ZOONAR GMBH; ROBERT STAINFORTH; PETER BARRITT
CJ_DiscoverBritain_12.11.15_Layout 1 12/11/15 1:41 PM Page 1
SCOTLAND
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Time travel, history, intrigue, passion, loyalty, Lords of the Isles* Haunted Scotland
pride of country – the 18th-century Highlands. The island kingdom of Viking/Gaelic rulers Highland Ghost Hunting
3 Departures: April 24, Sept. 18, Oct. 9 of Western Scotland in the Middle Ages. Oct. 29-Nov. 6 • 8 Nights • $3,595
7 Nights • $3,495 Isles of Lewis, Harris, Skye, Mull, Iona.
Hogmanay Celebration
Special extended Outlander Tour® includes July 25-August 6 • 12 Nights • $5,195 Traditional Highland New Year’s Eve
the magnificent Standing Stones of Calanais! celebration at elegant Culloden House.
June 18-28 • 10 Nights • $4,595 *Includes the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Dec. 29-Jan. 4 • 6 Nights • $3,095
Deluxe escorted tours• 18-guest maximum• E-mail Judy@celticjourneys.us for more information
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Oxford
Christ Church Top: Tom Tower, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, sits at the entrance
to Christ Church, which was so named in 1546 by King Henry VIII
Bottom: Students dine in splendour at the Great Hall, Christ Church
Persevere down the less-than-pleasant main shopping
street, Cornmarket, and you will be rewarded with a
sighting of the iconic Sir Christopher Wren designed Tom
Tower, which sits at the front of Oxford’s most famous
college, Christ Church. The seven-tonne bell in the tower
chimes 101 times each night at 9:05pm, the time when the
original 101 students were called back for curfew.
With the initial steps taken in 1524 by Cardinal
Wolsey, then Henry VIII’s chief advisor, Christ Church
was re-founded in 1546 by the king himself. The college
is synonymous with many great works of literature,
including Alice In Wonderland (Charles Dodgson, aka
Lewis Carroll, was a lecturer at the college and based
Alice on the daughter of the dean). Brideshead Revisited
(Christ Church is where Sebastian Flyte studies) and,
more recently, Harry Potter; although the books were not
set there, the Great Hall was used as a filming location for
Hogwarts, and is featured on a walking tour.
Adult tickets can cost as much as £7, or £14 for a
family ticket. But in return, there’s a feast of historic and
architectural significance that includes Oxford’s cathedral
– the smallest in the country – the beautiful 18th century
Peckwater Quad, a world-class art gallery and, of course,
the main quadrangle, “Tom Quad”, which features the
famous statue of Mercury in a pond in its centre.
So-called “hearty” rugby players used to throw more
aesthetic students in; Waugh made fun of this tradition in
Brideshead, with the foppish Anthony Blanche describing
his dunking as “really most refreshing… I sported there
a little and struck some attitudes, until they turned about
and walked sulkily home.” ➤
ALAMY/ROBERT HARDING PICTURE LIBRARY LTD; JEFF GILBERT
Oxford
Right: Balliol College, founded in 1263, which has produced three
Prime Ministers: Edward Heath, Harold Macmillan and HH Asquith
Below: The front quad and gate tower at Balliol College
Balliol College
Heading back to St Giles, you’ll come to Oxford’s most
famous thoroughfare, Broad Street, where the Sheldonian
and the Bodleian are located. Before visiting them,
HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES/NEWSTEAM.CO.UK; SHAUN FELLOWS; ROBIN FORSTER;

though, do stop by to see one of the university’s oldest
and wealthiest colleges, Balliol.
Founded in 1263 by the aristocrat John de Balliol, it
revels in its reputation for intellectual superiority, which
has seen it produce three British Prime Ministers (Edward
PHILIP MOULD LTD; STEVE VIDLER/ALAMY; NICK WILKINSON

Heath, Harold Macmillan and HH Asquith). Also, Nobel
laureates, writers and London mayor, Boris Johnson. The
jealous have been known to mutter: “You can always tell
a Balliol man, but you can’t tell him much.”
Entry to the college is £2 per person and in return,
visitors get the chance to wander around from 10am to
5pm. Places of special interest include the 19th century
chapel, designed by the architect William Butterfield, and
the old library, which dates back as far as the early 15th
century, thereby making it one of the most historically
interesting libraries in the world. (For comparison’s sake,
the Bodleian was founded in 1602). The college also has a
long-running rivalry with neighbouring Trinity, and both
institutions seek to outdo one another with good-natured
and often highly innovative pranks. ➤
OXFORD normally via a guided tour – and the

legendary Blackwell’s bookshop on
tavern located off Broad Street
and accessed through a pleasingly
HIGHLIGHTS Broad Street is a fine place to pick up narrow ancient alleyway, with the
a souvenir, especially those penned King’s Arms, a favourite student
Visit by any number of the university’s haunt, nearby. None offer especially
No visit to the city is complete famous and well-published alumni. inspiring food, however, so if
without heading to the outstanding you’re after a decent meal try the
Ashmolean museum (www. Eat and drink much-loved Cherwell Boathouse
ashmolean.org), founded in Oxford has an embarrassment (www.cherwellboathouse.co.uk)
1683 and now, after a substantial of riches when it comes to historic slightly outside the main centre,
renovation, firmly established in the pubs. Particularly notable are or head to the bohemian north
top level of world-class collections. the Eagle and Child on St Giles Oxford suburb of Jericho, where
The great university buildings of (where CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien the ever-popular Italian restaurant
the Sheldonian Theatre and the founded discussion group, the Branca (www.branca.co.uk) offers
Bodleian are well worth seeing – Inklings). The Turf is a medieval a very good set lunch menu.
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Oxford
OXFORD PICTURE LIBRARY/ALAMY
Magdalen College
If you walk down the High Street, past the imposing Exam to enjoy the gorgeous architecture, such as the medieval
Schools, you will eventually reach what is surely Oxford’s chapel and the grand 18th century New Building. The
most beautiful college: Magdalen. Pronounced “maud-lin”, Hall and Old Kitchen Bar are also open to the public.
it has a deceptively tranquil atmosphere engendered by The chapel is home to the famous Magdalen College
the spacious grounds, including the sequestered Addison’s Choir, who perform every weekday at 6pm and on
Walk, which former Magdalen fellow CS Lewis would Sundays at 11am. They also, famously, sing every year on
frequent with his friend JRR Tolkien. 1 May at 6am to a mix of early risers and late partygoers.
However, any college whose alumni includes Cardinal One of the college’s quirkier features is that it has its own
Thomas Wolsey, Oscar Wilde, John Betjeman and the deer park; it is widely rumoured that the fellows of the
current Chancellor, George Osborne, is not merely the college are often served the finest venison on high table. n
academic equivalent of a pretty face. Its results testify to
its intellectual prowess; it perennially vies with Merton to Visit www.discoverbritainmag.com for a tour of
top the Norrington Table. At £5 per visit, it’s well worth it Cambridge’s most historic colleges
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English eccentrics
Mad, bad and

dangerous to know
Dinner guests of the notorious John “Mad Jack” Mytton took their lives into their own hands – as did
his children, who were regularly pelted with oranges
J
ohn Mytton’s sobriquet, “Mad Jack”, would have of his youth, he was never idle, instead filling his hours
been explicable by dint of just one in his catalogue of by honouring his side of various outrageous wagers.
misdemeanours. But for any biographer of this Shropshire There was the time he rode a horse up the grand staircase at the
lad, there are just too many to mention. Born in 1796, Bedford Hotel, and then jumped from the balcony to terrorise the
he was the son of a squire and attended Westminster School diners below. He would fox hunt in the nude. He rode a bear into
– which is where any semblance of respectability ends. a dinner party at his Halston Hall home, which subsequently bit him
Expelled from his alma mater for fighting, he and then killed a servant. He kept 2,000 dogs as pets.
was moved to Harrow School, where his reign of “He rode a bear He pelted his own children with oranges. And he
terror lasted just three days before being given the
boot once more. Thereafter, he trained his mischief-
into a dinner once invited a parson and a doctor to dine, only to
dress up as a highwayman and hold them at gunpoint
making upon a series of tutors (he left a horse in party, which for kicks, shouting: “Stand and deliver!” He was a
one unfortunate would-be mentor’s room). subsequently bit terror when it came to carriage riding, making straight
He had started as he intended to go on. Going up to for other vehicles, just to see if they might tip over.
Cambridge, his personal effects included 2,000 bottles him and then His antics were, unsurprisingly, well lubricated
of port, the effects of which, needless to say, had the killed a servant” courtesy of his breakfast, which would consist
predictable consequence of his leaving minus a degree. of several bottles of port. If he was out of port? Eau
MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY 2015
Not that such trivialities mattered. After all, at 21, Mytton de cologne did the job admirably. The habit often occasioned bouts
came into his vast inheritance. Which is when it becomes clear of hiccups, though these were no problem for Mad Jack, whose
that, hitherto, his offences were a mere warm-up act. An inveterate home-remedy cure was to set his own shirt on fire.
gambler, cash was easy-come, easy-go for Mad Jack; deciding to stand It was an expensive life, so it comes as scant surprise that Mytton
for Parliament, he secured a seat by bribing voters with £10 each. died penniless at the age of 38 (it’s a wonder he lasted that long).
He then attended Parliament just once. For half an hour. And little Still, he remained loved; 3,000 people attended the funeral of the
wonder, for he had much to occupy his time. Continuing the theme most rock ’n’ roll eccentric ever to burn out in a blaze of glory. n
Games
THE ARCHITECTS
WHO BUILT
BRITAIN
Alexander Larman considers those great British
architects through history whose legacies have
come to define the country’s built heritage
The astonishing Peter Paul Rubens

frescoes at Banqueting House, Whitehall,
London, which was designed by
Inigo Jones in 1622. The ceiling was
commissioned by King Charles I, who was
later executed outside in 1649
Great British Architects
Inigo Jones (1573 – 1652)

The first man to make a living from
architecture in England, Inigo Jones was
heavily influenced by classical ideas of
symmetry in his buildings, many of which
were commissioned by Kings James I and
Charles I. His best-known work is the
lavish Banqueting House (previous page
and below), which has a no-expense-spared
quality that encompasses a ceiling painted
by Peter Paul Rubens. It is ironic that 27
years after its completion in 1622, Charles I
was executed on a scaffold outside it.
His other great work was to construct
St Paul’s Church in Covent Garden,
a commission from the Earl of Bedford,
known today as “the actor’s church”.
Bedford reputedly asked for a simple
church “not much better than a barn”.
Jones’ riposte? “Then you shall have the
handsomest barn in England.”
A now lost project he was involved in was
the reconstruction of St Paul’s Cathedral
between 1634 and 1642. It was in desperate
need of reconstruction, so Jones designed a
giant Corinthian portico for its west front, in
the style of a great Roman palace; sadly, like
the rest of St Paul’s, it was destroyed by the
Great Fire of London in 1666.
Christopher
Wren
(1632 – 1723)
Arguably England’s
greatest architect, Wren was
also among the first to practise
professionally. After studying at Oxford,
where he was later appointed professor
of astronomy, Wren became a founding
member of the Royal Society and was
invited to redesign St Paul’s Cathedral (left)
after the Great Fire destroyed the original.
The process took over 30 years, with the
cathedral finally rebuilt and reopened in
1697, still in Wren’s lifetime. Its Italianate
influences divided commentators, with
one remarking disdainfully on its “air of
Popery” and “un-English” quality.
This was, of course, Wren’s whole idea.
Working within the English Baroque style
and at the then huge cost of £1.1 million, he
created a strikingly unusual building
that could stand comparison with other
great ecclesiastical structures, such as
St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Wren designed many other notable
buildings, including the Sheldonian Theatre
in Oxford, but is perhaps most associated
with the 51 other London churches he
rebuilt after the Great Fire, of which 23 still
exist, albeit often in altered form. When he
died in 1723, he knew he had inspired
a generation of architects; perhaps less
clear was just how many future generations
would deem him the greatest of all time. ➤
HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES/MILES WILLIS; ALAMY/CLASSIC IMAGE; INTERFOTO; ALEX SEGRE; WORLD HISTORY ARCHIVE
MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY 2015; AMORET TANNER /ALAMY
John Wood (Snr & Jnr)

(1704 – 1754/1728 – 1782)
Bath’s unparalleled and resplendent
Georgian architecture is, for the most
part, thanks to the great creativity and
endeavours of John Wood. He believed it
deserved to be elevated to the height of a
major world city, and that the best means
of achieving such an apex was by creating
beautiful buildings.
Some of his finest work there includes
the iconic Circus, where the painter
Thomas Gainsborough lived, and nearby
Queen Square. Not even German bombs
in 1942 could destroy his plans; the
damaged buildings were meticulously and
finely reconstructed in original Bath stone.
However, Wood Senior’s early demise
in 1754 meant that his greatest plan, the
Royal Crescent, had to be realised by his
son, John Wood the Younger. Unlike his
father, who had a keen interest in druidism
and freemasonry, Wood harboured no
hidden agenda when it came to building
the city, but instead wished for a dialogue
between nature and architecture. As
such, he designed the buildings within
the Crescent so that each would have an
unobstructed view of the countryside
beyond. Even today, with the inevitable
encroachment of planning and further
building, it is possible to stand in the
Crescent and understand completely what
Wood intended, and to admire some
of the finest and most-loved Georgian
architecture in the country. ➤
John Vanbrugh (1664 – 1726)

Most architects of note have held a burning desire to design buildings for
as long as they can remember. Vanbrugh, conversely, began his career as
a successful playwright, writing such much-loved comedies as The ARCHITECTURE UK/ALAMY; MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY; TRAVEL PICTURES LTD
Relapse and The Provok’d Wife. It is possible to draw parallels between
his ingenious construction of plot and what would become an equally, if
not more, successful career in architecture, which he began as a protégé
to the great Nicholas Hawksmoor at the end of the 17th century.
His two most famous buildings, Castle Howard and Blenheim
Palace (above), both occupy an exalted position in the English
imagination; the first served as both model and filming location
for Brideshead Revisited, while the second dominates the
Cotswold town of Woodstock. While the construction of Castle
Howard was trouble-free, with its European ornamentation
and use of Corinthian columns attracting much praise, he fell
out with the wife of his patron, the Duke of Marlborough, and
was dismissed from the project, leaving it to be completed by
Hawksmoor. His only other major building, Seaton Delaval Hall,
was acquired by the National Trust in 2009.
There is plenty to see and do in Sunderland from
beautiful beaches and stunning countryside, to theatres,
museums and galleries, many of which are free. All of
which contribute to a great day out packed with fun.
For more information on these attractions and to find out
what other things you can see and do in Sunderland visit
www.seeitdoitsunderland.co.uk
/seeitdoitsunderland @SeeitDoitSund
Robert Adam (1728 – 1792)

The Scottish architect Robert Adam managed Park in west London. Arguably his masterpiece,
to give his name to an entire style of architecture Syon House shows the full array of his eclectic and
ALAMY/HILARY MORGAN; FUNKYFOOD LONDON/PAUL WILLIAMS
– which is considerably more than any of his inclusive range of influences that encompass the
contemporaries managed. The so-called “Adam Baroque, the Gothic and the Romanesque.
Style” of building drew on the work of his Another iconic project that Adam has strong
predecessors such as Wren and Jones (even if associations with is Stowe in Buckingham (above).
he criticised Jones’ work as “ponderous”), but A diverse range of architects collaborated on
with a greater degree of fame and authority. this, including Vanbrugh and Sir John Soane
He occupied the prestigious position of (it also boasts a Capability Brown-designed
Architect of the King’s Works from 1761 to 1769, garden). Adam’s major contribution was to
and, after establishing himself as one of the major design the south façade, which overlooks the
urban designers responsible for the 18th century expansive gardens, a stunning piece of neoclassical
reconstruction of Edinburgh, headed down to architecture that has deservedly been recognised
England to build such famous buildings as Bath’s as one of the major achievements of his – or
Pulteney Bridge and the resplendent Osterley anyone else’s – architectural career. ➤
VISIT KELMSCOTT MANOR
VISIT THE COTSWOLDS RETREAT OF WILLIAM MORRIS

Visiting Hours (April – October)
Open Days: Wednesday and Saturday, 11am to 5pm
Explore our riverside gardens and enjoy home-made food in our licensed Tearoom
Visit our Shop for contemporary crafts and other gift ideas
Become a Friend of Kelmscott Manor

Support conservation at the Manor and receive great benefits:
- Free entry on open days
- One free Kelmscott Manor guidebook
- Discounts in the Tearoom & Shop
- Free or discounted admission to special events
International Excellence Award (TravelZoo, 2015)

“Secret Britain: 50 Hidden Gems to Seek Out This Summer” (Telegraph, 2015)
Best Small Visitor Attraction (Cotswolds Tourism, 2014)
Certificate of Excellence (TripAdvisor, 2014)
WWW.KELMSCOTTMANOR.ORG.UK
Kelmscott Manor is owned by the Society of Antiquaries of London (registered charity 207237).
Address: Kelmscott Manor, Kelmscott, Lechlade GL7 3HJ | Tel: 01367 252486 | Email: admin@sal.org.uk
Web: www.kelmscottmanor.org.uk | Twitter: @KelmscottManor
Charles Barry (1795 –

1860) & Augustus
Pugin (1812 – 1852)
Anyone visiting the Houses of Parliament
(also known as the Palace of Westminster)
is likely to be impressed by its vast Gothic
Revival exterior, crowned by the iconic
Clock Tower that contains Big Ben. As with
St Paul’s Cathedral, its reconstruction came
about through necessity.
After a fire destroyed the original building
in October 1834, a public competition was
held for an architect to come up with a
successful new design; Gothic or Elizabethan
were the favoured styles. It was the popular
contemporary architect Charles Barry
who submitted what would become the
ultimate winning design, following on from
his acclaimed work remodelling Highclere
Castle (Downton Abbey, if you prefer) and
Cliveden, both in Berkshire.
Barry’s work at the Houses of Parliament
would scarcely have proved the triumph it is
without the efforts of his colleague, Augustus
Pugin. The two men had successfully
collaborated on King Edward’s School in
Birmingham and, as a consequence, Pugin
was charged with the interior design of the
building; the Gothic interiors and furnishings
were entirely Pugin’s idea. The collaboration
was a tiring but happy one; Pugin remarked
ARCAID IMAGES/ALAMY
that: “I never worked so hard in my life as

for Mr Barry for tomorrow I render all the
designs for finishing the bell tower, and it
is beautiful.” Subsequent generations have
agreed – and continue to agree – with him. n
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Inspired by the wonderful best-selling Vast areas of England are still owned Windmills and waterfowl, tiny stone Medieval England comes to life in a
novel, The Guernsey Literary and Potato by families that are able to trace their churches, rambling country mansions and swirl of art, adventure, and architecture
Peel Pie Society, our tour of the Channel heritage back to the Norman knights who vast gentle fens that stretch to the sky. that will appeal to young travellers and
Islands includes the full range of accompanied William the Conqueror. East Anglia is truly worth discovering. grandparents alike!
experiences, from wildlife sanctuaries to
military museums. This history creates a unique opportunity This tour showcases the hidden treasures
to explore the English class system and of the region from a base at a four-star
The Channel Islands have a fascinating experience the fabulous legacy that it has country house hotel, where day trips to
history leading to their current semi- bequeathed to the nation. the surrounding countryside allow for
independent state as part of the Duchy daily surprises and delights, at a pace
of Normandy, from the time when that encourages a more gentle exploration
William the Conqueror ruled both England
of the area.
and Normandy.
This summer, discover an area of England
that retains much of its charm and original
Royal Opera House character. Join guide Gavin Miller in an
area he knows intimately as he shares the
wonders of his childhood region. Discover
East Anglia in 2016.
Castle Howard
Visiting the annual Robin Hood Festival

Ightham Mote in Sherwood Forest and with plenty of
time to climb ramparts, explore hidden
alleyways and walk in medieval footsteps,
the Magic of Medieval England will thrill
This tour is inspired by traditions of the the entire family.
English aristocracy in the 20th century and
includes a fascinating array of visits to
both great and small houses spanning the “We were able to really see the towns
These islands boast incredible natural centuries from the Norman invasion to the and countryside we visited. It was
scenery, with four RHS gardens in Victorian era. See inside the architectural good to be in a small group so that
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from the German occupation during World as we travel through the Home Counties. interesting – as in seeing how sheep
King’s College Chapel
War II. Discover the history and culture of Come and look behind the scenes at the are sheared on the Isle of Skye.”
these unique islands this June. Stately Homes of England. – Carolyn C.
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Discover Britain Travel Offers, c/o Discover Europe, Ltd., 95 Adams Street, Keene, NH 03431, USA
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YORKSHIRE
dslkjf
NORTHERN
SOUL
It is the landscape that abounds with natural wonders and
wild moorland. Nancy Alsop roams the county that raised the
Brontë sisters to channel the spirit of Heathcliff and Cathy
DO
HAWORTH
PARSONAGE
The Brontë sisters – Charlotte, Emily and
Anne – were three of the most astonishing 19th
century contributors to the English literary
canon. Charlotte and Emily, in particular,
penned extraordinary Gothic tales of
high drama and visceral passions
through the pages of Jane Eyre and
Wuthering Heights. It’s hard to
reconcile these subversives, whose
stories highlighted the social
injustice and religious hypocrisy
of the time to outraged reviews,
with the women who, from
1820, lived quietly at Haworth
Parsonage, in the then-industrial
village on the edge of the Pennine
moors in West Yorkshire, and went
on to die young. Guests can visit
the parsonage where they wrote
their novels, published under the
pseudonyms Currer, Ellis and
Acton Bell, and later explore
the quaint village itself, as well
as the surrounding dramatic
moors, upon which it takes
no imaginative leap to conjure
a wild Heathcliff roaming.
www.bronte.org.uk
WENTWORTH CASTLE
Laying claim to the only Grade I-listed landscape in South
Yorkshire, the story of Wentworth Castle is as fascinating as its
Baroque architecture. It all started when, in 1695, the 2nd Earl
of Strafford died without a son. The heir expectant, Thomas
Wentworth, was disappointed when the family’s landed estate,
Wentworth Woodhouse, went to a cousin, Thomas Watson.
Undeterred, Wentworth soldiered on in the diplomatic service of
King William III and Queen Anne and when, in 1708, he bought
up nearby Stainborough Hall and transformed it into a mock
castle in the Baroque style, Anne duly created a new title for
him: the first Earl of Strafford of the second creation. Do note the
Capability Brown gardens and the addition of a Palladian wing.
www.wentworthcastle.org
Yorkshire
CASTLE HOWARD
The John Vanbrugh design for Castle Howard (not, in fact, technically
a castle, but built on the site of a former fortress) was conceived in 1699,
commissioned by the 3rd Earl of Carlisle. It would take a further 100
years and the lifespan of three earls to complete. Lived in ever since by
the Howard family, barring a brief interlude as a girls’ school in World War
II, it has been open to the public since 1952. But it was post 1981 that its
popularity surged, after it was used as the eponymous Brideshead, seat
of the Marchmain family, in the Granada Television adaptation of Evelyn
Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited. Do ensure a visit to the 18th century chapel
– made much of by Waugh – which was, curiously, intended as a dining
room originally. And finally, do, upon leaving, utter the words: “I had been
there before; I knew all about it” in your best Jeremy Irons gravelly tones.
www.castlehoward.co.uk
ALAMY/LOOP IMAGES LTD; BALL MIWAKO; LISE PEARSON; FUNKYFOOD LONDON/PAUL WILLIAMS;
WHITBY ABBEY
GL ARCHIVE; VISITENGLAND/WENTWORTH CASTLE GARDENS; MIKE KIPLING PHOTOGRAPHY

Whitby, on the north-east coast of Yorkshire,
is home to one of the most dramatic sights in the
county: that of the ruins of Whitby Abbey, founded
in AD 657, and at the time one of the most significant
monasteries in the Anglo-Saxon world. Built by
King Oswy of Northumbria, it was ruled by Abbess
Hilda, an impressive woman who presided over
men and women alike and whose wisdom was
often sought by royalty. Standing above the seaside
town, the energetic can climb the 199 steps from the
town to the ruin, where it’s easy to see how Bram
Stoker gained inspiration for Dracula, his Gothic
tale, from both the site and the wider Whitby.
www.english-heritage.org.uk
SINK YOUR TEETH INTO
A GREAT DAY OUT
Discover the gothic splendour that inspired
Est. 1979 Bram Stoker’s legendary tale.
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GREAT
OUTDOORS
CLEVELAND WAY TRAIL
The serious walker will relish the Cleveland Way,
which begins in Helmsley on the western edge of the
North York Moors, and finally delivers its followers at
Filey on the east coast, 110 miles later. The less intrepid
can simply elect to experience its highlights, of which
there are many. After all, three out of four of the top-
voted best views in the county are to be found along
the trail: Sutton Bank across the Vale of Mowbray; the
view of Whitby Harbour from the 199 steps; and the
sight of Robin Hood’s Bay from Ravenscar.
www.nationaltrail.co.uk/cleveland-way
YORKSHIRE DALES
NATIONAL PARK
Rivers, moorlands, waterfalls, bridleways, limestone
pavements, ancient villages and dry-stone walls… the
Yorkshire Dales National Park in the north-western
corner of the county offers hikers, strollers, cyclists and
climbers some 680 square miles of ravishing scenery
and wildlife (think rare breeds of sheep and butterflies).
Do endeavour to catch a glimpse of the limestone cliffs
at Malham Cove (right) and the fascinating formations
at Brimham Rocks. Meanwhile, for a more leisurely
exploration, hop on a steam train across the Dales
(featured in screen adaptations of both Harry Potter
and The Railway Children).
www.yorkshiredales.org.uk
SLEEP
SWINTON
PARK
For those in search of serious grandeur,
you’d be hard-pressed to beat Swinton
Park in North Yorkshire’s Dales. In
the heart of the 20,000-acre estate sits
a 17th century castle, with extensive
Victorian additions (flourishes added by
the 19th century mill magnate, Samuel
Cunliffe-Lister). Rooms come in both
NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JOE CORNISH
capacious and cosy varieties and the

Georgian drawing room is nothing short
of exemplary. Golfers will rejoice in its
nine-hole course, while others will enjoy
the grounds, which abound with lakes,
farmland and moorland.
www.swintonpark.com
Yorkshire
THE LAKE HOUSE MIDDLETHORPE HALL AND SPA

For secluded luxury, little comes close to the Lake House, Situated next door to York’s racecourse, Middlethorpe Hall and
a private holiday rental with six bedrooms on the coast near Spa was built in 1699, its Queen Anne style influenced by the great
Sandsend Beach, and – a little further south – the seaside town Sir Christopher Wren. These days it operates under the auspices
of Whitby. If guests so wish, the services of a private chef and of the National Trust, which runs it as the luxury hotel in the city.
butler can be called upon, while even the family pet can Think old-fashioned luxury (dinner is served by candlelight in a
de-stress courtesy of an on-site dog spa (what else?). wood-panelled dining room), impeccable service and comfort.
www.bluechipholidays.co.uk/north-yorkshire/whitby/the-lake-house www.middlethorpe.com
VISIT
LEEDS
Grand Victorian façades, cobbled streets, renovated
arcades and riverside walks… Leeds’ mainly
pedestrianised city centre makes it a joy to wander.
For a hit of culture, don’t miss the Leeds City Art
Gallery (its collection includes work by JMW Turner,
John Constable and Barbara Hepworth). Meanwhile
shoppers will be rewarded by the Corn Exchange,
a shopping-centre housed in a 1864 Grade I-listed
building and the historic Victoria Quarter luxury
shopping arcade (left). Known as “the Knightsbridge
of the North”, Leeds has gone from down-at-heel
mill town to a picture of 21st century prosperity,
complete with skyscrapers, waterfront luxury
VISITENGLAND/THOMAS HEATON
developments – and a Harvey Nichols.
www.visitleeds.co.uk
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36244 WREA HEAD Winter Spring A5 Mailer.indd 1 08/12/2015 08:17
36244 WREA HEAD Winter Spring A5 Mailer.indd 1 08/12/2015 08:17

Yorkshire
STAITHES
AND RAVENSCAR
With higgledy-piggledy streets and quaint
cottages galore, Staithes is an ideal base for
exploring the coastal paths and cliffs along
the Cleveland Way – while getting a hit
of picturesque, quintessential Yorkshire.
Meanwhile, in the continuing pursuit of
old-world charm, drive down the coastline
to Ravenscar, a would-be upmarket tourist
resort that never quite was. Despite
19th century plans for it to be so, it was
ultimately left unfinished. These days, it is
under the care of the National Trust, which
has a visitors’ centre for more information.
www.staithes-town.info
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/yorkshire-coast
HARROGATE
This civilised Victorian spa town attracts tourists keen for some repose
amidst genteel surrounds. There is an annual flower show; the Harlow Carr
Botanical Gardens are amongst the most beautiful in the country; and there
is a Royal Pump Room, built in 1842 (now a museum), where visitors can
learn about the town’s healing waters and sulphurous springs. It has literary
links too; Agatha Christie escaped her broken marriage here in 1926, and
Charles Dickens called it “the queerest place, with the strangest people in it,
leading the oddest lives of dancing, newspaper reading and dining”. Make
sure you go to Betty’s Café Tea Room and try a famous “Fat Rascal” scone.
www.visitharrogate.co.uk
YORK
NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JOE CORNISH; VISITENGLAND/DIANA JARVIS; RICHARD J JONES

York famously claims to have more
attractions per square mile than any other
UK city. It’s no idle boast. Just for starters,
there is the remarkable York Minster (left),
the city’s awe-inspiring Gothic cathedral;
the Jorvik Viking Centre – a multimedia,
multi-sensory display which recreates the
city’s Viking settlement in the city; and the
Shambles, one of the prettiest streets in the
country, lined with 15th century buildings.
Don’t miss the City Walls, along the line
of the Roman originals; or the National
Railway Museum, where you can spy silk-
lined carriages of the royal trains used by
Queen Victoria. And there’s plenty more…
nowhere exudes medieval charm like York.
www.visityork.org
PROMOTION
Castle Howard is one

of the country’s finest
stately homes
Below: Whitby Abbey,
a ruined Benedictine
abbey, is on the coast
It’s great up north

For a comprehensive taste of the region’s sweeping beauty and unforgettable sights,
the Yorkshire Tour Company offers the Great Yorkshire Tour
W
ith romantic ruins and its the five-day tour starts at York Minster
majestic moors, Yorkshire’s and takes in unmissable sights such as
wild beauty casts a spell on Castle Howard, the Brontës’ Haworth
all who visit – and with the legendary and the Yorkshire Dales.
friendliness of its people, you can The Yorkshire Tour Company
guarantee a warm welcome will promises breathtaking scenery and
await you too. Be warned, though: dramatic windswept coastlines, as
you many never return back home. well as historic abbeys and castles
Londoner Jill Chinnery, founder and galore. Clients, who can book on
managing director of the Yorkshire group tours or request bespoke
Tour Company, first visited the region packages, will stay in Yorkshire’s
many moons ago, and her trip was finest inns and hand-picked hotels
a revelation. “I just never knew there that deliver exceptional service.
was such loveliness ‘up north’,” she Sharron Cooney says: “I welcome the
says. “I fell in love with Yorkshire and opportunity to share some of our
the quality of life it offers and am driven to The Yorkshire Tour Company specialises great heritage with you and the warm, friendly
share that experience with others.” in luxury tours and covers a wide range of Yorkshire welcome for which we are famed.”
Now a local of some 20 years, Jill is joined packages including 4 Abbeys and A Minster, the
MIKE KIPLING PHOTOGRAPHY; ZINCAT
on her mission by marketing director, Sharron Dales Taster, Moors and Coast, Hidden Gems For more information, call
Cooney, who lives in a beautiful Yorkshire and Magical Secrets, and York and the Historic +44 (0) 845 8900 499, email enquiry@
village on the edge of the Dales. A keen cyclist North. However, its signature – and most theyorkshiretourcompany.com or visit
who rode the Grand Départ route (part of the popular – trip is the Great Yorkshire Tour, which www.theyorkshiretourcompany.com
Tour de France in 2014) through the Dales last runs twice a month throughout summer.
year, Sharron has a wealth of local knowledge Offering a comprehensive taste of exceptional
she is passionate about sharing. regional treasures and award-winning venues,
Scotland
Xxx
WHISKY
business
Along with tartan, haggis and Robert Burns, whisky is one
of Scotland’s most famous exports. Stuart Peskett
embarks on a whistlestop tasting tour
Scotland
S
cotland: if you love whisky, you’ve like to start with something a little younger distilleries will release age-statement
come to the right place. There are (and cheaper). The 18-year-old costs bottles, with the age referring to the
more than 100 whisky distilleries under £100 and offers tempting notes of youngest whisky in the bottle, but Balblair’s
here, with more than half open gingerbread, sultanas and toasty oak. whiskies are the product of just one year –
to the public, offering all manner of treats, perfect if you’re looking for a gift to mark
tours and tastings, and even the chance to Famous names a special birthday or anniversary. The
blend and bottle your own tipple. From Dalmore it’s a short drive north along Balblair style is clean and fruity, with notes
A great starting place is Inverness, the the A9 to Glenmorangie, one of whisky’s of apple, orange and lemon, making it an
northernmost city in the UK, the capital most famous names thanks to its elegant, ideal aperitif. And if you visit the distillery,
of the Highlands and the “happiest place honeyed drams. There are three tours to you get to bottle your own whisky straight
in Scotland” according to a survey. After try – Original, Signet and Heritage – and it’s from the cask.
admiring the red sandstone castle, which possible to stay at Glenmorangie House, a Next up, heading south, is the most
sits on a cliff overlooking the River Ness, beautiful six-bedroom property with cosy famous whisky region of them all: Speyside.
head north across the Moray Firth and in rooms, a walled kitchen garden and even a Home to more than 50 distilleries, it is
20 miles you’ll reach our first destination: private beach. Don’t get too comfortable, paradise for Scotch whisky fans. Head for
Dalmore, famous for its stag-branded bottles. though, as your next stop is Balblair the centre and stay in either Craigellachie
The Dalmore style is rich and sweet, and distillery, just a few miles west. or Aberlour – from either town, you have
the rarest bottles change hands for huge Established in 1790, Balblair is unique plenty of great distilleries within easy
sums of money. A 62-year-old bottle was among Scottish distilleries in that it only reach. The Craigellachie Hotel has had
sold in Asia for £125,000, but you might releases single-vintage bottlings. Most a makeover and its Quaich Bar boasts
Left to right: The Lagavulin Distillery on Islay; Glenfinnan in the Lochaber area of the
Highlands; Strathisla Distillery, built in 1786 on Speyside, is one of the oldest in Scotland
Previous page: Glencoe, looking towards Rannoch Moor; (inset) Glenmorangie barrels
no fewer than 700 single malts, while investors. The distillery itself is a thing of fishing) through Aviemore and Kingussie
Aberlour’s Mash Tun is a great spot, with beauty, located close to the River Spey, and and towards Fort William on Scotland’s
delicious food and an excellent whisky list. with “curiously small stills” that produce west coast. From there, you can visit Ben
If you are staying in Aberlour, don’t forget a rich, fruity spirit. The tours are great and Nevis Distillery, which promises a tour from
to visit the Walkers Shortbread shop. They you even get the chance to taste some a mythical giant named Hector McDram.
don’t do tours, but they do sell huge bags of “new-make” spirit straight off the still. While you’re here, it’s worth a short detour
delicious shortbread – just try not to eat it A few miles south-west along the A95 east to Glencoe, which made a dramatic
all before you get home… leads you to Glenfarclas, one of the few appearance in the James Bond film Skyfall.
family-owned distilleries remaining in
ALAMY/DEREK CROUCHER; FRANK SIEDLOK; BON APPETIT;
Classic tastes Scotland, and one of the first to open Island-hopping

Our first stop in Speyside is Glenfiddich, to visitors. Here you can enjoy the Five Hug the coastal road south until you reach
GRAEME PEACOCK; VISITBRITAIN/JOE CORNISH
one of the most popular Scotch whiskies Decades Tour, with the chance to taste Oban, with some stunning views along
on the planet. The standard bottling, the the Glenfarclas Family Cask samples the way. Oban Distillery is in the centre of
12-year-old, is a classic of the region: from the 1950s to the 1990s – a real town, and holds child-friendly “flavour-
light, floral and grassy, but if you visit the treat. Glenfarclas whiskies are like liquid finding” tours, as well as tours for adults
distillery you’ll have the chance to blend Christmas cake and are perfect after dinner with plenty of drams to share, including
your own version of the 15-year-old and to or with chocolate-based desserts. the ever-popular 14-year-old, with its rich
take a sample of your blend home with you. Heading south-west through the beautiful aromas of honey, heather and smoke. A
Next up is the Macallan, a sherried Cairngorms National Park, follow the River short walk from the distillery is the ferry
whisky prized among aficionados and Spey (an excellent place for a spot of fly port, if you wish to do some island-hopping. ➤
Scotland
Clockwise, from below: Beautiful Ballindalloch Castle on
Speyside; the Mar Estate in the Cairngorms National Park;
enjoy the vast wealth of whiskies on offer in Scotland
From Oban you can take a ferry to Mull, including Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig end for all your hard work. For many, the
home to Tobermory Distillery, or you can – all three are on the south coast, just a mile Laphroaig 10-year-old is the quintessential
drive 90 minutes south into Campbeltown, apart, and all do tours. Islay malt, but try before you buy – its
ALAMY/NAGELESTOCK.COM; MAR PHOTOGRAPHICS; VISITBRITAIN/BRITAIN ON VIEW

known as the “whisky capital of the full-throttle flavour is not for everyone.
world” in the 1800s, with more than 30 Breathtaking landscapes If peat doesn’t do it for you, head to
distilleries. These days, there are just three: To reach Islay, you can catch a ferry from Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain – their
Springbank, Glen Scotia and Glengyle. All Kennacraig in Campbeltown or fly direct whiskies are cleaner and fruitier.
offer tours, and at Springbank you can even from Glasgow. Islay malts are hard-hitting Wherever you decide to take your whisky
have a personal tour from Frank McHardy, and peaty, with robust notes of tar and tour, you’ll meet some knowledgeable
a legend of the industry with more than smoked fish. If you’re hungry, head to people, see some breathtaking landscape
50 years of experience. Campbeltown Ardbeg’s Old Kiln Café for some delicious and taste some truly memorable whiskies.
malts are rugged and coastal, with a salty home-cooked food – when I last visited, And every time you taste a whisky from
sea-spray tang – try the rich, full-bodied they served bread made with leftover grain a distillery you’ve visited personally, I can
15-year-old Springbank or the more elegant that had Ardbeg’s trademark smokiness. promise that those memories will come
Glen Scotia Victoriana. Lagavulin is just a 20-minute stroll away, flooding back. n
Our tour finishes in a world-famous and the 16-year-old, with its smoky, tarry
destination for whisky fans: Islay aroma, has won over many whisky fans, For more beautiful photographs of
(pronounced “eye-la”). The tiny island, including Johnny Depp. Head to nearby Scotland’s whisky-making regions, as well
which has a population of just 3,000, is Laphroaig and you can even have a go as links to its most famous distilleries, see
home to some iconic whisky distilleries, at peat-cutting – you get a dram at the www.discoverbritain.mag/whisky
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Xxx
1
1: Bovey Castle was built by Viscount

Hambleden 2: Amberley Castle is 900
years old, and was once used by the
bishops of Chichester 3: King John
visited Cawood Castle 4: Woodsford
Castle in Hardy country 5: Hever Castle,
former home of two wives of Henry VIII
2
King of 1 Bovey Castle 2 Amberley Castle
the Castle Devon

Although the newest of all our fortresses,
Bovey Castle’s setting, all 400 acres within
Dartmoor National Park, is enough to have
West Sussex
For the dedicated Anglophile, Amberley
Castle is about as gratifyingly box-
ticking as it gets. The downland village
Jemima Coxshaw goes in search
us weak at the knees. Its story begins with of Amberley in West Sussex is peppered
of fortresses big and small, where William Henry Smith (of the stationer with chocolate-box perfect cottages, and
you can slumber like royalty WH Smith, which made its fortune in the is framed by the South Downs Way on its
Industrial Revolution’s railway stations) and east side and the River Arun on the south
later to become Viscount Hambleden. He and west sides. Presiding over it all is
bought 5,000 acres of land in 1890, with Amberley Castle, the 900-year-old fortress
the intention of establishing himself as a that now doubles as a luxury hotel. Once
country squire. But it was his son, Frederick used by the bishops of Chichester, it was
Smith, who completed the neo-Jacobean part destroyed on Oliver Cromwell’s orders
manor house in 1907, which acted as a during the Civil War owing to its Royalist
symbol of family wealth. After Frederick’s tenant, as a result of which its Great Hall
death, the house came, fittingly, under the was demolished. From war to a blissfully
ownership of the Great Western Railway peaceful retreat, visitors who pass through
Company, which built a golf course and its 60-foot-high curtain wall will find its
opened it as a hotel, setting it up as a rooms resplendent, its food sumptuous and
southern rival to Gleneagles in Scotland. its service simply sublime.
www.boveycastle.com www.amberleycastle.co.uk
Xxx
3
3 Cawood Castle 4 Woodsford Castle 5 Hever Castle

North Yorkshire Dorset Kent
Once upon a time, Cawood Castle was Set in deepest Hardy country, up to eight Originally built in 1270, Hever Castle is,
the medieval stronghold of the archbishops guests can stay in the remaining part of curiously, most closely associated with two
of York and played host to a long line of the 14th century Woodsford Castle. The of the famous wives of King Henry VIII.
royal visitors, including King John. In 1465, fortress dates back to 1370, when it was In the 16th century, it was the childhood
DAVID GRIFFEN PHOTOGRAPHY; PAUL GRUNDY; SCOTT WRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
it provided the setting for the “Great Feast most likely built as part of a wider group home of Anne Boleyn, for whom Henry’s
of Cawood” to celebrate the accession of of buildings. It was later bought by Sir Guy passion was so fervent that he not only
George Neville to Archbishop of York, de Bryan, a close friend of King Edward married her, as opposed to just keeping
which rivalled the king’s coronation III, who was remembered, during Queen her as his mistress, but also renounced the
festivities. Cardinal Wolsey was arrested Elizabeth I’s reign some 200 years later, national Catholic faith of the entire nation.
at Cawood in 1530 and turned back as a great warrior by historian William It was later home to another of his wives,
south, where he died shortly after. Much Camden – who describes the Woodsford Anne of Cleves, who apparently lived there
of the castle was dismantled during the building as being where Sir Guy had unperturbed by the ultimate unfortunate
17th century English Civil War, when it “a little castle of his own”. It has passed fate of her predecessor. Centuries later,
fell into the hands of Parliamentarians in through many aristocratic hands, and in 1903, the historic gem was restored
1646. Today the gatehouse and banqueting in 1850 John Hicks of Dorchester to lavish effect by America’s wealthiest
hall remain, and guests can stay via the commissioned its restoration to a Mr Hardy man, William Waldorf Astor, and today
Landmark Trust, which restores buildings – father of the writer Thomas. It is now let guests can stay in splendid luxury in
of historical significance for holiday lets. for holidays by the Landmark Trust. a designated wing of the castle.
www.landmarktrust.org.uk www.landmarktrust.org.uk www.hevercastle.co.uk
ACCOMMODATION GUIDE – places to stay in Britain
SCOTLAND FARM
At Scotland Farm you will check in as guests but check out as friends. In the and lamb sausages, home made preserves and home grown vegetables. Ask
heart of Jane Austin country this little gem of a B&B offers a treat like no Jessica about Scotland Farm and she will laugh saying its where the inmates
other. On the working farm you will be welcomed as part of the family and run the asylum but she is hugely proud of her 100% excellent trip advisor
Jessica and her friendly dogs will be more than happy to show you how its ratings.
all done. The 3 luxury King size rooms (all ensuite with wifi) are fitted out Keep a look out for a fantastic combination of accommodation and
with Jessica’s famous Southdown Duvets range of wool quilts, pillows and bedding offers throughout 2016 or call Jessica for more details
mattress toppers ensuring a glorious healthy nights’ sleep. During the day
you can meet the sheep who provide the wool for this exceptional bedding,
walk among the Southdown flock grazing in the 100 acres of green fields, Upland Lane, Hawkley, Liss, Hampshire GU33 6NH
soak up stunning views of the Southdown National Park and enjoy Jessica’s Email: jessica@scotlandfarm.com | Tel: +44 (0)1730 827 418
home cooked breakfast of locally sourced produce, Scotland Farm eggs www.scotlandfarm.com
BUSH NOOK GUEST HOUSE

Bush Nook is set on the slopes of North Pennines, a half mile off the A69 private lounge, charming double bedroom, oak panelled floors, separate full
at Gilsland, within the rolling and open countryside of North East Cumbria. bathroom with bath and overhead shower and kitchen facilities.
The Guest House has been restored to retain and enhance many features There is a dedicated guest area to relax in with a lounge and a delightful
of the original property. There are a mix of single, double and twin bed and conservatory, where in an evening you can rest, watch the birds, take in the
breakfast guest rooms, each with individual design and character. stunning views, maybe have a drink in the Nook Bar or on a morning watch
All bedrooms are ensuite and comfortably furnished, complete with crisp the sun rise as you breakfast.
white cotton bedding, Freeview digital television, hair dryer and hot drink Visitors can also have complimentary use of the garden hot tub with
making facilities, as well as a supply of toiletries and fluffy towels for your stunning views across Northumberland and Hadrian’s Wall Country.
personal use. Bush Nook, Upper Denton, Gilsland, Cumbria, CA8 7AF
If you wish to treat yourself to something a little special, our ground Email: info@bushnook.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0)1697747194
floor B&B holiday cottage offers more space and comfort, with your own www.bushnook.co.uk
The perfect
THORNBURY CASTLE HOTEL PORTHLEVEN HOLIDAY COTTAGES
Step back in time in this extraordinary Tudor castle on the edge of the The most southerly port in Britain, Porthleven is the quintessential Cornish
Cotswolds. This hotel offers the perfect luxurious retreat – combining harbour village. Set in the sweep of Mounts Bay with the Lizard Peninsular
500-year-old architecture with sumptuous facilities. Thornbury Castle to the east, Penwith to the west and the Atlantic to the south, it’s the perfect
Cornish holiday destina

is a place to de-stress – take a stroll around the manicured lawns and location to explore the area or just take it easy and watch the world go by.
landscaped grounds, book a massage in your own bedchamber and relax With 30 beautiful properties to choose from there is something for everyone
over a delicious meal in our exclusive 2 rosette restaurant. Each of the 26 from large family houses and stylish apartments to romantic traditional
bedchambers is unique, most with coronet or four-poster beds, and the cottages and cosy converted net lofts. With our office located in the heart of
bathrooms are both opulent and well-appointed.
Thornbury, South Gloucestershire BS35 1HH
30 gorgeous properties many w
the village we are always on hand to help make your holiday perfect.
Celtic House Harbour Head Porthleven Helston Cornwall TR13 9JY
sea and harbour views

Email: reception@ thornburycastle.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0)1454 281182 Email: info@porthlevenholidaycottages.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0)1326 574270
www.thornburycastle.co.uk www.porthlevenholidaycottages.co.uk
Call to book +44 (0)1326 574270 or v

www.porthlevenholidaycottages.co.
RUTHIN CASTLE HOTEL & SPA

Ruthin Castle Hotel & Spa is a beautiful retreat; steeped in history and nestled beauty treatments and health club that will help relax your mind and revive
in acres of parkland beside the Clwydian Range in North Wales. Here you can your spirit.
indulge yourself with exquisite dining, unwind in our distinctive spa or revel in Ruthin Castle Hotel & Spa is a royal gem just waiting to be explored.
one of our renowned Medieval Feasts before sinking into a luxurious bed for a Legendary Ruthin Castle has been welcoming guests – including Kings &
sleep worthy of a Prince or Princess. Queens and noted members of society for several hundred years and today,
The Castle offers four room styles across 58 bedrooms. These are: that long history of delivering warm hospitality and comfort to guests continues,
The Princes of Wales Suite, Castle Suites - unusually themed and extravagantly having received a Visit Wales Gold Award which rewards outstanding quality,
furnished guest rooms, Castle Deluxe King or Twin, Castle Luxury King or Twin. exceptional comfort and hospitality.
All of our guest rooms blend the original era of The Castle with modern comfort Castle Street, Ruthin LL15 2NU, North Wales, UK
In our Moat Spa, which rests beside the rustic woodland grounds of Email: reservations@ruthincastle.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0)1824 702664
The Castle’s original moat, you can leave the world behind you with www.ruthincastle.co.uk
COMMEMORATIVE GUERNSEY & ALDERNEY STAMPS
Guernsey Post has issued its own stamps Endangered Species: Philippine Eagle
NEW ISSUE: Miniature Sheet: £3.00 Issue date: 17th February 2016
since 1969 and during this time we have
produced many unusual and innovative
designs. The beautiful Bailiwick of Guernsey
continually provides inspiration for creating
memorable and collectable stamp issues. PRE-
ORD
5th F ER
We occasionally produce more unusual EB
items for collectors - if you are looking for
something different, then look no further!
For a full list of our collectables why not
browse our website, go online today! Also available:
First Day Cover: £4.20 Presentation Pack: £3.90
Year of the Monkey 2016 Set of six stamps: £3.62
NEW ISSUE: Issue date: 20 January 2016 Limited Edition of 500 Gold Foil Souvenir Sheet: £95.00
ORDE
TODA R
Y!
An exact replica of the Souvenir Sheet produced in 24 carat

gold (99.9% pure) and mounted in an acrylic display stand
Also available: with a certificate of authenticity.
Souvenir Sheet: £3.62 First Day Cover: £4.82 FDC Souvenir Sheet: £4.82
Gold Foil Souvenir Sheets are also availabe for the The Life
Presentation Pack: £4.52 Sheets of 10: £36.20 Limited Edition of 500 Uncut Press Sheets: £23.00
of Ian Fleming, Year of the Horse and Year of the Goat.
Alderney: Longis Nature Reserve

NEW ISSUE: Set of six stamps: £3.62 Issue date: 17th February 2016
PRE-
ORD
5th F ER
EB
Also available:
First Day Cover: £4.82
Presentation Pack: £4.52
Souvenir Sheet: £3.62
Sheets of 10: £36.20
buy now @ www.guernseystamps.com
First Day Cover Souvenir Sheet: £4.82
Order Guernsey & Alderney stamps online

or by telephone on +44 (0) 1481 716486
Quiz
Crossword no 189
SAY WHAT?
Can you identify which great Briton uttered these
words of wisdom?
A
Across 28 — and Cleopatra, a play by George “I would rather be a beggar and single than
1 A race between boats each with a Bernard Shaw (6) a queen and married”
single pair of oars (6)
5 Humorous verse form popularised Down B
by 13 down (8) 2 A shoe with a thick wooden sole (4) “I love fools’ experiments. I am always
9 York-based architect who did 3 Tourist centre in the New Forest (9) making them”
work at Buxton Crescent and 4 A rhythmical song sung by sailors
Harewood House (4,4) while working (6) C
10 — Hill House, Palladian villa on 5 Fictional detective created by “It isn’t what we say or think that defines us,
the River Thames between Richmond Dorothy L Sayers (4,5,6) but what we do”
and Twickenham (6) 6 A structure erected to commemorate
11 Nickname of Sir Henry Percy persons or events (8) D
(1364 – 1403) (7) 7 Of or relating to the countryside (5) “Whoever loveth me, loveth my hound”
12 Staffordshire market town — or 8 Area of West Yorkshire, including
Welsh national emblem (4) the towns of Sowerby Bridge and E
14 Shoreham-by-Sea is at the mouth Hebden Bridge (10) “Difficulties are just things to overcome,
of this river (4) 13 19th century artist and after all”
15 Container for Earl Grey, humorist, author of The Owl
Turn to page 98 for the answers
ADVANCE FEATURES; THE NATIONAL TRUST PHOTOLIBRARY/ALAMY
perhaps (3,5) and the Pussy Cat (6,4)

18 Leader of the Peasants’ Revolt 16 Sailing resort at the mouth of the
of 1381 (3,5) River Torridge in North Devon (9)
19 Game played on horseback (4) 17 Duke reputedly put to death in 1478
21 River that flows through Carlisle (4) “in a butt of Malmsey” (8)
Solution to crossword 188
23 Historic market town in Surrey, 20 Language of the Celts (6)
Across: 1 Mutual, 4 Chancel, 9 Linklater, 10 Psalm,
at the foot of the North Downs (7) 22 Relationship of Queen Victoria 11 Earls, 12 Lymington, 13 Newquay, 15 Limpet, 17
25 River that runs through Worcester to her predecessor William IV (5) Jekyll, 19 Douglas, 22 Linden Lea, 24 Elgin, 26 Teifi, 27
and Gloucester (6) 24 — Sewell, the author of Ashbourne, 28 Emerald, 29 Levels
26 Hampshire village associated with Black Beauty (4) Down: 1 Malvern, 2 Tenor, 3 Aylesbury, 4 Cartmel,
renowned naturalist Gilbert White (8) 5 Aspen, 6 Chartwell, 7 Lympne, 8 Stalky, 14
27 Foliage (8) Visit discoverbritainmag.com for answers Whernside, 16 Mousehole, 18 Lollard, 19 Drachm,
20 Sonnets, 21 Blithe, 23 Eliza, 25 Gorge
Agony aunt
“When drinking tea, never
ever raise your little finger.
It is not, as the misguided
believe, elegant”
ear Miss Manners, Dear Abashed,

My boss and I get on really well. We are Banish your bashfulness and ditch your
the same age, we share interests and a sense discomfort. The best way to circumnavigate
of humour, and I would say we’re almost embarrassment is to realise that you need
friends. But occasionally it can be hard not refer to or make a song and dance about
to adjust when her manner becomes more the call of nature. If you slip off without
businesslike. I can end up feeling offended fuss, the chances are that little fuss will
when she talks to me like I’m a subordinate. be made in return. However, there are
How should I handle the situation? certain rules amid polite society. “Loo”
Yours, Confused is the accepted term, while also tolerable
are “lavatory”, “ladies” or “gents” (the
Dear Confused, latter two only if you are out in public
The first rule of office life is to remember – never in someone’s home). “Toilet” is
who is boss. And as your experience has best avoided, certainly amongst the upper
shown you, blurring the boundaries can crust, but worse still are coy weasel words:
make it unnecessarily hard for all. The never refer to the “little girl’s room”,
good news is that it sounds like you have “conveniences” or – gulp – the “bog”.
an overall happy working life, and by no
means do I suggest that one should behave Dear Miss Manners,
Modern
like an automaton in the workplace. There I recently became engaged to be married
is plenty of room for personal pleasantries. and my husband-to-be’s family is very keen
Do, for example, ask after her children, that we hold an engagement party. I have
manners
or whether she enjoyed her holiday. But do always thought them unnecessary, but I
not pry or push for information. Remember, don’t want to be rude. If we go ahead, what
even if she overshares, it’s her prerogative considerations should I take into account?
to resume professional distance at will, Yours, Betrothed
so make sure you do not tell her details
of your life that you would usually only
Miss Manners answers your Dear Betrothed,
share with good friends. Remain polite, questions of etiquette Congratulations on your happy news.
professional and keep the boundaries clear. While the engagement party is by no means
And when you have a work crisis, do your essential to the wedding whirl, it can be
best to solve it before bothering her. No one and do make a pot – alongside a second pot both good fun and a great place to get
prefers a problem to a solution. of hot water (no one likes over-brewed tea). some event-planning practice in ahead of
Do nominate either yourself or someone the main event. If you do go ahead, ensure
Dear Miss Manners, else to “be mother” and pour the tea – it the party takes place within two months
To dunk, or not to dunk, avoids people either hanging back or being of announcing the engagement. Also, do
that is the question… overbearing. Hand each cup out as you beware of hosting a big party ahead of a
Yours, Soggy Digestive fan go, rather than pouring several and then small wedding – those who are invited will
dispensing them to the group. Stir with the naturally expect to be asked to the day.
Dear Soggy Digestive fan, spoon provided, but do not clink it against Do also ensure that you are meticulous
If, as I presume, you are talking about the cup. Ensure you hold your cup by the about introducing people – it may be the
the habit of submerging biscuits in your handle (leaving the saucer on the table) and first time family members and friends have
afternoon tea, the answer is emphatically never ever raise your little finger. It is not, met, so make them feel comfortable (this
ILLUSTRATION BY VINCE MCINDOE/DÉBUT ART
not to dunk if you are in anything other as the misguided believe, elegant. will pay off on the big day). If you can,
than a completely informal setting (no serving champagne and canapés is the
one will judge you for dipping a Rich Tea Dear Miss Manners, stylish thing to do. Should you be given
in your Earl Grey in the comfort of your When nature calls, how should one presents, make sure you write a thank you
sitting room). But I’m glad you ask, because refer to the “bathroom” (which always letter. Polite guests will also write notes to
I get a lot of letters about the etiquette seems such an odd term to me, since the host after the event. And you’re right
surrounding the serving and drinking of the convenience one is referring to – if your soon-to-be in-laws would like to
tea. Let’s clear some of them up. If you are usually does not contain a bath)? host a party for you, the gracious thing is to
serving tea to a group, opt for loose leaf Yours, Abashed accept, relax and enjoy the party. n
ANSWERS TO SAY WHAT? A QUEEN ELIZABETH I B CHARLES DARWIN C JANE AUSTEN D SIR THOMAS MORE E ERNEST SHACKLETON
We listen to what our clients want
and then exceed their expectations.
Credit: Chatsworth House Trust
TAILOR-MADE PRIVATE
TOURS FOR THE DISCERNING
www.bhctours.co.uk | info@bhctours.co.uk | +44 (0)1296 620173
Swiss movement, English heart
Swiss made / Quartz chronograph movement / 1/10th second split timing

function / Hand finished 316L stainless steel case / Anti-reflective sapphire
crystal / SuperLuminovaTM hands and indices / Matt finish optic white
one-piece dial / Italian leather strap with easy opening butterfly clasp /
Diameter: 39mm / Calibre: Ronda 5040.D

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EXCLUSIVE: THE SECRET TREASURES OF KENSINGTON PALACE

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be said of Kensington Palace as a whole. n

A Tour of Lord’s provides a fascinating

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