Britain - SeptemberOctober 2022 UserUpload Net

FIND YOUR
6
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
BRITAIN
HISTORY HERITAGE TRAVEL CULTURE
Fall for the

Lake District
Romantic landscapes & quaint villages
KING
WIN
a week on
OF THE
CASTLES
the beautiful Edward I’s
Yorkshire mighty legacy
coast
HIGH FLIERS
Behind the scenes
with the Red Arrows
VICTORIAN
SCANDAL
Love and betrayal
On the in the Cotswolds
Titanic trail
Discover the story of the doomed ship in Belfast
SEPT/OCT 2022 £4.95
www.britain-magazine.com
EDITOR'S LETTER
Coastal views, healthful
air and magnificent
mountains: the
Victorians knew what
they liked from their
holidays, and the destinations featured
this issue were firm favourites. The
genteel towns of Devon’s south coast (The
English Riviera, p14) ooze the charm of a
bygone era, and the beauty of the Lake
District (Romancing the Lakes, p64) drew
Victorian city-dwellers in droves.
The best historic houses are full of the
stories of their former occupants.
Polesden Lacey in Surrey was once home
to a rags-to-riches society hostess (Mrs
Greville’s Treasures, p24); while Kelmscott
Manor in the Cotswolds, owned by the
designer William Morris, played host to
a scandalous love triangle (Life’s rich
tapestry, p48). 61
We also profile castle-builder
extraordinaire Edward I (The Warrior
King, p33), revisit the Titanic 110 years
St Michael’s Mount
48
after its sinking (Belfast’s Titanic legacy,
p75) and follow Paddington Bear’s
journey, from darkest Peru to tea with
CONTENTS
VOLUME 90 ISSUE 5
the Queen (Paws for thought, p56).
Enjoy the issue!
FEATURES
PHOTOS: © MKGOLDER/ISTOCK/ SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES LONDON (KELMSCOTT MANOR)/TOURISM IRELAND/CHRIS HILL
Natasha Foges
14 THE ENGLISH RIVIERA
Dotted with quaint little towns, this stunning stretch
Editor
of South Devon coastline comes into its own once the
For the best articles straight to your inbox, summer crowds have departed
sign up to our free BRITAIN newsletter at 24 MRS GREVILLE’S TREASURES
www.britain-magazine.com/newsletter One of the most celebrated hostesses of the
Edwardian era, Margaret Greville amassed many
@BRITAINMAGAZINE collectibles at her Surrey manor, Polesden Lacey
FACEBOOK/BRITAINMAGAZINE 33 THE WARRIOR KING

From Flower of Chivalry to Hammer of the Scots,
@BRITAIN__ MAGAZINE Edward I has had more nicknames than any other
monarch, but how did he measure up to them?
40 THE REAL JAMES HERRIOT

BRITAIN
HISTORY HERITAGE TRAVEL CULTURE The All Creatures Great and Small author and vet
Fall for the
Lake District tended to animals on the Yorkshire Dales, but
Romantic landscapes & quaint villages
WIN
a week on
KING
OF THE
CASTLES
how much truth was there in his much-loved tales?
the beautiful Edward I’s
Yorkshire mighty legacy
48
coast
HIGH FLIERS
Behind the scenes
with the Red Arrows
LIFE’S RICH TAPESTRY
VICTORIAN Cover image: An autumnal As Kelmscott Manor reopens after a three-year
75
SCANDAL
Love and betrayal
On the in the Cotswolds
view of the Lake District
Titanic trail National Park
renovation, we explore the stories and scandals
Discover the story of the doomed ship in Belfast
© Ed Rhodes/Robert Harding behind William Morris’s idyllic Cotswold retreat
FEATURES
56 PAWS FOR THOUGHT BRITAIN is the official magazine of
VisitBritain, the national tourism agency.
Having arrived in London with just the bear BRITAIN is published by
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64 ROMANCING THE LAKES Advertising
Follow a literary trail around Windermere and Group Sales Director Catherine Chapman
Head of Sales Operations Jodie Green
14
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YOUR LETTERS
Write to us with your thoughts on the magazine and memories of Britain
STAR LETTER MAGICAL CORNWALL QUEEN VICTORIA

RECONSIDERED
A recent documentary about King George
III opined (via current medical experts) that
he likely suffered from bipolar disorder,
while not taking into account that Queen
Victoria’s famous temper tantrums were
akin to that. She was never meant to be
Queen and wasn’t in line for the throne but
her uncle had no heirs, so she was thrust
into the job unexpectedly. I’d guess that the
burden of being Queen at a very young age
was overwhelming for her at times – and she
had nine children! She could also have had
I loved your recent article about King some long-term after-effects: gynaecology
Arthur’s Cornwall [Vol 90 Issue 4] as it and mental
reminded me of many happy holidays from healthcare wasn’t
my childhood. We went every year and I Our star letter wins a as sophisticated
loved clambering over the ruins of Tintagel copy of Gilded City, a as they are today,
and visiting the mystical St Nectan’s fascinating journey so she may have
waterfall, when not exploring the caves through London’s been suffering
and rock pools of the area’s wonderful medieval and early with undiagnosed
beaches. A magical place indeed! modern architecture disorders.
Stephen Morrissey, Montreal, Canada (Unicorn, £25). Pamela Towart,
via Facebook
BIG BEN’S BACK LOVE FOR LANCASHIRE

Thank you so much for your insightful I was very glad to see that the map in the
article The Time Machine [Vol 90 Issue 4]. Lancashire article [Vol 90 Issue 3] included
Every summer holiday, each of my three my hometown of Southport. When I was
children pick a topic to learn more about born there it was in Lancashire, but has now
during their time away from school. This been redrawn into Merseyside. However,
year my middle daughter, Erin, chose Big those of us born there, way back then, still
Ben, after hearing her classmates discussing think of ourselves as Lancastrians! It was so
PHOTOS: © ENGLISH HERITAGE/JIM HOLDEN/ISTOCK/PICTORE/CHRIS MOUYIARIS
the famous tower. Your article covered nice to see an article about my old stomping
pretty much everything we needed to know, grounds and places I’ve visited over the
and we all learnt lots of new facts about the years when back seeing family. One of my
infamous bell. A particular favourite was oldest memories from my first trip back was
that the tower once contained a prison cell seeing Blackpool Tower from the top of the
for unruly MPs! We’re planning a trip to rollercoaster at Pleasureland in Southport.
London soon to see (and hear) the newly On my last trip home, I went to Lancaster
restored clock tower in all its glory. for the first time and learned about the
Nicola Richardson, East Sussex, UK Pendle Witches on a tour of the castle
and prison. Somewhere I haven’t been is
Helmshore Textile Museum or Queen Street
WRITE TO US! By post: Letters, BRITAIN, The Chelsea Magazine Company, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ Mill near Burnley. There’s always somewhere
Via email: editor@britain-magazine.com FOLLOW US! Twitter: @BritainMagazine Instagram: @britain_magazine
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BritainMagazine Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/britainmagazine
else to add to the list of places to go.
Denise Bridge, Ontario, Canada
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marine life not seen elsewhere in the UK. Extend your visit and take a private tour to the
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HISTORY / NEWS / REVIEWS / INSPIRATION
The
BULLETIN
Egyptian mysteries, Roman ingenuity and
a very British country-house escape
ANNIVERSARY
1,900 years later
This year Hadrian’s Wall, Britain’s ancient Roman frontier in UNESCO World Heritage Site, a year-long festival is taking
the north, celebrates its 1,900th birthday. Built at the request place, with a packed programme of events and activities.
of Emperor Hadrian in 122 AD, it marked the border between Whether you want to experience life as a Roman soldier,
PHOTO: © ALAN COPSON/AWL IMAGES
Britain and unconquered Caledonia in the north and is the understand how and why the wall was built, or take part in a
largest Roman archaeological feature in Britain, running a total creative writing workshop, the 1900 Festival (until 23
of 73 miles from Wallsend in the east to Bowness-on-Solway December) has something for everyone.
in the west. To mark the momentous birthday of this 1900.hadrianswallcountry.co.uk
SHOPPING
Hedgerow happy
The end of summer in Britain is, arguably,

the most beautiful time of the whole season,
with leaves on the cusp of autumn colour,
woodland animals getting themselves ready
for the winter, and the hedgerows bursting
with berries just waiting to be made into a
delicious pudding. British pottery brand
Emma Bridgewater has encapsulated all of
this in its new collection. Our pick is the
pretty Hedgerow set (from £14), which
features colourful rosehip and elderberry
P L AC E S TO S TAY motifs on plates, jugs, teacups and more. EXHIBITION
www.emmabridgewater.co.uk
Rural retreat Egyptian intrigue
Just opened in Berkshire, The Retreat at In 1922, British archaeologist Howard

Elcot Park is an exemplary country-house Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun
hotel. A winding drive leads to a fine in the Valley of the Kings: the first intact
red-brick manor house overlooking the pharaoh’s tomb to be found. A century later,
rolling North Wessex Downs. The rooms it’s still one of the most important
have bags of rustic charm – William Morris archaeological discoveries of all time.
wallpaper, comfy armchairs, canopied beds Tutankhamun: Excavating the Archive (until
and antique prints set the tone. The standout 5 Feb 2023) at Oxford’s Bodleian Library
is the Percy Shelley Suite, named after the uses photographs, letters and diaries to paint
Romantic poet, whose family moved here a vivid picture of the events. Continuing the
after he died in Italy. There are tennis courts, theme, the British Museum’s Hieroglyphs:
an infinity pool and a croquet lawn, as well Unlocking Ancient Egypt (13 Oct until 19
as two excellent restaurants and a swish spa, Feb 2023) will celebrate 200 years since
but make time to explore the local area too
N AT U R E hieroglyphs were first deciphered after the
– Highclere Castle of Downton Abbey fame, discovery of the Rosetta Stone, expanding
Newbury racecourse and the antiques shops Waterside wildlife our understanding of human history by
of Hungerford are among the local draws. 3,000 years. visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk;
www.retreatelcotpark.com www.britishmuseum.org
Water voles, an endangered species in
Britain, are being reintroduced on the
725-acre Trentham Estate in Staffordshire as
PHOTOS: © TOM GREENLY/ASTRID TEMPLIER/TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH
part of a UK-wide project to boost the vole

population. More than 200 water voles have
been released into Trentham Lake, which
was designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown
at the heart of the estate, in the hope that
they will establish a self-sustaining
MUSEUM/ HARRY BURTON/WILL PRYCE
population. To help them on their way,

thousands of native marginal wildflowers
and reeds have been planted, alongside
meadows, feeder brooks and watercourses to
create their perfect habitat. Look out for
these fluffy creatures on your next visit.
www.trentham.co.uk
READING CORNER
Take inspiration for your
British adventures from
these great reads
The BBC Puzzle Book

by Ian Smith & Dr
Gareth Moore (£14.99,
Frances Lincoln).
Celebrate 100 years of
this British Institution
by testing your
knowledge of its most
In the 18th century, famous programmes.
custards were served
in delicate glasses, Devil-Land: England
Under Siege,
alongside jellies and 1588-1688 by Clare
syllabubs Jackson (£35, Allen
Lane). The winner of
RECIPE the Wolfson History
prize explores Britain’s
Custard Creams turbulent century
under Stuart rule.
Homecoming: The
An insight into the Great British pudding in its various forms, Pride and Pudding by Regula Scottish Years of Mary,
Ysewijn (Murdoch Books, £30) contains over 80 recipes, using documents dating back to the Queen of Scots by
14th century. From well-known desserts like bread-and-butter pudding to the more obscure, Rosemary Goring
but equally delicious snake fritters, this is a cookbook for history buffs and foodies alike. (£22, Birlinn). The
dramatic story of the
ill-fated queen’s
I n g re d i e n t s : lichildhood years in
4 egg yolks 20 g (3/4 oz) raw sugar her homeland.
1 teaspoon orange flower water 1 cinnamon stick Queen of the Savoy:

The extraordinary Life
425 ml (15 fl oz) thick (double) cream of Helen D’Oyly Carte
by Elisabeth Kehoe
Method: (£25, Unicorn). A lively
Whisk the egg yolks with the orange flower water in a large bowl. In a medium saucepan, account of the life of
bring the cream, sugar and cinnamon to a simmer. Remove the cinnamon stick. Pour a the Victorian
businesswoman and
little of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks and whisk thoroughly. Continue to add
founder of the Gilbert
the hot cream in batches, whisking constantly, until you get a smooth custard.
& Sullivan franchise.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, put it over low heat and stir with a spatula
until just thickened, ensuring the eggs don’t scramble. Remove from the heat and allow to The Flower of all Cities
cool in the saucepan until the custard is cold enough to scoop into glasses or teacups. by Robert Wynn
Dust some mace or nutmeg on the custards before serving. Jones (10.99,
Amberley Publishing).
A l m o n d c u s t a rd An exciting account of
To make this into an almond custard, omit the orange flower water and whisk the egg London’s early history,
yolks. Crush 50g (1¾ oz) blanched almonds with 1 teaspoon of rosewater using a mortar from the Romans to
and pestle and mix with the cream before bringing it to a simmer with the sugar and the Stuarts.
cinnamon. Remove from the heat, strain and mix the hot cream with the eggs as above.
For a stronger marzipan flavour, add a few blanched apricot kernels to the mix.
Wish you were here...
Join us on a private guided tour
of Cornwall, England.
We promise it will be the
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www.britain-magazine.com BRITAIN 13
PHOTO: © DAVID CHAPMAN/AL AMY
ENGLISH RIVIERA
The
English Riviera
This stunning stretch of South Devon coastline, dotted
with quaint little towns, comes into its own once
the summer crowds have departed
WORDS CLARE STRONG
Previous page:
Brixham harbour at
sunset
Top right: Torquay’s
attractive harbour
is a real haven for
boat lovers
Bottom right: The
Dartmouth Steam
Railway passes
Goodrington sands
beach, a favourite
with holidaymakers
uel bon pays!”, exclaimed the It’s no surprise that summers here are busy, but the
Frenchman on first sighting this area’s balmy climate makes a visit in the autumn or spring
stretch of the English coastline: just as appealing, allowing you to explore the Riviera’s
“What a beautiful country!” The picturesque harbours and quaint villages in relative peace.
foreigner was Napoleon Bonaparte. A quartet of delightful towns is threaded along the
After his disastrous defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, the coastline. ‘Queen of the Riviera’ is Torquay, which has
military leader was held captive in a ship called the HMS been attracting visitors to “take the cure” – also known
Bellerophon, which dropped anchor for a couple of days as swimming in the sea – since Victorian times. Once
near the Devon fishing village of Brixham. Like many Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s railway had snaked its way
before and after him, Napoleon was captivated by the to the edge of the town, it boomed – to the consternation
particular light and beauty of this stretch of coast, with its of some. In the early 19th century one local vicar
steep wooded cliffs declared that “two hotels in
PHOTO: © MARK L AKEMAN PHOTOGR APHY 2015. ILLUSTR ATION: © MICHAEL A HILL
plummeting down to the the town would be

sparkling English Channel.
Napoleon was captivated by the detrimental to its moral
Though Bonaparte didn’t light and beauty of this stretch of health”. He would blanch to
actually set foot in Devon, visit Torquay today, with its
the resorts along Torbay’s coast, with its steep wooded cliffs large wedding cake-like
coastline have much to hotels staring boldly out to
thank him for. In the early
plummeting down to the Channel sea, its swanky restaurants
19th century the Napoleonic (one boasting a Michelin
Wars convulsed the continent, making it difficult for rich star) and jolly, hospitable air.
elites to escape for their ‘grand tours’ of Paris, Venice and The same delights that attracted the Victorians lure
Rome. With the sunny pleasures of France and Italy out of millions to Torquay each year: “healthful” air, a rare
reach, the well-heeled of England looked closer to home amount of English sun, and wide, breathtaking views of
– and the gaze of many fell on Torbay, an area of South the Channel. On sunny days, when Torquay’s harbour is a
Devon covering 22 miles of coastline. Its mild winters and forest of yacht masts, you could easily mistake the sweep
long hours of sunlight meant the stretch was soon of blue before you for the Mediterranean Sea.
nicknamed ‘the English Riviera’, with palm tree-lined Just east of Torquay is Babbacombe, which boasts the
boulevards cultivated to rival the Croisette at Cannes. highest clifftop promenade in England. This genteel spot
ENGLISH RIVIERA
Clockwise,
from top left: The
Babbacombe Cliff
Railway has shuttled
passengers for
almost a century; a
replica of the Golden
Hind sits in Brixham
Harbour; local
seafood is served at
some of Europe’s
best restaurants; a
quaint cottage in
Cockington
is furnished with bright flowers, welcoming benches and a

telescope through which – when the skies are clear – you
can see the Portland Bill lighthouse in Dorset. Running
from the promenade down to Oddicombe beach is the
Babbacombe Cliff Railway, a cream-and-burgundy-
coloured funicular which was built in 1926. Many a
weary traveller has been thankful for its existence, for the
forest-covered cliffs are too steep for many to scramble
down and the beach too charming to miss. In 1846,
Queen Victoria declared it “a beautiful spot... red cliffs
and rocks with wooded hills like Italy and reminding one
of a ballet or play where nymphs appear – such rocks and
grottoes, with the deepest sea on which there was no
ripple.” Today the eagle-eyed may spot one of the local
dolphins frolicking in the waves.
Fifteen minutes down the coast is Paignton, which
proudly offers all the elements of a traditional English
Brixham is an impossibly pretty

fishing town where pastel-hued
cottages jostle for space on a steep
hillside overlooking the harbour
seaside holiday: beach huts painted all the colours of the
rainbow, a broad sweep of sandy beach and a majestic pier
stretching 250 metres into the sea. To the south of
Paignton Sands, tucked behind a harbour wall is one of
the area’s most enchanting beaches, Fairy Cove, a bay of
clear water sheltered by russet cliffs.
Completing the quartet is Brixham, an impossibly
pretty fishing town where pastel-coloured cottages jostle
for space on a steep hillside overlooking the harbour.
Known locally as ‘fishtown’, Brixham is defined by the
industry that has sustained it for centuries. Early-bird
visitors can book a tour of the local fish market and watch
the day’s catch of bream and sole being auctioned off,
PHOTO: © PHOTO.ECCLES/ALAMY/MATT AUSTIN
destined for dinner service at some of Europe’s finest

restaurants. Those rising at a more civilised hour can
enjoy a coffee at the Breakwater Bistro, a waterfront café
which offers the perfect perch to watch the trawlers,
rowing boats and yachts coming and going.
Brixham’s most famous boat doesn’t go anywhere. For
50 years the harbour has been home to the Golden Hind,
a replica of the galleon in which Sir Francis Drake
circumnavigated the globe in the 16th century. Visitors
ENGLISH RIVIERA
can explore its five levels, inspect the rigging and gaze out Above: The library at
to sea from its prow, marvelling at how this small vessel Greenway House,
made it through the stormy Atlantic and vast Pacific and the former holiday
home of author
returned in one piece. Try not be alarmed if you find Agatha Christie, now
yourself eye to eye-patched eye with a cutlass-bearing owned by the
character; each spring Brixham holds a Pirate Festival at National Trust
which locals dress up, sing sea shanties and enjoy displays Right: Thatcher Point
of naval firepower along the sea front. at Torbay, which
provides views out
Four miles inland from Brixham you’ll find “the loveliest towards the island of
place in the world”, the title bestowed on Greenway House Thatcher Rock
by its former owner, Agatha Christie. The wildly
successful crime novelist is the English Riviera’s most
famous daughter. Born in Torquay, she worked in its
The rooms are just as Agatha

Christie left them; on a quiet
day you can almost hear the
clack of the typewriter keys
military hospital during World War One, honeymooned in
the Grand Hotel, and spent holidays in her estate
overlooking the banks of the River Dart. It is easy to see
PHOTO: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL
why Christie adored Greenway, a large white Georgian

villa which with its perfect symmetry might be mistaken
for a doll’s house. Sunlight pours through its huge sash
windows onto the faded sofas in the cosy library and
drawing room, which are just as the Queen of Crime left
them; on a quiet day you can almost hear the clack of the
typewriter keys.
Greenway has its own railway station – Greenway Halt
– on the Dartmouth Steam Railway, a heritage line that
allows visitors to travel back in time onboard lovingly
maintained steam engines as they puff along the coast
ENGLISH RIVIERA
BRITAIN 21
ENGLISH RIVIERA
For more on
beautiful Devon,
see www.britain-
magazine.com
from Kingswear to Paignton. The same company operates Above: Paignton Pier
first opened to the
boat trips and vintage paddle steamers, with the popular
public in 1879 and is
THE PLANNER
Round Robin excursion taking in towns along the coast by one of the most
steam train, ferry and river cruise. popular attractions GETTING THERE splash in the summer months.
Not all of the English Riviera’s treasures are found on on the English Riviera Trains from London www.caryarms.co.uk; www.
the coast. A few miles inland is Cockington, which could Paddington to Torquay take richardsonhotels.co.uk
stake a claim for being the prettiest village in Devon. around three hours. The area is
Dating back beyond the Domesday Book, the village is well served by the Dartmouth WHERE TO EAT
rich with exceedingly old buildings, from a thousand- Steam Railway and River Boat AND DRINK
year-old church to a 14th century blacksmith’s forge, Company and by an efficient As well as the Cary Arms
which might have sprung out of the pages of a Brothers local bus network. restaurant, the area offers
www.thetrainline.com; several seriously good
www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk restaurants, often –
In pretty Cockington, cob-and- unsurprisingly – with an
thatch cottages line narrow streets, WHERE TO STAY emphasis on local seafood. In
The Cary Arms Hotel and Brixham, Rockfish is a local
giving the impression that the Spa is the last word in luxury favourite, offering spectacular
accommodation on the Riviera, harbourside views and the
clock stopped here centuries ago situated under Babbacombe freshest catch. Serious foodies
Downs and near a shingle bay will want to check out The
Grimm storybook. Cob-and-thatch cottages line narrow with its own resident seal. Its Elephant overlooking Torquay
streets, giving the impression that the clock stopped here charming inn serves exemplary harbour, recipient of the town’s
over a couple of centuries ago. Weavers Cottage Tea seafood caught a stone’s throw first Michelin star, which excels
Shoppe offers the perfect spot to sample the must-eat from the hotel, sometimes to in imaginative dishes such as
local delicacy: warm scones with clotted cream and the accompaniment of a live monkfish grilled over embers.
strawberry jam. Remember, though, that this being pianist. Rooms are decorated in Those looking for the perfect
Devon and not Cornwall it is essential that the cream is fresh, contemporary style, while platter of old-fashioned fish,
spread before the jam… the spa offers all the modern chips and mushy peas should
No trip to the English Riviera would be complete treatments you could wish for. head to the hugely popular
without a visit to the Berry Head National Nature In Torquay, the Grand Hotel is a Hanbury’s in Babbacombe.
Reserve, a promontory at the southern end of the bay much-loved favourite right next www.therockfish.co.uk;
offering spectacular views of the sea on three sides. to the town’s railway station. Its www.elephantrestaurant.co.uk;
Visitors can wander among the ruins of several 19th seafront bar and lounge offers www.hanburys.net
century military forts, remnants of the days when the spectacular views of the bay
threat of French invasion menaced the British Isles. Today through floor-to-ceiling FURTHER
children scamper along their walls and sit astride windows, while the outdoor
i INFORMATION
cannons that point out to sea – and to the ghost of pool is a perfect place for a www.visitdevon.co.uk
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24 BRITAIN
STATELY HOMES
PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL/NICK MEERS
Mrs Greville’s
Margaret Greville rose from humble origins to become one of the most
celebrated hostesses of the Edwardian era, amassing an extraordinary
collection of treasures at her Surrey retreat, Polesden Lacey
WORDS SANDRA LAWRENCE
STATELY HOMES
STATELY HOMES
“I
would rather be a beeress than a peeress.” Mrs her papers burned on her death,” admits Richard Previous spread, left to
Margaret Greville, society hostess par Ashbourne, the National Trust’s Assistant Curator for right: The iconic
excellence, not only admitted but celebrated London and the South East. “This limits our portrait of Margaret
by Carolus-Duran, in
her humble beginnings. She was born in 1863, understanding of her in her own words.” the picture corridor;
the illegitimate daughter of a cook at McEwan’s brewery in Ashbourne has been working with the team at Polesden a view of the east
Edinburgh. The brewery owner, multimillionaire William Lacey, the Edwardian house in Surrey that was Margaret front of the house
McEwan, was Margaret’s rumoured true father, and he Greville’s weekend retreat for over three decades, on a This page, clockwise
eventually married his mistress when Margaret was 21, new way of trying to appreciate and understand her. A from far left:
Polesden Lacey was
making her the heiress to an astonishing fortune. McEwan, new exhibition, Treasured Possessions: Riches of built in 1824; a
a ‘disruptor’ himself, famously refused a title, saying “I Polesden Lacey, attempts to portray Mrs Greville from photograph of
would rather be first in my own order than at the tail end her point of view. Margaret Greville;
of another”. He’d made his money himself; he needed no “We wanted to look at her through her love of brooches on display
airs and graces to spend it. Like father, like daughter. collecting,” says Ashbourne, “asking what those objects at the exhibition, set
with the cipher of
This attitude did not endear say and trying to find a new
PHOTO:© NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/CHRIS DAVIES/JAMES DOBSON/DAVID BRUNETTI/BRIDGEMAN IMAGES
Edward VII; a
Margaret to the aristocracy narrative. In the past there
and the reputation she has
The society hostess Mrs have been certain views about
porcelain vase and a
crystal dog from the
attracted down the decades has Margaret Greville not only Mrs Greville. Some there is exhibition
often not been kind. She has evidence for, but some is
been decried as social-climbing, admitted but celebrated her based on the way she was
meddling and, worse, trivial. perceived by her friends –
When writer Harold Nicolson
humble beginnings and her enemies. Some of
noted “the harm which these the criticism by her
silly, selfish hostesses do is really immense” he was writing contemporaries was inspired by envy and
generally, but he was implying Margaret. The resentment for her success.”
photographer and diarist Sir Cecil Beaton described her as Mrs Greville’s ‘success’ lay in her
“a galumphing, greedy, snobbish old toad who watered at capacity for lavish entertaining, one
her chops at the sight of royalty.” Even her marriage to the of the great upper-class
Hon. Ronald Hulk Greville in 1891 is likened by the accomplishments of the Edwardian
National Dictionary of Biography to a “grappling hook age. She began hosting grand dinners
onto society”. Sir Oswald Mosley, hardly a paragon of and parties in the 1890s but upped the
virtue himself, described her as a “blousy old barmaid”. grandeur after her husband’s premature
Was she really that bad? The truth is, we can’t know. death in 1906. Instead of marrying
“One of our real challenges is that Mrs Greville had all again, she devoted herself – and
STATELY HOMES
Clockwise from above: Polesden Lacey – to what became known as ‘Fridays to invite. One of the pieces in the exhibition is a shagreen box
A Johann Zoffany Mondays’. The staggeringly beautiful mansion, with its presented to her by King Edward VII at her very fi rst
portrait of the
distinctive yellow render and elegant setting – the view house party. She also entertained Queen Alexandra and
Viennese dancer Eva
Maria Veigel being across the valley was described by one visitor as “a peep of Queen Mary, who shared her love of expensive objets d’art
hung as part of the beautiful distance” – was remodelled as the ultimate house and would turn up unannounced for tea. The future King
exhibition; the party retreat. George VI and his bride
house is well-known Charles Mewès and Elizabeth Bowes Lyon spent
for its extravagant
Arthur Joseph Davis, famed
She entertained Queen Alexandra their honeymoon at Polesden
PHOTO: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JAMES DOBSON/DAVID BRUNETTI/ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL
gilding and opulent
decor; a decorative architects of the Ritz, were and Queen Mary, who shared her Lacey in 1923: “So shrewd,
box in the shape of a brought in to create opulent so kind and so amusingly
folded letter is on rooms that would be, as love of expensive objets d’art and unkind, so sharp, such fun,
display at the house Margaret put it, “fit to so naughty,” the Queen later
entertain maharajas”. Her
would turn up unannounced for tea described her. Where royalty
home was transformed into went, so followed the
what could be mistaken for a top-class hotel. “After a aristocracy, and Mrs Greville became one of Britain’s most
little antechamber to build excitement, you would have famous – and polarizing – society hostesses.
passed into the main hall, much like a hotel lounge,” Those receiving that coveted envelope could look
explains Ashbourne. Over drinks, anticipation forward to a weekend of unrivalled opulence. The Daily
would build via a gigantic painting of a lifesize Telegraph reported in 1930 that the food at Polesden
Mrs Greville set at the top of the staircase. Lacey was “unsurpassed anywhere”, and guests were
Then the hostess herself would descend, treated to lavish dinners, strolls round the rose garden, tea
making a dramatic, theatrical entrance. in the loggia and evenings full of society chatter and gossip
“You’d see the painting and then you’d in the Saloon. National Trust volunteers have nicknamed
see the woman.” this extraordinary confection the Gold Room. Every
‘Maggie’ Greville knew who to surface not deep red or ornate plasterwork is gilded to
STATELY HOMES
For more stories of

stately homes,
see www.britain-
magazine.com
STATELY HOMES
Top to bottom: Three within an inch of its life, lit by a 4,000-piece chandelier. sticking postage stamps), a well-used bookmark set with
items from Naturally, their hostess would have booked a famous seed pearls and a rose-cut diamond, and six tiny,
Margaret Greville's
music hall act or two for a private performance. intricately carved animals. Someone clearly knew that Mrs
ten-piece Fabergé
collection: a pink egg The pièce de resistance of the weekend was, however, Greville had a weakness for pets. She is even buried near
with a diamond- something far smaller. Advised by the best art historians to her beloved dogs, which lie in a special dog cemetery in
studded clasp, a and dealers, Mrs Greville was a true art connoisseur but the grounds.
bookmark with her world-class collection was, perhaps, outshone by a Even after her death in 1942 Margaret Greville has been
pearls and diamonds
fabulous array of exquisite objets d’art, made by the finest castigated for leaving her jewellery to Queen Elizabeth the
and an ornamental
frog; Princess craftsmen of the age. While much was purchased Queen Mother, rather than to ‘worthy causes’. Nobody
Eugenie wearing the personally, many of the best items were presents, the really knows the full extent of the famous Greville bequest
Greville emerald giving and receiving of which was an important social (see box, below) but it does include treasures such as
Kokoshnik Tiara at ritual among the upper classes. Marie Antoinette’s diamond necklace, Catherine the
her wedding in 2018
“Gift-giving was the thing and Mrs Greville was adept Great’s diamond ring and Empress Josephine’s emeralds.
at that social game,” explains Richard Ashbourne. There Yet Mrs Greville did leave something very special to
are gifts from Queen Mary in the exhibition, including a ‘the people’. She bequeathed Polseden Lacey to the
beautiful blue and gold box. Most were displayed for National Trust, along with its priceless collection of art,
guests to see and comment on, so that Mrs Greville could the entire collection from her Mayfair home and a
say, ‘Oh, yes that was a gift from King Edward, isn’t it generous endowment. She specifically stated that
lovely? So generous…’ Polesden Lacey should be enjoyed by as many people as
Her Fabergé collection is particularly interesting in that possible, displayed as an art gallery, a wish the Trust has
respect. “You wouldn’t buy something for yourself at fulfi lled ever since.
Fabergé,” notes Ashbourne. “You bought gifts. You see The new exhibition places specific emphasis on Mrs
that in the ledgers, with spikes in the sales Greville’s ‘treasures’, yet possibly the most
around social occasions such as extraordinary item on display is not a
weddings, birthdays and Christmas. Fabergé egg, nor the ruby and diamond
Vita Sackville West once said if you’re brooch worn to Edward VII’s coronation.
given a Fabergé gift, it means that a It is in fact Mrs Greville herself, staring
relationship is in danger of becoming triumphantly down from her portrait’s
serious”. There are ten Fabergé pieces in ornate frame, reminding us all of opulent
the Greville collection, the classic times past and a formidable
‘Fabergé egg’ being the most woman who knew exactly
spectacular. Pink what she liked.
with a diamond- Treasured Possessions:
studded clasp in the Riches of Polesden Lacey
shape of a runs until 30 October 2022,
snowflake, it is and from 1 March until 29
breathtaking, but equally October 2023.
telling are a Fabergé gum pot (for www.nationaltrust.org.uk
THE MYSTERY OF THE GREVILLE JEWELS
When Margaret Greville died in 1942, she of Cambridge at a state banquet.

bequeathed her jewellery “with my loving Another prized piece is the Greville emerald
thoughts” to the Queen Mother. Only the Kokoshnik Tiara, admired globally when Princess
PHOTO: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/DAVID BRUNETTI/POOL/MAX MUMBY/GETTY
royal family knows the full inventory of the Eugenie chose it for her 2018 wedding to Jack
bequest, but it is thought to amount to more Brooksbank (left) – the first time it had been
than 60 pieces. One of the most precious is seen since Margaret Greville was photographed
the Greville tiara, made by Boucheron in a wearing it in 1937.
towering honeycomb formation, now worn by The Greville jewels made an appearance
the Duchess of Cornwall. in the Platinum Jubilee portraits, when Her
Five years after receiving the Greville Majesty wore diamond and platinum Greville
bequest, Queen Elizabeth gave her daughter Ivy Leaf Clips given to her by her mother. Many
Princess Elizabeth a distinctive V-shaped more pieces in the collection have never been
diamond and ruby necklace, also by seen, but with a new generation of married
Boucheron, as one of her wedding gifts. She princesses and duchesses in the royal ranks
wore the necklace regularly in the early years (since tradition dictates only married women
of her reign, and it was recently spotted for the wear tiaras), who knows what treasures might
first time in many years, worn by the Duchess yet appear for the first time?
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Maenordy Llancaiach Fawr
<RXUQXPEHURQHZHEVLWHWRGLVFRYHUDOOWKDW'DUWPRXWKKDVWRRIIHU
6WD\'LQH6KRS ([SORUH
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Drwy ganiatâd caredig Banbury Photography • Image by kind permission of Banbury Photography
Llancaiach Fawr Manor

. . . immerse yourself in 1645
www.llancaiachfawr.co.uk
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HISTORY
WORDS NEIL JONES

HISTORY
Opening page: A wedding of Edward

statue of King and Eleanor in 1254;
Edward I in Cumbria Simon de Montfort is
Opposite, clockwise killed at the Battle of
from top left: The Evesham; Eleanor's
great gatehouse at tomb at Westminster
Denbigh Castle; the Abbey
Coronation Chair This page: a painting
was made for of Edward I at
Edward I; the Westminster Abbey
T
he medieval chronicler Peter Langtoft, a
contemporary of King Edward I, forecast that
people would talk about the ‘handsome and
great’ monarch for as long as the world lasts,
‘For he had no equal as a knight in armour / For vigour
and valour, neither present nor future.’
Edward certainly has a long-lived reputation, resonating
down the centuries through his many famous nicknames:
the English Justinian, the Lawgiver, the Father of the
Mother of Parliaments, Flower of Chivalry, Hammer of
the Scots and, more informally, Longshanks – at six-feet
two-inches tall he towered over his subjects, both
physically and metaphorically.
In the 750th anniversary year of his accession to the
English throne in 1272, it’s the perfect time to ‘speak of
King Edward and of his memory’ to consider how his
deeds measure up to his dazzling image.
Born in 1239, the eldest son of Henry III and Eleanor of
Provence, Edward was a hot-headed, arrogant youth,
PHOTOS: © STAN PRITCHARD/ALAMY/FLORILEGIUS/GRANGER/HISTORICAL PICTURE ARCHIVE/CHRONICLE/ANGELO HORNAK/ALAMY/CADW/WELSH
whose violence on one occasion resulted in him paying a

fine to a servant he had struck and injured. Yet, it was also
claimed the young prince was protected by angels,
miraculously escaping harm; for example, when lightning
struck his entourage killing two other people.
When Henry, accused of misgovernment, fell out with
his barons, Edward at first supported his charismatic
uncle, Simon de Montfort, who led the baronial clique
ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT (CROWN COPYRIGHT)/JIM DYSON/DEAN AND CHAPTER OF WESTMINSTER
against the Crown. But by the time civil war erupted in

1264, father and son were reconciled and fought together
at the Battle of Lewes, which ended with both of them
being captured. The Song of Lewes (c.1264) unflatteringly
noted of Edward: ‘A lion by pride and fierceness, he is by
inconstancy and changeableness a pard [leopard]’.
After Edward escaped and killed de Montfort at the
Battle of Evesham (1265), Henry was once again free to
reign, but for the next seven years until his death in 1272,
he effectively left his son in control of government.
Edward was on crusade abroad when he heard of his
father’s demise, but with the barons dutifully swearing
fealty to him, and with England in the hands of regents
like his trusted clerk Robert Burnell, he felt sufficiently
secure to return at a leisurely pace, only arriving back for
his magnificent coronation at Westminster Abbey in 1274.
By now Edward was 35 years old and much matured.
His marriage, aged 15, to 13-year-old Eleanor of
HISTORY
Left: A statue of
Robert the Bruce in
Stirling, Scotland,
who crowned
himself King of
Scotland in 1306
Right: A 14th century
manuscript of King
Edward I presiding
over his Parliament,
with Alexander III,
King of the Scots on
his right, and
Llywelyn, Prince of
Wales on his left
Castile in 1254, may have been a political match to help

protect Gascony, England’s only remaining land in France,
but the union had flourished into a deep love that would
produce 16 children (five reached adulthood). Also by
Edward’s side providing a stabilising influence was
Burnell, who became his chancellor.
The new king was tested early in his reign by the
repeated refusal of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of
Wales, to pay him due homage and, losing patience,
Edward invaded Wales with ruthless effect in 1277.
Llywelyn’s later death in a skirmish in 1282 and his
brother Dafydd’s brutal execution in 1283 dealt Welsh
dreams of an independent country a crushing blow.
Edward, meanwhile, romanticised his adventures with
Arthurian-style Round Table court celebrations at Nefyn
in North Wales.
An ace soldier and military leader, Edward was also a
PHOTOS: © MEDIA WORLD IMAGES/GRANGER/HISTORICAL PICTURE ARCHIVE/ALAMY
shrewd strategist, consolidating his conquests in Wales

through a no-expenses-spared programme of castle
building: most notably the bristling fortresses of Conwy,
Caernarfon, Beaumaris and Harlech in his ‘Iron Ring’
around the mountains of Snowdonia, the fountainhead of
Welsh resistance. Today boasting World Heritage Site
status, the mighty quartet embody the genius of the top
military architect, Master James of St George, whose
cutting-edge ‘walls-within-walls’ designs culminated in
the imposing sophistication of Beaumaris.
Edward established new towns and trading centres
populated with English settlers in his conquered land,
most linked to his castles and surrounded by walls.
Officials were appointed to administer the principality,
the English shire system was introduced, and according
BRITAIN 37
HISTORY
we do not cease to love,” the king had 12 ornamental

crosses built to mark the route of her funeral procession
from Nottinghamshire to London.
For more than a century, relations between England and
Scotland had been remarkably peaceable but that, too,
was about to change. Edward had hoped the infant queen
of Scotland, Margaret, ‘Maid of Norway’, would marry
his heir Edward, leading in time to the union of the two
countries. But Margaret died in 1290, prompting Scottish
magnates to call upon Edward to adjudicate between
candidates vying for the succession. He nominated John
Balliol, soon to be viewed by the Scots as a spineless pawn
of the English king.
A series of Scottish rebellions and ferocious counter
strikes by Edward followed, during which the latter seized
the Stone of Scone, the ancient symbol of Scotland’s
monarchy used for centuries in the inauguration of
Scottish kings. Stresses mounted as Edward now found
himself having to campaign in France to regain Gascony,
as well as in Scotland, where control proved elusive. No
sooner had he overcome and executed the Scottish
Above: An Eleanor to legend, Edward even schmoozed recalcitrant native ‘Braveheart’ William Wallace, than Robert the Bruce had
cross in Cheapside, nobles by promising them a Prince of Wales born on Welsh himself crowned King of Scotland in 1306 and the fight
London, erected by soil and speaking no word of English – then promptly continued. Hastening north again to do battle in 1307,
Edward I in memory
of his wife, is pulled presented them with his babbling baby son, born at Edward was struck down by dysentery and died aged 68.
down in 1643 after Caernarfon Castle. In fact, Edward junior was 16 when he The Hammer had failed in his ambition to subjugate
its Catholic imagery was formally made Prince of Scotland, and his actions
caused resentment Wales, a title reserved ever Deeply grieving, the king had 12 bedevilled relations between
Opposite: Conwy since for the heir apparent England and Scotland for
Castle was built by
of the British throne. ornamental crosses built to mark the many years to come. But, if
Edward I between
1283 and 1287 Aside from exploits in route of Eleanor’s funeral procession he is judged by the standards
Wales, the first half of of the time, he was an
Edward’s reign was from Nottinghamshire to London outstanding king: a powerful
remarkable for its huge wave warrior and statesman who
of legislation, with important statutes passed nearly every kept hold of Gascony and firmly stamped his authority on
year from 1275 to 1290: tackling corruption, reforming Wales. Looking back today we also see a consummate
legal and administrative matters, and laying the basis of administrator and legislator who, even if self-interestedly,
modern land law that helped to hasten the end of feudalism. took significant steps towards the development of a
Edward also understood the benefits of gaining popular democratic parliament. Historians will ‘speak of King
support for his decisions and, continuing de Montfort’s Edward and of his memory’ for many more years yet.
earlier experiment when the latter ruled the country for a
year after the Battle of Lewes, the king involved more people
in parliament. Thus, in 1295 he summoned representatives DID YOU KNOW?
of the church, barons, and shires and boroughs to what
became known as the Model Parliament, setting the tone for O Edward originally chose to be called Edward IV, after Edward the Elder,
future parliaments. “What touches all, should be approved Edward the Martyr and Edward the Confessor, who had all reigned before
of all,” he declared, though he was motivated by the pressing 1066 when the numbering of Kings was introduced
need to raise money and support for his costly military O Edward’s second marriage, in 1299, to Margaret, the 20-year-old sister
undertakings rather than notions of democracy. of the King of France, produced three children – giving him a total of 19
The 1290s were a particularly troublesome time for legitimate children, the record for any British monarch
PHOTOS: © M&N/DEREK CROUCHER/ALAMY
Edward. Having systematically stripped England’s Jews – O The Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey, made by order of Edward I
for long the chief moneylenders to barons and royalty – of to hold the Stone of Scone, has been the centrepiece of coronations for 700
their wealth, he expelled them in 1290 amid rising tides of years. The Stone was officially returned to Scotland in 1996, and will return to
nationalism: an episode that left an indelible stain on his its 'spiritual home', Perth, in 2024, as the focus of a brand-new museum
character. That same year his beloved wife Eleanor died, O Edward’s last wish before his death was that his body should not be
followed two years later by his stalwart supporter Burnell, buried until Scotland had been conquered. This request was not carried
and he never again found such good advisers. Deeply out, and he was buried in Westminster Abbey
grieving Eleanor, “who in life we loved dearly and, dead,
HISTORY
For more on
England's kings
and queens, see
www.britain-
magazine.com
HERITAGE
I
t all began in the early summer
of 1940 with an advertisement:
a vet wanted for a practice in
Thirsk. ‘Mainly agricultural
work in a Yorkshire market town’ the
notice said. With vacancies few and
far between, it grabbed the attention
of one reader, by no means averse to
working with creatures rather greater
in size than the cats and dogs currently
occupying his time in the northern
city of Sunderland. After only the very
briefest of interviews with his new
employer, James ‘Alf’ Wight accepted
the post, little knowing that it was a decision that would his real life, disguised (and sometimes embellished) for Previous page:
one day make him the most famous vet in the world. their appearance in print. The Yorkshire Moors
National Park,
For it was the stories Wight saved up over the next 30 Just as Alf himself became Herriot, the town of Thirsk
where Alf Wight
years, as he served the farming community around that was turned into Darrowby village and shifted into the lived and worked
bustling town on the edge of the North York Moors, that heart of the Dales; its glorious rolling hills and endless dry This page, above: A
he channelled into a bestselling series of memoirs, stone walls providing an idyllic backdrop to the action. photograph of Jim
published in the 1970s under the name of his veterinary Dates, too, were manipulated so that Wight’s fictional and Alf Wight
treating a dog; Alf
alter-ego, James Herriot. counterpart – trained in
Wight on his farm
The gently humorous, Glasgow like himself –
PHOTOS: © GUY EDWARDES/AWL IMAGES/JOHN SHERBOURNE/ANL/SHUTTERSTOCK/HELEN WILLIAMS/

semi-fictionalised
The gently humorous recollections arrived at his mildly
with a newborn lamb
and its mother
recollections of his rural of his rural practice proved to be eccentric but undeniably Opposite page, top to
bottom: a still from
practice proved to be catnip charming boss Siegfried
to contemporary readers catnip to contemporary readers Farnon’s surgery at Skeldale the TV adaption of
All Creatures Great
(including, reportedly, the House in 1937, two years
Queen) and turned Herriot
(including, reportedly, the Queen) before the outbreak of the
and Small; the town
of Grassington in
into a household name – World War Two. Wharfedale stood in
one discovered by a whole new generation more recently, In reality, Wight escaped the Nazi bombs then raining for Darrowby in the
TV series
too, thanks to the smash-hit TV adaptation, All down on the Sunderland docks, and arrived at 23 Kirkgate
CHARLES FEARN/PLAYGROUND ENTERTAINMENT
Creatures Great and Small, expected to return for its just as the real-life Donald Sinclair was taking off to start
third series this autumn. his RAF training, leaving his new employee –
But while Herriot’s may be the famous name, forever inexperienced in the ‘dirty, uncomfortable and dangerous’
associated with a green and sheep-strewn corner of work with sheep and cattle – to take the bull by the horns,
Yorkshire, Wight’s books were actually autobiographical quite literally.
in more than just a professional sense. Many of the Impatient and unpredictable, yet utterly charismatic,
intensely likeable characters and amusing anecdotes, the widowed Donald was by all accounts the one
which mean they translate so purr-fectly into the TV character far more unconventional in fact than he ever
version of a restorative tonic, were people and events from was in fiction. From putting the phone down on the
HERITAGE
practice’s clients when he got fed up of listening, to House were actually relatively short, because within just a
steering his car using only his elbows and shirking year of arriving in Yorkshire, Wight had not only met but
night-time call outs, some of his behaviour was also married his wife, Joan. A secretary for a local corn
outlandishly erratic. merchant rather than a farmer’s daughter like her fictional
On one occasion in later years, according to Wight’s counterpart Helen, she did, however, have a serious suitor
son Jim, he fetched his shotgun and fired into the wall against whom the softly-spoken vet competed – though not
PHOTO: © MATT SQUIRE/PLAYGROUND TELEVISION UK LTD/ROBERT BIRKBY/AWL IMAGES LTD
inches above the head of a dinner guest whom he one she ever scandalously jilted at the altar.
considered to have outstayed After their wedding, Wight
his welcome. Like her fictional counterpart, made his own attempt to
Nevertheless, after he was complete the RAF’s flight
kicked out of the RAF a matter Joan had a suitor against whom training, frustrated in his case
of months into his training for by a pre-existing medical
lying about his age, he and
the vet competed – though not condition, which meant that
Wight became lifelong friends one she ever jilted at the altar he, too, never saw active
and partners in the Thirsk service. Instead, he and Joan
practice. Into the writer’s life he brought his younger settled into the local community; 23 Kirkgate becoming
brother Brian, who eventually became the model for both veterinary surgery and Wight family home for
endearing rogue, Tristan Farnon. In truth, as on TV, the several years after the end of the war, in the wake of
younger Sinclair was an easy-going mischief-maker who Donald’s remarriage to an unflappable local woman
remained largely immune to his sibling’s tirades – named Audrey. It was in that picturesque part of
especially those about his repeated failure of his veterinary Yorkshire that they met the many personalities – of both
exams, which took him more than ten years to pass in all. human and animal variety – who would later be
Their days as a bachelor trio at the real-life Skeldale shepherded into the Herriot stories.
HERITAGE
For more on
the landscapes and
villages of Yorkshire,
see www.britain-
magazine.com
Some clients received only the barest of disguises: the The locals took his worldwide fame in their stride, keeping Above, left to right:
unforgettable Mrs Pumphrey, whose dog Tricki Woo is a his welly boots firmly on the ground – just the way Alf The principal cast of
TV scene-stealer, was unquestionably Sowerby resident himself wanted it. In fact, he continued practising as one of the TV series, which
will return for a third
Marjorie Warner, who really did expect thank-you notes their local vets well into his 70s, despite his phenomenal series this autumn;
for the Fortnum & Mason hampers she dispatched to the literary success. He was, he always maintained, ‘99-per-cent the church at
Wight family to be written to her Pekingese dog – who vet and one-per-cent author’ – though at times, the cats, dogs Burnsall in North
ought, she made absolutely clear, to be addressed as Bambi and hamsters to be found in the surgery’s waiting room were Yorkshire was used
Warner, Esq. She bore no grudge when she discovered her far outnumbered by hordes of overseas tourists, clutching to film the famous
scene where Helen
starring role, recognising herself immediately – though not their cameras and clamouring for an autograph; fame being almost got married
everybody given a fictional counterpart did so, even after the one beast that not even the real James Herriot had the in the TV series
Wight’s cover was well and truly blown. power to tame.
ON THE HERRIOT TRAIL

Alf Wight’s former surgery at 23 Kirkgate in Thirsk is now a museum, (around 30 miles from the real Herriot country around Thirsk) stood in
fully restored to the way it looked in the 1940s when the house doubled for Darrowby, and provided period-perfect exteriors for Skeldale House
as his family home. For opening times and visitor information, see and the Drover’s Arms pub. Many of the scenic shots came courtesy of
www.worldofjamesherriot.com. the Wharfe Valley area, particularly around Malham and Kettlewell.
The current TV adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small, shown on Tour companies offering dedicated All Creatures Great and Small tours
Channel 5 in the UK and PBS Masterpiece in the US, was filmed around include Real Yorkshire Tours (www.realyorkshiretours.co.uk) and Tours
the Yorkshire Dales. The historic town of Grassington in Wharfedale International (www.tours-international.com).
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HISTORIC HOUSES
HISTORIC HOUSES
sunny day in June was Previous page:

the ideal time to visit the William Morris's
bedroom at
newly reopened Kelmscott
Kelmscott Manor,
Manor, dripping in lush with his beautiful
greenery, its door framed by Lily wallpaper
perfectly placed roses, with that Top left: A woodcut
evocative smell of English summer of William Morris by
R Bryden
in the air. Once the country retreat of William Morris, the
Bottom left: A
textile designer, poet, novelist and father of the Arts and photograph of Jane
Crafts movement, Kelmscott reopened to the public this Morris in 1865 by
spring, after three years and a £6m renovation. John Robert Parsons
Set in the beautifully unspoilt Cotswold village of Opposite: An exterior
of Kelmscott Manor,
Kelmscott, Oxfordshire, the manor had been closed to
Morris's 'heaven on
allow for structural repairs to be made to the house, and earth' home
for the redisplaying of original furniture and artwork to
provide a more accurate impression of what the house
would have looked like in Morris’s day.
Approaching the house, walking past quaint cottages,
farm buildings and green fields, you get a sense of the
beauty and seclusion that so inspired Morris, and you’re
left in no doubt as to why he referred to the Manor as
‘heaven on earth’.
When Morris first came across this exquisite example of
17th century Cotswold architecture, he felt so inspired by
the craftsmanship of the house, the history of the
landscape, and the flora and fauna of the gardens that he
took on the tenancy.
Morris rented Kelmscott Manor for 25 years until his
death in 1896, initially as a joint three-year lease with his
friend, the Pre-Raphaelite artist, Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
During this time Morris established himself as one of the
country’s foremost designers, becoming the owner of his
own furnishing and decorative arts firm Morris & Co in
1875, and beginning his renowned experiments with
textile dyeing and weaving.
Thanks to Morris’s legacy, Kelmscott is now widely
recognised as one of the most significant collections of late
PHOTOS: © INCAMERASTOCK/ALAMY/SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF LONDON (KELMSCOTT MANOR)

Victorian decorative art in the country. Visitors can see an
incredible collection of Morris’s possessions and works,
including furniture, original textiles, pictures, carpets,
ceramics and metalwork.
The manor gardens are a perfect haven, with the
expertly designed and beautifully manicured walled
garden standing adjacent to wild meadows. The gardens
also house a group of historic barns, a dovecote and a
stable, once home to ‘Mouse’, the Icelandic pony that
Morris brought back from the country for his daughters.
Wandering through the estate gardens, Morris’s
inspiration is clear: so many of his beloved designs and
motifs grew from plants and trees growing in the verdant
space, such as Willow Bough (1887) and the iconic
Strawberry Thief (1883). Each of these designs are
repeated again in textiles inside the manor, from chairs
and wallpaper to plates and curtains.
After Morris died in 1896, his widow Jane and his
HISTORIC HOUSES
52 BRITAIN
HISTORIC HOUSES
PHOTOS: © SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF LONDON (KELMSCOTT MANOR)/CHRIS CHALLIS PHOTOGRAPHER/ABCBRITAIN/ALAMY
HISTORIC HOUSES
Clockwise from left: daughters continued the tenancy. May Morris died in
The Tapestry Room 1938, and bequeathed the house to Oxford University on
with Spring by
the condition that the contents were preserved, and the
Breughel above the
fireplace, which public were granted access. The university passed the
belonged to house to the Society of Antiquaries, London in 1962.
Rossetti; Kelmscott Under May’s strict orders, the house is preserved as it
on the frontispiece would have been in Morris’s day, and visitors can walk
of Morris's News
through the rooms he worked in and experience the
From Nowhere;
Morris's quill pen is inspiration he felt when he lived there. From the idyllic
on display at the views of cows grazing in the nearby meadows to the
manor; Kelmscott gardens in full bloom and the sense of history that
Manor dates back to pervades the house, it’s hard not to feel similarly inspired.
the 17th century
With so many wonderfully decorated rooms, it’s not
easy to pick a favourite. Kelmscott’s Curator, Dr Kathy
Haslam, likes Morris’s bedroom best: “The room says Dr Haslam. “It still feels remote, still retains its
features new hand-blocked wallpaper in the colourway he rural landscape context and the sense of fragile
would have known, and the reinstatement of some of the ancientness Morris was so deeply attuned to.’’
items precious to him… It has Walking through the house,
become a space where objects Morris was eager to rent the visitors will also notice the
meaningful to Morris have paintings, photographs, and a
come together again, and secluded manor away from handful of possessions, of Dante
express his energy and Gabriel Rossetti, Morris’s friend
enthusiasm as antiquary,
the city – and prying eyes and co-tenant. Adorning the
scholar and collector.” walls and complementing
After the renovation, the house evokes the life and Morris’s beautiful motifs, many of these paintings and
character of its one-time owner more than ever. “Visitors photographs are of Morris’s daughters, and even more are
can now enjoy the manor through the prism of Morris,” of his wife, Jane. Though there’s evident harmony between
the artwork, the house and Morris’s interiors, digging a
little deeper reveals a sadder story.
There was another reason Morris was so eager to rent
the secluded manor, away from the hustle and bustle of the
city – and prying eyes. Around 1865, six years before
Morris discovered Kelmscott, his wife Jane began an affair
with Rossetti, for whom she modelled. Their affair became
the subject of much public attention, with the satirical
magazine Punch even publishing an unfortunate cartoon
of an adoring Rossetti feeding Jane strawberries.
Rossetti’s paintings of Jane reveal an obvious obsession
with her, and although the relationship was extremely
painful for Morris, it was his belief that as an
autonomous individual, Jane should have the freedom
to explore her emotional life. Morris was still in love with nursed William through his final illness and was left Above: The panelled
his wife, and with her (and, by default, his) reputation on white-haired from the trauma of it. Although Jane later White Room with
Blue Silk Dress by
the line in London, looking for somewhere where she admitted that she had never truly loved William, it seems
Rossetti, perhaps his
could be with Rossetti in private was critical; and so that their life, works and children together were enough to most iconic portrait
appears Kelmscott Manor. keep her in the marriage. of Jane Morris
It is believed that Morris’s pain and emotional isolation Jane continued the tenancy after William’s death,
during their affair contributed to his decision to travel to eventually buying the house in 1913, before dying a year
Iceland in 1871, almost immediately after he had signed later. Whether it was the beauty of the house, the memories
Kelmscott’s lease. For him, an of her relationship with Rossetti,
PHOTO: © SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES LONDON (KELMSCOTT MANOR)/CHRIS CHALLIS PHOTO-GRAPHER

adventure in Iceland was an immortalised in the art on the
escape from his crumbling
For Morris, an adventure in walls, or a dedication to her
marriage and broken heart. Iceland was an escape from husband and his work, something
Jane ended her affair with kept her there.
Rossetti in 1876, due to a his crumbling marriage When asked about William
dramatic decline in his mental Morris’s most important legacy,
health: he was experiencing
and broken heart Dr Kathy Haslam believes it is
schizophrenic-like episodes and ‘‘encapsulated in his epithet ‘To
was addicted to chloral and whiskey. After his death, Jane grumble and not to act – that is throwing away one’s life.’
admitted that she had loved him, but had fallen out of love He was a doer, channelling his enormous energies in so
with him when he began destroying himself. They did, many ways – through study, creativity and activism – and
however, remain friends until Rossetti’s death in 1882, refusing to be daunted by the challenges of life.’’
with Jane continuing to model for him on occasion. After Kelmscott Manor is an everlasting example of this
his death, Jane embarked on another affair, this time with attitude. Faced with a failing marriage and a broken
poet and political activist Wilfred Scawen Blunt, which heart, yet refusing to complain, Morris created his own
continued until 1894. ‘heaven on earth’, whose beauty endures to this day.
Despite the enormous public rift in their marriage, Jane Kelmscott Manor is open from April to October, Thursday
and William were married for the rest of their lives. She to Saturday. www.sal.org.uk/kelmscott-manor
KELMSCOTT MANOR
The inspirational home of William Morris
VISIT THE COTSWOLDS RETREAT OF

VICTORIAN DESIGNER WILLIAM MORRIS
VISITING HOURS (APRIL - OCTOBER)
Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays 10.30am to 5pm
After two years conservation and improvement works, funded by the
National Lottery Heritage Fund and others, the Manor is open to visitors once again.
Explore William Morris’s “Heaven on Earth” and view the iconic collection of
artwork and objects owned and designed by the Father of the Arts & Crafts
Movement. Discover why the Cotswold home became an inspiration for
him and his family and explore the gardens, enjoy homemade food from
our licensed tearoom and visit our gift shop.
One of the 100 Irreplaceable sites A History of England in 100 Places (Historic England)
For more information and to buy tickets online visit

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@kelmscottmanor.org.uk
Follow us on Facebook: @KelmscottManorCotswolds, Instagram or Twitter: @kelmscottmanor
Paws for thought
An orphan arrives from Darkest Peru with just the bear necessities, wins over hearts
and minds, and then crowns 64 years of success by taking tea with the Queen.
So what is the secret of Paddington’s perennial appeal?
WORDS ROSE SHEPHERD
O
n Christmas Eve 1956, with the glassy eye of the teddy bear, who was
snow falling, a young BBC giving him a “hard stare” from the
cameraman named mantelpiece, and thought “What if…?”
Michael Bond entered What if a real, live bear found
the marble halls of a splendid himself on Paddington station? He
Edwardian Beaux-Arts department would be a refugee from a far country,
store on London’s Oxford Street wearing a government surplus duffel
and headed for the toy department. coat and a bush hat. “Mr and Mrs
This was Selfridges, always Brown first met Paddington on a
PHOTOS: © BUCKINGHAM PALACE/STUDIO CANAL/BBC STUDIOS/HEYDAY FILMS/PA MEDIA/GEOFF PUGH/SHUTTERSTOCK/PA ARCHIVE/PA IMAGES
spellbinding at Christmas, but what railway platform,” he jotted down –
happened that day had a very special and, within those ten days, he had
magic. Alone on a shelf sat a teddy finished his first Paddington book,
bear, looking “rather forlorn”, Bond featuring one of the most beloved,
would later recall. Feeling sorry for it, he enduring and empathetic characters in
bought it as a gift for his wife, Brenda. children’s literature.
“Had there been two bears I might have given A Bear Called Paddington tells how the
them a passing glance, but I could hardly ignore Browns came upon an orphaned bear from “Darkest
one bear all by itself, with Christmas coming on.” Peru”, sitting on a suitcase, wearing a battered hat, a gift
If Michael and Brenda sat down the following day to listen to the from his Uncle Pastuzo, with a label round his neck penned by his
young Queen Elizabeth II’s Christmas message, broadcast from the Aunt Lucy at her retirement home in Lima, ‘Please look after this
study at Sandringham, they would have heard her plea on behalf of bear. Thank you.’
people driven from their homes by war or violence. “We call them “I came in a lifeboat and ate marmalade sandwiches. Bears like
‘refugees’; let us give them a true refuge; let us see that for them and marmalade,” the bear confides to the Browns, who take him home
their children there is room at the inn.” to live with them at 32 Windsor Gardens, and, in a very British way,
As a teenager growing up in Reading, Michael had stood on the decide to call him Paddington because they simply cannot get their
station as trains clattered through, bound for the West Country, tongues around his Peruvian name.
bearing child evacuees from the Blitz. He had watched harrowing Always polite, courtly of speech, if hapless, Paddington creates
newsreels of Jewish child refugees, rescued by the Kindertransport, chaos around him, but, as children’s writer Michael Morpurgo
each clutching “a little case or package containing all their treasured wrote, “he’s not just a charming bear… he reflects the best of us…
possessions”, and each with a label round their neck. “There’s no through his innocence and kindness he relates to everyone – adults
sadder sight than refugees,” he once said. as well as children”. He is also touchingly optimistic, “a hopeful
His day job with the BBC kept aspiring writer Michael busy, but he bear at heart”.
had had a little publishing success with his short stories and was Among a cast of other engaging characters, Samuel Gruber, an
sitting at his typewriter on ten days’ leave, a blank sheet of paper elderly Hungarian with an antique shop on Portobello Road, is
before him, as he cast around for inspiration. In an instant he caught Paddington’s friend and ally. He was apparently based on
HERITAGE
Clockwise from far left:

The first Paddington
film was released in
2014, and was
nominated for two
BAFTAs; the Queen's
afternoon tea with
Paddington Bear was
kept as a surprise for
everyone, including
her family; the first
book, A Bear Called
Paddington, was
released in 1958;
Michael Bond
created his beloved
character from a
lonely-looking teddy
bear he'd bought in
Selfridges
Michael Bond’s literary agent, Harvey Unna, a German Jew who fled In 2000 a lifesize bronze statue was unveiled on Paddington
the Nazis, arriving in England with just a suitcase and £25. Michael Station, which, on the death of Michael Bond in 2017, aged 91,
had originally intended Paddington to have travelled from Africa, became a shrine to the author, where Londoners left jars of
until Harvey pointed out that there are no bears – or barely a bear – marmalade and other touching tributes.
there, so instead he became a Peruvian spectacled bear. Paddington is the face of Robertson’s Marmalade; he has
Paddington made his publishing debut in October 1958, earning appeared on a 50p coin and a postage stamp. More than 20
Bond a princely £75 advance, and, in those less rapacious times, it Paddington books have been published, in 30 different languages,
would be 14 years before anyone thought to capitalise on his image. including the Latin Ursus Nomine Paddington.
For Christmas 1972, Shirley and Eddie Clarkson designed a The movie Paddington, released in 2014, was followed by
prototype soft toy and gave one each Paddington 2, in 2017, when the
to their daughter, Joanna, and son original starry cast, which included
Jeremy (the writer and broadcaster
Michael had intended Paddington Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville,
best known for presenting the BBC’s to have travelled from Africa, but as Julie Walters, Sally Hawkins, Jim
Top Gear). Broadbent, Peter Capaldi and Imelda
The Wellington boots were the there are no bears there, he became Staunton, were joined by Hugh Grant.
PHOTOS: © CHRIS DORNEY/BBA TRAVEL/DYLAN GARCIA/UKARTPICS/CHRIS HARRIS/ALAMY
Clarksons’ innovation, allowing the Paddington 3 is expected to be
bear to stand. Michael Bond granted
a Peruvian spectacled bear released next year.
them global licensing rights to On his passing, Michael Bond left us
manufacture Paddington toys, a holy grail. one last precious gift, Paddington’s Finest Hour, completed just
Already published in Swedish, Danish, Dutch and Japanese, before he died and published posthumously in 2018 on the 60th
Paddington was set to take the world by storm. Today Paddington anniversary of A Bear Called Paddington.
paraphernalia includes purses, pencil cases and pyjamas, coasters But a finer hour was yet to be. In June 2022, Paddington was
and colouring books, backpacks, T-shirts, jigsaws, skittles… There honoured to join the Queen for afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace
have been Paddington musicals, stage shows, ice shows, puppet to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee. As delirious crowds on the Mall
shows and TV adaptations. whooped and waved their flags, Paddington stood on his chair to
In 1985, Paddington was the subject of a Sunday Times Magazine deliver a message for all of us. “Happy Jubilee, Ma’am, and thank
“Life in the Day” column. A year later he joined Richard Branson in you… for everything.”
his attempt to beat the Atlantic Blue Riband speed record and “That’s very kind,” said Her Majesty, and here is the essence of the
attended the Conservative party conference with Margaret Thatcher. Paddington story, its perennial appeal, why it warms the hearts of
His official autobiography, The Life and Times of Paddington Bear, young and old. Born of an impulse purchase, because a soft-hearted
by Russell Ash and Michael Bond, was published in 1988. man felt sorry for a stuffed toy, it’s about kindness.
HERITAGE
Clockwise from far left:

A sculpture of the
bear at Paddington
Station; Chalcot
Crescent in Primrose
Hill was used as the
street where the
Brown family live in
the films; a rare first
edition of the novel
shows Bond's
annotations; Alice's
Antiques Shop in
Portobello plays a
starring role in the
second film; fans
paid tribute to Bond
on his death in 2017
One Day & Multi-Day Tailor Made
Private Tours for the Discerning
www.bhctours.co.uk | info@bhctours.co.uk | +44 (0)1303 258193
WEEKENDER
S ST IVES
t Ives is as pretty as a picture. Its plaster casts just as she left them.
tangle of ancient alleys opens out to You could spend a leisurely afternoon
reveal a harbour whose clear, weaving through St Ives’ network of ancient
lagoon-like waters mix shades of blue that lanes, known as the ‘Down-a-long’. The
you’ll find in no artist’s palette – though Artists have long been drawn to curious street names here (Mount Zion,
countless artists have tried to recreate it over Chy-An-Chy, Wheal Dream) might have
the years. this breathtaking harbour town you wondering as to their origins, while
Many painters set up their easels on ‘The in West Cornwall rows of quaint cottages and courtyards
Island’ – actually a headland, dividing the vibrant with flowers conjure an almost
WORDS NATASHA FOGES
Porthmeor area to the north-west from Mediterranean feel. Among the shops and
Porthminster to the east and south – which bakeries wafting the irresistible scent of
has spectacular views of the town and settled with their children in the area at the Cornish pasties are numerous artists’
harbour. The little Chapel of St Nicholas outbreak of war in 1939. Hepworth’s studios and galleries. The two-week St Ives
here was once used as a place of worship for distinctive sculptures in bronze, stone and September Festival – a celebration of the
sailors, and later by customs officers to look wood are still on display in the jungly, Arts and music – sees open studios,
out for smugglers along the coast. Far flower-filled garden where the sculptor painting workshops and more.
below, the harbour bobs with colourful herself placed them, now the Barbara The art trail continues at Tate St Ives.
fishing boats. Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden. This world-renowned gallery, set in a
Even though this scenic fishing village has Her studio, where she worked until her former gasworks overlooking the Atlantic,
drawn artists since the start of the 19th death in 1975, has been atmospherically makes the most of the special quality of
PHOTO: © IMAGEBROKER/ALAMY
century, it wasn’t until the mid-20th century preserved, with her overalls, tools and light for which the town is famous. Vast
that St Ives became the centre of an art windows and curved walls frame the
movement: the St Ives School. glorious sea views, vying for your attention
Above: The view over St Ives’ picturesque harbour
The artists that really put St Ives on the towards ‘The Island’ Next page, from left: St Michael’s
with the impressive collection of modern
map were Ben Nicholson and his then wife, Mount; Tate St Ives; the town’s pretty cobbled European art, with works by Matisse,
the sculptor Dame Barbara Hepworth, who streets have attracted artists since the 19th century Rothko and Picasso.
WEEKENDER
Conclude your art tour with a visit to the A 20-minute drive south is magical St
century-old Leach Pottery on the edge of Michael’s Mount, a castle-crowned island TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
town, often considered the home of British that’s connected to the town of Marazion at
studio pottery. Established by the potter low tide by a cobbled causeway in the GETTING THERE
Bernard Leach, it’s now dedicated to his summer months (in winter access is by boat Trains from London Paddington to St Ives
work, as well as being a working studio that only). Originally a Benedictine monastery, it take around 6 hours; or there’s an overnight sleeper
trains the next generation of St Ives studio has also been a castle and a prison at service. Newquay Airport, with flights from Gatwick,
potters. You can even book a taster session different points in its history. St Michael’s Manchester and Edinburgh, is a 50-min drive from
on the potter’s wheel. has been the home of the St Aubyn family St Ives. www.gwr.com; cornwallairportnewquay.com
If St Ives has inspired you to pick up a since the mid-17th century, though the abbey
paintbrush, there are more luminous skies is run by the National Trust. WHERE TO STAY
and shifting seascapes to be found in the Ghostly tales and legends swirl around The Pedn Olva, perched on granite rocks
surrounding area, as well as some intriguing this ancient site, from the giant Cormoran above the sparkling waters of St Ives Bay, is a lovely
myths and legends. who is said to have built the mount (and place to stay. The simple but stylishly decorated
A 10-minute drive away is the mining was finally slain by a local boy) to the rooms enjoy wonderful sea views, and there’s a
village of Zennor, in a landscape that’s spectral Lady in Grey, who is believed to convivial bar and restaurant to enjoy, as well as an
scattered with mysterious prehistoric sites. have been the nanny of the St Aubyn family outdoor heated pool. pednolva.co.uk
The village is famous for the medieval in the 1750s.
PHOTOS: © MKGOLDER/GEORGE STANDEN/ISTOCK/LUKE HAYES/TSI

carving of a mermaid holding a comb and The Mount was famously painted by WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK
looking glass inside the 12th-century church Turner, during a tour of Cornwall that is Tables at the Porthminster Beach Café are
of St Senara. As legend has it, a local man thought to have influenced the artist’s later highly sought after for the sea views and delicious
named Matthew Trewella had a beautiful experiments with colour and light. “I have freshly grilled lobster. Tucked away in the old fishing
singing voice and always sang the closing never seen so many natural beauties in such quarter, The Mermaid also has a tempting array of
hymn in church services. His voice carried a limited spot as I have seen here,” he seafood, served up amid an atmospheric jumble of
to a nearby cove, where a mermaid was wrote. In broad brushstrokes, it’s what still nautical decor. www.porthminstercafe.co.uk;
entranced by it and lured Matthew to the draws so many artists to this bewitching www.mermaidstives.co.uk
sea, never to be seen again. The mermaid part of Cornwall to this day.
motif also appears on the bronze dial on the FURTHER INFORMATION
church’s clock tower, with an inscription For more on what to see and do in Cornwall, www.stives-cornwall.co.uk
dated 1737. see www.britain-magazine.com
es
hu d
0 c lpe
rch
30 he
er we
ov ar
ve ye
sa st
to La
It survived the Middle Ages,

Henry VIII and two world wars
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hundreds of historic churches
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for today, and tomorrow. You can help us by becoming
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FREE BOOK. New Friends receive a free copy of ‘The Treasures

of English Churches’, RRP £20, a delightful and luxuriously
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THE LAKE DISTRICT
THE LAKE DISTRICT
T
here’s something about the Lake District – lake to admire the scenery. This excursion is now provided Previous page:
something that sparks the imagination and by Windermere Lake Cruises, whose steamer-style vessels Grasmere is one of
soothes the soul. A picture-perfect expanse of and modern launches glide up and down the lake. the smallest lakes,
and is set in a
rugged peaks, placid waters and rolling From the deck you can spot the mock-Gothic Wray beautiful landscape
farmland, neatly divided by dry-stone walls and dotted Castle on the western shore, where Beatrix Potter and her Opposite: Wray
with stone-built villages, north- family spent their first summer Castle, which sits on
west England's Lake District has in the Lake District in 1882. A the western shore of
the double accolade of being new exhibition at the castle Lake Windermere, is
where Beatrix Potter
both a UNESCO World displays the photographs of and her family
Heritage Site and a National Rupert Potter, Beatrix’s father, holidayed in 1882
Park. Walkers wax lyrical about which reveal a passion for the
its famous fells (as the hills and local nature that he passed onto
mountains are called here), but his daughter. Beatrix spent her
it’s just as rewarding to explore days sketching the mountains,
it in a more leisurely way – woodlands and flowers: the
perhaps following the trail of first glimmer of a love for the
two literary lights who found landscape that would last for
inspiration here a century apart. the rest of her life.
One of the area’s most famous Many happy summers
devotees was Beatrix Potter, the followed, and Beatrix’s holiday
much-loved children’s author sketches evolved into picture
who escaped the constraints of stories for her family and
Kensington and found peace in friends. The tales featured a
a cottage above Windermere. A mischievous rabbit named
century earlier, the Romantic Peter, a hedgehog named Mrs
poet William Wordsworth spent Tiggy-Winkle and many other
his most prolific years in lovable creatures. The Tale of
Grasmere. The lakes of Peter Rabbit was published in
Windermere and Grasmere are 1901, and with the proceeds
just three miles from each other, Beatrix bought herself a holiday ILLUSTRATION: LAURA HALLET. PHOTOS: © NADIA ISAKOVA/AWL IMAGES/NATIONAL TRUST
connected by regular buses, so home above Windermere. Hill
it’s easy to plot a route through Top, a small working farm with
the romantic landscapes that a rambling cottage garden in
inspired these great writers, the village of Near Sawrey,
and visit their wonderfully provided inspiration for many
evocative homes. of her famous stories.
Our tour begins around Step into the simple
Windermere, the biggest of the farmhouse and it is as if its
area’s 16 lakes, at over ten miles one-time owner has just left the
long. It has long been the most room: a fire crackles in the
popular of the Lakes, ever since grate and Beatrix’s clogs sit
the arrival of the Kendal and neatly under a chair. All of the
Windermere rail line in 1847. furniture is hers, from the
Wealthy families built holiday willow-pattern plates displayed
homes overlooking the water on the scrubbed oak dresser to
and took steamers across the the grandfather clock ticking
THE LAKE DISTRICT
Top: Hill Top, where cosily in the corner. The parlour is a surprising contrast,
THE MYTHICAL TIZZIE-WHIZIE
PHOTOS: © STEVE VIDLER/AWL IMAGES/NATIONAL TRUST/ALAN COPSON/AWL IMAGES
Beatrix Potter wrote with its elegant furniture and marble mantlepiece: a
and illustrated many reminder that, while Beatrix immersed herself in country
of her famous tales,
life, her background was in the wealthy middle classes. When tourists first began to arrive in the Lake District at the end of
was left to the
National Trust The informal cottage garden is a delight, immediately the 19th century, the boatmen of Bowness-in-Windermere, the main
Above left and right: recognisable from Beatrix’s famous illustrations. You can town on the lake, spotted an opportunity. They informed tourists that
Visitors to the imagine Peter Rabbit hopping up the flagstone path in a creature called the ‘Tizzie-Whizie’ could be seen around the lake,
farmhouse can see search of cabbages, and Jemima Puddle-Duck laying her encouraging them to pay for boat rides to spot it. The creature was shy
how the author lived
eggs in the rhubarb patch. and water-loving, they said, with the body of a hedgehog, the antennae
and worked
Opposite: Take a lake In 1913 Beatrix married local solicitor William Heelis of a bee and a fluffy tail like a squirrel.
ferry across and moved to nearby Castle Cottage, but she kept Hill Top To silence any doubters, they produced a ‘genuine photograph’
Windermere from as a place to work, entertain and display her collections. of the mysterious creature, which had supposedly been lured to the
the Waterhead Pier Beatrix left Hill Top to the National Trust on her death, photographer’s studio with ginger biscuits. Thousands of postcards of
in Ambleside
stipulating that it was to be preserved as she left it – a large the image were printed and sold by the Bowness boatmen on their
part of its charm. popular Tizzie-Whizie hunts: the tourists’ only real chance of seeing the
At the Beatrix Potter Gallery in the pretty village of elusive creature.
Hawskhead, you can get up close to illustrations of her
Grasmere is best known for its
association with Wordsworth,
who declared it ‘the loveliest spot
that man hath ever found’
Left to right: Dove beloved characters, and follow the story of Beatrix’s
Cottage was the evolution from children’s author to passionate
Wordsworth conservationist: upon her death, Beatrix left 4,000 acres of
siblings' first home in
Grasmere; the poet's
land in the Lake District to the National Trust in order to
final resting place is save it from development.
the graveyard of the Before leaving the lake, stop off at the wonderful
village's St Oswald's Windermere Jetty Museum, which celebrates the rich
Church; the Lake history of the Lakes with a world-class collection of boats.
District's rich boating
history is celebrated
You’ll find an array of special vessels here, from Beatrix
PHOTOS: © STEVE TAYLOR ARPS/ALAMY/COLIN PALMER PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY/WINDERMERE JETTY MUSEUM
at Windermere Potter’s ramshackle rowing boat, made of old floorboards,

Jetty Museum to record-breaking speed boats and the collection’s
flagship, the dazzling steam launch Branksome, built in
1896. Fitted out with walnut panelling, velvet upholstery
and a silver tea service, it’s one of the finest Victorian
steam launches in the world, meticulously restored in the
on-site conservation workshop. You can even join a cruise
on one of the museum’s gleaming Edwardian launches too.
From Windermere, travel winding lakeside roads to
beautiful Grasmere, the lake best known for its association
with the poet William Wordsworth, who famously
declared it ‘the loveliest spot that man hath ever found’.
Recently opened after a £6.5m reimagining,
Wordsworth Grasmere incorporates Dove Cottage, where
the poet moved in 1799 with his sister Dorothy.
Wordsworth was inspired to write many of his best works
here, while Dorothy penned her Grasmere Journal, a vivid
chronicle of their daily life. The cosy cottage, with its stone
floors, dark-panelled rooms and glowing fires, transports
you back to the time when it was a bustling family home,
70 BRITAIN
THE LAKE DISTRICT
while you can explore handwritten manuscripts, journals

and letters in the excellent museum next door.
En route to the Wordsworth family’s next home, Allan
Bank, follow your nose to the Grasmere Gingerbread
Shop, where the spicy-sweet treat was invented in 1854;
the store has barely changed in the years since. Before
establishing as a shop, the building housed the village
school, where Wordsworth once taught.
It was at Allan Bank, a handsome Georgian villa with
views over Grasmere, that Wordsworth began his Guide
to the Lakes (1810), in which he first mooted the idea of ‘a
sort of national property’ that everybody ‘had the right to
enjoy’, long before the existence of national parks. It was
well over a century before the Lake District eventually
became one, thanks to the efforts of a later resident of the
same house, Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley. One of the three
founding members of the National Trust and a passionate
campaigner for conservation, Rawnsley – aided by his
great friend, Beatrix Potter – was instrumental in
preserving the Lake District.
Allan Bank was left to the National Trust in 1951.
When a terrible fire ravaged the interior in 2011, rather
than restoring it, the Trust left its walls bare and its rooms
empty. It’s now a historic house with a difference, with
comfy chairs in which to sit and take in the views with a
cup of tea – something of which Wordsworth would
approve: he spent a small fortune shipping chests of
BRITAIN 71
THE LAKE DISTRICT
Above: As well as
THE PLANNER inspiring William
Wordsworth,
Grasmere is where
GETTING THERE
gingerbread was
Great Western Railway runs direct services to invented in 1854
Oxenholme Lake District from London Euston (2hr 40min). Left: You can cruise
From here, you can catch a train to Windermere (20min). across Lake
Stagecoach runs a regular bus service in the area, while Windermere in style
aboard a classic
Windermere Lake Cruises offers boat trips. www.gwr.com;
steamer-style boat
www.stagecoachbus.com; www.windermere-lakecruises.co.uk
WHERE TO STAY
Rothay Manor is ideally sited between Windermere and
Twinings tea from London. Grasmere in the pretty town of Ambleside. Plump for one of
Just three short years later the Wordsworth family the eight suites in the new Pavilion, which are spacious and
moved again, this time to Rydal Mount, another picture- stylish, with generous bathrooms. www.rothaymanor.co.uk
perfect house in a delightful garden. Set above Rydal
Water, a slip of a lake between Grasmere and Windermere, WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK
the house was Wordsworth’s home for 37 years until his Rothay Manor has two restaurants: a fine-dining option
death in 1850. Wordsworth wrote the immortal lines ‘I with a refined eight-course tasting menu, and an informal
wandered lonely as a cloud’ here (Daffodils, 1815) and bistro, with local produce such as Cumbrian lamb and cured
PHOTOS: © ANDREW ROLAND/ALAMY/WINDERMERE LAKE CRUISES
landscaped the wonderful Romantic-style garden. Still chalk stream trout on the menu. Destination restaurant The
crammed with his furniture and possessions, from his Forest Side grows many of its own ingredients and is known
inkstand and quill to the picnic box he took on rambles, for unusual flavour combinations. The Cuckoo Brow Inn is an
Rydal Mount embodies the spirit of the poet. unpretentious pub near Hill Top, while the cosy Hole in t’ Wall
‘I often ask myself what will become of Rydal Mount in Bowness dates back to 1612. www.theforestside.com;
after our day’, mused Wordsworth in 1840. He might, www.cuckoobrow.co.uk; holeintwall.co.uk
indeed, have also wondered about the fate of the wider
Lakeland landscapes that he so loved. Thanks to his early FURTHER INFORMATION
campaigning, the pioneering work of Beatrix Potter and Visit the Lakes’ visitor centre, Brockhole, for more on
the efforts of the National Trust, the Lake District is the area’s history, activities and events. www.brockhole.co.uk;
wonderfully unchanged – and is still inspiring poets, www.visitlakedistrict.com
ramblers and dreamers alike all these years later.
UK’s Most Popular Published Artist 2022
Lucy’s love for the Lakes started at a young age and it is one of her favourite places. From regular
holidays as a child, she now visits with her own family choosing to spend time at their caravan in
Keswick, exploring some of the best scenery you can find. It is this longstanding love affair with
the lakes and her time spent in Keswick that has inspired new works of art in a dedicated collection
showcasing this wonderful region through the seasons.
Well known across Yorkshire, the North-East and beyond for art galleries and a successful e-commerce website serving
her naïve and imaginative art, Lucy has one goal; create art customers around the world offering stunning original works
that makes you smile, and her signature sheep art is some of of art, Giclee prints and striking canvases as well as ceramics,
her most recognisable work. Lucy uses soft pastels on board to textiles, and stationery; making beautiful gifts or additions to
create bright and uplifting artwork. Each piece has a real-life any home.
story behind it inspired by the sights, sounds and events in her
Lucy’s full body of work can be viewed online at www.
“I hope my cectiоs spire
own life including family, surroundings and those closest to her.
lucypittaway.co.uk or in one of her galleries where her y to s the se beauty
As the ‘UK’s Most Popular Published Artist 2022’ awarded signature sheep art plus other wonderful collections are tha I do d tha
brgs a
by the Fine Art Trade Guild, Lucy is a multi-award winning available including the Lakes Collection, Staycation and
artist, proudly running a family-owned business with beautiful the highly successful Cycling collections.
sme to those who view
.”
ORDER ONLINE AT WWW.LUCYPITTAWAY.CO.UK ORDER BY PHONE 01748 810965

GALLERIES AT BROMPTON-ON-SWALE | RICHMOND | YARM | KESWICK Follow us on @lucypittawayart
BELFAST & THE TITANIC
BELFAST’S
TITANIC LEGACY
On the tenth anniversary of its opening, we revisit Titanic Belfast, which
tells the story of the ‘unsinkable’ ship and the city that built it
WORDS NATASHA FOGES
“W
e have had a imagination: it stands alongside the
wonderful slipways where the Titanic was built,
passage up to and towers above the River Lagan
now. There where she was launched. The silvery
has been no tempest. It is very nice structure, glinting to resemble
weather but awfully windy and cold.” rippling waves (or a giant iceberg,
Esther Hart, from Ilford, Essex, perhaps) is 38 metres tall, the same as
penned a letter to her mother from the the hull of the Titanic, its four corners
Titanic on Sunday, April 14, 1912, just jutting out to echo the hulls of ships.
hours before the liner struck an iceberg Inside, nine galleries chronicle the
and sank to a watery grave. Esther and life of the liner. The journey begins in
her daughter Eva escaped the disaster boomtown Belfast, which clanged
in a lifeboat, but there was no room with industry in the mid-19th
for Esther’s husband Benjamin, who century, from linen mills to
went down with the ship. ropeworks to the Belfast docks. It was
Titanic Belfast, the city’s landmark in the Belfast shipyards that Harland
attraction, is full of such & Wolff, the world’s largest
heartbreaking stories. The location of shipbuilding firm, partnered with
ILLUSTRATION: © LIZ KAY
the building itself, which was White Star Line, the prestigious
constructed ten years ago to shipping line, to create a ship that
commemorate the centenary of the would set a new benchmark of
sinking, immediately captures the excellence in naval architecture.
In one of the galleries, a ride takes wealthy Americans at the end of their
you through a reconstructed shipyard, European tour.
surrounded by a cacophony of The Titanic sailed for New York
hammering, drilling and the shouts of on 10 April with 2,223 passengers
dockworkers – a din that could be and crew on board. Just a few days
heard across the city. When the into the voyage, on the night of the
Titanic was built, she was the pride of 14 April, the ship struck an iceberg
Belfast, and 100,000 people gathered at high speed. A sombre gallery
on the banks of the Lagan to cheer as evokes the panic of the following
she was launched from the slipway on minutes and hours with displays of
31 May 1911. Having passed this the increasingly desperate wireless
critical first test, she was fitted out – a distress calls. As the only first-
task that took more than 3,000 person, real-time record we have of
Belfast men ten months to complete. the tragedy, it is one of the most
Reconstructed cabins show the poignant parts of the museum.
luxury to which First “Come quick. Engine
Class passengers were
treated: the finest
“Come quick. room nearly full”
was the last message
rooms had wood Engine room sent out, just a few
panelling, carved oak minutes before the
bedsteads, carpeted nearly full” was Titanic broke in two
floors and a bell to
summon a steward.
the last message and disappeared
beneath the icy
Third Class sent out, just a few waters, causing the
passengers, deaths of 1,517
meanwhile – mostly minutes before the people. The ship was
emigrants heading to
America in search of a
ship disappeared carrying lifeboats for
only 1,178 people,
better life – had basic many of which were shipbuilding industry, it was not the Clockwise from top left:
bunk beds in up to ten-berth cabins. not full when they left. construction of the Titanic that was The statue on Titanic
On 2 April 1912 at 8pm, the Inquiries were held into how the called into question, but, concluded the Belfast's plaza,
Titanica, was
Titanic left Belfast on its maiden ship hailed as ‘unsinkable’ had ended British Inquiry, “the excessive speed at designed by artist
voyage. The ship arrived in up at the bottom of the Atlantic which the ship was being navigated”. Rowan Gillespie; the
PHOTOS: © TOURISM IRELAND/ TITANIC BELFAST
Southampton – then Britain’s leading Ocean. Theories ranged from the Despite this, it took a long time for Titanic's tender ship,
transatlantic port – on 4 April, where speed at which the ship was travelling Belfast to come to terms with the the SS Nomadic sits at
it was dressed with flags to greet its to the lack of binoculars for the ship’s tragedy, which was felt by many as an Hamilton dock;
visitors can explore
first passengers. The ship was loaded lookout boys, and the fact that it had almost personal loss. In 2012, the the last-remaining
with provisions for the voyage, not heeded warnings of “bergs, centenary year of the disaster, White Star Line ship;
including 40,000 eggs and 15,000 growlers and field ice”, as one ship’s however, the Titanic became a the Titanic Hotel is
bottles of ale. On 10 April, it arrived captain described them. unifying symbol, and the opening of located in the old
at Cherbourg, France, to pick up Fortunately for the people of Belfast, Titanic Belfast a catalyst for a Harland & Wolff
headquarters
more passengers, many of whom were a city that relied heavily on its different kind of industry: tourism.
There are now a number of Titanic

sights and tours around town, and the
enduring fascination of the story
draws people from all over the world.
Next to Titanic Belfast is the SS
Nomadic, one of the tenders that
ferried passengers from the Cherbourg
quayside to the Titanic, and the last
remaining White Star Line ship in the
world. Restored to her 1911 glory,
with ornate plasterwork and the
original wooden bar, the Nomadic
has four decks to explore. Stepping on
board gives you a real sense of the
contrast between the separated class
areas on board, and allows you to see
up close the luxurious finishes that her
sister ship was known for.
The surrounding ‘Titanic Quarter’
has been regenerated in the last decade,
though you can still trace much of the
original design and features of the
shipyards. Harland & Wolff remains a
significant business in Belfast, though
it now builds wind turbines rather than
transatlantic liners. Its yellow gantry
cranes, known as Samson and Goliath,
are a famous Belfast landmark,
dominating the skyline.
The old Harland & Wolff
headquarters are now the five-star
Titanic Hotel, and the grand, vaulted
Drawing Offices, where the ship was
designed, now house the hotel’s 1,512 people that perished. Unveiled tickets and memorial postcards. Clockwise from top:
restaurant. The old Pump House, to mark the centenary of the disaster, Even 110 years after the disaster, The Titanic was the
meanwhile, next to the dry dock from it is the only memorial in the world to the story of the Titanic still fascinates pride of Belfast in
1911; the Ulster
which the Titanic was launched, is commemorate all of the victims, and horrifies us. The tale of human Transport Museum's
being transformed into a whiskey passengers and crew alike. progress and pride quashed in such a exhibition holds
distillery and tourist attraction. The final stop on the trail is the dramatic way, and the stories of toil, more than 500 ship
The Titanic trail continues at Ulster Transport Museum, seven tragedy and heroism, have not faded artefacts, including
Belfast City Hall in the heart of town. miles outside Belfast, where the with the passing of the years. this White Star Line's
captain's hat; this tea
Here, in a garden whose planting TITANICa exhibition uses more than Although the tragedy undeniably cast set is also on display
mirrors the colours of ice and water, 500 artefacts to tell the ship’s story, a long shadow over Belfast, the city’s
is a memorial plinth listing, in from the tools owned by a Harland & Titanic legacy is something of which
alphabetical order, the names of the Wolff shipwright to White Star Line it can, once again, be proud.
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE Titanic Belfast. Memorabilia and original pieces, such year-round; a joint ticket gets you into both. The
PHOTOS: © MARY EVANS/ ULSTER TRANSPORT MUSEUM
Belfast has two airports. City Airport is a as the mahogany drawing table of Thomas Andrews, Discovery Tour, booked through the museum, is a
10-minute drive from Titanic Belfast, while the the Titanic’s chief naval architect, give it a sense of guided outdoor walk through the historic area around
International Airport is a 30-minute drive. The Titanic history. The Wolff Grill, in the original Drawing Office Titanic Belfast. Titanic Tours Belfast offer a 3-hour
Quarter is a 25-minute walk from the city centre. No. 2, is an inviting place for dinner, with refined tour that includes the lesser-known sights, led by the
www.belfastcityairport.com; www.belfastairport.com dishes such as seabass with spiced red grape, clams descendant of a Titanic crew member.
and roast hazelnut. www.titanichotelbelfast.com www.titanicbelfast.com; titanictours-belfast.co.uk
WHERE TO STAY AND EAT
The Titanic Hotel, set in Harland & Wolff’s TICKETS AND TOURS FURTHER INFORMATION
former headquarters, is just a stone’s throw from Titanic Belfast and the SS Nomadic are open
i www.ireland.com
Family run self-drive hire business since 1969
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A day with...
WING COMMANDER
DAVID MONTENEGRO
The Team Leader of the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force’s
much-loved aerobatic flying squad, takes us skyward
BRITAIN: When did you discover your

passion for flying?
DM: When I was seven, I travelled with my
parents to see family in Colombia. On a
twin-engine propellor flight from Bogotá to
Pasto, we were buffeted by turbulence and I
remember watching the pilot grapple with
the controls to land the aircraft safely. It was
the first time I’d seen fear in my parents;
however, I found it exhilarating and thought
‘this is the job for me’! I was further inspired
by demonstrations at the Biggin Hill
Airshow, near my family home – by the age
of 11, I was hooked on aviation.
B: When did you join the Red Arrows, and

how did you become Red 1 [the team leader
who flies in the front position]?
DM: When I joined the RAF in 1999, I was
selected for the fast-jet training stream. It all
began at age 18, upon securing an RAF
flying scholarship at Manchester University,
completing elementary training at the
Manchester and Salford University Air
Squadron – largely thanks to my instructor,
Squadron Leader Rod Newman. On
graduating, I joined the RAF, went to officer
training at RAF College Cranwell, was
selected as a pilot and did fast-jet training at
RAF Linton-on-Ouse, followed by advanced
jet-training on Hawks at RAF Valley. Then I
had frontline, operational tours as a fighter
pilot. I was selected for the Red Arrows in
2009, becoming Synchro Leader after three
years. After tours, including as a special
projects officer within the US Marine Corps,
I was made Red 1 in 2015. I became Officer
Commanding of the Red Arrows in 2020.
B: What do the Red Arrows stand for?

DM: At home and overseas, the Royal Air
Force Aerobatic Team brings people together
with a demonstration of precision and
professionalism. Watching fast-jets looping
and flying in close formation is a thrilling
proposition, regardless of age, background
INTERVIEW
or location. Over recent months, this has

been highlighted more than ever before, as
millions returned to events disrupted by the
pandemic. As a team, we were heartened to
see groups, especially families, back at these
occasions, which are so valuable to countless
communities. Whether live or virtual, our
aim remains constant: to inspire.
B: On a training day, what’s your routine?

DM: On a standard training day, each pilot
Above, left to right: The Red Arrows put on a spectacular show as part of this summer’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations for
will fly up to three sorties, beginning with a
the Queen; Young Prince Louis drew attention at the Jubilee’s Trooping the Colour ceremony when he clutched his ears
weather-focused briefing at 0800, followed while watching the stunning (but noisy) Red Arrows flypast from the Buckingham Palace balcony, alongside the Queen,
by a sortie debrief, and so on, Monday to his mother, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and sister, Princess Charlotte
Friday. It’s intensive, and very different to life
on the frontline, where you might spend four in sync. Many times, cresting the top of a an airshow in Gloucester. I had met Prince
hours planning a mission, six hours in the loop surrounded by red jets, I’d allow myself William at a charity event the previous year,
aircraft, three hours in the debrief and then to take in that second and think, ‘There’s no but this was the first time I’d experienced the
perhaps not fly for another six days. single place I’d rather be right now than cameras that accompany senior members of
leading this team.’ The Royal Family at public occasions. The
B: What are your responsibilities as Red 1? previous year, at the Queen’s birthday
DM: Red 1 is a role that comes with immense B: Can you describe the responsibilities and flypast, the media captured images of Prince
responsibility and pressure. You’re in charge challenges of your present role? George waving as the aircraft flew overhead
of all aspects of the display, from running the DM: The best thing is leading 130 talented and got great pictures of him being lifted
training programme to choreographing the people to safely achieve our mission into the cockpit of my aircraft after
show. A good example of what the role objectives. I love the diverse nature of my expressing an interest in the Red Arrows jet.
demands was when I led the team on an work – moving between intricate aviation
Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern tour, during risk management and planning global tours, B: How does it feel to lead a world-recognised
which we displayed in China for the first to engaging with a huge cross-section of team like the Red Arrows?
PHOTOS: © MOD/CROWN COPYRIGHT 2022/ILCPHOTO/ISTOCK/MAX MUMBY/INDIGO/GETTY
time in the Red Arrows’ history. Taking 12 society. And, to do all this while still flying DM: As a pilot you feel hugely privileged
single-engine jet aircraft across 22,000 miles the Hawk? It’s a really good job! when, during one of our looping
and 17 countries to get there and back in manoeuvres, you catch a glimpse of the
nine weeks was not without its challenges B: How do you feel before an important thousands of spectators below. We hope that
– not least getting through thunderstorms flight, such as the Platinum Jubilee flypast? by watching our displays and being able to
over India and Pakistan – but the tour DM: While, as a display pilot, you’re aware of meet the team, people of all backgrounds are
proved a major success, reaching more than the occasion – especially when it’s a huge, inspired to think, feel and – importantly – do
one billion people and helping to support a international event – it’s important to focus things differently, creatively or innovatively.
range of UK interests and objectives. on the mission in hand and follow carefully We’re incredibly proud of our heritage, and
rehearsed procedures. After a big flight, are always looking to advance our
B: What’s most rewarding about your role? when you see media coverage and feedback, preparation and performance in the constant
DM: Despite the challenges of being Red 1, that’s the time to appreciate the moment. pursuit of excellence.
the joy of flying a full display in sky-blue David Montenegro’s
conditions represented the best days in the B: Have you met any of the Royal Family? new book,
job, when all the pressures simply DM: In July 2016, I was fortunate to meet The Red Arrows,
evaporated. There’s something incredibly Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and is published by
special when you and the team are perfectly Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George at Century (£20).
THE GREAT
BRITISH QUIZ
Do you know your British puddings and pies? Put your knowledge
of the country’s traditional dishes, snacks and sauces to the test
Which English county is famed for The three points of the ‘Yorkshire
its hotpot, a meat and vegetable stew Triangle’ are Wakefield, Morley and
topped with sliced potatoes? Rothwell. Which fruit is grown here?
a) Lincolnshire
b) Lancashire Cawl refers to a traditional broth
c) Kent or soup of which country in the UK?
At which historic royal palace can

What’s the difference between a you visit the Chocolate Kitchens
Devonshire and a Cornish cream tea? (below)?
What name is given to a British

cold meal of bread, cheese and onions,
usually accompanied by butter and
pickle?
First served in the south west of
Which snack is Melton Mowbray England, what name is given to a pastry
PHOTOS: © VISITSCOTLAND/LUIGI DI PASQUALE/BHOFACK2/ISTOCK/HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES/MAKI STUDIO/ALAMY

in Leicestershire famous for? pocket (above) stuffed with beef,
a) Sausage rolls turnips, potatoes and onions?
b) Scotch eggs A school near Windsor is famous
c) Pork pies Which of the following ingredients for producing prime ministers and a
is not in Worcestershire sauce? summer dessert of meringue, cream
a) Molasses and strawberries. What is it?
b) Tomatoes
c) Anchovies Which London landmark inspired
the name for HP Sauce?
What are the strips of toast used

to dip in a soft-boiled egg commonly
known as?
‘Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin’-race!’
What (pictured above) is the Scottish
poet Robert Burns addressing?
Which word refers to a layered
Unscramble WE TALK TABLER to dessert of cream, fruit, custard and
find a classic sweet pie from Derbyshire sponge cake that’s a special-occasion
made with jam and almonds. favourite (above)?
7 Cornish pasty 8 b) tomatoes 9 trifle 10 rhubarb 11 Wales 12 Hampton Court 13 Eton 14 Houses of Parliament 15 soldiers
ANSWERS 1 In Devon it’s cream first, then jam; in Cornwall it’s the other way around 2 a ploughman’s 3 c) pork pies 4 haggis 5 Bakewell tart 6 b) Lancashire
26 OCTOBER 2022 –1 JANUARY 2023
R OYA L S H A K E S P E A R E T H E AT R E
S T R AT F O R D - U P O N - AVO N
Photo by Hugo Glendinning
BOOK NOW
rsc.org.uk
The work of the RSC is supported by the Culture Recovery Fund
The RSC is generously supported by RSC America
The work of the RSC Literary Department is generously
supported by The Drue and H.J. Heinz II Charitable Trust

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