Innholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2020 i Britain

In the dark days of spring it was difficult to predict what would become of the places that make a visit to Britain so special – the stately homes and tearooms, the quaint hotels and the world-class museums. Happily, as I write, Britain is welcoming visitors once more. If you’re planning a joyful return to our shores in 2021, this issue is packed with inspiration. Seeking scenic seclusion? Tresco (The Emperor’s Isle, p68), a jewel-like island off the Cornwall coast, won’t disappoint. Timeless trails and rural charm? The ancient Ridgeway offers both in abundance (Step back in time, p14). A medieval city to explore? Look no further than Lincoln (p77). Our favourite stately homes and castles have now reopened their doors after a tumultuous few months (Keep Calm and Carry…

GETTING THERE Overton Hill is located off the A4 in Wiltshire, where there is also a car park. Sections of the Ridgeway National Trail with railway stations nearby include Goring and Streatley, Princes Risborough and Wendover. www.thetrainline.com GETTING AROUND The Ridgeway is well waymarked. Find details of accommodation, booking services, baggage transfer companies, maps and guides by clicking on The Ridgeway National Trail at www.nationaltrail.co.uk. EAT, DRINK, SLEEP Goring and Streatley are a favourite hub for pubs and stays: homemade pies and B&B at The John Barleycorn; refreshing beer in the garden of The Catherine Wheel; upmarket dining and rooms at The Miller of Mansfield; nibbles, grills, cream teas and rooms with river or countryside views at The Swan at Streatley. www.visitgoringandstreatley.co.uk FURTHER INFOMATION www.nationaltrail.co.uk…

On 3 May 1950 Alnwick Castle opened its doors to visitors for the first time, and 100 eager tourists queued up to buy a ticket in the first hour. Britain’s second-largest privately inhabited castle (after Windsor), home to the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, it has come a long way since, with soaring visitor numbers boosted by appearances in the Harry Potter films. But this year on the 70th anniversary of Alnwick’s opening, the famous gardens lay quietly deserted and the castle’s 150 rooms were eerily empty of visitors. High above the historic battlements a blue NHS flag fluttered from the flagpole. Alnwick has stood for over 900 years, witnessing wars, famine and disease. But like Britain’s other castles and stately homes it was abruptly forced to close its doors…

GETTING THERE London North Eastern and East Midlands Rail run services between London Kings Cross and Lincoln. The journey takes on average 2hr 30mins. www.thetrainline.com WHERE TO STAY A small and stylish B&B in a converted parish hall, The Rest is tucked halfway up Steep Hill, with ten elegant rooms and a café. www.theresthotellincoln.co.uk WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK Treat yourself to a top-notch lunch at The Bronze Pig, choosing from a regularly changing menu that’s packed with local and seasonal produce. The name is a nod to the 1st-century bronze boar miniature on display at The Collection and to Lincoln’s reputation for high-quality pork (sausages especially). For a drink, try The Victoria in the cathedral quarter, a traditional pub whose sun-trap terrace has views of the castle walls. www.thebronzepig.co.uk;…

PRECIOUS MEMORIES Many memorable itineraries for my sojourns in England have come from the inviting pages of BRITAIN. I recently spent a joyful and sunny Easter at Winchester Cathedral followed by a day in charming Chawton. On another trip I spent a lovely day wandering around Bourton-on-the-Water and dining in the classy Old Swan after exploring the nearby Minster Lovell ruins. Last summer, I stayed at St Margaret’s Hotel in Oxford. Due to the pandemic, I don’t know when I will return, but in the meantime, I relish the vicarious travel which each issue of BRITAIN offers! Sue Willis, New York, USA WON OVER BY WINSTON I was so glad to see the article Churchill at Home in the July issue [Vol 88 Issue 3]. I’m currently reading the William…

1520: The Field of the Cloth of Gold by Amy Licence (£20, Amberley Books). How the characters of King Henry VIII and King Francis I of France shaped European relations. The Mayflower in Britain: How an Icon Was Made in London by Graham Taylor (£20, Amberley Books). The Mayflower story told on its 400th anniversary, re-presented as part of British history. A Passion for the Dales by David Joy (£19.99, Great Northern Books). A native dalesman shares his passion for a unique landscape and its people. Sovereign of the Isles: How the Crown Won the British Isles by Iain Milligan (£25, Unicorn). The ruthless story of the conquests and treaties behind the formation of the British nation. To War with the Walkers by Annabel Venning (£10.99, Hodder & Stoughton). The…

“Ye windows were full of Ladys who threw up their handkerchiefs and clap’d their hands and show’d great loyalty to ye Bonny Prince,” an onlooker wrote after watching Charles Edward Stuart ride through Edinburgh in 1745. His whole manner and appearance seemed “Cut out for enchanting his beholders and carrying People to consent to their own Slavery in spite of themselves.” Such is the popular image of ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ that has prevailed across three centuries: a charismatic young man whose adventures to reclaim the British Crown for the House of Stuart became the stuff of romantic Scottish legend; his heroic failure and flight wistfully lamented in The Skye Boat Song. But how did a half-Polish prince raised in Rome become such a glamorous icon and does his story hide…

GETTING THERE Great Western Railway runs direct trains from London Paddington to the South West, including a sleeper service. Isles of Scilly Travel run flights from Newquay, Land’s End and Exeter (the latter March to Oct only) to St Mary’s, the main island. The same company runs the Scillonian passenger ferry from Penzance to St Mary’s (March to Nov; 2hr 45min). Tresco Boat Services run from St Mary’s to Tresco and Bryher at least once a day. Penzance Helicopters fly from Penzance to Tresco (15min). www.gwr.com; www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk; www.penzancehelicopters.co.uk WHERE TO STAY A range of options, from rooms in the pub to luxuriously furnished traditional cottages, are available to rent throughout Tresco. On Bryher, the Hell Bay Hotel is a stylish beachside getaway with colourful art by some of Cornwall’s leading…

1 Claridge’s, Mayfair, London www.claridges.co.uk 2 Bettys Café Tea Rooms, various locations in Yorkshire www.bettys.co.uk 3 Taj 51 Buckingham Gate, St James’s Park, London www.taj51buckinghamgate.co.uk 4 Dalloway Terrace, Bloomsbury, London www.dallowayterrrace.com 5 Pennyhill Park, Surrey www.exclusive.co.uk 6 Cadogan’s by Adam Handling, Chelsea, London www.adamhandlingchelsea.co.uk 7 Duchy of Cornwall Nursery, Cornwall www.duchyofcornwallnursery.co.uk…

Picture your ultimate dream home, designed by a fashionable architect and containing all the rooms needed for stylish living and grand entertainment: state-of-the-art kitchen, showy guest bedrooms, a luxurious drawing room to impress your guests. All of the decor is carefully chosen and made with the finest materials and craftsmanship. Working with the best artisans, buying furniture from high-end retailers and even turning your own hand to making some items, you have created a home which makes you the envy of society. Sounds perfect... except this dream house is only about 6ft high. The dolls’ house I describe, housed at the National Trust’s Nostell Priory in West Yorkshire, is the most intricate, most finely crafted and best-preserved example of its kind. It has recently been conserved and beautifully redisplayed in…

GETTING THERE AND AROUND Windsor is just 12 miles from Heathrow Airport; First Bus runs services from the airport every 30min. Trains run from London Paddington to Windsor & Eton Riverside station (1hr). Evan Evans offer guided coach tours from London. The best walking tours are with Blue Badge Guides. www.firstgroup.com; www.thetrainline.com; www.evanevanstours.com; britainsbestguides.org EAT, DRINK, SLEEP The Sir Christopher Wren, with views of the spires of Eton, and the Castle Hotel, set in a 16th-century wood-panelled building, ooze historic charm. Bel & the Dragon is a renowned restaurant that has been serving food since the 11th century; these days, it offers impeccable afternoon teas with a castle view. For sustenance after a visit to the Great Park, try the 18th-century pub The Two Brewers just outside the park gates.…