Innholdsfortegnelse for Jul/Aug 2025 i Britain

An Englishman’s home is his castle, as the saying goes, and this issue we feature a wealth of wonderful English homes, both big and small. St James’s Palace, once the main seat of the British monarchy and still home to members of the royal family, has recently opened its doors to the public for the first time; join us on a tour of its gilded halls on p44. We also speak to the chatelaine of Highclere Castle about life in such a historic house, and the much-anticipated return of Downton Abbey (p22). And you’ll find an array of castles across the issue too, from romantically moated beauties (p56) to the mighty fortresses that line the border between England and Wales in the scenic Wye Valley (p72). But it’s not all…

Winding along the twisting, leafy-green lanes of the north Cotswolds countryside near Chipping Campden, you come to a wonderful surprise at Hidcote Manor – or rather, lots of surprises. Enter the courtyard, pick up a map and you can wander a maze of pathways through more than 10 acres of ‘outdoor rooms’, each so different and intimate that you feel you have strayed into a series of private havens: the tiny White Garden, alive with curious topiary birds; the Red Border, sweltering with summer dahlias and salvias below redbrick gazebos; the Stilt Garden of hornbeams leading to Heaven’s Gate, with its views stretching down through the valley. Box hedges hide the Bathing Pool Garden with its burbling fountain, and the grassy Long Walk drifts to the horizon. Acclaimed as one…

The Tapestry, Lake District This creeper-clad 17th-century farmhouse oozes character. In the village of Underbarrow in the southern Lakes, it’s just a pebble’s throw from tourist hotspot Windermere but a world away in terms of tranquillity. The garden opens onto wide-angle views of that quintessential Lakes landscape of field and fell. Inside, the rooms are a kaleidoscope of colour and pattern. Owners Jeremy and Simon scoured antiques shops and markets on their travels to curate the eclectic interiors. The traditional farmhouse kitchen is open to the rafters, the ancient-beamed sitting room warmed by a cosy wood burner, and there are four beautiful bedrooms, one with an open fireplace. Bathrooms are also opulent, with clawfoot tubs and brightly tiled showers. Thoughtful touches include a luxury hamper of local products and the…

WIN Enter our competition for the chance to win a memorable two-night stay at Lumley Castle, a luxury four-star hotel located in beautiful parkland overlooking the River Wear. Set between historic Durham and the vibrant city of Newcastle, the castle is a magnificent monument to a bygone age of chivalry and honour, combining old and new to create a unique place to stay. The castle, which became a hotel in 1976, dates back to the 14th century, when it was converted from a manor house by Sir Ralph Lumley. It is still owned by Sir Ralph’s descendants, with the 13th Earl of Scarbrough involved in its running day to day. The 71 beautifully appointed bedrooms within the castle’s walls are individually styled, with traditional furnishings and views over rolling parkland.…

Most visitors to London will instantly recognise Buckingham Palace, one of the world’s most iconic buildings. Fewer realise that a far older palace, steeped in history, is just a stroll away from those famous wrought-iron gates. Even some Londoners are unaware that the distinctive redbrick buil ding at the west end of Pall Mall is officially the most senior royal palace and the administrative centre of the British monarchy. It was here, on 10 September 2022, that the Garter King of Arms publicly proclaimed the accession of King Charles III. Once the principal seat of the British monarchy, St James’s Palace has for five centuries provided the backdrop to royal events joyful and tragic, hosting the full panoply of state even as it guarded its mystery. But this year it…

From early summer, when fuchsia-pink Rosa rugosa – the Japanese or beach rose – garlands the hedgerows, Helen and Andy Tidy will moor their canal boat, step onto the towpath and, braving the thorns, start picking. Officially classified as ‘invasive’, the rose was brought from Japan in 1796, escaped into the wild and has since run rampant. “They grow pretty much anywhere,” says Helen. “They’re big, blowsy blooms with a glorious, intense scent” – perfect, then, for making rose-petal jelly. In their narrowboat Wand’ring Bark (from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 – ‘Let me not to the marriage of true minds/Admit impediments…’), the couple are a familiar sight to fellow boaters as they ply the Midland waterways, puttering along at sedate 2.3mph, giving a new meaning to the term ‘slow food’. In…

FOOD & DRINK Time for tea No visit to the capital is complete without an indulgent afternoon tea – and all the better if the sandwiches, scones and cakes celebrate our favourite London landmarks. The new ‘London Calling’ afternoon tea, served daily at the Haymarket Hotel, is a quintessentially English affair that begins with tea and dainty finger sandwiches, progresses to the obligatory scones with jam and cream, and concludes with a sweet tribute to the city’s sights. Looking almost too good to eat, these include a blackberry macaron King’s Guard, a chocolate-and-orange-encased Big Ben, a cinnamon-flavoured London Eye, and one of Trafalgar Square’s famous lions in Victoria sponge cake form. And if you’re in need of a stroll after eating your way through London’s landmarks, you can pick up…

There’s a quote attributed to the future King Edward VII around the time that Queen Victoria celebrated the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne in 1897. “I have no objection whatsoever to the notion of the Eternal Father,” her rather undutiful son is supposed to have said to the Archbishop of Canterbury, “but every objection to the concept of an eternal mother.” Edward, born to Victoria and Albert in 1841, had spent most of his life as heir apparent. It was only in 1901, at the age of 59, that he at last got to wear the crown. Already in ill-health by that point, his was to be a short reign, lasting just nine years. Its brevity is partly the reason why the era to which he gives…

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Just $3.30 an issue Subscribe Now USA & Canada call 1-800-925-8215‡ and quote code I5DSPRS25 or visit chelseamagazines.com/SCOSept25 UK & ROW call 01858 438 898 and quote code CHP25 or visit chelseamagazines.com/CHP25 Offer ends 31 August 2025. *All savings are calculated as a percentage of the standard shop price. For our privacy policy, visit: chelseamagazines.com/privacy-notice. Lines open Monday to Friday 7am-9.30pm CST; Saturday 8am-6pm CST. ‡Toll free from the US, Canada, Hawaii and the Virgin Islands.…

It wasn’t until three months after meeting her future husband David Crichton that Alexandra discovered that his family home was a castle and he was chief of a historic Scottish clan. “In fact he never told me, his friends told me!” The Monzie Estate (pronounced without the ‘z’) certainly had the potential to be daunting: stretching across 4,500 acres, this storied Perthshire estate requires constant attention and boundless energy. Once they were married, David and Alexandra moved back to Monzie and took the decision to renovate one of the derelict cottages in the grounds. It was a steep learning curve: “I’d never owned a house before – I’d always lived in city apartments!” laughs Alexandra. She proceeded to teach herself to make curtains, and took courses in upholstery and electrics.…