Innholdsfortegnelse for October - November 2016 i Discover Britain

Among the waters on an autumnal evening when the bracken is golden and there is faint blue mist among the trees – the loveliest castle, as thus beheld, in the whole world.” Lord Conway’s famous description of Leeds Castle perfectly conjures the dreamy vision of the water-enveloped fortress that stands on two islands near Maidstone, Kent. Owing to its riverside location there has been a building on the site in Leeds since Saxon times – the name is said to have come from the Saxon word “Esledes” – but the first stone castle was built by a Norman baron during the reign of William the Conqueror’s son. It is tempting to conclude that the exquisite beauty of the place comes from the feminine touch. Known as the “ladies’ castle”, Leeds…

THE DONKEY SANCTUARY There are hundreds of donkeys waiting to meet you here in Sidmouth. Cosy up in the barns this winter with the many residents that take Sanctuary here. It’s also the perfect place to buy those extra special Christmas presents for your family and friends. The donkeys can’t wait to meet you! www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/contact TAKE A MAGICAL CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY TO LUNDY Escaping with loved ones or enjoy an intimate family Christmas break away from the hustle and bustle of a busy home life, make sure that the people close to you have a magical Christmas by choosing to spend Christmas on Lundy Island. For more Information and Bookings call - 01271 863636 or visit www.lundyisland.co.uk A GORGEOUS DARTMOOR CHRISTMAS The Two Bridges Hotel in the heart of Dartmoor National…

A visit to the dazzling lights of the West End’s Theatreland, which loops around Leicester Square, Covent Garden and along the iconic Shaftesbury Avenue, is an essential part of soaking up the capital’s sultry after-dark spirit. From musical spectaculars such as Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre and Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre to timeless classics like An Inspector Calls at the Playhouse or the richly varied rep season led by living legend Kenneth Branagh at the Garrick, there’s sure to be something to whet the theatrical appetite. London’s huge concentration of theatres – around 40 in the West End alone with many more notable outposts further afield – speaks of a long love affair with the stage, which shows no signs of waning. Here, we sample…

WHICHFORD POTTERY Gorgeous flowerpot (25x39cm) handmade in Warwickshire and guaranteed frostproof for 10 years. £59.50eachor£99fortwo,includingdelivery.T&Csapply. Offer ends 30.11.16. Phone to order: (01608) 684416 SPA GIFT VOUCHERS Choice of 10 gift vouchers to Thermae Bath Spa, the UK’s only natural thermal spa in the heart of beautiful Bath. From £34, www.thermaebathspa.com MINI COOPER EXPERIENCE SeeLondonfromanewperspective,smallcarBIGCITY’s fleet of classic Mini Coopers and team of guides are waiting to show your special someone this fantastic city. From £119, www.smallcarBIGCITY.com LOVESPOON GALLERY HandcarvedWelshlovespoonsmakefantasticChristmas gifts. Special gifts of love and affection that will be treasured for ever. For a great choice from £7.99, www.lovespoongallery.com CLASSIC BRITISH PENS Made in England by Conway Stewart since 1905 – the perfect gift for anyone who prefers to send a hand-written note rather than a text or email. £449,…

Fancy living like a queen for a night at Leeds Castle, as well as experiencing an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of life below stairs? It’s possible to do both with our fabulous competition, which offers one lucky reader and a guest an overnight stay in the 16th-century Maiden’s Tower, in a five-star en suite bedroom, and a private guided tour, The Below Stairs – A Servant’s Life. The Maiden’s Tower was built on the order of King Henry VIII for his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and each of the five bedrooms is named after a medieval queen. Later the tower was used as a brewhouse and estate workshop before Lady Baillie returned it to domestic use (it’s said single male guests at her famous parties were lodged there to prevent corridor-creeping!).…

Remember, remember, the fifth of November” rings out across Britain, as notorious plotter Guy Fawkes is burned in effigy on Bonfire Night. His part in the failed 1605 Gunpowder Plot still echoes through history, but have we judged him too harshly? Guy Fawkes was born in York in April 1570, on the corner of Stonegate and Petergate, where the Guy Fawkes Inn now stands. He grew up in the shadow of the Gothic cathedral York Minster, boasting the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in Britain, and his grandparents and father were buried in its churchyard. Surprisingly, given his later affiliation, Fawkes’s immediate family were Protestants: he and his sisters were baptised in the 16th-century St Michael le Belfrey Church, which today features a facsimile of his baptismal entry. His…

The Victorians invented Christmas as we know it today. Crackers, cards and trees all first became popular in this era, with the latter making an early appearance in 1848 when the Illustrated London News published a drawing of the royal family celebrating around a decorated tree at Windsor (right). It’s said Queen Victoria and Prince Albert liked to bring the tree into the castle and decorate it themselves. The relatively new sight – today ubiquitous during Advent – took Britain by storm. The tradition derived from Germany, where Albert was from – Victoria, too, had a German mother – and is one Britain took to its heart. Of course, our most famous festive tale, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, helped to popularise and spread the traditions, such as the…

Shakespeare’s Globe, Bankside Cymbeline reimagined from its heroine’s point of view and supplanted to modern London, Imogen, a rare modern-dress production, runs from 17 September to 16 October. In the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, family show The Little Matchgirl and Other Happier Tales, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, promises a spellbinding world of magic and mystery, from 24 November 2016 to 22 January 2017.www.shakespearesglobe.com The Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue Stephen Daldry’s multi-award winning production of JB Priestley’s sinister classic An Inspector Calls, with set design by Ian MacNeil, returns to London for a limited run from 4 November 2016 to 4 February 2017.www.aninspectorcalls.com The Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross Road Kenneth Branagh’s Plays at the Garrick season concludes with the man himself starring as Archie Rice in John Osborne’s modern classic…

1 Star Inn Yorkshire Located in rural North Yorkshire, the Star Inn is in a fantastic position for those who wish to explore what the area offers. Nearby are medieval Helmsley Castle, whose former owners include Richard III, and Rievaulx Abbey, once a magnificent Cistercian monastery which was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538. Also on your doorstep are the Yorkshire Moors, perfect for windswept walks. Or, if you don’t fancy braving the blustery outdoors, the absurdly pretty thatched inn has a sense of warmth and intimacy ideally suited for seeing out rainy days. Stay in Cross House Lodge, the Star’s nine-bedroomed hotel just across the road from the pub, or simply pop in to enjoy a dish or two of the Michelin-starred food, prepared by chef-owner Andrew Pern. www.thestaratharome.co.uk…

The Baron’s Hall at the heart of Penshurst Place in Kent has been described as “one of the grandest rooms in the world”. Built in 1341 as a country retreat for merchant and four-time mayor of London Sir John de Pulteney, it was a rural des res of its time. Even now, standing beneath the soaring chestnut roof, you can imagine the communal bustle of the household feasting here: servants on the long wooden trestle tables, masters on the dais at one end of the hall. Fashions may have changed since De Pulteney left his mark in the typical medieval manor style of a central hall joining two wings in an “H” plan. But his country pile perfectly sets the scene for a romp through seven centuries showing how England’s…

Bath, the jewel of Somerset set picturesquely in the valley of the River Avon, is a city of such unambiguous beauty it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The accolade made official what had hitherto been accepted for centuries. But for the origins of the Bath story, we must go back almost three millennia, to one day in 863BC when a certain Prince Bladud happened upon the area’s natural thermal springs. After the prince’s bath, it seemed the restorative waters had cured the skin disease from which he had long suffered. Later, the Romans, always partial to a public bath, laid down roots here in around AD 43 and named it Aquae Sulis (“the waters of Sulis”). Today, one million people still come to see the public…

“Cockney rhyming slang was actually created by market traders, who were always being moved on by police and needed a secret language” You know you’re with royalty when the cafe owner gives you tea on the house – or “rosy lee”, as George Major, Pearly King of Peckham, dubs it. He also enjoys free rides in London cabs “when I’m in my pearls”, as well as constant attention from passers-by wanting a chat or a picture. Those pearls are some 22,000 buttons sewn onto his clothes and cap, alongside badges representing the charities George, 78, supports through his work. “It weighs a hundredweight, and does get hot in summer.” The Pearly Kings and Queens originated amid the costermongers (street traders) who imitated London swells by adding the odd pearl to…

DO ABERDEENSHIRE A favourite haunt of the royal family, Aberdeenshire’s close association with the British monarchy started in 1848 when Prince Albert acquired the lease on Balmoral and began lengthy negotiations to buy the estate, which were completed in 1852. “All seemed to breathe freedom and peace, and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils,” wrote Queen Victoria, who later retreated to Balmoral after her husband’s tragically early death in 1861. Along with its neighbour Moray, Aberdeenshire, famous for Aberdeen Angus beef cattle, is the most fertile region of the Highlands. With Royal Deeside and Cairngorms National Park in the western reaches of the county, and whisky country to north-west, there is plenty to see and do, eat and drink, but lovers of British heritage won’t want…