Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2021 i Discover Britain

It is natural for a writer to want to capture a particular feeling or atmosphere, yet John Keats went one further when he arrived in Winchester one late summer’s day. “There is on one side of the city,” the young Romantic poet noted in a letter to his publisher, “a dry chalky down, where the air is worth sixpence a pint.” While Keats stopped short of trying to bottle the freshness that he experienced on that walk through Hampshire’s cathedral city, he nevertheless felt suitably inspired by his new surroundings to write several of his most celebrated poems during a two-month stay here. To Autumn was one such piece, which famously opened in the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” while paying close attention later to the barred clouds of…

Oscar Wilde knew a thing or two about dressing stylishly. “What is a fashion?” the poet and playwright pondered in his 1885 essay, The Philosophy of Dress. “From the artistic point of view, it is usually a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.” Whether or not you entirely agree with his take, what is certain is that, in Britain at least, fashion goes hand-in-hand with change. It never stands still, moving in cycles and stealing from yesteryear to make tomorrow modern. But there are some items of clothing that seem to be stuck at the back of history’s cavernous wardrobe with no signs of being dusted down for another round in the sartorial spotlight. These forgotten fashions include the beautiful, the ridiculous…

Very few British noblemen would have publicly cheered the death of Henry VIII, yet one would have forgiven Thomas Howard for showing his glee. The 3rd Duke of Norfolk had been a powerful presence in the court of the Tudor king, appointed Lord Admiral of the Royal Navy and later Lord Treasurer. Yet Howard was also the uncle of the king’s two beheaded wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, and by 1547 was set to be executed himself. A trial had taken place the previous December after the duke’s eldest son and heir, Henry Howard, was found to have unlawfully taken up the royal arms of his ancestor, the medieval Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor. Both father and son were sent to the Tower of London, where Henry was charged…

Mute swans were a delicacy in medieval Britain, associated with feasting royalty If you were to happen upon Britain’s annual Swan Upping ceremony, which occurs each July on a particular stretch of the River Thames, you would be forgiven for thinking you had travelled back in time. This five-day event sees a flotilla of traditional skiffs (rowing boats) journey 79 miles west along the river between Sunbury Lock in Surrey and Oxfordshire’s Abingdon Bridge. Rowers wear scarlet shirts and, at the bow of the main boat (identified by its two flags), sits a man who is even more elaborately dressed in a scarlet-and-gold suit and a hat adorned with a single white swan’s plume. He is the Queen’s Swan Marker and his team is conducting a mute swan census. Confused?…

Refreshing portraits A round of applause to your My Britain photographer, Gareth Iwan Jones. In his portrait of the coastguard rescue [Issue 220], the photograph was so crisp and fresh. I opened the pages and it felt as if the sea might be spraying on my face! It also reminded me of happy summers on the Dorset coast as a child. Thank you. Maude Vickersley, Toronto, Canada It’s all relative I always look forward to receiving the latest issue of Discover Britain. [Issue 220] was of an extra interest. The “Garden of Plenty” feature on Covent Garden mentions William Cecil, the 1st Baron of Burghley, who happens to be my 15th great Brandie Oppenheimer, Sherwood, Arkansas, USA Stone cold confused I have travelled to Great Britain many times and, of course,…

In the Channel Islands, Her Majesty the Queen is known as The Duke of Normandy Idiosyncrasies abound in Guernsey, the second largest of the Channel Islands, which lies roughly 75 miles south of the English coast and yet only 30 miles west of Normandy, France. Embarking from the mini Aurigny plane that carries you from sprawling metropolitan London to this small 25-square-mile island in just one hour, you may not be able to put your finger on all those oddities right away. Perhaps you’ll pass a post box, identical to those found in the UK – apart from the fact that they’re bright blue, rather than red. It may take a little longer for you to notice that there are no pylons or telegraph poles in sight (since 2012, all…

The 1st Earl of Danby was a swashbuckling figure. In 1594, at the age of 21, the man known as Henry Danvers was outlawed by Queen Elizabeth I for killing a fellow aristocrat. Danvers fled to the continent where he found work as a mercenary for King Henry IV of France. So useful did the reckless lord prove himself in battle that Henry eventually interceded with the Queen of England who issued a pardon that allowed Danvers to return. Later, after he had been made Governor of the Isle of Guernsey, Danvers endowed the first botanical garden in Britain. It was founded exactly 400 years ago in 1621 outside the city walls of Oxford. Having been on the Grand Tour, a cultural trip through continental Europe undertaken by wealthy young…

At times, a visit to Pembrokeshire can feel like a trip to the edge of the world. Three sides of this Welsh county face the Atlantic Ocean and the wild and windswept beauty of its craggy coastline has been touching the hearts of residents and visitors alike for millennia. Pembrokeshire’s name is derived from the old Welsh, Pen Fro, meaning “Land’s End”, and this beautiful corner of Britain is thriving with ancient history, spectacular wildlife and idyllic seaside villages. As the only country in the world with a continuous path around its entire coastline, Wales draws walkers of all stripes and some of its most beautiful sections fall here. Pembrokeshire’s coastline was made into a National Park in 1952 and is the only coastal park in Britain. The 186-mile stretch…

Alderney There are puffins, gannets and other seabirds galore here. If you’re really lucky, you might also see the rare blonde hedgehog, a species introduced in the 1960s. Don’t miss the Alderney Railway, the only one in the whole of the Channel Islands. Trains are reclaimed London Underground carriages. Sark Travel back in time on Sark, where a horse-drawn carriage ride is the order of the day. This tiny island remains one of the only places in the world where cars aren’t allowed on roads. Utter peace and quiet suits other species too; Sark is home to the largest colony of guillemots in the whole of the Channel Islands – and just 500 human residents. Herm The smallest of the three islands, covering less than a square mile, Herm is truly…

“Lock & Co. is the world’s 34th oldest family-owned business… We invented the bowler hat” Michael Hagon Lock & Co. Hatters Lock & Co. is the world’s oldest hat shop. It is also the world’s 34th oldest family-owned business and we have two royal warrants. From the outside, it’s easy to think we’re antiquated, but in reality we’re always looking to innovate and do something new. Back in 1849, Lock & Co. invented the bowler hat. It was commissioned by Edward Coke, the younger brother of the 2nd Earl of Leicester, to be worn by gamekeepers at his family estate, Holkham Hall in Norfolk. To this day Holkham’s gamekeepers come to the shop to get fitted for their hats. Lock & Co. supported a great charity called Style for Soldiers.…

His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died on 9 April 2021. He passed away at home in Berkshire’s Windsor Castle, just two months shy of his 100th birthday. Throughout his long and distinguished life, he gained widespread respect for his unerring support of his wife in her role as Queen of the United Kingdom and head of the Commonwealth. In doing so, he became the longest-serving consort of a reigning British monarch in history – a remarkable 69 years of public service. Prince Philip was the grandson, nephew and cousin of Greek kings. He was also in the line of succession to the Danish throne but the disastrous Greco-Turkish War, from 1919-1922, led to the abdication of the King Constantine I of Greece and Philip’s family fled…

Why St Ives? While St Ives Bay stretches right around to the golden sands of Gwithian Beach and the Godrevy Lighthouse, the town on which the bay’s reputation rests is an east-facing harbour sheltered, unlike much of Cornwall, from the direct force of the wild Atlantic seas. It was the ideal place for fishermen to weather the storms and later became a sanctuary for artists too. They were drawn to the soft reflected light, bouncing off the water on three sides, as well as the incredible maze of possibilities that the town offered, as ancient whitewashed cottages vie for attention and appear to tumble down cobbled side alleys into the sea. Fore Street is cluttered with independent boutiques and galleries, while the seafront Wharf Road has endless options for eating,…

1 Caldey Island The only inhabited Pembrokeshire island, Caldey is home to monks who have been honouring the same traditions of quiet living and silent prayer on this secluded spot for some 1,500 years. The present monks, who number around 18, are Reformed Cistercians who live, work and pray in their distinctive red-roofed abbey. Opening the island up to tourists has allowed the monks to remain self-sufficient. Day visitors are welcome in spring and summer, giving the chance to learn more about the monk’s devotional lifestyle, as well as sample and purchase their famous chocolate, perfume and toiletries, all handmade on the island. www.caldeyislandwales.com 2 Carew Castle Take in two thousand years of history with a single visit to Carew Castle. The property is one of the most architecturally diverse…