Britain January 01 2018 PDF

BRITAIN
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
TRAVEL CULTURE HERITAGE STYLE HOLIDAY MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR
Land of Myths & Legends

Discover Snowdonia, the ancient heart of Wales
Traditional
WIN
A ROMANTIC
WEEKEND
English Inns IN THE
COUNTRY
TUDOR
FASHION
Cloth-of-gold, ermine
& extravagant jewels
HISTORIC
WILTSHIRE
Timeless castles
& stately homes
Ghost Stories
Searching for the spirit of Anne Boleyn
JAN/FEB 2018 £4.50
www.britain-magazine.com
Quote ƌŝƚĂŝŶͺ:ĂŶ&Ğďϭϴͺh<
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Wordsworth’s Churchill, Darwin Splendours of Suffolk

Lake District & Kipling’s Kent & Constable Country
dŚĞũĂŐŐĞĚĨĞůůƐĂŶĚƚƌĂŶƋƵŝůůĂŬĞƐŽĨƚŚĞ The lush countryside of Kent contains a treasure ^ƵīŽůŬ ŝƐ Ă ĐŽƵŶƚǇ ĮůůĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ŶĂƚƵƌĂů ďĞĂƵƚǇ͕
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ĂŶĚǁƌŝƚĞƌƐ͘,ĞƌĞǁĞĚŝƐĐŽǀĞƌƚŚĞƐƚŽƌǇŽĨƚŚĞ ďĞůŽǀĞĚ ŚŽŵĞƐ ŽĨ ƐŽŵĞ ŽĨ ƌŝƚĂŝŶ͛Ɛ ŐƌĞĂƚĞƐƚ ǁƌŝƚĞƌƐ͕ ƟŵďĞƌͲĨƌĂŵĞĚ ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐƐ ĂŶĚ ĐƌŽŽŬĞĚ ƐƚƌĞĞƚƐ͘ tĞ
ŐƌĞĂƚƉŽĞƚtŝůůŝĂŵtŽƌĚƐǁŽƌƚŚŝŶŵĂŶǇŽĨƚŚĞ ƐĐŝĞŶƟƐƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƉŽůŝƟĐĂů ĮŐƵƌĞƐ͘ DĂŶǇ ĨŽƵŶĚ ƌĞĨƵŐĞ ƐƚĞƉ ďĂĐŬ ŝŶ ƟŵĞ ŝŶ ůŽǀĞůǇ >ĂǀĞŶŚĂŵ͕ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ
places he called home and where he spent much ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ďƵƐǇ͕ ŵŽĚĞƌŶ ǁŽƌůĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƌƵƌĂů ŝĚǇůůƐ ŽĨ ďĞƐƚ ƉƌĞƐĞƌǀĞĚ ĂŶĚ ǁĞĂůƚŚŝĞƐƚ ƚŽǁŶƐ ŝŶ dƵĚŽƌ
ŽĨŚŝƐůŝĨĞ͘ Kent, and these much-loved family homes, full of ŶŐůĂŶĚ͕ ĂŶĚ ĞǆƉůŽƌĞ ŽŶƐƚĂďůĞ ŽƵŶƚƌǇ͕ ĂŶ ƌĞĂ
• ϰ ŶŝŐŚƚƐ ĚŝŶŶĞƌ͕ ďĞĚ ĂŶĚ ďƌĞĂŬĨĂƐƚ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ƌŽǁŶ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƟŶŐ ĂƌƚĞĨĂĐƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽůůĞĐƟŽŶƐ͕ ĐĂŶ ƐƟůů ďĞ ŽĨ KƵƚƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ EĂƚƵƌĂů ĞĂƵƚǇ͕ ǁŚĞƌĞ ǁĞ ǁĂůŬ ŝŶ
Θ DŝƚƌĞ ,ŽƚĞů͕ ĂƌůŝƐůĞ ǀŝĞǁĞĚ ƚŽ ƚŚŝƐ ĚĂǇ͘ ƚŚĞ ĨŽŽƚƐƚĞƉƐ ŽĨ :ŽŚŶ ŽŶƐƚĂďůĞ͕ ĚŝƐĐŽǀĞƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ
• ϰŶŝŐŚƚƐĚŝŶŶĞƌ͕ďĞĚĂŶĚďƌĞĂŬĨĂƐƚĂƚƚŚĞDĞƌĐƵƌĞ ůĂŶĚƐĐĂƉĞ ƚŚĂƚ ŝŶƐƉŝƌĞĚ ŚŝƐ ŐƌĞĂƚĞƐƚ ƉĂŝŶƟŶŐƐ͘
• WŽƌƚĞƌĂŐĞ
ĂƌƞŽƌĚƌĂŶĚƐ,ĂƚĐŚ,ŽƚĞů • ϰŶŝŐŚƚƐĚŝŶŶĞƌ͕ďĞĚĂŶĚďƌĞĂŬĨĂƐƚĂƚƚŚĞƌŽǁŶĞ
• ŌĞƌ ĚŝŶŶĞƌ ƚĞĂ ĂŶĚ ĐŽīĞĞ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ŚŽƚĞů
• WŽƌƚĞƌĂŐĞ WůĂǌĂZĞƐŽƌƚŽůĐŚĞƐƚĞƌ&ŝǀĞ>ĂŬĞƐ͕DĂůĚŽŶ
• ŽĂĐŚ ƚƌĂŶƐĨĞƌƐ ƚŽ ĂŶĚ ĨƌŽŵ ǇŽƵƌ ĞǆĐƵƌƐŝŽŶƐ
• ŌĞƌĚŝŶŶĞƌƚĞĂĂŶĚĐŽīĞĞĂƚƚŚĞŚŽƚĞů • WŽƌƚĞƌĂŐĞ
• Visits to tŽƌĚƐǁŽƌƚŚ ,ŽƵƐĞ ĂŶĚ 'ĂƌĚĞŶ,
• ŽĂĐŚƚƌĂŶƐĨĞƌƐƚŽĂŶĚĨƌŽŵǇŽƵƌĞǆĐƵƌƐŝŽŶƐ • ŌĞƌĚŝŶŶĞƌƚĞĂĂŶĚĐŽīĞĞĂƚƚŚĞŚŽƚĞů
Keswick, ZǇĚĂů DŽƵŶƚ, ŽǀĞ ŽƩĂŐĞ, Ambleside,
Pooley Bridge, Lowther Castle & ĐŽƌŶ ĂŶŬ • Visits to Chartwell, ŽǁŶ,ŽƵƐĞ, ĂƚĞŵĂŶ͛Ɛ, • ŽĂĐŚƚƌĂŶƐĨĞƌƐƚŽĂŶĚĨƌŽŵǇŽƵƌĞǆĐƵƌƐŝŽŶƐ
• ǆĐůƵƐŝǀĞ ŽƵƚͲŽĨͲŚŽƵƌƐ ŐƵŝĚĞĚ ƚŽƵƌ Ăƚ ^ĐŽƚŶĞǇĂƐƚůĞ, ,ĞǀĞƌĂƐƚůĞ & Ightham Mote • Visits to The ĞƚŚŚĂƩŽ'ĂƌĚĞŶƐ, >ĂǀĞŶŚĂŵ
tŽƌĚƐǁŽƌƚŚ ,ŽƵƐĞ • 'ƵŝĚĞĚƚŽƵƌŽĨ,ĞǀĞƌĂƐƚůĞ (some dates may be 'ƵŝůĚŚĂůů, DĞůĨŽƌĚ,Ăůů, Coggeshall, WĂǇĐŽĐŬĞ͛Ɛ
with audio-guides) House & ƵĚůĞǇŶĚ
• ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ŽĨ Ă dŽƵƌ DĂŶĂŐĞƌ
• ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐŽĨĂdŽƵƌDĂŶĂŐĞƌ • &ůĂƞŽƌĚŽŶƐƚĂďůĞtĂůŬŝŶŐdŽƵƌ
• ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐŽĨĂdŽƵƌDĂŶĂŐĞƌ
:ŽŝŶ ƵƐ Ăƚ >ĞĂǀĞ ƚŚĞ ĐĂƌ Ăƚ ŚŽŵĞ Door to Door Club Class Home
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To request a FREE 2018 brochure please call 08432 244 246 or visit online at justgoholidays.com/NT2018
EDITOR'S LETTER 24
I pride myself on being
pretty clued up on
Britain’s stately homes,
so my interest was
piqued when a book
landed on my desk extolling the virtues
of one I had never heard of: Longford
Castle. And so this issue we travel to
Wiltshire to bring you the story of this
fascinating property, as well as several
other historic houses in the region in
Castles & Treasure Houses (p14).
Another stately home that has
remained something of a mystery to
me is Blickling Hall – the supposed
birthplace of Anne Boleyn (and a place
she is said to haunt), so I sent my
deputy to do a bit of investigative work.
You can read all about her findings in
Ghosts of Blickling (p24).
I don’t know about you, but this time
of year I like nothing more than to
hibernate (at least for a day or two) in 56
CONTENTS
a traditional inn and in Beams, Beer &
Beds (p47) I think I’ve found some of
England’s cosiest. You can find me
curled up in an armchair by the open VOLUME 86 ISSUE 1
fire – I’ll be the one with my head in a
book looking content.
PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANDREW BUTLER/ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II/CAROLE DRAKE
FEATURES
14 CASTLES AND HIDDEN TREASURES
Sally Coffey, Editor Discover some of the lesser-known sights of
Wiltshire, including an incredible Elizabethan
@BRITAINMAGAZINE Prodigy house and a house that time forgot
FACEBOOK/BRITAINMAGAZINE 24 GHOSTS OF BLICKLING HALL

Once voted the National Trust’s most haunted
PINTEREST/BRITAINMAGAZINE property, this stately home in Norfolk is steeped
in history – and ghosts... even that of Anne Boleyn
@BRITAIN_MAGAZINE
32 A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
It’s an icon of London, but do you know the story
behind Tower Bridge?
BRITAIN
RITAIN
TRAVEL CULTURE HERITAGE STYLE
Land of Myths & Legends

HOLIDAY MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR
37 MUSICAL MASTERS
Discover Snowdonia, the ancient heart of Wales
Traditional
English Inns
WIN
A ROMANTIC
WEEKEND
N THE
We travel across the country in search of our
nation's most revered composers
COUNTRY
TUDOR
FASHION
Cloth-of-gold, ermine
& extravagant jewels
47 BEAMS, BEER & BED
HISTORIC
WILTSHIRE
Timeless castles
Hibernate in a cosy inn, preferably with an open fire
& stately homes
Ghost Stories
Searching for the spirit of Anne Boleyn
MARCH 2018 USA&CAN $6 95
56 RESTORING ORDER
14
www br ta n-magaz ne om
Cover image: A sensational sunrise by Tu Hwnt I’r Bont Tearooms, A new exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery explores
Snowdonia. © Joe Daniel Price/Getty how King Charles II used art to cement his power
FEATURES
64 MISTS OF TIME BRITAIN is the official magazine of
We travel to Snowdonia in north Wales to VisitBritain, the national tourism agency.
BRITAIN is published by
discover a land rich in myths and legends The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd,
Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place,
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79 THE PRINCESS AND THE PEARLS Deputy Editor Laura Silverman
As a child, Queen Mary I epitomised the Tudor Art Editor Clare White
Head of Market James Davis
44 fashion for dressing opulently – a style she

continued into adulthood
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87 CITY GUIDE: LEEDS

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64 Rest of World – £42
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98 CHANGELINGS
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The information contained in BRITAIN has been published in good
IRELAND faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy.
ENGLAND LEEDS p87 However, where appropriate, you are strongly advised to check prices,
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SNOWDONIA p64 information contained within this publication is hereby excluded.
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BLICKLING HALL p24 those of the publisher or VisitBritain.
WA L E S
87 WILTSHIRE p14
PETWORTH p75
TOWER BRIDGE p32
4 BRITAIN www.britain-magazine.com
OVER TO YOU
YOUR LETTERS
Write to us with your thoughts on the magazine and memories of Britain
THE YELLOW DOOR

LETTER OF THE MONTH BRITAIN’S BIGGEST FAN
Your article on the Royal Crescent (Volume
sights, especially its castles and stately 85, Issue 6) brought back a great memory.
homes and I have a huge collection of In 1985, we stayed in a B&B at number 22
photos taken during my 52 visits here. and we particularly noticed the yellow door.
This photo (left), taken in 2009, shows my The property had huge rooms and an ancient
wife Raija and I at the Edward Elgar birdcage elevator. Our host told us he had
Museum in Worcestershire. purchased the residence just six weeks earlier
Risto Hurmalainen, from an older lady – perhaps this was the
Helsinki, Finland famous Amabel Wellesley-Colley.
Jerry Coleman, Sebastopol, California
BRITAIN replies: Thank you so much for
your tireless work indexing all of these
issues of BRITAIN, We’re sure many of
our readers will find your resource
Having been a subscriber of BRITAIN of great interest.
magazine for 40 years, I have recently
donated every issue dating from 1970 to Risto wins a copy of the
2010 to the University of Helsinki (English Tudor Book of Days, a
Philology), as well as the index of all luxurious perpetual
those copies. My index is available online diary peppered
at http://bit.ly/2zPs2G6. with Tudor facts, £15,
I am now 81 and retired, but I will www.shop.tudor
always be interested in Britain and its times.co.uk
TALES FROM THE SCOTTISH ISLES

We’ve just returned from our most recent trip to Lewis and Harris –
wild, wet and very windy, but fabulous all the same.
In my article on Lewis and Harris (Volume 85, Issue 5), I said that YOU SAY POTATO
we’d “heard good
things about the North The recipe for Tom’s Kitchen Fish & Chips
Harbour Bistro”. Now, (Volume 85, Issue 5): a chip that is fried
having been, we can in anything but beef suet is nothing but a
confirm that it’s a French facsimile. A visitor seeking the real
deal may need to wander to the North.
superb restaurant. Top Neil Greenwood, San Diego
quality seafood cuisine
and a great atmosphere
– you must go.
Peter Williamson,
@maidment_jeremy
by email Wells is one of my favourite
PHOTOS: © NOBLEIMAGES/ALAMY
places to visit. My first visit

was when I was 9. I have loved
WRITE TO US! By post: Letters, BRITAIN, The Chelsea Magazine Company, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ
Via email: editor@britain-magazine.com FOLLOW US! Twitter: @BritainMagazine Instagram: @britain_magazine
it ever since.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BritainMagazine Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/britainmagazine
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AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE IN WAITROSE, MAJESTIC AND 31DOVER.COM
HISTORY / NEWS / REVIEWS / INSPIRATION
The
BULLETIN Discover Shakespeare Country with
a new explorer pass, celebrate the life
of Emily Brontë, 200 years after her birth,
and admire one of the most impressive
ceilings in Britain
T R AV E L
Best for the Bard

Here’s a challenge: how many attractions can you visit in one, two or three days? The
new Shakespeare’s England Explorer Pass gives you free or discounted entry into 19
Warwickshire attractions – not, of course, that you must visit all of them. Your golden
ticket applies to a wealth of Bard-related sites, including Shakespeare’s Birthplace,
Shakespeare’s New Place, Hall’s Croft, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (pictured) and the
Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Play’s the Thing exhibition. And when you’re
PHOTO: © VISITBRITAIN/LEEBEEL
Shakepeared-out, you can head to Warwick Castle, Radley Hall or Kenilworth Castle. It
will also give you discounts at shops, hotels and restaurants. An adult pass costs £49 for
one day, £65 for two days and £75 for three days. www.shakespeares-england.co.uk
SHOPPING
British scents
Extracts of rhubarbs, gooseberries and

Scottish malted barley are among the
ingredients in these luxury bath products,
hand washes and candles from Noble Isle.
The British brand, created in 2011, takes its
name from the first recorded use of the term
‘Great Britain’ in 1474 by James III of Scots,
when he was negotiating the marriage of his
son (the future James IV of Scotland) to
Cecily of York. The names of the fragrances
have quirky British origins, such as Willow
Song, using water lilies from Suffolk– a
name inspired by a ballad in Shakespeare’s
ANNIVERSARY Othello. www.nobleisle.com NEWS
Emily Brontë 200 Royalty revealed

If 2016 was the year of Charlotte Brontë and A rare portrait of Mary Stuart, also known
2017 was the year of her brother Branwell, as Mary, Queen of Scots, has been found
then 2018 is the year of her sister Emily. under a 16th-century painting. Mary
As well as her poems, Emily is known for abdicated in 1567 when she was implicated
her only novel, Wuthering Heights – a tale in her husband’s murder. Imprisoned by
of love and revenge on the Yorkshire Moors. Elizabeth I in 1568, she was then executed in
The tallest of the Brontë sisters, Emily 1587. The unfinished image was revealed by
loved animals, but had a bit of a temper. X-ray photography during an examination
Anniversary events, before and after of a portrait of Sir John Maitland, 1st Lord
her birthday on 30 July, will include Maitland of Thirlestane by Adrian Vanson.
PHOTOS: © DIT ARCHIVE/VISITENGLAND/NORTH YORK MOORS/STEVE HAYWARD/NATIONAL TRUST/PAINTING/ALAMY

an exploration of Emily’s love of nature. HISTORY Visitors can see it in Art and Analysis: Two
Sister Anne’s bicentenary will be celebrated Netherlandish Painters working in Jacobean
in 2020 and the arrival of Rev. Patrick
Brontë, the writers’ father, in Haworth will
Bacon’s bedroom Scotland at the Scottish National Portrait
Gallery, which runs until 26 January 2020.
be celebrated in 2019. www.bronte.org.uk www.nationalgalleries.org
The “idiosyncratic” home of 20th-century
artist Francis Bacon has been honoured by
English Heritage with a blue plaque. Bacon
created some of his most significant works,
including Portrait of George Dyer Talking,
1966, in his tiny studio on the first floor
of 7 Reece Mews in South Kensington, a
former Victorian coach house. Broadcaster
Melvyn Bragg, who knew Bacon well,
described the flat, now owned by his
estate, as “idiosyncratic, almost insanely
eccentric”. Bacon mixed and tested paints
on the walls, and left paint tubes and roller
sponges scattered around. “I work much
better in chaos,” he once said. “Chaos for
me breeds images.”
OPEN HOUSE
Georgian splendour
One of the most impressive neoclassical ceilings in Britain and threadbare. The project has been carried out by Cliveden
one of the most important carpets owned by the National Conservation and supported by the Wolfson Foundation and
Trust have been restored in a £300,000 makeover. Robert National Trust members. Jez McDermott, National Trust
Adam (who also worked on Kenwood House in London, Luton general manager at Grade I listed Saltram, said: “The ceiling is
Hoo in Bedfordshire and Harewood House in West Yorkshire) one of Robert Adam’s finest pieces of work and the design
designed the ceiling and matching 46ft Axminster carpet in is mirrored into arguably the most important carpet in the
Saltram House, Devon, in 1768. Both needed desperate repair: National Trust’s care. Separately they are fantastic pieces of
deathwatch beetles had bored away at the laths supporting the craftsmanship and design, but together they are a simply
ceiling plaster; the carpet had been looking more than a little magnificent pair.” www.nationaltrust.org.uk/saltram
READING CORNER
Discover our fair isles
from the comfort
of your armchair
History of Britain in
Maps by Philip Parker
(HarperCollins, £25)
The story of Britain
told through 100
maps, from forts along
PHOTO: © CRAIG ROBERTSON
A Burns Night Hadrian’s Wall to the

supper celebrates rich and poor areas of
the life and Victorian London.
work of the poet Anne Boleyn: Adultery,

Robert Burns Heresy, Desire by Amy
Licence (Amberley
RECIPE Publishing, £25)
A startling new look at
Haggis with clapshot cake the second wife of
King Henry VIII. Was
she a calculating
femme fatale?
Haggis is one of the best-known traditional Scottish dishes, not least because it is eaten on
Burns Night (celebrated in Scotland each year on 25 January). This recipe, served with The Oldest House in
turnip and potato clapshot (a variation on neeps and tatties), is from Traditional Cooking London by Fiona Rule
of the British Isles by Annette Yates et al, and published by Lorenz Books (£20, hardback). (The History Press,
£20) The intriguing
tale of the oldest
I n g re d i e n t s : S e r ve s 4 house in the City
1 large haggis, approximately (800g/1.8lb) 1 garlic clove, crushed with 1tsp (5ml) salt of London, 41-42
Cloth Fair.
1lb (450g) peeled turnip or swede 6fl oz (175ml or 3¹4 cup) double cream
Revolting Remedies
8oz (225g) peeled potatoes Freshly grated nutmeg; ground black pepper from the Middle Ages
by Daniel Wakelin et al
4fl oz (120ml or 1¹2 cup) milk Butter, for greasing
(The Bodleian Library,
£9.99) ‘Recipes’ to
Method: cure spotty skin and
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C/Gas 4). Wrap the haggis in foil, covering it completely and make yourself invisible,
folding over the edges of the foil. Place the haggis in a roasting pan with 1in (2.5cm) water. collected from old
manuscripts.
Place in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.
Slice the turnip or swede and potatoes quite finely. Put the vegetables in a large pan and
Painter of Pedigree:
add the milk and garlic. Stir gently over a low heat until the liquid thickens slightly. Add Thomas Weaver of
the cream and nutmeg, and grind black pepper into the mixture. Stir gently but Shrewsbury by
thoroughly. Slowly bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes. Lawrence Trevelyan
Butter a deep, round 7in (18cm) dish or small roasting pan. Transfer the vegetable Weaver (Unicorn
mixture into it. It shouldn’t come up too high as it will rise slightly and bubble. Bake in Publishing, £30)
the oven for about an hour, or until you can push a knife easily through the cake. The top An enlightening
should be nicely browned. If it is becoming too brown, cover it with foil and continue biography of one of
baking. If it is not browned enough, place it under a hot grill for a few minutes. the foremost animal
Remove the foil from the haggis and place it on a warmed serving dish. Cut through the painters of his day.
skin in front of your guests, then spoon out the haggis onto warmed plates. Serve the
clapshot cake in slices with the haggis, spooning any juices over the top.
KR
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Longford’s elaborate
style might have
been an attempt to
impress Elizabeth I
CASTLES
& HIDDEN
TREASURES
Discover some of the lesser-known sights of
Wiltshire, including an incredible Elizabethan
Prodigy house and a house that time forgot
WORDS DIANA WOOLF
2 HOURS FROM LONDON

WILTSHIRE
iltshire is packed with famous historic

sites – Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral,
Old Sarum, to name but a few – but the
county also has some lesser-known places
equally worth visiting.
ford Castle is just such a place. Sitting
peacefully on the banks of the River Avon south
of Salisbury, it has been the home of the Earls of
Radnor since the 18th century.
Longford’s striking design owes much to its
Elizabethan origins – it was originally laid out
in an unusual triangular shape comprising three
circular towers – a rare sight in Britain at the
time and one that borrowed much from the
Scandinavian style of the day. This foreign
influence may have been due to its Swedish-born
Above right: The picture gallery
dowager, the Marchioness of Northampton, who
at Longford retains its
18th-century furnishings together with her second husband, Sir Thomas
Right: The gardens of Iford Manor Gorges, was a courtier of Queen Elizabeth I.
provide a beautiful setting for opera Popular history suggests that Elizabeth was even
16 BRITAIN
one of the house’s illustrious guests and its 18th-century furnishings, including the elegant
elaborate style may have been an attempt to green damask daybeds made for the room by
impress the queen on one of her annual progresses. Benjamin Goodison and the matching silk wall
The house was partly remodelled into a hangings. It’s the perfect showcase for the art
hexagonal palace in the 18th century by James collection. Smith says that what makes the room
Wyatt and although the project was abandoned so special is that many of the pictures are still hung
halfway through, it was eventually completed in in the locations they were bought for 250 years
the Victorian era. ago. “The collection is all in good condition and
PHOTOS: © VISITWILTSHIRE.CO.UK. ILLUSTRATION: © MICHAEL HILL
Longford is most famous for its art collection, very well cared for,” she adds.
which includes a pair of landscapes by Claude It is due to its art credentials that Longford,
Lorrain, a charming portrait by the Flemish which is still a family home, organises tours of the
artist Peter Paul Rubens of his young son, and property through the National Gallery.
an excellent collection of family portraits by Just the other side of Salisbury is Wilton
Gainsborough, Reynolds and Thomas Hudson. House, home to another collection of Old Master
“There are a number of wonderful paintings paintings. Like Longford, Wilton started life as a
at Longford and the family portrait collection is Tudor mansion, before it was given a series of
especially magnificent,” says Amelia Smith, author extensive makeovers that transformed it into one
of the recently published Longford Castle: The of England’s great treasure houses.
Treasures and The Collectors. The picture gallery Today, it is home to the Herbert family, who
is particularly impressive and still retains its were given the title the Earl of Pembroke in 1551.
BRITAIN 17
Right: The Double Cube Room at
Wilton House, one of the finest
17th-century staterooms in England
Below: Japanese planting

at Heale Garden
The house is best known for its

magnificent staterooms designed
by revered architect Inigo Jones.
They were some of the first
classical interiors in Britain and
are still considered some of the
finest 17th-century examples in
the country. Throughout their
long history, the rooms have
been used for every purpose,
from formal dining room and
ballroom to a top-secret
Operations Room (during the
Second World War), and they
still house the family’s
outstanding collection of
paintings by Anthony Van Dyck.
Look out for his portraits of
King Charles I and Queen
Henrietta Maria, as well as a
huge group portrait of the 4th
Earl and his family. You may
recognise these rooms from their starring roles in
films such as The Madness of King George and
Mrs Brown.
A few miles north of Wilton is Heale Garden.
Tucked away in the picturesque Woodford
Valley, this property is one of Wiltshire’s hidden
treasures, and with its rambling paths and tangle
of waterways has an enchanting but distinctly
homely atmosphere, a long way from the dazzling
grandeur of Wilton and Longford.
The 17th-century house is not open to the
public, but its warm brickwork and stone terraces
provide an attractive centrepiece to the gardens.
These were laid out by the famous Edwardian
garden designer Harold Peto in the Tudor style,
with clipped box cubes, yew hedges and lavender
borders. The formality gradually relaxes until the
gardens reach the riverbanks, where an unusual
thatched Japanese tea house is perched above the
water in the shade of a huge weeping willow.
Gardening enthusiasts interested in Harold Peto
should also visit Iford Manor. Peto lived here from
1899 until his death in 1933 and the current
owners have restored his Italian-style gardens.
PHOTOS: © WILL PRYCE/CAROLE DRAKE 2017
Today, visitors can see new planting alongside

some of Peto’s original plants – such as the
impressive wisteria sinensis and banks of day lilies
– as well as taking time out in some of his garden
buildings, including the Cloisters, where in
summer Iford Arts stages opera and recitals.
The delightful Great Chalfield Manor, owned
by the National Trust, built out of golden Bath
www.britain-magazine.com BRITAIN 19
the architect Sir Harold
Brakspear, carried out
an extensive restoration
programme, returning the house
to its medieval glory, complete
with oriel windows, as well as
rooftop lions and griffins. Today,
the property looks so splendid
that it was recently used to film
two BBC series: Poldark and
Wolf Hall.
Further north in the county
is Corsham Court. Built by
Thomas Smythe in 1582, this
impressive house started life as a
traditional E-shaped Elizabethan
house. A later owner, Sir Paul
Methuen, commissioned the
architect and landscape gardener
‘Capability’ Brown to add a
picture gallery for his art
collection and update the
grounds with fashionable
additions such as a ha-ha and
a picturesque ‘great walk’.
Much of the art collection is
Above: The medieval drawing room stone and tucked away at the end of a country lane, still on show at Corsham today, with highlights
at Great Chalfield Manor is like a house that time forgot. Indeed, much of its including family portraits by Sir Joshua Reynolds
charm lies in the fact that the building has been and The Annunciation by Renaissance artist
Below: Corsham Court has extensive
gardens designed by Capability Brown relatively neglected. Filippo Lippi.
Its original owner was the self-made Thomas As well as the state apartments, visitors can
Tropnell, who built his new house to celebrate wander through the extensive formal gardens at
his climb up the social ladder in the 1460s. His Corsham, planted in the 19th century by Lady
family line died out and the house passed through Jane Dorothea Methuen. They are at their best in
numerous hands, none of whom had quite enough spring when mature magnolias are in flower and
money to improve it. At one point, the Great Hall carpets of spring bulbs line the glades of trees that
was turned into a farmhouse. survive from the days of Capability Brown.
By the early 1900s, Great Chalfield was almost Both Great Chalfield and Iford lie within a few
in ruin and its new owner, George Fuller, thought miles of the lovely market town of Bradford on
about pulling it down. Fortunately, his son Major Avon. With its steep streets of elegant Georgian
Robert Fuller saw the house’s potential and, with houses tumbling down to the river, quirky craft
PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/NADIA MACKENZIE/GEOGPHOTOS/ALAMY
WILTSHIRE
Above, left to right: Longleat has been galleries and upmarket boutiques, it’s a great place is now occupied by the 7th Marquess of Bath.
home to 15 generations of the Thynne to stop for a break from a sightseeing tour. Enjoy Visitors can see the stunning state apartments and
family; the town of Bradford on Avon a meal on the riverside terrace overlooking the great hall, as well as the Victorian kitchens that
town’s famous stone bridge – the domed structure have been given a new lease of life by Emma,
at the far end was used as a lock-up for unruly Viscountess Weymouth, a self-confessed foodie.
townspeople – before visiting the Saxon church Outside, the attractions include the safari park,
and peeping into the local museum with its home to the lions of Longleat, as well as a monkey
fascinating collection of old photographs. temple, jungle cruise and gorilla colony – a wild
No feature on Wiltshire’s houses and gardens contrast to Wiltshire’s other, slightly tamer, sights.
would be complete without mention of Longleat
House. This vast Elizabethan palace has been To find out more about the attractions of Wiltshire,
home to 15 generations of the Thynne family and visit www.britain-magazine.com
BUY THE BOOK

THE PLANNER WILTON HOUSE Paddington and take about two hours
Longford Castle: the Treasures and Opens for Easter 2018 (30 March-2 April) (with one change).
the Collectors by Amelia Smith LONGFORD CASTLE and summer (5 May-2 September, Sun- www.ifordmanor.co.uk
is published by Unicorn Tours of Longford Castle are organised Thurs and bank holiday Saturdays only).
Publishing (£40) by the National Gallery. The castle is It’s four miles from Salisbury station. GREAT CHALFIELD MANOR
five miles from Salisbury station. Direct www.wiltonhouse.co.uk AND GARDEN
trains from London Waterloo to Reopening in spring, thanks to a Victorian
Salisbury take an hour and a half. restoration project, Great Chalfield looks
PHOTOS: © JASON HAWKES/VISITENGLAND/LONGLEAT/SFL TRAVEL/ALAMY
HEALE GARDEN
www.longfordestates.co.uk; Opening for the 2018 season in March, much as it did during the Tudor period.
www.nationalgallery.org.uk Heale has changed little since King The nearest station is Bradford on Avon.
Charles II took refuge for six nights here in www.nationaltrust.org.uk/great-chalfield-
LONGLEAT 1651. It is four miles from Salisbury station. manor-and-garden
This stately home is open throughout www.healegarden.co.uk
December, except Christmas Day, for CORSHAM COURT
the Festival of Light. It will then reopen IFORD MANOR The staterooms and gardens of this
in March. The closest stations are Open from April to September 2018, private home reopen in March 2018.
Warminster and Frome; there are services Iford is best enjoyed during one of its Located four miles west of Chippenham,
to both (with one change) from London spring or summer opera events. The direct trains from London Paddington
Waterloo and London Paddington. nearest station is Bradford on Avon. take just over an hour.
www.longleat.co.uk Regular trains leave from London www.corsham-court.co.uk
Gilboa Barn
A Jewel in the Cotswolds Crown
Available
to rent
week days,
weekends
and/or
both.
Gilboa Barn is a spacious, stylish and exquisitely refurbished

property, set in the heart of England’s heavenly Cotswolds. It
attracts visitors from all over the world due to its ideal location being
a stone’s throw from Highgrove House, home to Prince Charles
and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The stunning historic towns of
Tetbury and Malmesbury are virtually on the doorstep and the City
of Bath, Regency Cheltenham and England’s iconic quintessential
Cotswolds village, Bibury, are all within easy access.
This sumptuous beautiful home, nestles in private expansive
grounds, with a lavender lined stream, croquet lawn, sunny terrace
and a fabulous hot tub where you can while away the hours sipping
champagne under the stars. The interior of the house is gorgeous,
brimming with stunning paintings and artefacts and each room has
been individually styled with luxury and comfort mind. You will have
exclusive use of the house and in complete privacy.
Self-Catering. Ideal for 11 – 14 people. 6 bedrooms, large dining
room and sitting room, 5 bathrooms, 2 with baths and showers,
stand-alone Victorian roll top bath in the master bedroom.
Cotswolds stone floor kitchen with oven, hob, Aga and all the
mod cons.
Please see the website which gives detailed information about
Gilboa Barn, including top quality caterers, beauty therapists,
activities and many more wonderful places to visit.
FIRST CLASS: “First class service and preparation. EXCELLENT LOCATION: “All the bedrooms were CHARM & CHARACTER: “Gilboa Barn is a magnificent
Excellent house to accommodate large groups and parties. beautifully and individually furnished and had top quality bed period barn, exuding style, charm and character. We recently
Well presented. Lots of games and activities to keep the group linen. The location is excellent (quiet and ample parking), spent a few days in this most relaxing of environments. I highly
occupied, including an amazing outdoor Jacuzzi. along with outdoor games, including croquet.” recommend Gilboa Barn for some romantic adventures, or for a
Highly recommended” holiday with your friends and relatives.”
www.cotswolds-home.rentals
or please contact Fiona Walsh on 07545 070380 E: cotswolds.home.rentals@gmail.com
GHOSTS OF BLICKLING
Once voted the National Trust’s most haunted property,
Blickling Hall in Norfolk is steeped in history, but the home of kings,
queens and earls is now looking to the future
WORDS LAURA SILVERMAN
STATELY HOMES
very year on 19 May, Norfolk locals jostle at the Harold Godwinson, the same King Harold who was shot in
gates to Blickling Hall to look out for Anne the eye at the Battle of Hastings, held the land. “It’s always
Boleyn. You would be right in thinking she is long had that prestigious ownership,” Jan Brookes, the
dead. The second wife of King Henry VIII was house and collections manager, tells me as she
beheaded for high treason – adultery, incest and plotting shows me around. “If you had Blickling,
to kill her husband – on that fateful day in 1536. you were somebody.”
Not that this stops the curious. Her ghost is rumoured In the 15th century, Sir John Fastolf of
to return to the house at midnight, dressed in white and Caister (the model for Shakespeare’s
carrying her severed and bloody head. She is said to arrive Falstaff) was just that man, before it
by coach, drawn by a headless horseman and four headless fell into the hands of the Boleyn family.
horses. She then glides into the Hall and roams the corridors Not that the wandering ghost of
until sunrise. Anne would recognise the current
Anne was born on the 5,000-acre Blickling Estate in building. Her childhood home was
about 1501 (the exact date is unknown) to Thomas Boleyn, taken apart on the orders of Sir Henry
later the first Earl of Wiltshire, and his wife Elizabeth, and Hobart, Lord Chief Justice of the
some believe she feels the need to return. Common Pleas and the first Baronet, who
The queen is just one of Blickling’s royal connections. bought the property in 1616. Sir Henry had
The estate’s stately past begins in the 11th century, when married Dorothy, the daughter of Sir Robert
Bell of Beaupre Hall. “The manor house wasn’t big enough Throughout all these years, each owner has made their Clockwise, from top left:
PHOTOS: © SHAWSHOTS/ALAMY/ANDREW BUTLER/NADIA MACKENZIE/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES
for him,” says Jan. “It didn’t scream wealth and status.” mark, resulting in a joyous mix of styles within and between The impressive
Parterre Garden;
Hobart commissioned Robert Lyminge, who had just rooms. “Blickling has always been about pleasure and
the dining room with
finished work on Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, to build leisure,” says Jan. Philippa Hobart, wife of Sir John Hobart, the original Jacobean
him a jaw-dropping Jacobean mansion. the 3rd Baronet, was a big spender in the 17th century, and overmantle; Anne
Sir Henry, however, died just before the couple moved bought a lot of fine furnishings. The Victorian era was also Boleyn was born
in and it passed to his son, Sir John Hobart, 2nd Baronet. a time of travel, with many purchases adding more “clutter”. on the estate
The house then passed down the generations – to the 2nd Visiting out of hours, I get to see another side of Blickling:
Earl of Buckinghamshire, then the 2nd Earl’s daughter staff dusting the carved wooden statue of Anne Boleyn in
Caroline, Lady Suffield. Lord and Lady Suffield didn’t the Great Hall, cataloguing some of the 12,000 ancient
have children, so succession passed to the Lothians, the books in the Long Gallery and doing the weeding in the
family of Lady Suffield’s eldest sister Harriet. Harriet’s son 450 acres of parkland. There’s a surface liveliness and a
William, 8th Marquess of Lothian, and his wife then deeper eeriness about the place: as the National Trust staff
took over in 1850 and on the ownership line went. Until cheerfully work away, they conjure up elements of the past.
we come to the last private owner, Philip Kerr, the 11th But which elements? For a start, the most imposing
Marquess of Lothian. When Philip Kerr died in 1940, feature of the Great Hall of this red-brick Jacobean mansion
the National Trust stepped in and the estate opened to turns out not be Jacobean at all. The double staircase
the public in 1962. was an improvement by John Hobart, the 2nd Earl of
STATELY HOMES
Buckinghamshire, more than 100 years later in the

18th century. “It gives a real sense of arrival,” says Jan. The
huge 12-panelled stained-glass window behind it might be
from the 15th or 16th century, but it wasn’t installed until
the 19th century. It was then removed in 1935 because it
didn’t suit the owner Philip Kerr’s tastes, and packed off to
St Mary, Erpingham. In the 1990s, however, Blickling Hall
decided it wanted the window back – so it was returned.
Philip had preferred plain glass.
There’s a similar story in the Brown Drawing Room. In
the Jacobean design there were two rooms: a chapel and an
ante-chapel. In the 18th century, it became the bedchamber
and dressing room for the 2nd Lady Buckinghamshire. From
the mid-19th century, the dividing wall was knocked down
to create a morning room for Lady Constance Lothian.
Previous owners and guests from other eras will also puzzle
over the ceiling, which was painted by John Hungerford
Pollen in the 19th century. Philip, however, was not a fan
and installed a suspended ceiling in the room to cover it up.
After a flood at Blickling in 2002, the National Trust
decided to open up the
original design to visitors
– and here it is again.
Other grand pieces in
this room tell stories of
different times: the
chimney piece, decorated
with angels, was installed
by Fastolf and came from
nearby Caister Castle in the
15th century. Jan suggests
it was originally a window.
The William Kent gilded
table is much newer, dating
from the early 18th century.
As for the dining room,
it was originally the
parlour. The chestnut
panelling on the walls
might look Jacobean, but
was installed in the 18th
century when the room
changed its use. The marble
fireplace still has the original Jacobean overmantle from
1627, but that almost didn’t stay. “When the 2nd Earl took
it on in the 18th century, his wife hated it,” says Jan. “She
threatened to burn it down when he went to London. They
had terrible arguments. But he loved it – and it’s still here.”
Yet other rooms have had dramatic changes in their
purpose. Sir Henry Hobart originally used the 123ft Long
Gallery – which now houses one of the most significant
PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/NADIA MACKENZIE
libraries in Britain – for indoor exercise in cold weather.

Meanwhile, the State Bedroom, with its Ionic columns,
rare Axminster carpet made especially for this room, and
Italian cassone (an Italian wedding chest) has never been
used as a bedroom, let alone one for royalty. “It was a room
for best,” says Jan, “and we’re still waiting.” Another room
was created simply to display a tapestry of the Battle of
The Long Gallery houses
more than 12,000 books Poltava, albeit an incredibly large 21ft one given to the 2nd
Right: The double staircase Earl of Buckinghamshire in the late 18th century by
was a later addition Catherine the Great.
BRITAIN 29
STATELY HOMES
Clockwise, from top left:

THE PLANNER The ornate Chinese
Bedroom; the State
Bedroom is still
GETTING THERE awaiting a royal
Direct trains from London Liverpool visitor; the ‘haunted’
Street to Norwich take just under two West Turret
hours. Taxi journeys from the station take Bedroom; the
Victorian-style ‘O’
just under half an hour. www.thetrainline.com;
Room for guests
www.abctaxisnorwich.co.uk
TICKETS
Tickets for the house and garden cost
£13.55. Free for National Trust members.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/blickling-estate
WHERE TO STAY
The Bucks Arms next door offers
double rooms with four-poster beds for
£100 a night. www.bucksarms.co.uk
The West Turret Bedroom was originally the main

bedchamber and closet of the Jacobean house and,
incredibly, is still a bedroom. But not everyone has wanted
to sleep here. During the Second World War, Blickling Hall
served as the officers’ mess of nearby RAF Oulton. One
officer was given this room, but he felt deeply uneasy and
refused to spend more than a night in it because of the
rumours that it was haunted. And not even by Anne Boleyn.
It was once the bedroom of Sir Henry Hobart, the 4th
Baronet, who died in a duel on nearby Cawston Heath. Even
the décor couldn’t entice the officer to stay. The painting
over the fireplace is the left half of a work by Canaletto, of
Chelsea from the Thames (the right half is in the National
Museum of Fine Arts in Havana, Cuba). Canaletto cut up
the painting himself, as the original commissioner didn’t
want it any more, which made it easier to sell.
The garden has been through dramatic changes, too.
A Doric temple and a ha-ha appeared in the early 18th
century, a fountain (originally at Oxnead Hall) was installed
over a decade later, and an orangery was built a few more
decades on. The now 1km serpentine lake was just a small
formal pool in the early 18th century, too. Today, the big
improvement is the impressive rejuvenation of the four-acre
walled garden. After years of lying barren, it now yields
fruit and vegetables for the visitor café.
PHOTOS: © NADIA MACKENZIE/CHRIS LACEY/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES
As for the future, there are more improvements on the

cards. For 2018, the focus is the Long Gallery. “We’re
working on ways for visitors to be able to see the books
when many of them are incredibly fragile,” says Jan. There’s
also a major conservation project just to save the room.
“We’ve got water ingress through the windows. We’ve also
got deathwatch beetle [a woodboring insect],” she admits.
Fortunately, the Trust is leaping in to do the work.
Otherwise, where would Anne Boleyn’s ghost go?
For more stories on Britain’s stunning stately homes, go to

www.britain-magazine.com/stately-homes
30 BRITAIN
A VIEW
THE BRIDGE
from
Tower Bridge is an iconic part of the London
cityscape – and has come to represent the capital
LANDMARKS
it, particularly architectural experts:

HH Statham wrote in 1916 that it
represented “the vice of tawdriness
and pretentiousness”; F Brangwyn
and WS Sparrow’s 1920 Book of
Bridges described it as “absurd”.
But within decades, the bridge
had come to symbolise the capital.
The public warmed to its appearance,
while its survival of the Blitz
represented the strength of the city.
The bridge even played a starring role
in the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Not only were a set of Olympic rings
suspended from its centre, footballer
and national treasure David Beckham
also drove a speedboat underneath it
during the Opening Ceremony.
On a regular visit, Beckham
sightings are rare. But the historic
Grade I listed construction has its
own appeal. A combined bascule and
suspension bridge, it consists of two
214-foot high towers connected by a
pair of walkways. The central span
between the towers measures 200 feet
and is split into two bascules, which
Above: The Olympic ower Bridge is such a symbol of London that an can be raised to an angle of 86 degrees.
rings were hung American oil baron apparently thought he was Since 2010, the bridge has been a stylish blue and white.
from Tower Bridge buying it in 1967 when he snapped up London Earlier visitors may remember it as red, white and blue after
during London 2012
Bridge, half a mile upstream. Robert McCulloch it was painted (from the original brown) to celebrate the
was building a new city in the Arizonian desert. What Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977.
more could he want than a Gothic-style feat of Victorian The classic London sight is to watch the bridge being
engineering? McCulloch later denied he had mixed up the raised and lowered. Twice daily times can be found on the
bridges, but the myth captures an important truth: think of Tower Bridge website. Boaters can also request additional
a bridge in London and Tower Bridge springs to mind. lifts. The bascules open about 850 times a year. The first
The bridge was built in the late 19th century to ease year, the bridge opened 6,194 times, an average of 17 times
pressure on the capital’s infrastructure. London had a day. River traffic takes priority as former US President
become the world’s biggest city, with a population of Bill Clinton discovered on his visit to the capital in May
6.5 million. The design was the 1997. Returning from a lunch
result of a competition in 1876 to with Prime Minister Tony Blair,
create a Thames crossing that
The public warmed to its President Clinton arrived at the
didn’t obstruct sailing ships. It appearance and its survival bridge just as it was opening. His
was won by architect Sir Horace motorcade was duly split up.
Jones, and developed with the of the Blitz represented Inside, you can see the steam
help of engineer John Wolf Barry. engines that once operated the
the strength of the city
PHOTOS: © TRAVEL PIC COLLECTION/AWL IMAGES LTD/JUSTIN KASE ZSIXZ/ALAMY
Work started in 1886 and took bridge. Until 1976, the bascules
eight years. The cost was huge: were driven by hydraulic power.
£1,184,000 back then – the equivalent of £122 million Today they are powered by oil and electricity.
today. Five constructors were involved and 432 labourers. You can also cross the high walkways, which are now
Two piers were plunged into the river to support the covered and fitted partly with a glass floor, providing a
structure, while more than 11,000 tons of steel provided unique view of London 42 metres above the Thames.
the frame for the towers and walkways. The bridge was Or, of course, you can join the 40,000 drivers, cyclists
finished with Cornish granite and Portland stone. About and pedestrians who cross the bridge every day. Even those
31,000,000 bricks were used and 22,000 litres of paint. who do so regularly can be caught glimpsing up at the
The Gothic look, created by George D Stevenson, turrets or gazing at the stonework and breathing a sigh
complemented the Tower of London, on the north bank. of relief that Robert McCulloch took London Bridge for
The opening, on 30 June 1894, was a grand affair. The Arizona and that Tower Bridge has remained.
Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) and his wife,
Alexandra of Denmark, cut the ribbon. Celebratory canons For more stories on Britain's historical buildings,
were fired from the Tower of London. Not everyone loved visit www.britain-magazine.com
EXPLORE OUR Save
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I n this cozy English village novel, bestselling and
award-winning author Julie Klassen evokes the
quiet, comfortable pace of the past and the changing roles
for women displayed in the BBC’s Cranford and Lark
Rise to Candleford series. Pour yourself a cup of tea,
grab a blanket, and enjoy the T ALES FROM I VY H ILL .
When gentlewoman Rachel Ashford moves into Ivy Cottage

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CULTURE
MUSICAL MASTERS
We travel from Worcestershire to Suffolk, London and Surrey through to
glorious Gloucestershire in search of our nation’s most revered composers
WORDS GRAHAME ANDERSON
Left to right: George Frideric Handel, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, Benjamin Britten, Sir Edward William Elgar
CULTURE
rom chamber and choral SIR EDWARD WILLIAM ELGAR

music to opera and folk, and One mention of Pomp and Circumstance or the Enigma Variations and
from pomp to the pastoral, Sir Edward William Elgar comes promptly to mind. Appointed Master
Britain’s composers have defined the of the King’s Music in 1924, his genius lies in the fact he was largely self-taught.
A nature lover, he spent lots of time as a child in his father’s music shop, learning
musical landscape for generations,
to play several instruments. Regarded as an outsider by many, Elgar created some
often inspiring and breaking down of the world’s most memorable pieces of classical music.
barriers and helping to shape our Elgar was born on 2 June 1857 in a rented cottage at The Firs in Broadheath,
national identity. Worcestershire and it was here that his father would bring his musical friends on
If the properties in which they weekends to entertain the family. Close to the Teme Valley, the cottage is now a
wonderful museum and includes the very desk at which Elgar would sit and
lived could talk, they'd tell emotional
compose. A magnificent bronze of Elgar facing the Malvern Hills is at the bottom
stories of love, ambition and human of the cottage garden. The cottage has recently reopened to the public following
endeavour often in the face of restoration work under the watchful eye of the National Trust, and now includes
establishment opposition. Here a new exhibition space and tearoom.
are five of our greatest musical Elgar also spent eight constructive years at Forli in Malvern Link, also in
Worcestershire, where he composed the famous Enigma Variations.
innovators and their impressive
homes around the country. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/the-firs/features/the-elgar-birthplace
CULTURE
BENJAMIN BRITTEN
A key figure in 20th-century classical music in Britain,
Benjamin Britten had been a child composer. Several years
of tuition at the Royal College of Music in London as well
as privately with the composer Frank Bridge then
enhanced his musical education. His most acclaimed work
was the opera Peter Grimes, along with his highly
regarded Young Person’s Guide to the Opera.
His orchestral showpiece was
The War Requiem, created in 1962,
which centred on the Latin requiem
mass text and the moving poems of
Wilfred Owen, who was killed in the PHOTOS: © JANE HUBBARD/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/PHILIP VILE/BRITTEN PEARS FOUNDATION
First World War.

Britten’s beloved home in Suffolk,
The Red House, was shared with his
partner, the tenor Peter Pears, for
nearly 20 years until his death in
1976. The house is open to visitors
and offers an informal snapshot into
the lives of the couple.
Visitors can attend a recital in the
library and see the studio where
Britten composed his masterpieces.
Plus, in the summer months, you can
enjoy a picnic or play croquet in the
gorgeous gardens.
www.brittenpears.org
CULTURE
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL

German-born George Frideric Handel, who became both a British
citizen and a national treasure, lived at 25 Brook Street in
London’s Mayfair.
An enigmatic man, Handel’s first London opera, Rinaldo,
caused a sensation in 1710. His organ concertos and choral works
were particularly appealing, and it was at this townhouse that
he produced the iconic Messiah in 1741 (complete with its
‘Hallelujah’ chorus), along with Music for the Royal Fireworks.
Now home to the Handel House Museum, the house has four
historic rooms to discover, offering insight into 18th-century
society and music. Highlights include the dining room where
Handel rehearsed with singers and musicians – he often held
recitals for neighbours and friends. Music fans may also want
to pop next door to Hendrix Flat at 23 Brook Street, made famous
by a very different musical icon more than two centuries later.
By the time he died, Britons had taken Handel to their hearts: he
was given full state honours at his funeral in 1759 and his body
was interred in Westminster Abbey.
handelhendrix.org
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

As the childhood home of Ralph Vaughan Williams, visitors flock to
Leith Hill Place, which has beautiful views of Surrey’s South Downs,
to celebrate the work of one of Britain’s greatest symphonists.
A brilliant creator of moods, his greatest offerings include Fantasia
on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, 1910, and The Lark Ascending, 1914.
PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANDREW BUTLER
Believing music should be available to everyone, Vaughan Williams

was strongly influenced by both English folk songs and Tudor music,
breaking away from the Germanic musical styles of the 19th century.
Leith Hill Place was handed over to the National Trust in 1945 and
has an enthralling history. Vaughan Williams’ grandparents, Josiah
Wedgwood III (of the Wedgwood pottery family) and Caroline Sarah
Darwin Wedgwood, moved here in 1847 and his great uncle, the
naturalist Charles Darwin, conducted experiments in the grounds.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/leith-hill-place
CULTURE
SIR CHARLES HUBERT

HASTINGS PARRY
Few sounds can be as synonymous with
Britain as the choral strains of Jerusalem,
a hymn written by Sir Charles Hubert
Hastings Parry, a baronet who studied
at both Eton and Oxford.
Parry produced his first major work in
1880, and his anthem I was Glad, composed
22 years later, has been played at the
coronation of every monarch since Edward
VII (right), as well as the weddings of the
Prince of Wales and Lady Diana, and the
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, coming from
landed gentry as he did, Parry’s home of
Highnam Court in Gloucestershire is the
grandest property of all our composers.
PHOTOS: © CHRISTOPHER SMITH/OLD PAPER STUDIOS/ALAMY
Parry’s father, musician, artist and art

collector Thomas Gambier Parry, bought
the 17th-century Grade I listed building
in 1838. Parry learned to play the organ in
the local church and went on to create five
great symphonies. In 1894, he was made
Director of the Royal College of Music
and, when he died in 1918, he was buried
in St Paul’s Cathedral.
www.highnamcourt.co.uk
¸-VY[OVZLÔVSV]L[OLHY[VMÄUL^YP[PUN¹
*HSSVYLTHPSMVY
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Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London

Thursday 10 May, 7.30pm
PARRY I was glad

ELGAR Cello Concerto
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
PARRY Ode on the Nativity
PARRY Jerusalem
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GREAT BRITONS
Sir Francis Drake

He saved England from the Spanish Armada and
became a favourite of Elizabeth I. We look at the seafaring life
of the man they called the Dragon
ir Francis Drake was rarely short of a swashbuckling story: ‘New Britain’. On he went to modern-day Indonesia and then Africa.
when he wasn’t protecting England from invasion, he Sir Francis returned to England in 1580, making him the first
was capturing treasure-laden ships. A hero at home, the Englishman to sail around the world. He had set off with a fleet of
Elizabethan seafarer was so feared by his Spanish enemies, five ships, but only his – Golden Hind – remained. It did, however,
that they called him ‘El Draque’ or ‘the Dragon’. King Philip II of return with considerable bounty. The Queen’s half-share of the cargo
Spain even offered a reward for his capture or death of 20,000 ducats was more than the rest of the Crown’s income for the year. Elizabeth
– about £6 million in today’s money. I gave Sir Francis a jewel with a portrait of
Sir Francis was born in Tavistock, Devon, her on one side and a portrait of a regal
around 1540. He made his first voyage in woman and an African man on the other. The
1563, when he was just 23, sailing to the ‘Drake Jewel’ is now at the Victoria & Albert
Americas with his cousin, Sir John Hawkins, Museum, in London. Elizabeth also made Sir
with the dubious task of selling slaves to Francis a knight, and gave him a coat of arms
Spanish plantations (a dark past often and a crest. The design is sculpted onto a
glossed over in the history books). plaster overmantle at Buckland Abbey in
One expedition was particularly Devon, where he lived.
formative. In 1568, Sir Francis and Sir John Sir Francis’s most infamous adventure –
were attacked by Spanish warships in during the Spanish Armada – was still to
Mexico, swimming away to escape. Sir come. In 1587, he launched a pre-emptive
Francis vowed revenge on the Spanish – a strike on the Spanish fleet, pillaging the town
campaign he continued throughout his life. of Cadiz, before patrolling the Portuguese
Sir Francis made his first raid with his coast and taking a treasure ship off the
own fleet in 1572, capturing the Spanish Azores. The strike famously “singed the King
Silver Train in Panama, together with 20 of Spain’s beard”. When the Armada
tons of silver and gold, and so his reputation launched in 1588, Sir Francis was a Vice
as an outstanding privateer was assured. Admiral in the English fleet. His skill,
PHOTOS: © NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY LONDON/GRAHAM PRENTICE/ALAMY
Impressed, Elizabeth I sent Sir Francis to together with a fortuitous wind that blew
start an expedition against the Spanish along the enemy fleet north, helped the English
the Pacific coast of the Americas. The trip to victory. The defeat of the Armada not
was eventful. Early on, Sir Francis quarrelled only made Drake’s name. It also secured
with his co-commander Thomas Doughty, Elizabeth’s reputation as ‘Gloriana’ and
had him charged with witchcraft, mutiny and treason, and had her reign as the ‘Golden Age’.
him beheaded. Sir Francis continued his expeditions into his mid 50s, narrowly
Sir Francis’s fleet faced violent storms, and clashes with the local escaping death when Spanish gunners fired a cannonball through the
people. Near Lima, his ship captured a Spanish galleon laden with cabin of his ship. In the end, he fell victim to dysentery, near Panama,
Peruvian gold. He also took the ship Nuestra Señora de la in 1596. He was around 55. Before dying, he asked to be dressed in
Concepción – and with it 80lb of gold, 26 tons of silver and heaps of full armour. He was buried in the Caribbean Sea in a lead-lined
jewels. Buoyed by such fortune, Sir Francis pursued another Spanish coffin. His body has never been found.
treasure ship. He never found it, but he did reach California,
claiming it for the English Crown, calling it ‘Nova Albion’, Latin for Next month: We celebrate the achievements of Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst
The intrepid
Sir Francis Drake
Inset: A replica of Drake's
Golden Hind at
Bankside, London
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BEAMS, BEER & BEDS
Winter is here, so find yourself a cosy inn – preferably with an
open fire – and let’s all hibernate, if only for a little while
PHOTO: © JAKE EASTHAM
WORDS SALLY COFFEY
PLACES TO STAY
here is something quintessentially English about

an inn, which traditionally provided lodging and
sustenance for weary travellers. But while they were
not exclusive to Britain – travellers across Europe
made use of them, too – what make ours so special is that many
of them retain historic features that provide clues to the lives of
our medieval predecessors.
Take The Olde Bell in Berkshire. The oldest parts of the
building date back to 1135, when it opened its doors as a
guesthouse for visitors to the nearby Benedictine priory. The
Sanctus Bell that hangs over The Olde Bell’s doorway is a relic
of this time – it served as an alarm to alert monks that an
important visitor was on their way.
And that’s not all. A secret tunnel runs from the pub to the
priory, which was used by Lord Lovelace of Hurley, one of the
key plotters of the Glorious Revolution that saw Catholic
King James II removed from the throne and replaced with his
Protestant daughter Mary and son-in-law William of Orange.
Visitors today seeking out a sense of this history will not be
disappointed: outside, the leaning building and creaking pub sign
that signalled to (mostly) illiterate passersby that they could rest
here has changed little in centuries. Meanwhile, inside it has been
sensitively and comfortably renovated to provide the kind of
accommodation expected
by modern-day guests.
The bell hanging Accommodation is spread
over the doorway out across five buildings,
including the 12th-century
alerted monks in Main Inn and Malt House,
and rooms include handmade
the nearby priory mattresses, wool blankets
that an important and, in some cases, even an
in-room claw-foot bathtub.
visitor was on Meanwhile, in its 2 AA
Rosette restaurant you can
their way tuck into rustic fare using
Main image and left:
The Olde Bell, Berkshire,
retains quaint features
inside and out. Previous
page: The charming
Anchor Inn, Hampshire
PLACES TO STAY
For more
inspiring ideas
seasonal ingredients from the kitchen garden and of places to stay,
local suppliers. Afterwards, sip a nightcap in a cosy visit www.britain-
armchair by the fireplace.
Dating from the 18th century, The Rose & Crown
magazine.com
in County Durham is a mere baby in comparison, but
no less special. The ivy-covered, three-storey stone
building is like a protective parent looking after the pretty
Pennine village of Romaldkirk, near the historic market town
of Barnard Castle, where you can visit the splendid Bowes
Museum. The village is set amid tranquil countryside and is home
to no fewer than three village greens and a Saxon church.
Part of the Great Inns of Britain group of properties, there are
14 boutique rooms across the Main House, the Courtyard and
the characterful Monk’s Cottage, with plenty of period features,
such as beamed ceilings and exposed stone walls.
However, for us, the Rose & Crown’s biggest attraction is that
it succeeds where so many other pubs fail. It offers a seriously
good food menu – it also has 2 AA Rosettes – in its oak-panelled
dining room, without losing the charm and intimacy of its
traditional bar area.
And so to the Cotswolds, a region brimming with no end of
tempting pubs and boltholes. Few, however, are quite as enticing
as the wisteria-clad Ebrington Arms, in Chipping Campden,
which is, quite simply, the epitome of the English country pub.
Serving the community since the 1640s, this village inn has just
Below: The Rose

& Crown in County
Durham is well
placed for long
country walks
five bedrooms, giving it a real home-from-home feel. Welcoming

touches include a small decanter of sherry and home-baked
biscuits to take the edge off any travel fatigue. You can also
head downstairs to the lovely pub and sample one of the three
Yubberton ales developed by the landlords. Though the beers are
most definitely new, the brewery’s name refers to the original
name of the old village: you may even hear locals refer to the
tavern as the ‘Yubby’.
With its low, oak beams and beautifully polished bar,
the Anchor Inn in Hampshire is the kind of place that makes you
feel right at home from the off. Even the jolly, chatty locals are
happy to welcome you into their fold as you share stories over a
local ale or speciality gin.
Each of the five bedrooms in the 14th-century inn is individually
designed and named after a First World War poet. In the Rupert
Brooke bedroom, the beams reach high up into the pitched roof
and the French doors open onto a small balcony. Lying on the big
bed, you can gaze across at Hampshire’s chalky fields, which roll
away into the distance, with the occasional deer or pheasant
among the crops.
Downstairs, the excellent – and very pretty – restaurant serves
delicious dishes such as pork belly with frozen apple and blue
cheese, or sea bass accompanied with the freshest of vegetables,
using local ingredients. The dining-room walls are covered in
PHOTO: © JAKE EASTHAM
interesting memorabilia, including photographs of the First World

War veterans that gathered here on Armistice Day anniversaries
for as long as they could. Elsewhere, there is a small, comfortable
seating area in the bar, with old-fashioned armchairs and a
Clockwise, from top left:
The Rose & Crown
lounge; roaring fire at
the Ebrington Arms;
the rooms at the
Anchor Inn have
Tudor-style beams
PLACES TO STAY
Left: The Star Inn

is housed in a pretty
thatched cottage
BOOK AHEAD
THE OLDE BELL, BERKSHIRE
Explore the acres of grounds of one of the oldest inns in the
world. www.theoldebell.co.uk
THE ROSE & CROWN, DURHAM

A grand master of an inn, expect good food and a snug bar.
www.rose-and-crown.co.uk
THE EBRINGTON ARMS, COTSWOLDS

Get a taste of village life with a stay in this community pub
that brews its own beer. Plus, until the end of February 2018,
you can enjoy three nights for the price of two (except in
Christmas week), if you eat dinner in the restaurant on two
of the nights. www.theebringtonarms.co.uk
PHOTO: © PURPLE MARBLES YORKSHIRE/ALAMY

THE ANCHOR INN, HAMPSHIRE
This local favourite is a great base for visiting Jane Austen’s
home in the nearby village of Chawton.
www.anchorinnatlowerfroyle.co.uk
THE STAR INN, YORKSHIRE

This thatched-roof inn has unique rooms, plus its own
Michelin star. www.thestaratharome.co.uk
squidgy sofa, making it hard to leave. The bedrooms have their own come across. Possibly dating from as early as the 14th century,
seating areas too, while a wide selection of books and magazines are the pub is a delightful treasure trove of ancient timbers, wonky
available to read in the bedrooms and the pub. walls and low beams. The quirky, traditional features have been
When you can persuade yourself to venture outside, staff will carefully restored since its present owner took over the building
furnish you with a map for short local walks across the fields and in 1996.
in the local lanes. However, it is nearby Chawton, just a 10-minute The original inn was too small to offer 21st-century lodgings, so
drive away, that’s the biggest draw of the area. Jane Austen spent Cross House Lodge, the Star’s nine-bedroomed hotel, was built just
most of the final eight years of her life in this handsome village, and across the road.
the Jane Austen’s House Museum – housed in the cottage where she But while the Star’s unusual bedrooms are a delight – Room 8
wrote Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion – is well worth a visit. has a piano, while Room 5 has a snooker table – it is the inn’s
Chawton House, a Grade II listed Elizabethan manor house nearby, modern Yorkshire cooking that really impresses. With such tempting
was the home of Jane’s brother, Edward. options as Bransdale shot treacle-glazed grouse and pot-roast
For a different but still very English experience, head to The Star Rievaulx red-legged partridge, it’s little wonder the inn has retained
Inn near Helmsley, on the edge of the North York Moors. The inn is its Michelin star for the past three years. We wonder if its medieval
housed in one of the most picturesque thatched cottages we’ve ever guests were looked after quite so well.
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This is London
Six shows a week in

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Spend two blissful nights in Pennine Yorkshire with the Great Inns of Britain
e’ve teamed up with The Great Inns 10-minute drive from the centre of Halifax and
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and their guest a superb two-night Shibden Mill Inn is one of The Great Inns of HOW TO ENTER
stay at the Shibden Mill Inn, including a hearty Britain, a unique collection of 21 historic inns in
Yorkshire breakfast each morning and a some of Britain’s most stunning coast and For your chance to win this great prize
delicious three-course dinner for two on one of countryside locations. Great Inns gift vouchers go to www.britain-magazine.
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rooted in valley life for over 350 years; it was the Great Inns of Britain?
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
originally a corn and spinning mill before being Closingdateforentriesis12pmGMT1March2018.Prizetoberedeemed a) 11
converted into a country pub in 1890. by1March2019,subjecttoavailability.Travelnotincluded.Forfulltermsand b) 21
conditions,gotowww.britain-magazine.com/ShibdenMill
In recent years, the inn has been beautifully c) 31
restored by owners Simon and Caitlin Heaton,
and boasts 11 bedrooms that marry centuries of
history with contemporary design and comforts. ENTRY FORM
With its low beams and welcoming fire, the SEND YOUR COUPON TO: US readers – Shibden Mill Competition,
inn’s cosy bar was winner of the Great British C/O Circulation Specialists, 2 Corporate Drive, Suite 945, Shelton, CT 06484
Pub of the Year in 2015. The more formal Grill UK and Rest of World readers – Shibden Mill Competition, BRITAIN magazine,
The Chelsea Magazine Company, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ , UK
Room restaurant, tucked beneath the mill’s
original rafters, complements the bar. Inspired My answer:
by the Yorkshire countryside, the inn’s chefs use
PHOTOS: © JIM VARNEY
Name:
only the best locally sourced ingredients to
Address:
create the award-winning menus.
Surrounded by hills and woodland, Shibden Postcode:

Mill Inn offers pure escapism, yet is only a Tel no: Email:
Terms and conditions apply. For full details, visit www.chelseamagazines.com/terms. Please tick here if you subscribe to BRITAIN
Please tick here if you would prefer not to be contacted by BRITAIN the competition providers or carefully selected third parties
HISTORY
Above: Charles had royal regalia remade ahead of his coronation, as depicted in John Michael Wright’s oil painting, right
RESTORING
ORDER
A new exhibition at Buckingham Palace’s Queen’s Gallery
PHOTOS: © ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II 2017/HERITAGE IMAGE PARTNERSHIP LTD/ALAMY
explores how King Charles II used art to cement his power
WORDS NEIL JONES
f ever proof were needed of the power of art to and beheaded. But the country soon tired of restrictive
convey a message, take a look at John Michael Republican rule and invited the Stuart son back to the
Wright’s oil painting (c. 1676) of King Charles II: thrones of England and Ireland (he had already been
dressed in splendid parliamentary robes over made King of Scotland). Thus, on 29 May 1660, his
the Garter costume, wearing St Edward’s Crown and 30th birthday, Charles II made his triumphant return to
holding a new orb and sceptre, the sovereign gazes with London, “the ways strewed with flowers, the bells ringing,
unwavering confidence straight out towards you. It is a the streets hung with tapisserie”, as diarist John Evelyn
dazzling image of restored monarchy. recorded, “and all this without one drop of blood”.
Wright’s painting is among many breathtaking Tall, dark, handsome and with an aura of romantic
artworks from the Royal Collection in the exhibition, adventures, Charles promised more colourful times;
Charles II: Art & Power, at The Queen’s Gallery, a return of royal panache and pomp in place of a
Buckingham Palace (until 13 May 2018). Together, they Cromwell Commonwealth lacking tradition and ritual.
reveal how the arts reinforced Charles’s legitimacy and But there was a major problem. During the Interregnum
authority as a ruler, and helped to create a glamorous (1649-60), much of his father’s great art collection and
royal court to rival any on the European stage. the trappings of courtly splendour had been sold off or
Charles spent 14 years in exile after his father, King dispersed (as told in Volume 85 Issue 6 of BRITAIN).
Charles I, became embroiled in civil war, was deposed This dismantling of royal displays of power needed to
56 BRITAIN
Left: Antonio Verrio’s The Sea Triumph of Charles II. Above: Madonna
and Child in a Landscape with Tobias and the Angel, by Titian
Inset: Charles II wore these bracelets at his coronation
be redressed. Charles lost no time. While still in exile in

the Netherlands and before signing the Declaration of
Breda 1660 (setting out new terms of the monarch’s
relationship with Parliament, the army and the Church),
he had ordered a large number of paintings from William
Frizell, an art dealer who had previously sold works to his
father in the 1630s. Maarten van Heemskerck’s stunning
The Four Last Things and Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s
Massacre of the Innocents are just two Frizell acquisitions
that feature in The Queen’s Gallery exhibition.
Parliament was also making frantic efforts to recover
goods that formerly belonged to Charles I and Queen
Henrietta Maria by passing and enforcing the Act of
Indemnity and Oblivion 1660, which obliged people to
return such possessions immediately. Many nobles found
PHOTOS: © ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II 2017/HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES
themselves in embarrassing situations: having grabbed

bargains at the sale of the late king’s belongings, they then
hastily gave the works back as they curried favour with
the new king. Nor did government agents hesitate to
remove goods forcibly when they found them – members
of Oliver Cromwell’s family were early targets of such
raids – and when it was announced that informants could
reap 20 per cent of the value of returned goods that had
been concealed, opportunists lined their pockets.
Remarkably, many of the paintings originally taken
from the royal residences were reinstated, joining
tapestries that Cromwell had previously retained.
With no little political and symbolic
significance, Charles II hung Van
Dyck’s monumental 1632
portrayal of the royal
family, The Greate
Peece, in the Long
Gallery in Whitehall
– exactly where it had
featured during his
father’s reign. The natural
succession had been restored;
BRITAIN 59
SCOTLAND
British Isles Lords of the Isles

Scotland: Dumfries and Galloway Isles of Lewis, Harris, Skye, Mull, Iona
England: Lake District and Roman city of Chester 2018 Western Scotland and the islands ruled by the
Wales: Snowdonia National Park, Welsh Castles
Ireland: Dublin, Newgrange, Belfast ESCORTED Lords of the Isles until the 15th Century.
Includes the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
May 11-23, 2018 • 12 Nights • $5,395 Tours August 11-23, 2018 • 12 Nights • $5,395
15th Annual Outlander Tour® 18-guest Haunted Scotland
Based on the book series by Diana Gabaldon. maximum Follow ghostly legends through chapels, castles,
Time travel, history, intrigue, passion, loyalty, cathedrals, battlefields, and ancient monuments.
and pride – the 18th-century Highlands. E-mail Special appearance by one of Scotland’s most
June 24-July 4, 2018 • 10 Nights • $4,695 Judy@celticjourneys.us famous authors from the past!
September 16-23, 2018 • 7 Nights • $3,695 for more information Oct 24-Nov 1, 2018 • 8 Nights • $3,795
Call us at 703.941.6455 • www.CelticJourneys.us
ORDER, ORDER
Book your tour today
020 7219 4114
HISTORY
Above: Charles II, pictured left on the wall, patronised the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, as celebrated in Robert Thacker’s etching, Prospectus Intra Cameram Stellatam
son was following father onto the throne. You can view Charles surrounded himself with artists who would
The Greate Peece in the Charles I: King and Collector project appropriate regal images. The miniaturist Samuel
PHOTO: © ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/ HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II/TODD-WHITE ART PHOTOGRAPHY
exhibition at London’s Royal Academy of Arts until 15 Cooper created the profile of the king for new coins and
April 2018. was appointed Picture Maker in 1672. The Italian artist
Charles’s coronation on 23 April 1661 was a truly Antonio Verrio flattered the sovereign with his majestic
magnificent affair. New crown jewels and royal regalia, canvas The Sea Triumph of Charles II (c. 1674), a swirling
including the orb and sceptre depicted in John Michael vision of Charles being driven in a chariot by Neptune;
Wright’s portrait, had been hastily made to replace Verrio was subsequently commissioned to decorate the
those sold or melted down by the Parliamentarians. new state apartments at Windsor Castle, becoming Chief
Dazzling new altar plates adorned Westminster Abbey. and First Painter to the King in 1684.
This was royal theatre at its extravagant best and it was Most famously, at the beginning of his reign, Charles
set to continue. had appointed the portraitist Sir Peter Lely as official
Already, the States of Holland and West Frisia, hoping Limner and Picture Drawer. With ready access to
to strengthen alliances, had presented Charles with courtiers, Lely produced some of the most enduring
extraordinary gifts of sculpture, furniture and paintings images of the times with his seductive ‘Windsor Beauties’
by Titian and Veronese (England and Holland still went to series, commissioned by the Duchess of York and
war within a few years). Further political tokens included including Charles’s mistress, Barbara Villiers, Duchess
superb drawings by Hans Holbein the Younger and of Cleveland.
Leonardo da Vinci, probably given to Charles by the Duke The Merrie Monarch, as is well known, had many
of Norfolk in thanks for the restitution of lands and title mistresses and fathered at least 16 children (none, sadly,
after the Restoration. by his Queen, Catherine of Braganza, whom artist Jacob
BRITAIN 61
HISTORY
From left: Charles commissioned Sir Peter Lely to paint his mistress, Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland; the paintings will be at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, until May
Huysmans portrayed in the sedate guise of a shepherdess Plague (1665) and Great Fire of London (1666) marred
with a lamb). The royal palaces sparkled with lavish Charles’s reign, while diarist Samuel Pepys feared “the
furniture; actors, poets and scientists rubbed shoulders lewdness and beggary of the court” spelled ruin. Charles
with gorgeous women at court balls. Theatres, banned did devious deals with the French behind his ministers’
during the Commonwealth, reopened and rocked with backs, including a covert promise to promote Roman
bawdy satire, encouraged by the king. Catholicism in England. He even fell into his father’s
Yet there was substance beneath the frothy frolics, too. habit of dissolving parliaments if he didn’t get his way.
PHOTOS: © ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
Charles was a genuine patron of the arts and sciences, Charles did whatever it took to survive and although he
creating an atmosphere for them to flourish. He spotted died at the young age of 54 in 1685, at least it was from a
the architectural genius of Sir Christopher Wren, who natural stroke rather than the stroke of an axe. In the final
was appointed surveyor-general of the King’s Works; balance, the monarchy had been restored, the regalia
he supported the newly founded Royal Society, whose remade, courtly ritual reinstated, royal patronage revived
members included Isaac Newton and the astronomers and the royal collection of fabulous artworks – by then
Flamsteed and Halley; and he patronised the newly boasting nearly 1,100 pictures and more than 100 statues
established Royal Observatory at Greenwich – as – had been re-established. Such splendid pomp and
celebrated in Robert Thacker’s etching, Prospectus imagery live with us to this day.
Intra Cameram Stellatam.
Away from such glorifications of the restored monarchy For more details of the Charles II: Art & Power
things were not quite so wonderful, however. Two costly exhibition, which opens at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace,
sea wars with the Dutch and disasters including the Great on 8 December 2017, see www.royalcollection.org.uk
TREASURES & TROPHIES
THE MAKING OF A GENTLEMAN AND A GREAT HOUSE
It’s 300 years since Thomas Coke completed his Grand Tour
of Europe. He left a youth and returned a gentleman six years
later, with many treasures, works of art and bold plans for
creating a fine house in classical, Palladian style.
SPECIAL EXHIBITION, MARCH – OCTOBER 2018
HOLKHAM HALL, NORFOLK
HOLKHAM.CO.UK
Bristol Cathedral
“Superior to anything else
built in England and indeed
Europe at the same time.”
Pevsner
www.bristol-cathedral.co.uk
Open from March 30th 2018

Contact Info Line 01367 240932 or
website: www.buscotpark.com for opening times
Snowdonia’s
breathtaking
Llyn Gwynant lake
MISTS of TIME
We travel to Snowdonia in north Wales to discover
a land rich in myths and legends that refuse to die
WORDS ADRIAN MOURBY
RURAL BRITAIN
he Snowdonia National Park takes its name

from the tallest mountain in Britain outside
Scotland – Snowdon. Formed by volcanoes and
sculpted into a series of razor-sharp ridges by
glaciation, Snowdon dominates the horizon at the north
end of the park. But even at Snowdonia’s southernmost
PHOTO: © STUART BLACK/WWW.ROBERTHARDING.COM. ILLUSTRATION: © LAURA HALLETT
point, you are never far from a hill to climb or a dramatic

valley to admire.
This is a landscape forged by water. The wettest place
in Britain is Crib Goch, a ridge just below the summit
of Snowdon. All the rain pours down the hillsides in
white torrents, often just gushing over exposed rock and
cascading over cliffs. Unsurprisingly, Snowdonia is rich
with coniferous forests, Welsh oak and mountain ash trees,
blankets of rhododendrons and deep beds of moss. It even
has its own lily, which in the UK only grows here.
This is a mythical landscape; a bright green wilderness
of ruined abbeys and old castles, of ancient slate bridges
and low stonewalls that march almost vertically up
hillsides. According to legend, Vortigern, the last
Romano-British king of these islands, retreated into
Snowdonia when the Anglo-Saxons stole his kingdom
BRITAIN 65
RURAL BRITAIN
Clockwise, from this image: Bala Lake;

sunlit mountains surrounding
Cregennen Lakes at Cadair Idris;
Harlech Castle at sunrise; the Fairy
Glen near Betws-y-Coed
RURAL BRITAIN
Bala Lake is not just popular with

fishermen – it’s also said to be home
to ‘Teggie’, a female creature and
cousin of the Loch Ness Monster
from him. The various princes of Wales who avoided

capture after the Norman invasion of Britain used
Snowdonia as their refuge, disappearing into the mists,
reputedly never to be seen again. There are dragons in
Snowdonia and they’re not all on the Welsh flag.
At the southern end of the park, the town of Dolgellau
acts as a gateway to Snowdonia. Here, houses are hewn
of huge black stone blocks, roofs are grey slate and street
patterns meandering and medieval. Walkers come to
Dolgellau to hike the Precipice Walk, the Torrent Walk
and the route to Cadair Idris, named after a Welsh giant
who fought a great battle on its slopes. Today, the local
legend still runs that those who climb the Pony Path to the
summit to spend a night on Idris’s chair (cadair) will
return a poet, a madman, or never wake again.
Head north from Dolgellau and you will reach Bala
Lake, a long, deep lake popular with fishermen and known
in Welsh as ‘Llyn Tegid’. Llyn Tegid is full of pike, perch,
brown trout and gwyniad, a white fish unique to the
lake. It is also said to be the home of ‘Teggie’, a mysterious
female creature and cousin of the Loch Ness Monster.
While not all locals take Teggie seriously, they’ll tell you
PHOTOS: © DUNCAN MAXWELL/ADAM BURTON/PETER LEWIS/WWW.ROBERTHARDING.COM
that Bald Tegid (‘Tegid Foel’) was the husband of the

Welsh witch, Ceridwen, and that his palace is now beneath
the waters of the lake because it was drowned one terrible
night. Whenever the moon shines bright, the lights of the
drowned court of Bald Tegid are said to be shimmering
up from the depths.
West from Dolgellau, the Mawddach Estuary flows
down to Barmouth, a Victorian seaside town that nestles
beside the national park. The town has been linked to
the Midlands by rail since 1860 and has long, prosperous
terraces of slate boarding houses along its front. The
Rev. Evans, a local clergyman, recorded with pleasure
at the time that “the class of tourist in Barmouth is genteel
and, in season the place was filled with Shropshire and
Hereford beauties”.
Further north along the coast, however, the ancient
RURAL BRITAIN
Right: A sculpture of enmity between the British and the Welsh is revived at
Llywelyn the Great’s Harlech Castle. Its turrets rear up on top of a cliff like a
faithful dog, Gelert
crenelated French fort. Castell Harlech was built by the
Below: The seaside English King Edward I during his invasion of Wales and
town of Barmouth has been described by UNESCO as one of “the finest
with views of the examples of late 13th-century and early 14th-century
Mawddach Estuary military architecture in Europe”.
Mostly intact, the castle is accessed by a land bridge.
Once inside, it’s clear how easy it was to defend – and
yet how pleasant to live in, too. Over hundreds of years,
Harlech Castle withstood many sieges. Usually, the Welsh
were besieging the English, but sometimes the tables
were turned.
Originally when encircled, it could be resupplied by the
sea that lapped the base of its cliff. Now, however, the
Irish Sea has retreated over a mile as the west coast of
Britain rises, and today King Edward’s mighty castle
commands a vista of sand dunes.
During the rebellion of Henry Bolingbroke (later Henry
IV) against King Richard II, the ‘Welsh Wizard’ Owain
Glyndwr held Harlech Castle for the Lancastrians. After
his defeat in 1409, Glyndwr disappeared into the
mountains of Snowdonia, like so many Welsh princes
PHOTOS: © ROBIN WEAVER/ALAMY/PETER BARRITT/ROBERTHARDING.COM
Fairytale
hotel
in Anglesey
Secluded, peaceful, and full of a unique fairytale
charm. With 30 bedrooms, an award-winning
gourmet restaurant, and exclusive use wedding
packages, Château Rhianfa is the perfect
location for a romantic getaway.
Beaumaris Rd, Menai Bridge,

Isle of Anglesey, Wales, LL59 5NS
www.chateaurhianfa.com
01248 880 090
hello@chateaurhianfa.com
©VisitBritain/Kris Williams
Snowdonia International Dark Sky Reserve, Snowdonia, Wales.

visitbritain.com
This tearoom in a
15th-century cottage
in Llanrwst marks one
of the entry points to
Snowdonia National Park
RURAL BRITAIN
before him. His body was never found, giving rise to the
myth that he would return one day to save his country.
The further north you travel in Snowdonia the more
dramatic the scenery. Beddgelert sits in the Glaslyn valley
and white clouds seem to rest on the sunny hillsides above
the town. Many people come here for the grave (‘bedd’) of
Gelert, a faithful dog belonging to the 13th-century Welsh
prince, Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great).
One day the prince came back from hunting to find his
baby son missing and his dog covered in blood. Thinking
Gelert had killed the baby, the quite possibly drunk Prince
Llywelyn impetuously slew the hound only to discover the
baby, safe under the corpse of another, more savage wolf.
Faithful Gelert had been protecting the child. It’s a fanciful
story, but in the fields just outside Beddgelert there is a
19th-century grave for Gelert and nearby a 20th-century
statue of him.
Further north still lies the Llanberis Pass that separates
two routes up Snowdon. An old roadside inn called the
Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel, where the ninth British expedition
to Everest stayed while training for their successful ascent
of the Himalayan mountain in 1953, guards the pass.
The inn has a Smoke Room for residents that is full of
memorabilia of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay,
PHOTOS: © ANDREW HASSON/SEBASTIAN WASEK/DGDIMAGES/ALAMY
A pub in Beddgelert. Top: The

Pen-Y-Gwryd Hotel once hosted
members of the ninth exhibition to
Everest. Left: Tu Hwnt I’r Bont Tearoom
RURAL BRITAIN
Could Cadair Idris have really

been a Welsh giant’s seat?
including ice picks, crampons, a string vest, an umbrella

THE PLANNER and even a straw boater.
Finally, one comes to the glorious Snowdon itself, which
GETTING THERE can be climbed via a number of routes or ascended on
Arriva trains run to and from the English border to Barmouth and Harlech on the edges an old Swiss rack and pinion mountain railway that first
of the national park. Within the park, the Ffestiniog Railway runs a steam service between carried passengers in 1896. It still takes an hour to click
Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog. its way slowly past sheep and cattle grazing on bright
www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk; www.festrail.co.uk green moorland.
At one point, it weaves high above Llyn Du’r Arddu,
GET YOUR DISCOUNT CARD which was trapped 1,900 feet above sea level when the
For just £5 and lasting a year, a Snowdonia Pass will save you money at over 50 attractions glaciers retreated. At the top, the train judders to a halt
across Gwynedd, Conwy and Anglesey, including restaurants, shops and hotels. at a modern station and café that looks like an alien
www.snowdoniapass.co.uk spacecraft lying on its side. From here, it’s a short walk
to the summit where there are spectacular views – if you
WHERE TO STAY are lucky enough to hit a clear day – all the way to Ireland
Ffynnon is a colourful, award-winning boutique townhouse hotel in Dolgellau converted and Scotland.
from a Gothic Victorian rectory. Stylish, modern rooms start at £150 and suites at £210. Meanwhile, down below to the east lies the sinuous
www.ffynnontownhouse.com shores of Llyn Llydaw, into which Sir Bedivere is said to
have thrown Excalibur as King Arthur lay dying. You will
PHOTOS: © CROWN COPYRIGHT/VISIT WALES
WHERE TO EAT also find Dolbadarn Castle, a romantic ruin above the lake
Stop off at Tu Hwnt I’r Bont – a lovely tearoom on the west bank of the River Conwy, of Llyn Peris, which was painted by JMW Turner.
housed in a 15th-century ivy-covered building that is now in the hands of the National Trust. Snowdonia is a dramatic landscape wrapped up in mists
www.tuhwntirbont.co.uk and legend and the memory of it lingers long after you
have headed home.
FURTHER INFORMATION
i www.visitsnowdonia.info For more stunning places to discover in the Welsh countryside,
visit www.britain-magazine.com/wales
Bespoke Custom Private
Guided Tours of Wales
With Celticos private tours, you

can journey to the historic, scenic
and cultural highlights of Wales.
Our heartland is Snowdonia and
Snowdonia Pass
the island of Anglesey and we are proud to share the secrets and stories
of the hidden corners of our country.
Check out our website for the wide range of journeys, ideas and
Visitor Discount Card suggestions for short and extended visits. All of these have been
developed on the basis of our deep local knowledge and positive
Discounts at 50+ attractions, activities, restaurants, shops feedback from our many clients from all around the world.
& accommodation providers. We can enable you to design your individual experiences of our
beautiful and diverse country with its rich and fascinating history.
Each pass costs just £5/person and lasts for 12 months, You will travel in comfort while we do the driving and tell the story.
giving you incredible value for money. Get yours and So, whether you come from Montana or Melbourne, Singapore or
start saving today! T&Cs apply. Stockholm, you will find the warmest of welcomes in Wales. We at
Celticos can help you discover your roots, taste the riches of our fields
Visit www.snowdoniapass.co.uk for full details. and seas, and hear an ancient language in word and in song.
Pwllheli, Gwynedd LL53 6PG Begin your personalised journey to the
post@snowdoniapass.co.uk heart of Wales by visiting
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @SnowdoniaPass www.celticos.com
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WEEKENDER
entioned in the JMW Turner for which the house

Domesday Book,
Petworth has
almost always had
PETWORTH and its estate is most well known.
George Wyndham (1751-1837),
the 3rd Earl of Egremont, was
a steady influx of visitors thanks This West Sussex village is a haven of a major patron of Turner, so it
to the architectural grandeur and was fitting that Petworth provided
bountiful estate of Petworth independent shops and galleries, with the setting for Mike Leigh’s
House, which was acquired by a splendid stately home to boot biographical 2014 film starring
the National Trust in 1947. Timothy Spall in the title role,
WORDS ALISTAIR MACQUEEN
Established as a manor house for Mr Turner. Turner had his own
the Percy family in 1151, Petworth studio at Petworth and created
House was enlarged into the building several works here, including Petworth Park:
we know today as it passed through the Tillington Church in the Distance, which
hands of the Percys from the 15th to the captured the house’s splendid estate.
18th centuries, before progressing onto It was Charles Wyndham, the 2nd Earl of
the Spencers and the Wyndhams of today. Egremont, who commissioned Lancelot
Both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I visited ‘Capability’ Brown to redesign the 700 acres
Petworth during their reigns, and a full-length of grounds, which had been dominated by
portrait of the former hangs imposingly in wide terraces and parterres. Work began in
one of the grand staterooms. Indeed, art is the 1753 and involved the addition of the lower
PHOTOS: © ISTOCK/SLAWEK STASZCZUK/ALAMY
focus at Petworth – the Percys acquired many pond and the upper pond in front of the
famous works by Sir Anthony van Dyck, house. He also included the Ionic rotunda
Thomas Gainsborough, and William Blake. in the grounds and a ha-ha, as well as a
From 13 January to 25 March 2018, the multitude of trees, shrubs and flowers.
exhibition William Blake in Sussex: Visions With a three-mile walking trail through
of Albion will explore the influence of Blake’s the grounds, visitors are afforded views of
three years living in Sussex on his work. the South Downs and the surrounding area
However, it is Petworth’s association with Top to bottom: The quaint cobbles of Lombard that are not only beautiful, but also free
the English landscape and romantic painter Street; stop for a drink at The Star of pylons, mobile phone masts and other
BRITAIN 75
For more
inspiring things to
do in Sussex, go to
www.britain-
magazine.com
Clockwise, from top: Petworth House with its Capability Brown-designed grounds; stags at Petworth Park; the village is great for antiques shopping
symbols of the 21st century. However, there The Hungry Guest deli offers delicious local
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/DAVID SELLMAN/GREG BALFOUR EVANS/CHRISTOPHER MILLS/ALAMY

is more to this corner of West Sussex than produce, and its sister café on Lombard Street
its stately home, and a new initiative, provides a fine lunch and afternoon tea. Next
Petworth Vision, aims to show that it is door are two boutique shops worthy of a visit, GETTING THERE
a destination in its own right – not least for Tallulah Fox and Artful Teasing, and the By train: The closest railway station is Pulborough.
its two annual events: the Petworth Festival, Forest Gallery is a great little find. There are direct trains with Southern from London
which takes place in the summer, and the Learn about the village’s history from the Victoria every half an hour. From there it is a 10-minute
Petworth Literary Week each autumn. enthusiastic tour guides at Petworth Cottage taxi ride. www.southernrailway.com; www.ppch.co.uk
With its cobbled streets, market square and Museum on the High Street, which details
pretty buildings, you could spend a joyous the life of a local seamstress who worked at WHERE TO STAY
afternoon mooching around the antique Petworth House around 1910. The Angel Inn is the perfect place to grab a meal
shops and boutiques of Petworth village. In the evening, refresh yourself at the newly and sit below its wooden beams to enjoy a drink before
The refurbished antiques market is a refurbished and centrally located pub, The heading upstairs to roll into your cosy bed. Alternatively,
welcoming place to browse, instead of Star, dine at the Leconfield, which features it also owns Ryde House next door, a wonderful
the draughty centre it once was – just one in the Michelin Guide, or sample the superb self-catering, three-bedroomed property with a host
example of Petworth Vision’s efforts to food, wine and ales at The Angel Inn. With of luxurious amenities that is delightfully decorated.
rejuvenate the village. Discerning shoppers its welcoming open fire and staff to match, www.angelinnpetworth.co.uk
will also appreciate the bespoke, antique and you’ll vow to yourself that this establishment,
contemporary furniture in the Georgian much like Petworth itself, is one heavenly FURTHER INFORMATION
townhouse showroom of Augustus Brandt. place indeed.
i www.discoverpetworth.org
THE ANGEL INN
PETWORTH, WEST SUSSEX
Petworth and the surrounding area

KDVVRPXFKWRRǨHUYLVLWRUV REST - RELAX - EXPLORE
With award winning shops and antiques, Enjoy a relaxing stay in one of The Angel’s six cosy and
vineyards, music and arts festivals, luxurious bedrooms. We have a variety of rooms to suit
Petworth House and internationally couples, families and individuals, all recently refurbished.
acclaimed sporting events on the
doorstep, there is something for all www.angelinnpetworth.co.uk
tastes and ages to experience.
t: +44(0)1798 344445
Petworth House
and Park
A stately home of timeless elegance that celebrates
900 years of stories, secrets and success, told through
an extraordinary collection of painting and sculpture
SOARING
IMPOSING
Ancient Castle,
Stately Home & Gardens www.nationaltrust.org.uk/petworth
for more details, call +44 (0) 1798 342207
01903 882173 or visit Petworth House, Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 0AE
www.arundelcastle.org
©National Trust Images/Andreas Von Einsiedel
Registered charity no. 205846
A DAY TO REMEMBER
D I S C OV E R O N E O F E N G L A N D’ S M O ST
B E AU T I F U L A N D H I S T O R IC C A S T L E S
he verc astl e.co.u k

Email info@hevercastle.co.uk | Call +44 (0)1732 865224
A History of England
Through the Centuries
Tudor Women
Our Tudor Women tour embraces the lives of
UK CAR RENTAL wives, sisters and courtiers in the turbulent Tudor

century. Some of the women we meet on our
tour were powerful in their own right. Others held
from only power more discretely. A few were victims of the
politics of the age. All have their own stories to tell.
£99.00 per week Finding Henry -
Reformation hero or villain Small group guided
(Minimum 7 day rental based on our Group1/MCMR sized car)
Henry VIII was not born to be King yet he acceded
to the throne before his 18th birthday. Married six
tours for the
times: four times for love, once for affection and history enthusiast
once for duty, he had three legitimate children. A
Renaissance Prince when young, his divorces and Conflict, Intrigue,
subsequent order to send two of his wives to the Tempestuous love
executioner’s block made him the most notorious affairs and Majesty
King England has ever witnessed.
Six Wives of One King Journey with us to
We take you on an evocative journey to explore experience the sights,
the lives of of Henry’s six wives. How did these
Car shown here is the new 2017 VW Golf. different women live and how did they become
sounds, touch and
This car is in our Group4 / CDMR category 7 days from only £139.00
consorts to Henry VII? We visit their childhood taste of historic
• Free second driver on all rentals homes, divorce settlements and take you on a England
• Free “Meet & Greet” at most UK Airports pilgrimage to their final resting places. This fully
• Delivery to your hotel or contact address guided tour gives you unique insights into their lives.
• Unlimited mileage on all rentals
• One-way rentals and overseas travel available
• Locations throughout the UK
Tel:+44 (0)845 408 4012
Family run business established in 1995 E: info@tudorhistorytours.com
Telephone: +44 (0)208 764 6490 www.tudorhistorytours.com
Fax: +44 (0)208 679 6869
E-mail: sales@auto-international.com Photographer: John Freeman The Royal Collection © 2009 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Web: www.auto-international.com
HISTORY
PHOTO: © NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY LONDON
The PRINCESSand the PEARLS

As a young girl, Queen Mary I epitomised the Tudor fashion for dressing
opulently, a style she carried with her into adulthood
WORDS MELITA THOMAS
HISTORY
Left: King Henry VIII, here painted by Hans Holbein the Younger, lavished
Mary (right), depicted by Hans Eworth, with luxurious clothes until the
birth of his daughter Elizabeth, when Mary was stripped of her rank
loth-of-gold, purple velvet, silver tissue,

carnation and crimson satin, black damask,
lawn, ermine, Spanish gloves and French hoods:
these were the luxurious clothes in which
Mary, the daughter of King Henry VIII and Catherine
of Aragon, later Mary I, was arrayed from her earliest
childhood. In an era when sumptuary laws limited what
could be worn, according to rank, clothes denoted status,
and Mary learnt early that dressing richly conveyed
power and prestige.
For her first Christmas, Henry gave his daughter yards
of gold and silver tinsel, white satin and white damask,
lined with ermine, and every subsequent description of
her clothes is equally opulent. Aged just two-and-a-half,
Mary was dressed in cloth-of-gold, with a jewelled, black
velvet cap for her first betrothal, to the Dauphin of France.
When, at the age of nine, Mary was sent to the Marches
to preside over the Council for Wales, her high status was
marked by the issue of a personal livery of green and blue,
with her badge, to her household – a distinction never
previously conferred on an English princess.
The first record of Mary’s adult wardrobe dates from
September 1531. Although Henry had been trying for four
years to have his marriage to her mother annulled, Mary
was still treated as Princess of Wales. She was now 15,
and Henry ordered an enormous quantity of clothes for
her. The consignment included a fabulously expensive
cloth-of-silver gown, to be lined with plain silver cloth; a
purple velvet gown, with purple cloth lining; a third gown
of black tinsel; a fourth of crimson satin lined with cloth
PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/DERRICK E WITTY/NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY LONDON
of gold tissue and a fifth of black velvet, lined with ermine.

Each gown consumed a lavish 11½ yards of material.
There were kirtles and matching sleeves in cloth-of-gold,
cloth-of-silver and black tinsel. There was satin for lining
hoods and sleeves as well as partlets (a short jacket) of
black velvet and satin, lined with sarsenet and a dozen
everyday partlets of lawn.
There was linen for smocks and nightdresses; ribbons
for garters and points (the ties that held clothes together),
16 pairs of shoes and hoses, two dozen pairs of Spanish
gloves, three French hoods of black velvet, crimson satin
and white satin. There were thread and needles, and the
astounding quantity of 10,000 pins.
These were the last clothes that Mary was to receive for
some time. In 1533, with the birth of Elizabeth to Henry’s
second queen, Anne Boleyn, Mary was stripped of her
rank, and sent to live as a subordinate to the baby. She
protested vigorously, and was subjected to increasingly
harsh treatment to force her to accept her demotion. Her
jewels and plate were confiscated, and she eventually
had to send a message to Henry asking for new clothes.
Henry, ambivalent about treating her severely, ordered
the necessary warrant.
In 1536, Mary succumbed to pressure and accepted
the annulment of her parents’ marriage and that she
was illegitimate. She was rewarded with money and an
honourable entourage. Now aged 20 and in charge of
her finances, she was free to indulge her love of finery.
The concept of restraint indicating good taste was
foreign to Tudor minds, and it is likely that Mary was
particularly keen to emphasise that, even though she
was now considered illegitimate, she was still the king’s
eldest daughter. She ordered dozens of yards of sumptuous
fabrics in every colour imaginable. One of her most
expensive purchases was the cloth-of-silver gown she
wore to stand as godmother to her half-brother, Edward,
which cost £10.
Jewellery, too, was an indicator of rank. Aged six, Mary
had a gold brooch, with the words ‘The Emperor’ picked
out on it, to symbolise her second betrothal, to the
Emperor Charles V. The betrothal did not progress to
marriage, despite an emerald being sent to Charles in
Right: Mary I indulged her love of finery throughout her life, as seen here
with her husband, Philip II of Spain. Below: In this illustration of Henry VIII
and his children, Mary (second from right and wearing a lavish necklace)
is shown close in age to Elizabeth, but she was in fact 17 years older
PHOTOS: © WWW.BRIDGEMANIMAGES.COM/MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY/ALAMY
HISTORY
In 1536, Mary succumbed

to pressure and accepted the
annulment of her parents’
marriage and that she
was illegitimate
Mary’s name, which he promised to wear for her sake.

Although we know Mary must have had other jewellery
during her childhood, as it was confiscated in 1533,
there are no details. When her mother died in January
1536, she bequeathed Mary a collar of gold that she had
brought from Spain, but it was withheld, as Mary was
still in disgrace.
After the death of Mary’s stepmother, Jane Seymour, in
1537, Henry allocated many of her jewels to his daughters.
Among other items, Mary received seven “pairs of beads”
(rosaries) of various precious and semi-precious stones,
including gold, silver and agate.
She purchased “pipes and pearls” for trimming clothes,
and, in one of her largest items of expenditure, spent
40s 4d each on 100 pearls. Henry continued to give her
jewellery – in 1538, he sent her some “goldsmith’s work”,
and more in September 1542. For New Year 1543, Henry’s
gift included two golden girdles, a rosary of lapis lazuli
with a heart at the end, and one of garnets and gold.
Mary kept careful inventories of all the jewels
she received and was given. One of her many suitors,
Duke Philip of Bavaria, gave her a diamond cross,
which Mary was obliged to return when the negotiations
came to nothing.
She received a diamond ring from the Earl of Hertford,
and gave a golden brooch to her cousin, Lady Margaret
Above: Mary bought Douglas as well as a wedding present of a balas ruby with
an expensive three suspended pearls. Her half-brother received a brooch
cloth-of-silver
decorated with a depiction of St John, and she gave an
gown to stand as
godmother to her unspecified jewel to her stepmother, Catherine Parr.
half-brother, Edward One of Henry’s last gifts to his daughter was in July
Right: Mary gave 1546, when he gave her more than 200 loose pearls,
a jewel to her two brooches of rubies, diamonds and pearls, and three
stepmother,
head-dresses, also studded with precious gems. All her
Catherine Parr
life Mary would follow her father’s example and dress
magnificently. She must have been a mesmerising sight,
swathed in royal purple or her favourite silver, embellished
with pearls and dripping with gems.
PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/DEA PICTURE LIBRARY/GETTY
For more about Mary I's extraordinary story, and life during
Tudor times, see www.britain-magazine.com
BUY THE BOOK

Melita Thomas is author of The King’s Pearl:
Henry VIII and His Daughter Mary, published
by Amberley (£20).
Stunning Gardens to visit near
Leeds and Bury St Edmunds.
These highly acclaimed gardens have two very different themes. They celebrate
and maintain their owner’s vision before they bequeathed the gardens to
Perennial, the charity which support gardeners and all horticulturists, including
tree surgeons, nursery staff, groundsmen and greenkeepers.
A team of highly trained professional caseworkers support those struggling - often as a result
of illness, accident or redundancy - and help them for as long as it takes to get back on their
feet, so not only will a visit to our gardens provide you with a day out to remember, you’ll also be
supporting those who keep Britain beautiful.
@VYR.H[L.HYKLU
Back Church Lane, Adel, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS16 8DW
1 April – 30 September | Sun – Thurs, 12.30pm – 4.30pm
Snowdrop week dates:
Friends/members: Mon 19 Feb
General public: Tues 20 – Fri 23 Feb
12.30pm – 4.30pm
@VYR.H[LPZHUPUZWPYH[PVUHSNHYKLUHUK^PKLS`YLJVNUPZLKHZVULVM)YP[HPU»Z
© John Whitaker
ÄULZ[ZTHSSNHYKLUZ;OLNHYKLUUV[LKMVYP[ZL_X\PZP[LWSHU[PUNPZKLZPNULK
HZHZLYPLZVMV\[KVVYYVVTZLHJO^P[OP[ZVÛPU[PTH[LJOHYHJ[LY>OPSZ[
[OLYLLUQV`[OL[LHYVVTWLY\ZL[OLNPM[ZOVWHUKWSHU[U\YZLY`HUKSLHYU
TVYLHIV\[[OL]VS\U[LLYSLKOLYP[HNLWYVQLJ[^P[OL_OPIP[PVUZHUK[HSRZ
-\SSLYZ4PSS.HYKLU
West Stow, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 6HD
1 April – 30 September
Weds – Fri, 2.00pm – 5.00pm | Sun, 11.00am – 5.00pm
-\SSLYZ4PSS.HYKLUYLJLU[S`H^HYKLK[OL=PZP[,UNSHUKVMÄJPHSZLHSVMHWWYV]HS
[OL8\HSP[`9VZL4HYX\LYLZ[ZULHY[OLIHURZVM[OL9P]LY3HYR
;OLNHYKLUPZWLHJLM\SHUKLUJOHU[PUNJVTIPUPUNSPNO[KHWWSLK^VVKSHUK
^P[OHJVSSLJ[PVUVMYHYLHUK\U\Z\HSZOY\IZWLYLUUPHSZSPSPLZHUKWLYPWOLYHS
WSHU[ZJVSSLJ[LKV]LY[OLSHZ[`LHYZI`[OLNHYKLU»ZJYLH[VY)LYUHYK
;PJRULY4),/LHK.HYKLULY(UUPL+LSSIYPKNLHUKOLY[LHTVMNHYKLULYZ
HUK]VS\U[LLYZSVVRHM[LY[OLNHYKLUMVY[OLKLSPNO[HUKLUQV`TLU[VM]PZP[VYZ
OVZ[PUNL]LU[ZZ\JOHZ[OL:\MMVSR7SHU[-HPY
Visit www.perennial.org.uk or call

General Helpline 0800 093 8543
Debt Advice Line 0800 093 8546
Please scan code
Enquiry Number 0800 093 8510 to visit our website
Perennial, 115-117 Kingston Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 7SU

Registered charity no: 1155156. Perennial’s Debt Advice Service is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Book your stay in one of the most important Georgian homes in Leeds.
“Claremont” and its adjoining coach house have been transformed into 13 short stay serviced apartments
offering luxury lodgings in Leeds City Centre.
Built in the 1770s by John Elam, a Quaker merchant, “Claremont” was one of the most imposing properties
in the Leeds area. Our Collection of Historic and Listed Buildings offer the discerning visitor the luxury of
contemporary living within the splender of a Heritage property. With free on-site parking, bespoke fitted
kitchens and inspirational interior design throughout “Claremont” offers accommodation unique to the market.
Situated within five minutes’ walk of Leeds Town Hall and Leeds General Infirmary the apartments are perfectly
placed to take advantage of all the thriving city has to offer and the individually designed apartments offer
superior levels of style in a building of true character and importance.
www.heritage.apartments
Luxury and comfort in historic British signature properties.
l l l
Claremont 23 Clarendon Road Leeds West Yorkshire LS2 9NZ
The best
places to eat,
stay, shop
and visit
LEEDS
This compact Yorkshire city celebrates its Victorian
heritage while championing new music and art
WORDS CHANTAL BORCIANI
PHOTO: © LOOP IMAGES LTD/ALAMY
CITY GUIDE
Clockwise from above: The Corn

Exchange; a clock in Kirkgate Market;
the River Aire; Leeds Art Gallery; Leeds
Town Hall. Previous page: An arcade in
the Victoria Quarter
ith history ingrained in culture. Located between the architectural delight. The arcades fan
its Victorian facades and Yorkshire Dales National Park, out between Briggate and Vicar Lane
towering chimneys, no North York Moors National Park and are home to high-end shops
city epitomises the heritage, charm and the Peak District National Park, – Harvey Nichols is housed in the
and cosmopolitan resurgence of the the city is also an ideal base for former Empire Theatre.
North quite like Leeds. For those exploring the Yorkshire countryside Close to the Victoria Quarter,
wanting to experience the true wit, and its villages, which have become Grade I listed Kirkgate Market is
Northern appeal and one of the foodie hotspots thanks to cracking Europe’s largest indoor market.
world’s best cups of tea, Leeds is a local produce. Retaining its trading character, it
vibrant cornerstone of any journey With more listed buildings than now sells just about everything. The
through Yorkshire. any city in the UK outside London, market is where Michael Marks of
A centre for cloth and wool in Leeds is a warren of historical sites Marks & Spencer fame set up his
the 18th century, and a powerhouse and one of the best ways to explore penny bazaar in 1884.
for textiles and manufacturing it is on foot. Dating back over a Alongside Kirkgate lies the
during the Industrial Revolution, century, the Victoria Quarter’s dramatic Leeds Corn Exchange.
Leeds is now abuzz with regeneration ornate arches, mosaic paving and Completed in 1864, its coliseum-like
and a hub for business, arts and stained-glass roofs are an rotunda was designed by Cuthbert
88 BRITAIN
CITY GUIDE
Leeds: cut-out-and-go guide
GETTING THERE the city. Located on the fifth floor of Leeds’

Direct trains from King’s Cross on bustling Trinity centre, the award-winning
Virgin East Coast take around two hours. menu is of particular note for its meat and
The villages of the dales and moors are well executive chef Lee Murdoch’s own game
connected by trains and buses from the city. shoot. www.crafthouse-restaurant.com
www.virgintrainseastcoast.com Head out of the city 15 miles for Michelin
prowess at The Box Tree in Ilkley. Well worth
WHERE TO STAY the trip for the wild moorland walks alone,
Boutique hotel Dakota Deluxe has a the menu boasts bountiful local produce and
superb central city location and 84 elegant stunning décor. www.theboxtree.co.uk
rooms. Near the business quarter and close Ilkley also boasts an outpost of the famous
to Leeds’ bars and sights, the hotel’s lower Bettys tea room brand (www.bettys.co.uk).
level Bar & Grill has an inviting cocktail The city is packed with pop-ups and local
bar vibe. leeds.dakotahotels.co.uk produce stalls – don’t miss a Yorkshire pudding
For arresting river views, 42 The Calls wrap from Kirkgate Market.
occupies an old 18th-century flourmill
on the River Aire. www.42thecalls.com WHAT TO DO
PHOTOS: © TRAVELLINGLIGHT/ALAMY/LEEDS AND PARTNERS/MARTIN BRENT/DIANA JARVIS/VISITENGLAND

For a luxurious stay, book a room in Following an extensive refurbishment,
the Grade II listed four-star Quebecs Hotel, which uncovered a vaulted glazed roof hidden
housed in one of Leeds’ most striking for decades, Leeds Art Gallery reopened in
terracotta buildings. Built in 1891 as the October 2017, while The Tetley, located in the
Leeds and County Liberal Club, today stunning Art Deco headquarters of the former
it offers classic rooms with floor-length Tetley Brewery, is great for modern art.
curtains and Egyptian cotton bed linen, There are plenty of museums too, including
as well as afternoon tea from its grand the Henry Moore Institute with its famed sculpture
Gallery. www.quebecshotel.co.uk collection, and the award-winning Thackray
Medical Museum.
WHAT TO EAT Alternatively, take a water taxi along the
Shears Yard offers relaxed dining in a River Aire to the Royal Armouries. Based at Leeds
light-filled converted 19th-century rope Dock, it is home to the UK’s largest collection of
factory. The trendy, industrial dining space arms, armour and artillery.
ILLUSTRATION: © MICHAEL HILL
is a good choice for lunch or brunch – the Kirkstall Abbey lies three miles north-west of
Yorkshire tea butter is particularly addictive. the city alongside the River Aire. One of the
www.shearsyard.com most complete medieval 12th-century Cistercian
For panoramic views, Crafthouse is one of monasteries in Britain, the abbey attracts
the best of a raft of rooftop venues across visitors all year round.
BRITAIN 89
CITY GUIDE
Leeds: cut-out-and-go guide

Brodrick, a Hull architect best
known for Leeds Town Hall. It is
now one of three corn exchanges in
the country to operate in its
traditional trading capacity, although
independent shops and pop-ups
stand in place of the corn.
Follow Brodrick’s influences on the
cityscape to Leeds Town Hall where
you will be able to see its Victorian
prison cells and climb the 203 steps
to the clock tower. Or, if your
interests are more contemporary,
hunt down the blue plaque at the
Leeds University Refectory that
commemorates English rock band
The Who, who recorded their
seminal album, Live at Leeds, here.
From left: Chemist Joseph Bidding to be the European
Priestley lived in Leeds;
Capital of Culture 2023, Leeds’
flowers at Kirkgate Market
Bottom right: A Henry art and music is very much part
Moore bronze in Yorkshire of its present. It is one of three
Sculpture Park cities outside London to boast an
opera house and ballet company
(Opera North and Northern Ballet,
SHOP Trinity Leeds offers all the high street respectively) and it plays host to West
names, while the Victoria Quarter houses Live like End shows, comedy, major concerts
high-end stores. The striking Leeds Corn a local and theatre productions. During the
Exchange is now home to independent shops Jane Bhoyroo summer, open-air performances take
and cafés, while Kirkgate Market’s food hall Producer, Yorkshire place at stunning locations such as
is a treasure trove of local produce. Harewood House and Kirkstall
Sculpture International
Abbey, while the Summer Series
EXPLORE About 30 minutes from the
and previously curator livens up Millennium Square.
city centre, Otley Chevin Forest Park has at Leeds Art Gallery A city rooted in Yorkshire history,
captivating views from the 282-metre Surprise I love Leeds because it is such a richly diverse city with Leeds is hewn from the very fabric
View summit. Otley is also the birthplace so many creative things to see and do for all ages. The of this region. With a rich heritage
of cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale. The galleries and museums, combined with popular annual and thriving city centre, there
charming market town will mark the 300th events such as Light Night Leeds and the Leeds West is simply no better time to visit.
anniversary of his birth with a series of events Indian Carnival, all contribute to making Leeds such
in 2018. an exciting place to visit. Grab a coffee at La Bottega
For landscape that inspired the Brontës, head Milanese, stop for lunch at Trinity Kitchen, visit the
to Haworth, a village surrounded by brooding Royal Armouries, cycle from Leeds to Saltaire along the
moorland. Catch the Brontë bus from Keighley canal, shop for blooms at In-a-Gadda-da-Vida flower
station to learn more about the literary family. shop or simply relax in the city’s Roundhay Park. PHOTOS: © TRAVELLINGLIGHT/VISITENGLAND/DIANA JARVIS/DEBU55Y/ALAMY
Harewood House is one of many historical The Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle consortium
houses open to the public and recently (comprising the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds Art
provided the backdrop for the TV series Gallery, The Hepworth Wakefield and Yorkshire
Victoria. www.harewood.org Sculpture Park) are working together to realise the
UK’s first international sculpture project, Yorkshire
READ The Story of Leeds by Sculpture International, which will take place from
David Thornton (The History June to September 2019. This collaboration will feature
Press, £17.99) charts the history world-class exhibitions by international artists across
of Leeds. Richly illustrated, the all four public galleries, a year-long public engagement
book is a journey through the programme from summer 2018, and new commissions
ages, from the Harrying of outdoors in the public realm across Leeds and
the North in 1069-70, to Wakefield during summer 2019.
the most recent changes www.ysculpture.co.uk
in the cityscape.
National
Museum
of Arms
& Armour
Leeds / Free Admission

Daily Events Programme
www.royalarmouries.org
Albro House Hotel

155 Sussex Gardens, Hyde Park, London W2 2RY London
Tel: +44 (0)20 7724 2931 / +44 (0)20 7706 8153 Fax: +44 (0)20 7262 2278
E-mail: albrohotellondon@gmail.com
Website: www.albrohotel.co.uk
Apartments
Located near Hyde Park, public transport and convenient for sightseeing and shopping.
Comfortable rooms all with TV, private facilities, tea / coffee maker, phone, radio Established 1980
DQG KDLUGU\HU )ULHQGO\ HIÀFLHQW VHUYLFH 4XLHW UHOD[HG DWPRVSKHUH 6RPHSDUNLQJ
Families and small groups welcome. Tours booked. Luggage storage. Free WiFi THE INDEPENDENT TRAVELLER
• Inspected apartments • Family business
Rates per person including cooked Low High
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6LQJOHURRPVIURP WR WR • Fast personal reply • NEW website
7ZLQGRXEOHURRPVIURP WR WR Tel: +44 (0) 1392 860807
)DPLO\RUSHUSHUVRQIURP WR WR Email: maryandsimon@btinternet.com
A GOOD VALUE HOTEL IN CENTRAL LONDON Web: www.visitapartmentslondon.co.uk
HIRE‘N’HIRE Family run business for 33 years
CAR HIRE
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Orders can be placed on line or by phone Tel: +44 1942 676406
www.theowlbox.co.uk | sales@theowlbox.co.uk | 01248 421091 HSZV PU >LZ[ @VYRZOPYL ࠮
dŚĞKǁůŽǆ͕dǇĚĚǇŶtĂĞŶ͕>ůĂŶŐĂīŽ͕'ĂĞƌǁĞŶ͘ŶŐůĞƐĞǇ>>ϲϬϲ>W sales@hirenhire.co.uk ࠮ www.hirenhire.co.uk
BRITAIN’S CHOICE – Wiltshire
www.salisburyplainsafaris.co.uk
Horseback and 4x4 experiences
“Salisbury
Plain as you Go Inside Stonehege…
have never
seen it”
..on exclusive inner circle tours after

the site has closed to the public.
Private tours £160
Upto 6 Guests Limited availability throughout the year on these highly rated
“Totally superb tours with one of the acknowledged experts on Stonehenge.
experience!” Singles from £50pp More than just a quick visit the tour includes the full background
on the history of the stones within their surrounding landscape.
+447717 803 999 You may only see Stonehenge once so why not make it more than
a vist and much more an experience.
info@salisburyplainsafaris.co.uk For details go to
www.stonehenge-tours.com
©CVh^ʩcVaIfigh>bV\Zg$CVh^ʩcVaIfigh>bV\Zg$6fc]ZaYZHZffV#GZ\^ghZfZY8]Vf^hmCibWZf'%*-)+#
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Zifb]g\YXfccag UVYUih]Zi`W`c]ghYf picturesque15th Century National Trust village of Lacock.
kccXYX[fcibXgUbXUei]bhYggYbh]U` Lacock Abbey, local pubs and cafes are all a few minutes
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dfcXiWh]cbg]bWìX]b[8ckbhcb5VVYm walk from the house and other places of interest a short
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by a private staircase leading to a bedrrom (4’6”double), a
separate sitting room and bathroom.
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Enquiries: contact Rosie on +44 (0)1249 730568 or
rosie@talbothouselacock.co.uk or www.talbothouselacock.co.uk
Your sanctuar y in the heart of Salisbur y - Wiltshire
Short walk to the stunning Salisbury Cathedral and
Market Square. Adjacent to Salisbury train station, and the
Stonhenge Tour Bus departure point.
12 luxurious 300 – 600 sqft, 1 & 2 bed suites give you the space
too sleep, cook, and relax, after a long day exploring everything
Wiltshire has to offer.
Free laundry room, on-site parking, daily housekeeping, and

welcome breakfast.
stayatpeartree.com
+44 1722 322 055
reception@stayatpeartree.com
´/LNHVWHSSLQJLQWRDQRWKHU Grove Farm

ZRUOGµ Self-Catering
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Self-catering holidays in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside
7KH3HWR*DUGHQDW,IRUG0DQRU
The Cartwright-Hignett family at Iford Manor,

just outside Bath, welcomes visitors to their
internationally renowned Grade 1 Listed
“The Peto Gardens”
#5 in Vogue’s Favourite Gardens to visit in the UK www.visitgrovefarm.com
Open April to September; Weds—Suns; 11am-4pm info@visitgrovefarm.com +441225 742 311 / +447801 645 186
Homemade cakes and drinks available
www.IfordManor.co.uk
Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire BA15 2BA | info@ifordmanor.co.uk | 01225 863146
To book space call James +44 (0)207 349 3795

BRITAIN’S CHOICE – places to stay
BROCHURE
AVAILABLE
Book one of our holiday cottages on the

Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall
Come and discover what Scotland has to offer and enjoy a truly fabulous break in the south west
and escape with Wilderness Cottages.
Quality self-catering properties throughout Scotland from
rustic appeal to 5 star luxury, countryside to seashore.
Whatever your pastime come and explore Scotland.
Short Breaks Available. Pets Welcome.
tel: 01463 719219
www.portscathoholidays.co.uk
www.wildernesscottages.co.uk +44(0)1326 270900
The Retreat
Bed & Breakfast
in the heart of Shaftesbury in Dorset
HOLIDAYS IN HOMES
OF DISTINCTION
across Sussex and the South Downs
Perfect for short breaks away…

Unwind in the beautiful Dorset countryside.
We’re just a short distance from the Jurassic Coastline and

Longleat, situated in the heart of the Blackmore Vale.
www.amberleyhousecottages.co.uk
www.the-retreat.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1747 850372 +44(0)1798 877336
Sprowston Manor Hotel and Country
Club Wroxham Road, Norfolk NR7 8RP
Telephone: 01603 410871
ǁǁǁ͘ŵĂƌƌŝŽƩƐƉƌŽǁƐƚŽŶŵĂŶŽƌ͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬ
Sprowston Manor
Sprowston Manor
Norwich is a cultural hotspot and it hosts an abundance of cultural events.

tŚĞƚŚĞƌǇŽƵĂƌĞůŽŽŬŝŶŐĨŽƌĂƌŽŵĂŶƟĐďƌĞĂŬ͕ĨĂŵŝůǇƚƌŝƉ͕ŐŽůĨĚĂǇǁŝƚŚǇŽƵƌ
friends or a get together at our spa, we have the answers right here at
^ƉƌŽǁƐƚŽŶDĂŶŽƌ͕DĂƌƌŝŽƩ,ŽƚĞůΘŽƵŶƚƌǇůƵď.
ZĞůĂǆĂŌĞƌϭϴŚŽůĞƐŽĨŐŽůĨŽƌĂŵĞĞƟŶŐŝŶ>Ă&ŽŶƚĂŶĂ^ƉĂǁŚŝĐŚŽīĞƌƐĂƌĂŶŐĞŽĨ
ƌĞůĂǆŝŶŐƚƌĞĂƚŵĞŶƚƐ͕ŽƌĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞůǇ͕ǁŽƌŬŽƵƚŽƌǁŝŶĚĚŽǁŶŝŶŽƵƌ>ĞŝƐƵƌĞůƵď
complete with an indoor heated pool and fully equipped gymnasium.
Grab a bite to eat from our extensive food menu at our Zest Café, Bar and Grill or
ŝŶĚƵůŐĞŝŶĂ^ƚĂƌďƵĐŬƐĂŶĚƐŝƚŽŶƚŚĞƉĂƟŽŽǀĞƌůŽŽŬŝŶŐŽƵƌŝŵŵĂĐƵůĂƚĞŐƌĞĞŶƐ͘
Discover the UK & Ireland...
Our brochure – The Little Green Book– and website list The
inspected B&Bs, and a selection of selfcatering accommodation. Terrace B+B
sells Donkey
Illustrated in colour with detailed descriptions and maps, B&Bs that Milk Soap Guest
A unique small B+B with great style siz
are ‘pet friendly’, have facilities for the less mobile and those offering e 20gms@
something extra such as gardens open to the public, sheepdog and a fabulous breakfast in a warm £1.00each
demonstrations and fly fishing courses. Includes tourist information. atmosphere and classical music.
Book direct with the B&Bs or use our Booking Service
We also provide Bespoke Tours
The Oxford City Centre is a 25 minute walk or
For a brochure (postage & packing payment is required) 35 minute walk along The Thames, plus being
email: office@bbnationwide.co.uk or tel: +44 (0)1255 672377 5 minutes from a Bus Stop. 4 local pubs have 5* food!!
quoting ref: BD17ϭϭ
See the B&Bs and also pay for a brochure online: THE TERRACE B+B
www.bedandbreakfastnationwide.com 59 Howard St, Oxford OX4 3AY
See selfcatering accommodation at: E: vixjcrawford@gmail.com
www.holidaycottagesnationwide.co.uk
07761514080 | 01865 240596

SEE WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS AT OUR MULTI-AWARD WINNING DISTILLERY.
Visitors welcome 7 days a week. Monday-Saturday 9:30-17:00,
Sundays & Bank holidays 10:00-15:00.
90 minute distillery tours also available: Tuesday & Thursday 19:00, Saturday 11:30, 14:00, 16:00.
For more info, or to book a tour, see our website3
www.silentpooldistillers.com
L BE>GMI H H E=BL MBE E > KL% LH E R E R O A D , A L B U R Y, S U R R E Y G U 5 9 B W
take a tour and make the most of your holiday – BRITAIN’S CHOICE
CAMBRIDGE TOUR GUIDES

The Top Cambridge Walking Tour on Trip Advisor
Jane Austen
The Dancing Years
Explore Jane Austen’s
early life with Hampshire
Ambassador, Phil Howe.
Discover the villages,
churches, country houses
and trace the people she
describes in her letters.
Tours can include a visit to

the Jane Austen
House Museum, and
the village of Chawton.
Enjoy lunch at a Hampshire

country inn. An ideal half-
If you want to get the most out of your visit to Cambridge, a day or one-day tour.
guided walking tour with an experienced Green Badge Cambridge Downton Abbey Tours
guide is a good way to start. At Cambridge Tour Guides we offer when available.
fun and informative tours which will make this historic city come
alive. All of our tours are private and cater to the interests and 45 mins by train from
requirements of our clients. London Waterloo
For bookings and inquiries please email us at:

info@cambridgetourguide.co.uk For more information Phone: +44 (0)1256 814222
or ring us on +44 (0)7940 999 364 or +44 (0)7814 765 151 e-mail: info@hiddenbritaintours.co.uk
www.cambridgetourguide.co.uk or visit www.hiddenbritaintours.co.uk
g
Book usin e
o un t co d
disc 5
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BRITM
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to
unt
15% disco
Chauffeured sightseeing tours

of rural & historic Britain
FUN LONDON TOURS Uncover the hidden treasures and quirky
delights of this fascinating country.
Join a small friendly group of independent tour guides who focus on
the forgotten and fun side of London. Catering to first time visitors An exclusive and superior service for up to 3 people
and regulars, the tours are unique and acclaimed, including: Secret Tailored to the interests of the client, personalised itineraries allow
London, Hidden London and Changing the Guard. the time to uncover the hidden treasures of Britain.
The walks are historical, family friendly and delivered with great enthusiasm The Tours of the Realm “experience” is friendly, secure and an ideal
by guides who really love this amazing city. Tours operate throughout the year choice for visitors wishing to relax and enjoy the sights at a leisurely
at various times of the day. pace with an excellent level of customer care.
Please consult the website for further information.
tel: 0044 7595 769 615 or 0044 1303 863869
Prices range from: adults £12, concessions £10. email: enquiries@toursoftherealm.com
www.funlondontours.com • E: info@funlondontours.com www.toursoftherealm.com

FOLKLORE FIGURES
Changelings
We investigate the sinister belief that fairies kidnap human babies
and replace them with one of their own
WORDS LAWRENCE ALEXANDER
Something’s wrong. No longer does your bonny, giggling baby gurgle strange act, the fairy would cry out, “I have seen the first acorn before
back at you from its cradle. Instead, a skinny, screaming brat, the oak, but I have never seen brewing done in eggshells before!”.
withered like an ancient, screeches for food and attention. There’s The best way to avoid your baby being abducted is to have the
only one explanation: the fairies have exchanged your sweet cherub infant christened as soon as possible after birth. Charms, open bibles
for one of their own. and protective knick-knacks will also help.
Fairies steal a lot of things. Milk from the cow. A pie left on the Should the worst happen, there are ways to get the child back.
window ledge to cool. That farm tool you left by the barn door Sometimes fairies themselves help – there is a charming Irish story
overnight. Beware, though, when the ‘Grey Neighbours’ come for where, a few days after the event, a sad young girl arrives at the
your newborn child. The changeling will either suck its mother dry, distraught parents’ door, saying the other fairies had exchanged her
thrive and become a demon-child, or shrivel and die within days; the baby for a human child. She wants her own back. She tells the parents
door to the fairy world slammed behind the human infant for ever. to climb a hill and burn sheaves. They should threaten to burn the
Nowhere’s safe. From the wild coasts of Shetland, through thorn bushes – the fairy tree – if they don’t get their child back.
ILLUSTRATION: © ARTHUR RACKHAM/BRIDGEMANIMAGES
mainland Britain to Ireland’s greenest hills, the Gentle Folk are The threat-method became popular outside the world of folk tales.
jealously watching that healthy young bairn – and often the mother, Even up to the early 20th century, people tortured children they
too. They may steal the youngster to pay a ‘teind’ or tithe to the devil, believed to be changelings in the hope they’d be exchanged for their
replenish the fairy stock or just because they are mesmerised by the own lost babies. Children were exposed on hillsides or thrown on a
child’s beauty. If fairies steal an adult’s soul, the unfortunate human fire in the belief the spirit would fly away up the chimney. One terrible
is said to have been stroked by the fairies. account, from the days when disability was believed to be a curse,
Occasionally, the human baby is exchanged for a wicked, elderly describes a child being tormented on the Isle of Man because, being
fairy. If they can be tricked into revealing their true age, they will have mute, it was obviously a changeling. Folklore is not always fun.
to revert to their original form and return the child. A common
method was to brew beer in the shell of an egg. Watching such a For more British folklore figures, visit www.britain-magazine.com
TAILOR-MADE PRIVATE
TOURS FOR THE DISCERNING
www.bhctours.co.uk | info@bhctours.co.uk | +44 (0)1296 620173
We listen to what our clients want

and then exceed their expectations.
© Highclere Castle LLP 2014

It’s London.
Under one
iconic roof.
Fantastic dining, tax-free
shopping, awe-inspiring public art
and exciting cultural events, all
under 150 years of breathtaking
architectural history.
Shopping. Dining. Art. Culture.

St Pancras is more than a station – it’s a destination.
Find out more at:

www.stpancras.com
/stpancrasint | @StPancrasInt | stpancrasinternational

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BRITAIN

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

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