May/June 2019

Britain

The official magazine of Visit Britain

Britain2 min read
Your Letters
I enjoyed reading the Wives’ Tales article [BRITAIN Vol 87 Issue 1] and loved looking at their beautiful clothes and lovely blackwork on their sleeves and cuffs. Looking at their pearls I wondered what happened to them. We have recently had a Cartier
Britain3 min read
The BULLETIN
Visitors to Hillsborough Castle and Gardens in County Down can now explore its rich history following a lavish £20m transformation by Historic Royal Palaces. HM The Queen’s official residence and home of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, H
Britain5 min read
Hills and Levels
Ensconced between Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Devon, Somerset is rural Britain at its bucolic best, a rolling countryside of apple-laden orchards and elegant stately homes. This is a county famous for its churches and its cheese. A county
Britain5 min read
RETURN to DOWNTON
Whizzing down Highclere Castle’s drive in a taxi, I travel back in time. The ravishing castle set in rolling parkland harks back to a more gracious age; the cedars on the lawn were planted centuries ago. My driver, a Downton Abbey fan, brings me back
Britain5 min read
The GREAT ROYAL BABY RACE
On 6 November 1817 Britain was plunged into a state of national mourning. In the early hours, Princess Charlotte of Wales, the only child of the Prince Regent (later King George IV), and the nation’s future queen, had died after giving birth to a sti
Britain3 min readFashion
A Life In Objects
On 24 May 1819, Princess Victoria was born at Kensington Palace, a baby destined to rule over the largest empire the world had ever known. Kensington Palace is marking the anniversary with a new exhibition and a re-presentation of the rooms the young
Britain4 min read
Summer Of Song
Every year, between May and August, the sound of birdsong blends with the melodies of love-torn tragedy as the country house opera season gets underway. A growing number of historic venues now host their own special festivals of classical music, in w
Britain4 min read
Regency BRIGHTON
Style is no respecter of monarchs. Brighton may be nigh-on synonymous with the Regency period (1811-20) – it was a seaside retreat for the Prince Regent, the future George IV – but many of its most famous features were completed much later. “We have
Britain3 min read
ISLE of LEWIS
The Outer Hebrides may be a far-flung speck on the map, but with new flights from London via Glasgow, this magical place of wild landscapes, ancient ruins and Gaelic culture is suddenly within much easier reach. An otherworldly archipelago of over 10
Britain4 min read
A Back In Time
Samuel Pepys is fortunate not to live today. He would, one imagines, be addicted to social media and would be constantly vowing to undertake a digital detox for the good of his mental health. For even the most prolific Facebook scribbler would strugg
Britain4 min read
GREEN & PLEASANT
At last year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, one of the key themes was the impact gardens can have on your health and wellbeing. The verdict? Gardens are good for you. Whether you partake in gardening yourself, or simply enjoy being amid lush greenery and
Britain5 min read
On The Trail Of The MARCHER LORDS
When William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings in 1066 he lost no time in consolidating his victory in England. But the canny king left the tricky task of controlling the borderlands with Wales to his most loyal followers: rewarding them with
Britain1 min read
Book Ahead
Highlights of Glyndebourne (18 May to 25 August) include Fiona Shaw’s contemporary take on Cinderella and a rare staging of Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust. The festival can also be experienced live online, in cinemas, and with a winter tour in selec
Britain2 min read
Winchester
Winchester may be one of Britain’s smallest cities, but it was once the capital of England, no less. In 871 Alfred the Great was crowned King of Wessex and established Winchester as his capital, but by the 14th century it had lost its power and statu
Britain3 min read
Winchester: Cut-out-and- Guide
Direct trains from London Waterloo take an hour. www.thetrainline.com For a city-centre hotel with a country house feel, stay at the Winchester Royal. The 16th-century hotel was previously a bishop’s residence, and boasts 81 beautifully designed bed
Britain2 min read
David Livingstone
There aren’t many ten-year-olds working in a cotton mill who would spend their first week’s wages on a Latin grammar. David Livingstone, however, toiling on the factory floor, dreamed of bigger things: becoming a medical missionary in China. Born 19

Britain

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