BRITAIN THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
TRAVEL CULTURE HERITAGE STYLE
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British Journeys Cornwall, Wales and Northumberland
200th
ANNIVERSARY
How the Iron Duke won the Battle of Waterloo
JANE AUSTEN
Villages that inspired our Georgian novelist
UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS
Real-life stories from the Downton Abbey era
Hampton Court
Inside Wolf Hall’s royal palace
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EDITOR'S LETTER This issue, I’ve managed to escape the confines of the office for a few hours and do what I love to do most: explore some of our nation’s hidden corners and learn more about some of our most famous Britons. First up, I visited Hampshire on the trail of one of my all-time favourite writers, Jane Austen, in Austen Country (p6), to see the places that she drew inspiration from. Next, I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing the ever-so-knowledgeable Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces – the charity that looks after King Henry VIII’s favourite abode, Hampton Court Palace (which turns 500 this year). Read all about it in Tales from the Tudor Court (p23). If you’d like to go on your own journey of discovery then we’ve rounded up some of the best travel adventures you can experience across our isles in The Road Best Travelled (p30), which we’re confident will have you booking your next trip before you know it. Happy travels.
CONTENTS VOLUME 83 ISSUE 3
FEATURES 6
Sally Coffey, Editor
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BRITAIN THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
TRAVEL CULTURE HERITAGE STYLE
AWARD-WINNING MAGAZINE
Great
SAVE
2-for-1 entry to our heritage top sites
British Journeys Cornwall, Wales and Northumberland
30 37
200th
ANNIVERSARY
How the Iron Duke won the Battle of Waterloo
JANE AUSTEN
Villages that inspired our Georgian novelist
UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS
Real-life stories from the Downton Abbey era
Hampton Court
Inside Wolf Hall’s royal palace
FINAL COVER.indd 2
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Cover image: Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland © Loop Images Ltd/Alamy
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The riverside gem of Beaulieu Palace House, Hampshire
43
AUSTEN COUNTRY To celebrate 200 years of her novel Emma, we visit the home county of Jane Austen to see for ourselves the places that inspired her, from charming villages to the lush New Forest
TALES FROM THE TUDOR COURT In Hampton Court's 500th anniversary year, we speak to Chief Curator of the Palace, Lucy Worsley, and uncover some of the hidden histories of King Henry VIII's favourite home
30
43
THE ROAD BEST TRAVELLED Whether going by plane, train, car, boat or on foot, we present the best British adventures
SCULPTOR SUPREME Was Grinling Gibbons, aka the ‘Michelangelo of Wood', England's finest woodcarver of all time?
TOO FUNNY FOR WORDS The legendary comic Charlie Chaplin, who revolutionised cinema with his silent art, was not only a genius but also a true pioneer BRITAIN
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FEATURES 48 56 63
REGULARS 17 71 85
75
THE BULLETIN A new King Richard III tour, the discovery of a book that helped King Henry VIII's case for divorce, and this year's Battle Proms
75
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
IN AN ENGLISH COUNTRY GARDEN
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We tell the story of the exquisite gardens at Nymans, a horticultural wonderland situated in the county of West Sussex
BRITAIN is the official magazine of VisitBritain, the national tourism agency. BRITAIN is published by The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ Tel: 020 7349 3700 Fax: 020 7901 3701 Email: info@britain-magazine.com
UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS What was life really like for servants and their masters in the Downton Abbey era?
WELLINGTON'S WAR As we commemorate 200 years since the Battle of Waterloo, we explore the significance of the British victory and the deeds of an iconic war hero
IN SEASON In time for this year’s Season, we chart the history of British fashion, plus how to dress to impress
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Win a luxury short break in award-winning Yorebridge House in the Yorkshire Dales
CITY BREAKS: ST DAVIDS The smallest city in Britain is located on one of our most beautiful coastlines
LETTERS
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QUIZ: WHAT'S IN A WORD?
Your views on Britain, and your magazine Test your knowledge of the English language
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Publisher Simon Temlett Digital Product Manager Oliver Morley-Norris Advertisement Manager Natasha Syed Sales Executive Jack Shannon Managing Director Paul Dobson Deputy Managing Director Steve Ross Commercial Director Vicki Gavin Subscriptions Manager William Delmont For VisitBritain Iris Buckley Printed in England by Southern Print, Poole, Dorset Production All Points Media Subscriptions and back issues UK/Rest of World: BRITAIN, Subscriptions Department, 800 Guillat Avenue, Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8GU Tel: 01795 419839 Email: Britain@servicehelpline.co.uk http://britain.subscribeonline.co.uk North America: USA: Britain, PO Box 37518, Boone, IA 50037-0518 Tel: 888-321-6378 (toll free) Email: BTNcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com http://britsubs.com/britain Canada: BRITAIN, 1415 Janette Avenue, Windsor, Ontario N8X 1Z1, Canada Tel: 888-321-6378 (toll free) Email: BTNcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com Australia and New Zealand: BRITAIN, Locked Bag 1239, North Melbourne, VIC 3051, Australia. Tel: 02 8877 0373 Email: britain@data.com.au
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Editor Sally Coffey Senior Art Editor Rhian Colley Sub Editor Ben Grafton Designer Maria Sagun Editorial Assistant Flora Hughes-Onslow
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Hampshire
Austen COUNTRY
To mark the 200th anniversary of her novel Emma, we visit the home county of Jane Austen to find the places that inspired her, from the villages of north Hampshire to the beautiful New Forest WORDS SALLY COFFEY
45 MINUTES FROM LONDON
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A Jacobite steam train departs picturesque Glenfinnan, Scotland
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BRITAIN
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British Journeys
THE ROAD
best travelled
Planes, trains and automobiles – as well as boats and your own two feet – will bring you closer to some of our most striking settings, and getting there is all part of the adventure WORDS CAROL DAVIS
W
hen Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote that to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, he could well have been picturing the magnificent boats and steam trains of the Victorian era, gleaming with polished brass and mahogany, or perhaps simply the act of walking flower-strewn cliffs, high above the glittering sea. Approaching Britain’s many awe-inspiring landscapes, from mountain scenes to picturesque harbours, is often breathtaking, but sometimes the journey itself is the best part as you are treated to spectacular coastal and countryside vistas. From dramatic walks to exhilarating plane, train, car and boat trips, over the next few pages we bring you some of the best ways to explore our isles.
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