BRITAIN May/June 2015 Preview

BRITAIN THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

TRAVEL CULTURE HERITAGE STYLE

AWARD-WINNING MAGAZINE

Great

S AVE 2-for1

e to our ntry herita top ge site s

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

MAY/JUNE 2015 £4.25 07

9 771757 973084

www.britain-magazine.com

6

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

@BRITAINMAGAZINE FACEBOOK/BRITAINMAGAZINE

23

PINTEREST/BRITAINMAGAZINE BRITAIN_MAGAZINE

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

MAY/JUNE 2015 £4.25 07

9 771757 973084

www.britain-magazine.com

27/03/2015 11:09

Cover image: Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland © Loop Images Ltd/Alamy

www.britain-magazine.com

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

3

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

www.britain-magazine.com

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

56

15

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

98

QUIZ: WHAT'S IN A WORD?

Your views on Britain, and your magazine Test your knowledge of the English language

85

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

COMPETITION

91

Editor Sally Coffey Senior Art Editor Rhian Colley Sub Editor Ben Grafton Designer Maria Sagun Editorial Assistant Flora Hughes-Onslow

News distribution

IN THIS ISSUE

SCOTLAND

LOCH LOMOND p30

USA and Canada: CMG, LLC/155 Village Blvd/3rd Floor/ Princeton, NJ 08540 USA UK and Rest of World: Seymour International Ltd. 2 East Poultry Ave, London EC1A 9PT Tel: 020 7429 4000 Fax: 020 7429 4001 Email: info@seymour.co.uk BRITAIN (ISSN 0019-3143) (USPS 004-335) is published bimonthly by The Chelsea Magazine Company, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ , UK Distributed in the US by Circulation Specialists, LLC, 2 Corporate Drive, Suite 945, Shelton, CT 06484 Periodical postage paid at Shelton, CT and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BRITAIN, PO Box 37518, Boone, IA 50037-0518 Publications Mail Agreement Number 41599077, 1415 Janette Ave, Windsor, ON N8X 1Z1. Canadian GST Registered Number 834045627 RT0001 © The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd 2015. All rights reserved.

Text and pictures are copyright restricted and must not be reproduced without permission of the publishers

IRELAND ENGLAND

LINCOLNSHIRE p17 DERBYSHIRE p37 ST DAVIDS p85

The information contained in BRITAIN has been published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy.

However, where appropriate, you are strongly advised to check prices, opening times, dates, etc, before making final arrangements. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or damage caused by reliance on the information contained within this publication is hereby excluded. The opinions expressed by contributors to BRITAIN are not necessarily those of the publisher or VisitBritain.

WA L E S

HAMPTON COURT p23 HAMPSHIRE p6

4 BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

Hampshire

6

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

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

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

7

A Jacobite steam train departs picturesque Glenfinnan, Scotland

30

BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

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.

www.britain-magazine.com

BRITAIN

31

SUBSCRIBE TO BRITAIN MAGAZINE

BRITAIN BRITAINBRITAIN Life inside the real THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

The official magazine

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

TRAVEL CULTURE HERITAGE STYLE

TRAVEL CULTURE HERITAGE STYLE

VOTED BEST HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

VOTED BEST HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

Cotswolds antiques

DOWNTON ABBEY

BY THE COUNTESS OF THE CASTLE

IN SI

voted best holidAy MAgAzine of the year

DE

Lo mos ndon’s landt iconic mar ks

05 05

9 771757 973077 9 771757 973077

www.britain-magazine.com

WIN

a holiday the Isl to of Mane

KING CHARLES CHARLES I I KING

WI N

EXECUTION OF A MONARCH

a luxu ry break short in Cotsw the olds

From Windsor to the sleepy villages of Oxfordshire

England explore the wonders of warwickshire

HUNT FOR UNIQUE PIECES IN STUNNING SURROUNDINGS

THE THAMES

Shakespeare’s

MArch/April 2014 £3.95

cApitAl c Apit dAy out enjoy the best of london with our top tips

clock c lock w wAtching

Classic timepieces, from a Suffolk sundial to Big Ben

HEVER CASTLE

Inside the childhood home of Anne Boleyn

Murder M urder in the cAthedr A Athedr cAthedrAl

1066

WWI

The four years that changed the nation forever

BEHIND THE SCENES

LONDON'S SECRET GUILDS

BRITAIN MAGAZINE MAKES THE PERFECT GIFT

the tr trAgic tAle of thoMAs becket thoMA tho

The battle that changed British history

JULY/AUGUST 2014 £4.25 09

Secret garden gardenS springtime delights from the national trust

9 771757 973084

www.britain-magazine.com

Cover BRJA14.indd 2

NOV/DEC 2014 £4.25 01

27/05/2014 12:34

9 771757 973084

www.britain-magazine.com

EXPLORE ONE OF BRITAIN’S PRETTIEST COUNTIES

FINAL COVER.indd 2

22/09/2014 15:57

If you enjoy discovering more about our country’s rich history, then you’ll love BRITAIN – The Official Magazine. Learn more about our kings and queens, heroes and villains, castles and cathedrals, stately homes and gardens, countryside and coastline... and so much more besides.

Packed with fascinating features and stunning photography that showcase Britain at her finest, and full of ideas on where to go, what to see and where to stay, BRITAIN takes you on a colourful journey through our nation’s rich history and landscape from the comfort of your own armchair!

Subscribe to BRITAIN today!

US: 1 year for US $29.95 Canada: 1 year for C $39.95 UK: 1 year from £19.95 Australia: 1 year for A $59.95 Rest of World: 1 year for £32.95 US & Canada readers:

You can call us (toll free in the US and Canada) at 888-321-6378, or email us at btncustserv@cdsfulfillment.com Please mention offer code X456S1 to get this special rate.

Australia & NZ readers call + 61 (0) 3 8317 8135 UK & ROW readers go to www.chelseamagazines.com/Britain-XM14