BRITAIN 2025
Cotswolds
STATELY SPLENDOUR
Britain boasts an impressive array of historic houses, surrounded by sweeping parkland and formal gardens. Read on for a cherry-picked selection of our favourites – and the stately home events not to miss in 2025
Highclere Castle, Hampshire
With the third Downton Abbey movie due for release in September 2025, there’s never been a better time for a visit to ‘the Real Downton’, Highclere Castle. Not that we need an excuse: this beautiful ancestral home is one of Britain’s finest. It has been the family seat of the Earls of Carnarvon since 1679, though its history stretches back centuries further.
In 749 an Anglo-Saxon King granted the estate to the Bishops of Winchester, who built a stately medieval palace on the parkland here. Various rebuildings and developments later (including the landscaping of the grounds by Capability Brown), in 1842 it was transformed by Sir Charles Barry, architect of the Houses of Parliament, into the Italianate gem you can admire today.
The twists and turns in the history of the house and its occupants could rival a Downton Abbey plotline. In one dramatic episode, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon discovered Tutankhamen’s Tomb with his friend and associate Howard Carter. His death soon afterwards led to the story of the ‘Curse of Tutankhamen’, though an infected mosquito bite is the likelier cause.
Some of the Earl’s Egyptian discoveries can be seen in the Antiquities Room, including jewellery and statuary. You can also wander the State Rooms for a glimpse of life above stairs. Don’t miss the breathtaking Saloon with its leather wall coverings; the Drawing Room, its walls decorated with watery green silk, and the sunny Music Room, hung with 16th-century Italian embroideries.
Don’t miss February’s From Downton Abbey to Tutankhamun tours take in Downton filming locations as well as the Egyptian Exhibition below stairs. highclerecastle.co.uk
London
Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a lifelong Londoner, Britain’s vibrant capital is entrancing.
Beyond the top tier of world-class sights, from the Tower of London to the British Museum, there are numerous smaller museums, galleries and buildings to absorb you, each with stories to tell. And even if you don’t set foot in a single one, you’ll find endless (and free) entertainment exploring the capital’s markets, tucked-away Georgian squares and City backstreets, or people-watching on the South Bank, home to Tate Modern, the London Eye and Shakespeare’s Globe.
Then there’s the food. London has evolved into one of the world’s great culinary capitals, with an impressive 80 Michelin-star restaurants; take afternoon tea, join a food tour or fine-dine with a skyline view. However you round off your evening – with a stroll along the fairylit Thames, maybe, or a pint in a local pub – we think you’ll agree that there are few cities on earth that can match the sheer buzz of London.
H ighlights
SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUMS
A superb trio of museums – the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, and the V& A – make this cultural pocket of southwest London a must-visit.
ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL
Walk across the floor where Prince Charles and Diana were married in 1981, take a pew for Choral Evensong, or climb 528 steps to the Dome for breathtaking views.
TATE MODERN
The home of contemporary art, this gallery regularly puts on thought-provoking exhibitions and events.
GREENWICH
Visit Cutty Sark, the world’s only surviving tea clipper, stand astride the historic Prime Meridian, and visit Greenwich Observatory, home of Greenwich Mean Time.
THE SOUTH BANK
This buzzing area, across the river from the Houses of Parliament, has some of the city’s
biggest attractions including Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe and the London Eye, as well as theatres, galleries and restaurants.
TOWER OF LONDON
From the Crown Jewels to the legendary beefeaters, explore 1,000 years of history at this fortress, royal palace and infamous prison.
NATIONAL GALLERY
This beautiful gallery has a world-class collection of over 2,300 works, including masterpieces such as Constable’s The Hay Wain
AFTERNOON
TEA
This very civilised tradition is a must on any visit to the capital. Hotels offering tea with all the trimmings are numerous, but for a truly indulgent treat with live piano accompaniment, head to Claridge's or The Savoy.
BRITISH MUSEUM
The British Museum has over eight million objects, including the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon Sculptures and Egyptian mummies. Its temporary exhibitions are excellent too.
England s HISTORIC HEART ’
The site of some of the most momentous events in English history, Worcestershire also has rich royal connections and ancient manors to explore
WORDS CATHERINE JONES
Beyond the WALLS CAS TLE
Sitting on the long-contested Welsh border, Monmouthshire was once a place of violent turmoil. Now it’s all scenic landscapes and bustling market towns – but nine fortresses remain to tell the story
WORDS CATHERINE JONES
