Discover Britain August/September 2023 - Sample

Is there a part of Britain that exemplifies the rural idyll better than the Cotswolds? We think not, and so starting on page 13, we bring you a bumper 45-page Cotswolds travel special that will have you daydreaming of perfect honey-hued cottages, cosy village pubs, and cute tea shops between now and your next visit.

The Cotswolds isn’t all chocolate-box towns and villages though, it’s also home to some rather grand stately homes and Kerryn Harper-Cuss’s piece on Dyrham Park (p24) will hopefully open your eyes to one of the lesser known of these. Meanwhile, Blenheim Palace is one of the most famous of the Cotswolds’ big estates, and this issue Jeremy Flint goes behind the scenes with one of its key members of staff to find out about the work that goes into keeping everything running like clockwork (p42).

Elsewhere this issue, Mark Rowe gets up close to Henry VIII’s beloved warship, the Mary Rose (p58), which was lost to the sea for centuries but is now an outstanding visitor attraction; while Adrian Mourby shines a light on an often forgotten king, Henry III (p68), who is responsible for that Cosmati floor at Westminster Abbey, which starred in the recent coronation, as well as other examples of architectural brilliance found in Britain. And finally, with summer here, I wax lyrical about the British obsession with picnics (p64). Enjoy.

Sally Coffey, Editor

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Issue 235

CONTENTS

6

THE BRIT EDIT

Our curated guide to the best things to do across the UK in the coming months

10 LETTERS

Our pick of the best reader letters this issue

13

TRAVEL SPECIAL DISCOVER THE COTSWOLDS

This issue we uncover the delights of the Cotswolds

14

THE CHARM OF THE COTSWOLDS

Our editor takes us on a guided tour of the Cotswolds destinations you’ve been daydreaming of, from honey-pot villages to fairytale towns

24

A WORLD OF RICHES

As Baroque Dyrham Park reopens after extensive restoration, we uncover some uncomfortable truths about how the property was initially funded

32 OXFORD

The city of dreaming spires has long been favoured by literary giants and other learned people

36

KING OF THE HILL

We visit the historic town of Malmesbury, the final resting place of England’s first king, Æthelstan, and home to a unique tradition

40

THE WORLD’S OLDEST FAMILY TREE

We discover what a tomb found in the Gloucestershire countryside has taught archaeologists about early Cotswolds residents

Page 42 Jeremy Flint meets Julian Newman, who looks after the clocks and timepieces at the magnificent Blenheim Palace

42

THE TICK TOCK MASTER

Jeremy Flint meets the man tasked with looking after the dozens of clocks and timepieces within Blenheim Palace

49 COTSWOLDS DIARY

Our columnists shares more insights into what life on her Cotswolds farm is like, including which flora and fauna to look out for in the summer months

50

TISANES TEAROOM, BROADWAY

This archetypal English tea shop in one of the Cotswolds’ prettiest villages is the perfect spot for a pot of tea and a freshly baked scone

52

CREAM OF THE COTSWOLDS

Our pick of some of the places you should include in your tour of the Cotswolds, from glorious gardens to historic houses

57 COMPETITION

Your chance to win a luxury break in the resplendent 14th-century Manor House Hotel in Castle Combe, Wiltshire

58

THE TUDOR TIME CAPSULE

Henry VIII’s cherished ship, the Mary Rose, was lost to the depths of the sea for centuries, but can now be boarded in Portsmouth

64

PICNIC ETIQUETTE

We delve into the tradition of the humble picnic

68

THE BUILDER KING

King Henry III’s contribution to Britain’s architectural landscape is not to be underestimated

78

THE LONDON SPOTLIGHT

We go in search of the London haunts of the world’s most famous spy, 007

82

CROSSWORD & QUIZ

Test your knowledge of Britain

Page 68 Henry III made significant architectural investments at Windsor Castle

Page 52 William Morris’s summer retreat is a must-see on your Cotswolds tour

Page 14 The picture-perfect Cotswolds village of Lower Slaughter

Brit Edit

Your curated guide to Britain this season

EXHIBITIONS

Royal fashion show

The wedding dress of King George IV’s daughter, Princess Charlotte of Wales – the earliest surviving British royal wedding dress – is one of just 200 incredible pieces currently on display at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace.

Until 8 October 2023, Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians, an exhibition curated by the Royal Collection, examines what Georgian clothing can tell us about the society of the time, from the practical uniforms of laundry maids to the glamorous gowns seen at the glittering balls.

Princess Charlotte wore the silver silk embroidered gown to her wedding to Prince Leopold in 1816 – silver was en vogue at the time – but sadly she died in childbirth the following year.

Another key piece in the exhibition is a full-length portrait of the princess’s grandmother, Queen Charlotte, by Thomas Gainsborough depicted a few decades earlier wearing a magnificent court gown, which will be shown beside a gown of similar style on loan from the Fashion Museum Bath.

rct.uk/visit/the-queens-gallery-buckingham-palace

SHOWS

On cloud 1929

A new jazz club in London’s vibrant Soho promises to transport guests from the busy streets of the capital to a world far, far away as they surrender themselves to the smooth sounds of some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.

While Soho has long been associated with jazz music, many of the venues have been lost to the mists of time and others are rather creaking at the edges. The Boulevard, however, is a new state-of-theart theatre space. It has a fully revolving balcony and stalls, which at turns can be a traditional auditorium and at others can create the Art Deco vibe of yesteryear with separate lamp-lit circular tables, where waiters will deliver cocktails throughout the performance. The Night Train on Fridays and Saturdays from 10pm is a great way to round off a night in London’s Soho. soho.live/boulevard

HERITAGE Crowning it all off

Visitors to the Tower of London’s Jewel House can now explore even more stories about the Crown Jewels, which have been kept here for almost 400 years, months after they played an important role in the coronations of King Charles III and Queen Camilla – the first time the world has seen them in use in 70 years.

The re-presentation of the Jewel House, a partnership between Historic Royal Palaces and Garrard, will see the Imperial State Crown, worn by His Majesty The King for the procession from the Abbey to Buckingham Palace and in the official coronation portraits, go back on display, as well as the St Edward’s Crown, which was placed on the King’s head at the moment of crowning. Other items, such as the state crown frames made for George I, George IV, and Queen Victoria will go on show for the first time ever.

Andrew Jackson, Resident Governor of the Tower of London and Keeper of the Jewel House, said: “It was a proud moment for everyone at the Tower of London to witness the regalia in use during the Coronation Service – but now visitors have the opportunity to get close to these remarkable objects too. We’re looking forward to sharing this new display with people from all over the world.”

hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london

PROPERTY Anne of Cleves’ house sold

This incredible historic house, once home to Henry VIII’s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves – the notorious king gifted it to her on their divorce – has just been sold to one very lucky new owner.

Wings Place is one of the best timberframed buildings in Britain, with beautiful period details such as oak staircases, and was described by architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner as “eminently picturesque in a watercolourist’s way.”

Situated in the pretty village of Ditchling, Sussex, the house is one of the rare few privately-owned Grade I listed buildings in the country, and boasts views of the South Downs. Its walls also hide many stories regarding Anne of Cleves as well as other prominent Tudors who once called it home, such as Thomas Cromwell and Henry Poole. jackson-stops.co.uk

TRAVEL

See Bath from the sky

Want to admire the historic splendour of the City of Bath from a different perspective? The Francis Hotel Bath, set in a Georgian building on Queen Square, has teamed up with local company Fly Away Ballooning to offer private hot air balloon rides to guests.

Available from April to September, the package includes a two-night stay at the four-star hotel and a ride over the city and the surrounding countryside.

Hugo Hall, chief pilot and co-founder of Fly Away Ballooning, says: “There really is no better way to see the whole of the city than from the skies on a spring or summer morning or early evening”.

francishotel.com

CULTURE

New era for the National Portrait Gallery

Long overlooked in favour of other London galleries and museums, the National Portrait Gallery, just off Trafalgar Square in central London, has undergone its most ambitious transformation ever, turning it into the world-class gallery we always knew it could be.

Inside the revamped building, the result of a three-year £41.3m project, Britain’s most important collection of portraits, including a portrait of William Shakespeare, probably by John Taylor (also known as the Chandos Portrait), which was the first piece acquired by the gallery when it was founded in 1856, are now displayed in a cohesive and striking way.

As well as a new entrance and forecourt, one of the biggest changes in the new-look gallery is a better representation of Britain, with more female artists than ever before – Tracey Emin’s bronze casts of eminent women on the newly installed doors is just the start – and a focus on telling missing or hidden stories from throughout British history. npg.org.uk

Over to you...

Memories stirred, and we help answer a family history question: our pick of our reader letters this issue

Castle connections

As a subscriber to your magazine of just over a year, I was wondering, has your magazine ever run any articles on Hay Castle or Hay-on-Wye Castle?

I am 77 years old but when I was about 16 or 17 my mother received a cheque for her share of the inheritance from the sale of Hay Castle. That would have been about 1962-1963. I never knew how much it was (though I’ve always wondered.)

Her mother was a Hay who married a McKeand and my mother’s maiden name was Mary Millicent McKeand. I don’t know if any of my mother’s brothers and sisters received cheques.

I have not been able to get any information about the sale of the castle, such as when it was sold and to whom. Any information you may have would be greatly appreciated.

Sandra Green Collins,

San

Antonio, Texas, USA

Mari Fforde of the Hay Castle Trust replies: Hay Castle was sold in 1964 to Richard Booth, who later became King of Hay and declared Hay an Independent Kingdom and his horse Goldie became Prime Minister. Richard owned the castle until 2011 when he put it up for sale and the Hay Castle Trust was formed to purchase it and transform it into the place that it is today. My research seems to suggest that

transform it into the place that it is today. My research seems to suggest that Can we help

Mr Tuson, who owned the castle during the 1950s and 1960s, died and the sale was made to Richard Booth through Mr Tuson’s estate. Mr Tuson died on 15 January 1964 and his address is given as Hay Castle. We have found a reference that states that when Mr Tuson died, he left an estate valued at £66,000 and that his executors put the castle up for sale.

Richard Booth says in his autobiography that he purchased it off Mr Tuson, but I think he had met with him and may have been in negotiations but ended up purchasing it after his death. He said that he remembered Mr Tuson driving around in an old car full of bags of pennies that he collected from the various piers around Wales – in marrying Louisa Studt, Tuson had married into the Studt fairground family.

Beautiful memories

I’ve just finished reading the June 2023 issue of Discover Britain (Issue 233).

What an amazing section about ‘The Beautiful South West’. It was so well done and brought back so many memories of a trip we did there. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed sight-seeing through large parts of these three counties a few years ago with friends who live in Devon.

There is nothing better than a local to show you the sights. I always look forward to Discover Britain coming in the mail.

Keep up the good work!

Sheila Steele, Verona, Canada

An oldie but a goldie

I came across an excellent ‘Wig’ article (discoverbritainmag.com/british-law-wigs) that discusses the colourful history of Ede & Ravenscroft.

In the second-to-last paragraph, it says that the marriage of robemaker Joseph Webb Ede and wigmaker Rosanna Ravenscroft created a marriage of the two businesses, but that he died shortly afterwards, “leaving her at the helm.” I wondered if you might consider changing the text to “making her the bigwig”?

It would be a fantastic improvement to an already solid piece of text.

Thiago Cesar Jasper Moreira,

by email

Global appreciation

I can’t help wondering why, in all the articles about the South West of England (Issue 233, June 23), nobody mentioned the Great Globe at Durlston Country Park near Swanage [A 40-tonne concrete globe and one of the largest stone spheres in the world – Ed]. It is one of the most memorable things I have seen in your beautiful country.

Anne Ellis, by email

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