Discover Britain June/July 2023 - Sample

Discover Britain is published by The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ, UK Tel: 020 7349 3700

Email: editorial@discoverbritainmag.com

Editor Sally Coffey

Assistant Editor Henrietta Easton

Art Editor Clare White

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This issue, our travel special encompasses several regions – Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and the Isle of Man – where Celtic culture (at least in the way we define it today) is woven into the landscape and people through music, folklore, and traditions that have been passed down through generations. Having grown up in a family where storytelling and song were considered as vital to my education as maths and science homework, I’m delighted that this issue we bring you some great stories inspired by the natural landscapes across our Celtic nations. Daniel Stables’ trek along the Golden Road through Wales’s Preseli Hills (p38) is set against a backdrop of Arthurian legend, while Lizzie Enfield reveals some of the myths of the Mourne Mountains (p18) on her walk there.

This issue I got to return to my homeland of Northern Ireland where I spent some quality time with my mother (p24 – and see above), while I left it to Richard Franks to report back on the changing face of Belfast 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement (p28).

I would love to hear about any connections you have to the Celtic nations – any memorable trips, and any things you would love to read more about in these pages, so feel free to drop me a line at sally.coffey@chelseamagazines.com or at the postal address below. I look forward to hearing your stories.

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Sally Coffey, Editor

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Discover Britain (ISSN 0950-5245, USPS 000-135; Digital ISSN 2397-7108) is published bi-monthly by The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ, England. Tel: +44 (0)20 7349 3700

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© The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd. 2023. All rights reserved. Text and pictures are copyright restricted and must not be reproduced without permission of the publishers. The information contained in Discover 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 Discover Britain are not necessarily those of the publisher.

On the cover: The Calanais Standing Stones on Scotland’s Isle of Lewis were erected 5,000 years ago, predating even Stonehenge. Read more on page 54.

Issue 234 CONTENTS

13

TRAVEL SPECIAL DISCOVER CELTIC BRITAIN

This issue we explore how and where the Celts settled in Britain, and discover where their influences can still be felt today

14

WHO WERE THE CELTS?

Our writer learns that pinpointing who the Celts were and where they came from is a lot harder than you might think

18

ON THE DOWN-LOW

On two very different journeys, our writers discover why County Down is Northern Ireland's best-kept secret

28 BELFAST

25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, we report on the changing face of Northern Ireland's vibrant capital

32

JOURNEYS IN CELTIC CULTURE

We travel through the heart of Wales to meet some of the people keeping Celtic traditions alive

38

THE GOLDEN ROAD

Daniel Stables follows an old Neolithic trade route along Wales's Preseli Hills, and finds himself immersed in folklore

42 A GRAND TOUR

Come with us on a whistle-stop tour of some of the most fascinating stately homes across Celtic Britain

48

CÈILIDHS, FIDDLES, & FLEADHS

Sally Coffey gives us the run down on Celtic music, and how it can still be enjoyed across the British Isles today

52 THE ISLE OF MAN

We speak to a local expert about how she and her family spend an ideal weekend on this island in the Irish Sea

54

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

From iconic castles to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, here are the places you should factor into your Celtic Britain tour

58

THE KING AND US

We report on the transformation of a former sacred building in Chelsea into an exhibition space for the Prince's Foundation

66

REYNOLDS, RIVALRIES AND ROYALS

300 years after the birth of Joshua Reynolds, we explore the jealousies between the great 18th-century portrait painters

74

A MODERN-DAY CANTERBURY TALE

Our writer follows a centuries-old path to one of Europe's finest cathedrals, to see what it feels like to be a pilgrim today

78

THE LONDON SPOTLIGHT

Our Londonphile Russell Higham gives us an insider's guide to the capital's lesser-known museums

REGULARS

6 THE BRIT EDIT

10 LETTERS

37 COMPETITION

64 GREAT BRITISH HOLIDAY COMP

72 COTSWOLDS DIARY

82 CROSSWORD & QUIZ

Page 42 Members of the Royal Family stay at Hillsborough Castle while in Northern Ireland

Brit Edit

Your curated guide to Britain this season

PROPERTY

All your Austen dreams come true

A house on the site of Jane Austen’s birthplace, in Hampshire, where she wrote some of her most famous novels, is on the market and inviting offers in the region of £8.5m.

Steventon House, which is being marketed by Savills and Knight Frank, was built by Jane Austen’s brother on the site of the novelist’s birthplace and former family home, where she lived from 1775 to 1801 while her father was rector at the nearby 13th-century church, which still stands. During her time at Steventon, Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, and Sense and Sensibility

In 1826, Austen’s brother, Edward, who had inherited the

estate, demolished the original house and built this 19th-century home in its place.

Ed Sugden, director of Savills country department, said: “Many homes across the country can lay claim to having ties to some of Britain’s most historical figures, however only Steventon House was the birthplace of iconic author Jane Austen, where she wrote some of her most significant works. While the original house no-longer stands, what is there today is the glorious Georgian vision of her older brother Edward, which is very befitting of the world that Jane wrote about.” savills.com; knightfrank.co.uk

TOURS

The other East-Enders

Fans of TV’s Call the Midwife can once again step inside the heart-warming show as tours at Chatham Historic Dockyard, where many of the outside scenes for the popular series are filmed, have relaunched (March to October), giving visitors access to props and popular sets, including Violet’s haberdashery.

The TV programme, set in Poplar in London’s East End, has enthralled viewers ever since it first premiered in 2012 and now the revamped Call the Midwife Official Location Tour allows visitors to walk on the same cobbles as much-loved characters such as Sister Julienne, Nancy Corrigan, Dr Turner, Fred Buckle, and nurse Trixie Franklin, whose wedding dress from the latest series can now be seen in the brand-new gallery. thedockyard.co.uk/whats-on/call-the-midwifelocation-tours

HERITAGE

The perfect dinner party

Back again for the 2023 season, East Lancashire Railway’s Dining with Distinction experiences will transport you to a bygone era of rail travel aboard a heritage steam railway, where you can admire the picturesque Lancashire scenes unfolding through the window of your Pullman-style carriage.

Among the many events to choose from are a wine-and-gin tasting evening, a traditional British afternoon tea, and an Agatha Christie-worthy murder mystery night, all of which see guests waited on hand and foot while being hauled through the British countryside. What’s not to like? eastlancsrailway.org.uk/experiences/dining-experiences

EXHIBITION Mothers’ mementoes

For a sobering experience, visit London’s Foundling Museum to learn about a side of Georgian society not often talked about. Set within the former Foundling Hospital, which was founded by Thomas Coram in 1739 to care for babies at risk of abandonment, the Foundling Museum is taking inspiration from some of its more poignant artefacts in its latest exhibition.

Until 10 September 2023, the Take This Token exhibition will look at some of the objects left by the mothers of the babies admitted into the Foundling – coins, amulets, ribbons, in one case even a hazelnut – in the hope they would act as a means of identification when they were eventually able to be reunited.

As the children were given new names on admission, these tokens were a crucial link to the babies’ pasts and yet in the 19th century many tokens were separated from the babies’ documentation and their true identities were never known. This exhibition imagines some of the stories behind these tiny objects. foundlingmuseum.org.uk

LONDON Paddington’s star-turn

He was the star of the show during Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations – who can forget their stellar performance and undeniable screen chemistry? – but now Paddington Bear is set to get the limelight to himself.

The Paddington Bear Experience will open at London County Hall later this year and will be a large-scale interactive experience celebrating everyone’s favourite bear who arrived in the capital from Peru courtesy of Michael Bond’s book A Bear Called Paddington 65 years ago. Don’t forget to pack your marmalade sandwiches. paddingtonbearexperience.com

Over to you...

A dreamy trip to Cornwall, and a competition entrant hopes to win: our pick of our reader letters this issue

More on Marazion

Thank you for a wonderful issue about Britain’s southwest coast in the June 2023 edition (Issue 233, April/May 2023), however, more attention might have been devoted to Marazion.

We stayed at the Marazion Hotel during pre-Covid times and had a lovely view of St Michael’s Mount from our room. The hotel also boasts a good restaurant and staff. With a few shops and other restaurants, we thought the town was a good base for exploring Cornwall, and IMHO (in my humble opinion) it is less crowded than some other parts.

We also loved our stay at Bovey Castle on the same trip and highly recommend it. Jan Owens, Mount Pleasant, WI, USA

This winner hopes to take it all

I am writing to you to express my strong desire to win the Great British Holiday Competition and win a holiday for two to London and the Cotswolds.

When I came across the competition, it honestly felt like a pinch-me moment because I had been reading up on the

Cotswolds for a month before that and I am absolutely in love with the pictures of the place.

The Cotswolds looks otherworldly and getting a chance to visit it with my husband would be a dream come true for me. England has been on top of my list of countries to visit but it has always seemed a little expensive to plan a trip there given the difference in currency rates. This competition seems like a godsend because it includes the Cotswolds – not just London. I have submitted my application and I am looking forward to winning this trip.

Mayura Shetty, by email

Editor replies: I wish you all the luck with this competition Mayura – it is indeed a fantastic prize. And, don’t worry, the winner is selected randomly, and I take no part in that process (so I can neither hinder nor help your chances).

Missing postcode?

On pages 64 and 65 of the June 2023 edition of Discover Britain, there is an announcement offering the chance to “Win a Great British Holiday”. There is

an entry form coupon on the righthand page for those who wish to send their entry by mail, however, the address does not include a zip code and I worry that it will not be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. What is the correct zip code for PO Box 207, Des Moines, IA?

John McDonnell, Lafayette, CA

Editor replies: Hello John, we have doublechecked the address and you are quite right. The full address is: PO Box 207, Des Moines, IA 50301. Apologies. There’s still a chance to enter on pages 64 and 65 of this issue, too!

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