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Discover Dorset’s prettiest villages

A STAY IN A LUXURY

SISTERS IN SCANDAL

COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL

Meet the Mitfords

ROYAL PORTRAITS

History in the frame

LOVE STORY The truth behind a royal romance

Becoming the Bard The mystery of Shakespeare's early years

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EDITOR'S LETTER Summer is upon us, the sun is making an appearance and attractions across the country are reopening their doors once more. This issue, we’ve embraced our new-found freedoms with a scenic adventure over Argyll’s lochs and glens, castle-spotting along the way (Highland beauty, p68). We also enjoy a wander through Dorset’s prettiest villages (What’s in a name?, p14) – if reading the feature leaves you longing to explore, enter our Competition (p21) for the chance to transport yourself to a country-house hotel in this timeless corner of England.

Elsewhere, our features are linked by a royal theme. In an exclusive extract from a new biography, we look back at a special time in the life of the Queen and Prince Philip (A royal engagement, p48).

We also chart the escapades of Charles II (The Merry Monarch and the man, p23) and delve into the history of royal portraiture, from Henry VII in his ermine-trimmed gown to the Queen as a pop art icon (The power of the portrait, p39). Enjoy the issue!

Cottages in Luss, Argyll

CONTENTS VOLUME 89 ISSUE 4

FEATURES

Natasha Foges, Editor PHOTOS: © JUNE CAIRNS/GETTY IMAGES/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JOHN HAMMOD/WWW.SHOOT360.CO.UK

68

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Know your Piddles from your Puddles as you explore some of England’s most idyllic, historic – and curiously named – villages in the picturesque county of Dorset

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@BRITAIN__ MAGAZINE

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THE OFFICIAL M AGAZINE

39

TRAVEL CULTURE HERITAGE STYLE

Castles & Cottages

WIN

SISTERS IN SCANDAL

COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL

Meet the Mitfords

ROYAL PORTRAITS

History in the frame

LOVE STORY The truth behind a royal romance

Becoming the Bard The mystery of Shakespeare's early years

www.britain-magazine.com

TUDORS TO WINDSORS A new exhibition brings visitors face to face with the kings and queens who have shaped 500 years of British history

Discover Dorset’s prettiest villages

A STAY IN A LUXURY

SISTERS IN SCANDAL A new TV adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love puts the lives of her infamous sisters in the spotlight once again

PINTEREST/BRITAINMAGAZINE

BRI AI

THE MERRY MONARCH AND THE MAN Was Charles II the charming, happy-go-lucky rogue of popular history, or was there a darker side to his personality and the times?

FACEBOOK/BRITAINMAGAZINE

Cover image: Corfe Castle, and the village of the same name, in Dorset © Riccardo Spila/ 4Corners Images

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WHAT’S IN A NAME?

A ROYAL ENGAGEMENT The story of the private and public moments in the engagement of HM The Queen and Prince Philip

31

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

FEATURES 57

IN SHAKESPEARE’S FOOTSTEPS The Bard’s links with Stratford-upon-Avon and London are well known, but where did he spend the undocumented years before his first stage successes?

65

NOTTINGHAM The spirit of the world’s best-loved folk hero lives on in the history and culture of this fascinating city

68

Argyll’s wild mountains and tranquil lochs are a stunning refuge for a host of precious sights

REGULARS 6

LETTERS Share your stories and memories of Britain, and your thoughts on the magazine

9

THE BULLETIN

COMPETITION Your chance to win a relaxing stay at a country-house hotel in Dorset

77

CITY GUIDE: PORTSMOUTH With royal connections, sea views and historic forts, this great maritime city is ripe for exploring

82

HIDDEN GEMS: WASHINGTON OLD HALL A stately stone manor associated with the ancestors of George Washington

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Waxworks, royal sequins and a sailor’s paradise

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IN THIS ISSUE

BRITAIN (ISSN 2396-9210) (USPS 004-335) is published bi-monthly by The Chelsea Magazine Company, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ , UK Distributed in the US by NPS Media Group, 2 Corporate Drive, Suite 945, Shelton, CT 06484. Periodicals postage paid at Shelton, CT and other mailing offices.

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YOUR LETTERS

Write to us with your thoughts on the magazine and memories of Britain

BEATRIX POTTER’S LEGACY

Our star letter wins Beauty in Letters by John P Wilson, featuring a beautiful selection of illustrated addresses (Unicorn, £25). unicornpublishing.org Thank you for your recent tribute [on www.britain-magazine.com] to HRH Prince Phillip and his extraordinary life.

Like many Australians, I was deeply saddened to learn of Prince Philip’s recent passing. Prince Philip was hugely popular in Australia, visiting more than 20 times over 72 years and accompanying the Queen on 16 of those visits. Their February/March 1963 Royal Tour of Australia (which coincided with the Canberra jubilee celebrations) brought them to every one of our states and territories. During that tour, as a young girl aged 11, I well remember my

mother taking me into Sydney when the Queen and Duke had sailed into Sydney Harbour on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

We saw the Royal Yacht from the AMP building which was then Sydney’s tallest building, we watched their motorcade at Circular Quay and later in the day we stood along the driveway to Sydney’s Government House and waved as they drove past. At that time I took some slide photographs on my new 35mm camera [above].

They are a precious reminder of that very exciting day back in 1963.

Michele Evans, Sydney, Australia

A FRIEND TO CHERISH I saw a letter about pen pals who had been staying in touch for many years in your magazine. I too started writing to my pen friend when we were 16. It has been almost 52 years now. We Facebook instead of writing letters now. I have visited the UK 4 times and 3 of those she has been my tour guide from her home in Manchester. Friendships like these are all too infrequent these days and should be cherished.

Linda Carlyle, New Mexico, USA WRITE TO US! By post: Letters, BRITAIN, The Chelsea Magazine Company, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ Via email: editor@britain-magazine.com FOLLOW US! Twitter: @BritainMagazine Instagram: @britain_magazine Facebook: www.facebook.com/BritainMagazine Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/britainmagazine

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Your detailed article on Beatrix Potter [Vol 88 Issue 6] was an extremely interesting read, not only because she was a very talented artist but also because she fought endlessly and successfully to save huge acres of beautiful English countryside from developers and outstanding historic architecture from ruin.

As a graphic artist myself all my working life, I have admired her work since the day I saw her first book The Tale of Peter Rabbit, but I had little knowledge of her struggle and sadness and that she and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley planted the seeds of the National Trust all those years ago.

My partner and I became members of the National Trust many years ago whilst on a two-month holiday from Australia, for the sole purpose of seeing England’s historic architecture and so we engaged the map showing properties owned by the National Trust as a guide to our journey around England. We had the most enjoyable two-month holiday of our lifetime.

John Simpson, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

Polly Curtis I’ve been a US subscriber for many years, and look forward to seeing each issue arrive in my mailbox. I’ve often wondered if my fabulous US version is different from the UK version. Either way, I love my BRITAIN magazine, and have used many articles to guide my journeys to the UK from California. Thank you!

BRITAIN replies: The UK and US versions are exactly the same, Polly, so none of our readers miss out! www.britain-magazine.com

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BULLETIN Waxworks, royal sequins & a sailor’s paradise

EVENT

PHOTOS: © WWW.FALMOUTH.CO.UK/RICHARD WILCOX

Plain sailing Commemorating 500 years since the first voyage around the world, the internationally renowned Tall Ships Race will start from Cornwall’s Falmouth on 19 August. The race between 40 of these traditionally rigged sailing vessels will be preceded by a spectacular Parade of Sail, with a Royal Naval Vessel in attendance,

in the natural amphitheatre of Falmouth Bay, and accompanied by celebratory shoreside events. You can get up close to the ships on water-based inner harbour tours (new for this year) or enjoy the impact from afar from many vantage points along Falmouth’s beautiful coastline. www.falmouth.co.uk

HISTORY / NEWS / REVIEWS / INSPIRATION

FASHION

Regal finery

A wonder in wax Visitors to Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of wartime prime minister Winston Churchill, can now enjoy two new permanent exhibitions. The Stables Exhibition, an immersive experience set in the palace’s historic stable block, demonstrates how horses and ‘Capability’ Brown’s landscaped parkland have contributed to the success of the estate over the centuries. Meanwhile the new Churchill Exhibition, which combines historic artefacts with new technology, features a new extraordinarily lifelike waxwork of Churchill, created by renowned sculptor Jethro Crabb. www.blenheimpalace.com

SHOPPING

REOPENING

A humble home Scottish missionary, doctor and explorer, David Livingstone was also a lifelong anti-slavery campaigner. Now, following a £9.1m regeneration programme, his international legacy has the space and sophistication it deserves at the David Livingstone Birthplace in South Lanarkshire.

Located on the site of the Blantyre Works Mill, the complex, which is set to reopen this summer, features a brand-new exhibition space in the Shuttle Row tenements where Livingstone was born and raised. The many items on display include the books he used to educate himself as a young boy at the mill. www.david-livingstone-birthplace.org

Blooming lovely Summer is here and we’re enjoying being out and about again. Inspired by the RHS Herbarium at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey, the Royal Horticultural Society’s collection of reusable travel coffee cups and water bottles may come in handy. Indeed, one particular event that we’re looking forward to attending is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, this year postponed from May to 21-26 September.

The landmark autumn display will incorporate pertinent themes: ‘The Florence Nightingale Garden – A Celebration of Modern Day Nursing’, for example. www.rhs.org.uk/shop

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BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II 2021/ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST/DAVID LIVINGSTONE BIRTHPLACE/IAIN DOUGLAS

EXHIBITION

A new exhibition at Kensington Palace, Royal Style in the Making (until 2 January 2022), makes the most of Historic Royal Palaces’ 10,000-item-strong Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection to explore the relationship between fashion designer and royal client.

On display will be a rare surviving toile for the 1937 coronation gown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; and Diana, Princess of Wales’s wedding dress, complete with a 25ft sequin-encrusted train, which dramatically filled the aisle of St Paul’s Cathedral, and is the longest in royal history. www.hrp.org.uk

ART

A brush with royalty Set between the two buildings of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London, the Queen’s House was England's first Everywhere and Prince by Albert went –Inigo and classical building,Queen built inVictoria the 17th-century architect theyfor travelled and frequently within Isles –James a I. Jones Anne offarDenmark, as a gift fromthe herBritish husband, personally commissioned watercolourist followed their Four hundred years later, the splendid royal villa is indue to wake, documenting their public and private lives.

A new exhibition, reopen on 11 October following extensive renovations, which Victoria Ourto Lives Watercolour at TheitsQueen’s have seen & anAlbert: overhaul thein galleries housing famousGallery in Edinburgh’s of Holyroodhouse (until 3 October) collection of art –Palace including key works by Gainsborough andwill bring together 80 such poignant paintings, featuring numerous Hogarth – and original features, such as the Tulip Staircase.

If that’s not reason enough to visit, it is likely to be the home of the historic Armada portrait of Queen Elizabeth I (pictured works by Scottish many images of whichofare displaymonarch. above), one of theartists, most iconic anyonBritish in Scotland for the time.

Palace offundraising The painting hasfirst been theFittingly, subject the of intensive Holyroodhouse makes appearance in several to save it for the itself nation sincean it was put up for sale. With the works, as do many scenic spots thethe Balmoral estate funding target due to be hit thiswithin summer, Queen’s House andbe Cairngorms National the royalElizabeth couple travelled will the perfect place toPark, viewwhere the portrait: I was on four occasions, staying pseudonyms. born at Greenwich Palaceininlocal 1533inns andunder Queen’s House is the last www.rct.uk part of the palace complex. www.rmg.co.uk remaining

HISTORY / NEWS / REVIEWS / INSPIRATION

READING CORNER Take inspiration for your British adventures from these great reads Singing in the Streets: A Glasgow Memoir

by Maria Fyfe (£14.99, Luath Press). A personal, comic tale of class and politics in late 20th-century Scotland.

RECIPE

Old-fashioned Sponge Cake with Summer Berries and Homemade Jam Sea & Shore: Recipes and Stories from a Kitchen in Cornwall (Hardie Grant, £26) is an invitation into the cupboards and local coves that make up Cornish chef Emily Scott’s life and work. This classic sponge cake is filled with gooseberry jam, the recipe for which is in the book, so may need to be replaced with the next best thing from your own larder!

I n g re d i e n t s : INGREDIENTS: SERVES 8–10 4 medium eggs, weighed in their shells

Homemade gooseberry harvest jam (or equivalent)

equivalent quantity of unsalted butter

1 punnet of fresh seasonal berries, washed and sliced

equivalent quantity of soft brown sugar

Icing (confectioner’s) sugar, for dusting

equivalent quantity of self-raising flour

Sprigs of fresh mint or borage flowers, to decorate

Method: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4). Grease and line the bottom and sides of a 7cm (3in) deep x 20cm (8in) round cake tin (pan) with baking parchment.

First weigh the eggs, and then measure out the rest of your ingredients to the same weight. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add one egg and a heaped tablespoon of flour and mix in well. Add the remaining eggs in the same fashion, then add the rest of the flour and mix until just combined.

Pour into the lined tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the sponge springs back to the touch and a skewer inserted to the middle comes out clean. Allow the sponge to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out from the tin onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cool, use a serrated knife to slice the sponge in half. Place one disc of the sponge on a cake stand or plate and spread a thick layer of jam on top. Use a palette knife to spread the jam out to near the edges. Sprinkle some of the berries on top. Place the other sponge on top and force the jam out of the sides a little. Dust the top and sides with icing sugar, and decorate with berries, sprigs of mint or borage flowers. For extra indulgence, add a layer of whipped cream with the jam within, or serve alongside a dollop of Cornish clotted cream.

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BRITAIN

Never Greater Slaughter: Brunanburh and the Birth of England by Michael Livingston (£20, Osprey Publishing).

The tale of the most important – but the least known – battle in the history of the British Isles in 937 AD. The King's Painter: The Life and Times of Hans Holbein by Franny Moyle (£35, Apollo).

The first illustrated biography of Holbein, who painted some of the most powerful people of the early 16th century.

Palaces of Revolution: Life, Death & Art at the Stuart Court by Simon Thurley (£25, William Collins). The soap opera of the Stuart dynasty played out through its art and palaces.

A String of Pearls: Landscape and Literature of the Lake District by Margaret Wilson (£20, Merlin Unwin Books). A selection of the best Lake District literary extracts.

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © KIM LIGHTBODY

Use the weight of the eggs to determine that of the flour, brown sugar and butter

SCOTLAND

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BRITAIN 13

What’s in a Name?

Know your Piddles from your Puddles as you explore some of England’s most idyllic, historic – and curiously named – villages in the picturesque county of Dorset WORDS NEIL JONES

The medieval ruins of Corfe Castle on the Isle of Purbeck peninsula

DORSET VILLAGES

R

ime Intrinsica, Fontmell Magna, Sturminster Newton and Melbury Bubb…” The unusual opening line of ‘Dorset’, Sir John Betjeman’s poem of rural life, sounds like a magical incantation – and in many respects it is: a celebratory evocation of some of the curiously named villages you will come across when exploring this gentle county of southern England. Indeed, people arriving from the north via the country A37 route know they have crossed the border into Dorset as soon as they spot signs to Ryme Intrinseca (pace Betjeman, this is how the locals now spell it!).

Behind Ryme Intrinseca’s poetic name lies a prosaic origin: coming from the Old English ‘Rima’ meaning ‘edge’ or ‘rim’, perhaps referring to the situation of the village on the slope of a ridge, while the Latin addition of ‘Intrinseca’ (‘lying within the bounds’) distinguished its lands from those of the (now vanished) Ryme Extrinseca.

Today it sits amid winding leafy lanes off the beaten track, a curious name with a curious church – St Hippolytus, dating back to the 13th century, is one of only two churches in the country dedicated to the saintly gaoler; no-one knows why it is the case in Ryme Intrinseca.

There’s another appealing church at the nearby farming village of Melbury Bubb, home to an intriguing AngloSaxon font featuring upside-down, intertwined beasts; this place-name possibly recalls the Anglo-Saxon lord Bubba. To the northeast in the beautiful Blackmore Vale, Sturminster Newton was home to the novelist Thomas Hardy for a period and is where he wrote The Return of the Native; pretty Fontmell Magna (‘great spring by the bare hill’) sits between the Vale and Cranborne Chase where King John liked to hunt.

There are so many other quirky and quaint villages to visit too. Head down the A352 road that runs south

“

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This image: The ancient flour mill on the River Stour at Sturminster Newton Below: Milton Abbas, a ‘model’ village built in the 18th century

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PHOTOS: © MAURIZIO RELLINI/4CORNERS IMAGES/DAVID HANSFORD/INCAMERASTOCK/ALAMY/ILLUSTRATION: © LAURA HALLETT

For more on Dorset’s countryside and coast see www.britainmagazine.com

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BRITAIN

This image: A misty morning view of Colmer’s Hill in west Dorset

Opposite page, top to bottom: A pretty pink townhouse in Cerne Abbas; the Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum; the Cerne Abbas Giant

www.britain-magazine.com

parallel to the A37, for example, past the club-wielding, naked Cerne Abbas Giant chalked onto the hillside (a fertility symbol, a local sheep-stealing ogre?), and you come to Cerne Abbas. ‘Cerne’ derives from a Celtic word for ‘rock’ (was the River Cerne here a ‘rocky stream’?) and Latin ‘Abbas’ indicates ecclesiastical ownership.

The golden-stone remains of the Benedictine abbey around which Cerne Abbas grew are tucked away in a secluded garden where storyboards in the Abbot’s Porch tell of the scholar Aelfric (955-1022 AD) who wrote wise, warm advice in a ‘Colloquy’ to be used in monastery schools. There are also complaints in 1535 that Abbot Thomas Corton kept “concubines in the cellars of the abbey, and especially one Joan Postell”, allegations that made it all the more easy for the Crown’s commissioner John Tregonwell to close the abbey in 1539 during Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The village, meanwhile, put its natural fresh water supplies to good use in a highly successful brewing trade that supplied quality beer to London and even the Americas. Dotted around the historic streets, 15th- and 16th-century inns still provide welcome refreshments, while Cerne Abbas Brewery makes beers in the modern day.

PHOTOS: © GUY EDWARDES/AWL IMAGES/GRAHAM PRENTICE/PRISMA BY DUKAS PRESSEAGENTUR GMBH/PETER/ALAMY

To the south of Milton Abbas a handful of ‘-puddle’ villages scamper around the Piddle Valley You will encounter John Tregonwell again to the east of Cerne at Milton Abbas where, in the fallout from the Dissolution, he acquired the estates of the Benedictine abbey for £1,000 and established himself as a Dorset gentleman. However it was a later owner, Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester, who made the greatest mark here, in the second half of the 18th century. Damer, an “unmannerly, imperious Lord”, had called in ‘Capability’ Brown to improve the surroundings of his new Gothicstyle Abbey House, but the adjacent town of Middleton was in the way – so he demolished it and removed the inhabitants to the new ‘model’ village of Milton Abbas that he had built in the next valley.

Both Brown and the architect William Chambers are believed to have contributed to the design of Milton Abbas, whose neatly spaced whitewashed cob and thatch cottages running up the sloping village street make an idyllic picture. Every other year villagers celebrate the building of Milton Abbas with a colourful 18th-century street fair – next scheduled for July 2022.

To the south of Milton Abbas a handful of ‘-puddle’ villages scamper around the Piddle Valley and river (‘piddle’: from Old English ‘marsh’ or ‘fen’). Picturesque Tolpuddle is famous for the Tolpuddle Martyrs – six agricultural labourers who met to discuss improving their poverty-line wages and who were arrested in 1834 for swearing a secret oath as part of forming a union.

There was such a public outcry following the trumped-up case and their sentencing to seven years’ penal labour in Australia that the government was later forced to issue pardons. The men became beacons of the trade union www.britain-magazine.com

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This image: The ruined Corfe Castle overlooks the village of the same name Below: The school at Tyneham

movement and you can follow their story on a trail around the village, including the Martyrs’ Tree beneath which they met and the Martyrs’ Cottages and Museum.

Each summer there’s a commemorative festival that also celebrates trade unionism (this year online).

Continuing south and east, you come to one of the most-photographed views in Britain – the rugged ruins of Corfe Castle overlooking the village of the same name. The romantic vision conceals turbulent tales of the murder in 978 AD of the boy-king Edward, possibly on the orders of his stepmother; tales also of the formidable Royalist Lady Mary Bankes, her daughters and maids who took to the battlements in the English Civil War – a saga of treachery and eventual personal triumph. A trail around the village highlights other points of interest, including the war memorial inscribed with a line from the Dorset dialect poet William Barnes: “Do’set Men Don’t sheame Their Kind.”

That’s a sentiment that becomes all the more poignant if you follow the road past patchwork fields to nearby Tyneham. In 1943 the village was requisitioned at short notice to be used by British and American troops training for the forthcoming D-Day invasion. Evacuated residents left a handwritten note pinned to the church door: “Please treat the church and houses with care. We have given up our homes, where many of us have lived for generations, to help win the war to keep men free. We will return one day…” Sadly, they never did as the village became absorbed into the Ministry of Defence’s Lulworth Range (used for firing practice). While some appreciated the modern comforts (hot running water, electricity) of their new homes, many felt bitterly let down.

Today, on most weekends and holidays, you can wander around Tyneham’s ‘ghost village’: the terraced cottages reduced to shells, the church with its exhibition of erstwhile everyday life, the school where children’s work lies on desks.

It’s an eerie, moving experience on which to conclude a dip into Dorset’s beautiful, richly storied villages.

THE PLANNER GETTING THERE Ryme Intrinseca is between Yeovil and Dorchester on the A37; Cerne Abbas is between Sherborne and Dorchester on the A352; driving from London takes around 2hr 45min. Trains from London Waterloo run to stations including Dorchester, Sherborne and Yeovil, with journey times from 2hr 15min. www.thetrainline.com EAT, DRINK, SLEEP Try the Courtyard Café in Corfe Castle for an al fresco lunch; you can also visit the adjacent 1/20th scale

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model village of the castle. Lunch or a cream tea can also be found at the Greyhound Inn below the castle, or at the 16th-century Bankes Arms, which also offers boutique rooms. Or stay at the idyllic thatched Well Cottage near Fontmell Magna, where everything, from meals to excursions, is included and taken care of by hosts Nathan and Laura. www.corfecastlemodelvillage. co.uk; www.greyhoundcorfe.co.uk; www.bankesarmshotel.co.uk; www.englishcottagevacation.com

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FURTHER INFORMATION www.visit-dorset.com

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PHOTOS: © FUNKYFOOD LONDON - PAUL WILLIAMS/CHRIS DEENEY/ALAMY

DORSET VILLAGES

COMPETITION

WAIN RELAXING STAY AT A HISTORIC

COUNTRY-HOUSE HOTEL

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ensure that your experience is one to remember.

Relaxing and inviting as the hotel is, make time to explore the local area. There are timeless Dorset villages and rolling countryside on your doorstep, not to mention one of England’s most stunning stretches of coast, with beauty spots such as Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, within easy reach. www.theprioryhotel.co.uk

HOW TO ENTER For your chance to win this fantastic prize go to www.britain-magazine. com/competitions/priory to apply online or fill in the coupon below with the answer to the following question:

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Closing date for entries is 12pm GMT 13 September 2021. The prize is for two people sharing a double or twin en-suite room and is subject to availability. The prize must be taken by 30 April 2022, excluding weeks with UK bank holidays, Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's and Easter weekend.

Over-18s only. Travel, meals, drinks and extras other than those featured in the prize are not included. The prize is not transferable and there is no cash alternative. Employees of BRITAIN magazine, The Hotel Folk and Pride of Britain and their agencies are not eligible for entry.

Q: What function did the building have in the past? a) A school b) A monastery c) A courthouse

ENTRY FORM SEND YOUR COUPON TO: US readers – Priory Competition, BRITAIN magazine, PO Box 207, Des Moines, IA 50301, US UK and Rest of World readers – Priory Competition, BRITAIN magazine, The Chelsea Magazine Company, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ , UK My answer: Name: Address:

estled on the banks of the River Frome on the edge of the Isle of Purbeck, The Priory, a member of the Pride of Britain group of hotels, is one of Dorset’s finest independently owned boutique hotels with its own fine dining restaurant.

Situated in the pretty market town of Wareham, this country hotel has its own special charm.

Set in an exquisite English country garden that is worth a day out in its own right, The Priory retains its heritage as a grand private house and former monastery dating back to as early as 809.

One lucky reader and their guest will win a two-night break in one of the luxurious Superior rooms, dotted with antiques, kicking off their stay in style with a bottle of English sparkling wine.

The prize also includes a full breakfast each morning and a three-course dinner one evening in the elegant Garden Room restaurant, overlooking the main lawn with views down to the river.

The restaurant is the perfect complement to the traditional feel of the historic building, and with its floor-to-ceiling windows, it really does feel like you are dining in the beautiful garden.

The talented team of chefs, headed up by Stephan Guinebault, focuses on bringing you top-quality, locally sourced ingredients packed with flavour, while the friendly restaurant team will

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PROMOTION P ROMOTION

A new breed of

LUXURY HOLIDAY

Immerse yourself in Dorset village life and don’t lift a finger with English Cottage Vacation, a unique blend of rural charm and five-star attention to detail English Cottage Vacation is far more than your standard, luxury catered cottage; it’s an “appanage”, a term that hosts Nathan and Laura Kurton use to define their new holiday concept’s special attributes.

An “appanage” is tailor-made, ultra-luxurious, completely private, and has one all-inclusive price.

To top it off, it’s the level of care and attention to detail that you’ll experience here, which elevates the “appanage” above other luxury options. This is where the legendary elegance of the English nation meets exceptional hospitality.

Well Cottage itself, which sleeps six, is an 18th-century thatched gem, nestled in the small hamlet of Bedchester. This makes it an ideal base for exploring the England of yesteryear as conjured up in our feature on Dorset’s intriguingly named villages (p14). Quaint and characterful Bedchester is just a

15-minute drive from Sturminster Newton on the River Stour and lies on the edge of both the Cranborne Chase and Dorset Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. And if you’re keen to roam further afield, you can travel southwest to Dorset’s famous Jurassic Coast, or stay inland and discover Downton Abbey’s real-life double Highclere Castle.

While you have complete control over your itinerary and how you spend your time, you won’t have to do anything for yourself. Having spent 10 years working on high-end, luxury charter yachts, Nathan and Laura decided to anchor the quality of their seafaring hospitality expertise to their homeland. As ‘live-in hosts’, Laura is your housemaid and personal chef, providing gourmet dining for three (or more) meals of the day, with drinks and snacks to suit every occasion available on demand.

Meanwhile Nathan is your personal chauffeur, tour guide, waiter and barman.

Well Cottage combines the slow pace and simplicity of traditional English rural life with superlative modern service – including total flexibility and privacy – usually the preserve of charter yachts and five-star hotels. Thanks to Nathan and Laura’s passion for and knowledge of their country, your English Cottage Vacation will be truly unforgettable.

For more information, please visit www. englishcottagevacation.com or contact Nathan and Laura at info@englishcottagevacation.com

HISTORY

The MERRY MONARCH & THE MAN Was Charles II the charming, happy-go-lucky rogue of popular history, or was there a darker side to his personality and the times?

IMAGE: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JOHN HAMMOND

WORDS NEIL JONES

A portrait of King Charles II after Peter Lely, as displayed in the Long Gallery at Ham House, Surrey

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HISTORY

Left: Charles escapes after the Battle of Worcester disguised as a travelling servant This image: The Royal Oak at Shropshire's Boscobel House

IMAGES: © HILARY MORAN/ALAMY/BORIS BAGGS/ENGLISH HERITAGE PHOTO LIBRARY

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n Saturday 6 September 1651 a weary fugitive, disguised in rustic clothing, hid in an oak tree at Boscobel in Shropshire and watched as soldiers scoured the woodland beneath him.

By nightfall the way was clear and he sought shelter in the nearby timber-framed hunting lodge. Here he dined on chicken courtesy of the Penderel family, simple, trustworthy Catholic folk, and he slept in a secret priest hole.

The fugitive was Charles Stuart, son of King Charles I whose squabbles with Parliament over money, religion and power had escalated into Civil War. After his father was beheaded in January 1649 and the new Parliament abolished the monarchy, Charles junior had done a deal with the Scots, was crowned at Scone (Perth) in January 1651, and later marched into England with a Scottish royalist army to reclaim power. Parliamentarian forces soundly defeated them at Worcester on 3 September and Charles fled with a £1,000 price on his head (shorn, incidentally, of its telltale black curly locks to help conceal his identity). Escaping via ‘safe places’ like Boscobel and nearby Moseley Old Hall, Charles then disguised himself as a travelling servant to a local woman, Jane Lane, before making his way to the coast and back into exile on the Continent.

Charles’s escapade at Boscobel is one of history’s iconic tales – almost 500 pubs across the country are named Royal Oak as a popular reminder – and you can delve deeper into the episode at Boscobel House and The Royal Oak, recently ‘re-launched’ with new family-friendly interpretation after two years’ conservation work. The descendant of the Royal Oak (the original fell prey to souvenir hunters long ago) is having its surrounding oak pasture restored and you can follow Charles’s story ‘hide-and-seek’ style inside the house, including to the secret priest holes. Gardens where the prince snatched some relaxation have been recreated in 17th-century fashion with plants of the period.

Charles’s defeat at the Battle of Worcester effectively ended Civil War hostilities and he proceeded to pass his time wheeling and dealing on the Continent. Yet within a decade – and with no little irony – he was

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HISTORY

IMAGES: © IAN DAGNALL COMPUTING/INCAMERASTOCK/ALAMY/WWW.BRIDGEMANIMAGES.COM/HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES/HM QUEEN ELIZABETH II, 2021

The revelry came thick and fast, its fizzy mood captured by Sir Peter Lely’s sensual portraits of court beaux and beauties

invited back to England to take the throne. After a taste of sober-sided Republican rule (1649–60), with Oliver Cromwell dead (1658) and a political crisis brewing as his son Richard failed to make the grade as Lord Protector, it seemed that a monarchy wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Negotiations ensued and on 29 May 1660, Charles’s 30th birthday, he processed in glory through London, “the ways strewed with flowers, the bells ringing”, as the diarist John Evelyn warmly noted, “and all this without one drop of blood”.

No expense was spared on the Coronation the following year – new Crown Jewels were needed in any case to replace those broken up by Cromwell’s men – and an amnesty was offered to former Royalist enemies (except those directly involved in the regicide). People who had helped Charles to escape after Worcester, including the Penderels and Jane Lane, were generously rewarded.

The theatrical royal pomp www.britain-magazine.com

Left: King Charles II

by John Michael Wright, c.1671-76 Above, left to right: Catherine of Braganza, Queen Consort of England after Peter Lely, c.1665; Nell Gwynne, Charles II's mistress

by Peter Lely, date unknown Below: The Armills of Charles II, made for his coronation in 1661

reminded the country of what it had been missing under the puritanical Commonwealth. Charles, with his easy charm and wit, his flamboyant manner and dark good looks appeared the very embodiment of a monarchy that promised rather more joyous times ahead. The revelry came thick and fast, its fizzy mood captured by Sir Peter Lely’s sensual portraits of court beaux and beauties (of his own portrait, Charles declared self-deprecatingly: “Odd’s fish, I am an ugly fellow!”).

Charles re-established theatres – banned during the Commonwealth – and raunchy satires became all the rage.

The actress Nell Gwynne became one of the King’s many mistresses and he fathered at least 16 illegitimate children.

In the field of sports Charles loved horseracing and instigated the Newmarket Town Plate in 1666, winning the inaugural contest competing as a jockey; still held today, the Plate was the first organised horserace in Britain run to an official set of rules. Incidentally, Charles’s nickname Old Rowley was the name of a celebrated stallion in the royal stud.

Charles’s interests in science, clocks and navigation led him to play a major role in Britain’s 17th-century scientific revolution: he backed what became the Royal Society, whose learned members included Christopher Wren, BRITAIN

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The Earl of Rochester famously lampooned Charles in the couplet: “Restless he rolls about from whore to whore, / A merry Monarch, scandalous and poor.”

IMAGES: © IAN DAGNALL/STILL LIGHT/HERITAGE IMAGE PARTNERSHIP LTD/REUTERS/ALAMY

chemist Robert Boyle, Isaac Newton and the astronomers Flamsteed and Halley; and he set in motion the creation of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, with John Flamsteed as first Astronomer-Royal.

Additionally, Wren was installed as Charles’s surveyor of works and among other architectural splendours brought to life the King’s vision for a home for veteran soldiers, at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

The Restoration was by no means a cause for universal celebration, however. Diarist Samuel Pepys, no slouch in having fun, yet lamented “the lewdness and beggary of the court, which I am feared will bring all to ruin again”, while the libertine John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, famously lampooned Charles in the couplet: “Restless he rolls about from whore to whore, / A merry Monarch, scandalous and poor.”

The perennial flashpoints between King and Parliament – money, religion, power – soon resurfaced too. By the Declaration of Breda (1660) that set out terms for his Restoration, Charles had undertaken to be guided by Parliament and acknowledged religious tolerance.

However many in Parliament were distinctly intolerant and pressed for Anglican conformity to be enforced on clergy and officials alike. This upset Charles; his mother, his wife Catherine of Braganza and his brother James were all Catholics, and some people thought Charles was secretly Catholic too.

Meanwhile sea wars with the Dutch were depleting the nation’s coffers and, among numerous royal duplicities during his reign, Charles signed a secret treaty with France (1670) behind Parliament’s back: committing to an alliance against the Dutch in return for financial help and signalling his intention to re-establish Catholicism as England’s state religion. Was he serious or playing

Clockwise, from above: Poet John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester

by Jacob Huysmans, date unknown; illustration depicting a party hosted during Charles II's reign; Founder's Day at the Royal Hospital Chelsea; the Royal Observatory, Greenwich

diplomatic games to lay his hands on cash?

Whatever the truth, Charles increasingly fronted up to Parliament who, concerned that he and Catherine had not produced a legitimate heir, sought to exclude the possibility of a Catholic James on the throne, their fears whipped up further by the hoax Popish Plot (purporting to murder Charles and give James the Crown). Three Exclusion Bills (1679–1681), which Charles opposed, were thwarted and in an ominous echo of his father’s absolutist ways he began dissolving Parliament when it crossed him. From 1681 he ruled alone until his death following a stroke in 1685, aged just 54. In his final hours he was received into the Catholic Church.

John Evelyn hailed Charles “A Prince of many Virtues, and many greate Imperfections” and opinions on whether he was a good or bad king are polarised. To some he is the affable rogue, the debonair patron of arts and sciences, the pragmatic survivor who only reacted unfavourably when extremists around him, frustrated by his lack of firm direction, forced issues. To others he is the self-indulgent philanderer, devious, double-dealing and flawed by the Stuart arrogance that did for his father and would scupper his brother James. Perhaps the true answer is: Charles was all of the above, good and bad.

But he died in bed rather than on the executioner’s block, and the monarchy had survived.

For more on British kings and queens, see www.britain-magazine.com www.britain-magazine.com

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Tour of the COTSWOLD

August 26 2021 • June & August 2022 10 days package staying at a base hotel – no daily packing or unpacking, just relaxing daily excursions in and around the ŶŐůŝƐŚ ŽƚƐǁŽůĚ ǀŝƐŝƟŶŐ ďƌĞĂƚŚƚĂŬŝŶŐ ƐĐĞŶĞƌLJ͕ DĂŶƐŝŽŶƐ͕ Castles and Gardens

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW Enjoy the breathtaking array of colour at the world’s greatest ŇŽǁĞƌ ƐŚŽǁ ŝŶ ^ĞƉƚĞŵďĞƌ ϮϬϮϭ Žƌ DĂLJ ϮϬϮϮ͘ ĂĨĞ͛Ɛ ĂŶĚ ĨŽŽĚ ĐŽƵƌƚƐ available at the show.

Great day or two, combined with other experiences of London.

ISLES OF SCILLY

The Caribbean of England with temperatures warmed by the close proximity of the ocean Gulf Stream to support sub-tropical plants and marine life not seen elsewhere in the UK. Great beaches, family run hotels and B&B’s

ISLE OF WIGHT dŚĞ ŚŽůŝĚĂLJ ůŽĐĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ YƵĞĞŶ Victoria and Prince Albert at Osborne House open to public. Visit the Botanic Gardens and experience ƚŚĞ ƐƚĞĂŵ ĂŐĞ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƐƟůů ĞdžŝƐƚƐ͘ Ŷ island that has given many dinosaur fossils and is known as the Dinosaur Capital. The Royal Show! will be back on the island in 2022

CHANNEL ISLES

ǀĞƌLJƚŚŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ Ă ŐƌĞĂƚ ǀĂĐĂƟŽŶ͘ /ƐůĂŶĚ ŚŽƉƉŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƉůĂĐĞƐ ǁŝƚŚ ŶŽ ĐĂƌƐ – think of that peace and fresh air! ^ĞĞ ƚŚĞ ŚŝƐƚŽƌLJ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ 'ĞƌŵĂŶ ŽĐĐƵƉĂƟŽŶ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ tt //

&Žƌ ^ŝŶŐůĞƐ Ͳ ŽƵƉůĞƐ Ͳ &ĂŵŝůŝĞƐ Ͳ 'ƌŽƵƉƐ ĂŶĚ ^ĞŶŝŽƌ ŝƟnjĞŶƐ

&Žƌ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƌŽĐŚƵƌĞƐ Call 330 284 4709 EDT (Canton Ohio) Or email barrydevo@prepcotravel.com Or visit www.prepcotravel.com for the Britain icon

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Join our exclusive, small group garden tours to experience the sights, sounds and scents of the most glorious gardens in Britain.

www.sisley.co.uk Photo Credit: Claire Takacs

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PHOTOS: © PICTORIAL PRESS LTD/ALAMY/THEODORA FILMS LIMITED & MOONAGE PICTURES LIMITED/ROBERT VIGLASKY

SISTERS in SCANDAL

A new TV adaptation of The Pursuit of Love, Nancy Mitford’s novel based on her eccentric family, puts the lives of her infamous sisters in the spotlight once again WORDS FELICITY DAY

I Above: Jessica, Nancy, Diana, Unity and Pamela Mitford in 1935 (from left to right) This image: Linda , played by Lily James, and Fanny, played

by Emily Beecham, in the BBC’s The Pursuit of Love

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It’s not hard to understand why the world is so fascinated by the Mitfords. Novelist, Nazi and fascist; communist, country girl and Duchess: these six sisters have life stories so full of drama and scandal they simply beg to be given such sensationalist labels.

Born between 1904 and 1920, Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica and Deborah hailed from a quiet corner of the Cotswolds, the daughters of David, 2nd Baron Redesdale, and his wife Sydney, who also had a son, Tom. They were Hons (entitled to use ‘The Honourable’ before their name) by accident – only after his older brother was killed during the First World War did David become heir to his title – but it was their unconventional upbringing that turned them into rebels, intent on individuality. ‘Farve’ (as they called Lord Redesdale) was certain that sending girls BRITAIN

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to school was a frivolous waste of money – and fearful, besides, that hockey would give them thick calves – so a succession of governesses provided the bulk of their education, one memorably teaching her charges to shoplift. Since few outsiders made it past the gate post – Lord Redesdale disliking almost ‘the whole teeming population of the earth’s surface,’ according to Jessica, ‘except, for some, though not all, of our relations and a very few tweeded, red-faced country neighbours’ – the sisters were largely reliant on each other for company.

Theirs was a world Nancy went on to immortalise in her best-known novel, The Pursuit of Love, now on screen in a new BBC adaptation. Alconleigh, the home of her fictional Radlett family (modelled on the Mitfords) was essentially Asthall Manor – a Jacobean manor of pale Cotswold stone, purchased as a stop-gap after Lord Redesdale was forced to sell Batsford Park, his ancestral home, but in which Nancy ended up spending all her teenage years. In appearance, though, Alconleigh – ‘as grim and as bare as a barracks’ – owes more to Swinbrook House, built to Lord Redesdale’s specification, but to which his wife and daughters (who christened it ‘Swine-brook’) moved reluctantly in 1926.

With his quick temper and habit of hunting his children with a bloodhound, ‘Farve’ looms large in Pursuit in the guise of the eccentric Uncle Matthew.

As do various Mitford childhood memories: from the secret society headquartered in the linen cupboard, to the springing of the gamekeeper’s steel traps.

Indeed, so vivid is the portrait – ‘so adept’ was Nancy, says biographer Mary S Lovell, ‘at recycling her own experiences’ – that the lines between fact and fiction became indistinct, the novel laying the foundations for the modern-day Mitford legend.

But the sisters were grabbing attention long before it hit the shelves in 1945. ‘Whenever I read the words

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PHOTOS: © CPA MEDIA PTE LTD/ALAMY/THEODORA FILMS LIMITED & MOONAGE PICTURES LIMITED/ROBERT VIGLASKY

PEOPLE

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PEOPLE

This image: The Pursuit of Love is a BBC adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s 1945 novel of the same name Top left: Unity, Diana and Nancy Mitford (from left to right)

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“Peer’s Daughter” in a headline,’ Lady Redesdale once sighed, ‘I know it’s going to be something about one of you children.’ Usually, one of her youngest girls. Nancy – who partied with the Bright Young Things and made an ill-fated marriage before embarking on her literary career (and a love affair with Frenchman Gaston Palewski) – and Pamela – who favoured a quiet, countryside existence – were spectacularly overshadowed by their siblings.

In 1929, 18-year-old Diana married Bryan Guinness, heir to the brewing fortune, but scandalised society three years later when she embarked on an intense affair with Sir Oswald Mosley, the married leader of the British Union of Fascists. Her parents were dismayed when she left Guinness for her increasingly high-profile lover, living openly as his mistress until 1936 when the couple wed in Germany, the ceremony held in the apartment of prominent Nazi Joseph Goebbels, with Hitler guest of honour.

And Diana was not the only Mitford who made friends with the Führer. Unity – coincidentally conceived in the town of Swastika, Canada – had developed an interest in fascism months before Mosley walked into her sister’s life. Permitted to attend a German finishing school at 19, she engineered a meeting with Hitler, the first step on her path to infamy. ‘Peer’s Daughter is Jew Hater’ screamed the British papers in 1935 after an emphatically

anti-Semitic letter she wrote to a German newspaper was exposed, along with photographs of her giving the Nazi salute. In the following years, Unity – dubbed ‘The Girl Who Adores Hitler’ – became a close companion of the Nazi leader, with whom she had a veritable obsession.

The press were given more Mitford fodder in 1937, when 19-year-old Jessica (always known in the family as Decca) cashed in the ‘running-away’ account she had opened aged 12, and eloped with her cousin, Esmond Romilly. Decca and ‘Churchill’s Red Nephew’ – who had both discovered a fierce passion for Communism as teenagers – made for Spain, where Romilly was to cover the Civil War as a journalist. Frantic attempts to persuade Decca to return home failed and the couple were married at the Consulate.

It was a torrid time to bear the Mitford name. Youngest sister Deborah (Debo to the family) was forced to postpone her London come-out until 1938, but managed to contract a secret engagement with an eligible suitor – Andrew Cavendish, later the 11th Duke of Devonshire – and to keep a relatively low profile.

Until, that is, another incident threw the whole sisterhood back into the spotlight. On 3 September 1939, Unity, stricken by the outbreak of war with Germany, attempted suicide, shooting herself in the temple. She survived, was visited in hospital by Hitler (who paid her medical bills) and returned to Britain, much Clockwise, from left: Asthall Manor, the Mitford family home during Nancy’s teenage years; novelist Nancy Mitford; The Swan Inn at Swinbrook; Swinbrook village in the Cotswolds where the family moved in 1926

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PHOTOS: © GREG BALFOUR EVANS/ANDREW ROLAND/ALAMY/PETER VAN DEN BERG/PARIS MATCH/GETTY IMAGES

The lines between fact and fiction became indistinct, the novel laying the foundations for the modern-day Mitford legend

PHOTOS: © GEORGE ROBERTSON/TIM GAINEY/ALAMY/HULTON-DEUTSCH/HULTON-DEUTSCH COLLECTION/CORBIS/GETTY IMAGES/WWW.SHOOT360.CO.UK

PEOPLE changed by her injury. She was clumsy, incontinent and mentally childlike until her premature death in 1948.

But by the war years the Mitford family were not just notorious, but fractured, politically and geographically.

Socialist Nancy was not ‘on speakers’ with Diana, who steadfastly refused (for the rest of her life) to renounce either Mosley or fascism, and nor was Decca. She and Esmond were in America, distancing themselves from their privileged backgrounds (Decca would settle there for life after Esmond’s death in service in 1941, at one point fronting a band called Decca and the Dectones). But it was Lord and Lady Redesdale, the one so violently anti-German and the other so firmly pro-Nazi that they were no longer able to live together, who were the chief casualties of the family’s great political divide.

Indeed, part of the Mitford girls’ enduring appeal is that their sisterly bonds were never entirely broken, despite their strongly opposing views and their intense rivalries, even their surprising betrayals – Nancy informed against Diana twice, in 1940, after which she was interned in Holloway prison, and again in 1943, arguing against her release; and also lodged information about Pamela, whom she accused of being ‘anti-Semitic, anti-democratic and defeatist.’

Though they were never all in the same room together after 1937, letters flew back and forth between the sisters for the rest of their lives.

The ongoing fascination with their family was a source of bemusement to them – but not to us.

Clockwise, from above: Deborah Mitford and Andrew Cavendish, later 11th Duke of Devonshire, married in 1941; Batsford Arboretum in the Cotswolds was created by the sisters’ grandfather; the West Sketch Gallery at Chatsworth House; Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, of which Debo was chatelaine for over 50 years

For more on famous literary homes in Britain, go to www.britain-magazine.com

ON THE MITFORD TRAIL The new adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s novel The Pursuit of Love, which draws heavily on her own upbringing, can now be seen on BBC One in the UK and will be available on Amazon Prime Video in the US, Canada and Australia.

Asthall Manor Asthall is privately owned and closed to the public, but the gardens open occasionally. The house is also home to the acclaimed sculpture biennial ‘on form’, which will next take place in June 2022. www.asthallmanor.com Swinbrook The village of Swinbrook, little more than a mile from Asthall, is where Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity and their parents are buried, in the

churchyard of St Mary’s. Swinbrook House is privately owned but the Swan Inn in the village was once owned by Debo and is still in the hands of the Chatsworth estate in Derbyshire. www.theswanswinbrook.co.uk Chatsworth House As Duchess of Devonshire, Debo was chatelaine of this magnificent stately home for over 50 years. There are a number of hotels and inns on the Chatsworth estate. www.chatsworth.org; devonshirehotels.co.uk Batsford Arboretum Though there is no public access to Lord Redesdale’s family seat, Batsford Park, Batsford Arboretum, created by the sisters’ grandfather, is usually open daily. www.batsarb.co.uk

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H E R E F O R D C AT H E D R A L

St Davids Cathedral

Built on a place of worship used since Saxon times, Hereford Cathedral contains some of the finest examples of architecture from Norman times to the present day.

Visitors can explore this beautiful building, take part in one of our many services and events, or visit the Cathedral Café which serves a selection of drinks, cakes and light meals.

Visit this 12th century building and see the newly restored shrine of St David.

A trip to Hereford Cathedral would not be complete without a visit to the Mappa Mundi & Chained Library Exhibition which, alongside our historic treasures, hosts special displays curated by our Library & Archive team.

Concerts • Refectory Bookshops • Daily services Disabled access Open 9am to 5pm

herefordcathedral.org 01432 374 200

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HISTORY

The power of the portrait For some 500 years, portraiture has been one of the most important insights into a monarch’s role, as a new exhibition of royal portraits reveals WORDS MARTHA ALEXANDER

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Previous page: 'King Henry VII' by unknown Netherlandish artist, 1505 Clockwise, from this image: 'Anne Boleyn' by unknown English artist, late 16th century, based

on a work of c.1533-36; 'Henry VIII', by the studio of Hans Holbein the Younger, 16th century; 'King Henry VIII' by unknown AngloNetherlandish artist, c.1520

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IMAGES: © NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, LONDON/NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM, LONDON

s displays of royal power go, jewellery, ships, armies, colonies and palaces have their place but perhaps it is portraits that are the ultimate tool – both status symbol and personal publicist.

Having a painting of oneself is a regal rite of passage, a tradition that has been upheld generation after generation for some 500 years. Beyond demonstrating money and rank – and capturing a likeness – portraits became a way to shape how monarchs were perceived by their public.

“From their very origins, royal portraits have served different functions and have been adapted to meet particular needs,” says Kristian Martin, co-curator of the exhibition Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits at London’s National Maritime Museum in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery.

“Royal portraits were used as diplomatic gifts where they clearly expressed allegiance and loyalty or were important statements of eligibility and fecundity used in marriage negotiations between European royal houses.”

The exhibition explores the relationship between the British monarchy and portraiture, featuring some of the most famous paintings in the world by painters including Hans Holbein and Andy Warhol and spanning five royal dynasties. Each portrait tells an important story about the sitter’s personality, values and taste. There are no accidents or incidentals in royal portraiture. It is pure PR. The Tudor period marked the start of the importance of royal portraiture in Britain. The oldest painting in the exhibition is the earliest known portrait of Henry VII, which was painted in 1505 by an unknown artist. It was part of a marriage negotiation with Margaret of Austria; notice his collar of the Hapsburg order of the Golden Fleece – this is a symbol of respect to Margaret’s family but ultimately his bid for her hand failed.

Beyond demonstrating money and rank, portraits became a way to shape how monarchs were perceived by their public BRITAIN

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PHOTOS: © NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, LONDON/NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM, LONDON

HISTORY

Clockwise, from left: 'Queen Elizabeth I' ('The Ditchley portrait') by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger c.1592; 'James II' by Nicolas de Largillere, c.1686; 'William III Landing at Brixham, Torbay, 5 November 1688' by Jan Wyck, 1688

Queen Elizabeth I had numerous portraits painted of her – she was masterful when it came to managing her own image. “The use of symbolic language in royal portraits came to a zenith with the reign of Elizabeth I in the mid-16th century,” says Martin. “Her portraits are filled with symbols and motifs which provided subjects with a particular image and understanding of her. Elizabeth was in a relatively vulnerable position, as an unmarried woman without an heir. She was without parallel in Europe so relied on sanctioned portraiture to bolster her power, popularity and strength.”

The 1592 ‘Ditchley Portrait’ by Flemish artist Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger is one of the most impressive in Tudors to Windsors – enormous and physically imposing, it shows Elizabeth in a dress positively weighed down by jewellery, including pearls, a sign of virginity.

“While many of the symbols and motifs are ‘hidden’ to us today, they would have been understood by her contemporaries,” explains Martin. “Another thing to look out for is the royal pose which is often replicated across time and dynasty to emphasise legitimacy and continuity.”

Elizabeth is standing on the globe, a clear message about her global power and dominance. However, there’s another major theme at play here: forgiveness, specifically the queen’s aptitude for it.

The portrait was commissioned by Sir Henry Lee, one of Elizabeth’s favourite courtiers who found himself in her bad books for living with his mistress. In the portrait, it is www.britain-magazine.com

telling that the queen looks to the clement weather, rather than the stormy sky. There are also several Latin inscriptions, such as “she can but does not take revenge”.

But the main sign that Sir Henry was forgiven are her toes: they point to Oxfordshire where his Ditchley home was.

Queen Victoria’s official coronation portrait by Sir George Hayter is as traditional, opulent and grand as you might expect: robes and crown are resplendent under a shaft of light and the new queen looks upwards – to God or to the future or to both? The painting is full of optimism and idealism after centuries of discord in the royal family.

Queen Victoria ascended to the throne in 1937, two years prior to the advent of photography which meant she was the first royal to be captured by camera. She and her husband Prince Albert embraced photography and used it to give subjects a more intimate access to the royal family.

Queen Victoria seems to have been the last of the monarchs to have had almost complete control of their image. “Even with the advent of photography in 1840, Victoria was still very much in control of how she was

Queen Elizabeth I had numerous portraits painted of her – she was masterful when it came to managing her own image

HISTORY

This image: 'Queen Anne' by Sir Godfrey Kneller, c.1690 Right: 'Queen Victoria' by Sir George Hayter, 1863, based on an original work of 1838

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portrayed both privately and publicly,” explains Martin.

“Victoria allowed herself to publicly age in some contexts but not elsewhere – the profile portrait that remained on postage stamps for over 60 years of her reign was made when she was just 15 years old!”

In 1860 Victoria permitted photographs of herself and her family to be sold en masse to the public: hundreds of thousands of images mounted on small cards were snapped up by the middle classes who were charmed and reassured by the relaxed, informal scenes depicting typical family life they could relate to.

This marks the start of the Crown recognising the value of being seen as relatable and domestic, not simply distanced, lofty and grand. Since then there have been numerous examples of the monarchy moving away from formal, posed settings.

Take George V and his wife Mary, recorded and publicised visiting hospitals throughout the First World War: these displays of charity certainly cemented their popularity. Then in his 1936 portrait by Frederic Whiting, George was in informal riding clothes, aloft his horse and doffing his cap to the viewer.

There are photographs of Her Majesty The Queen as a baby and as a little girl cradling Dookie, her first corgi – a present from her father – capturing the start of a lifelong affection for the breed.

Brian Organ painted Prince Charles in 1980, a modern composition of the future king in a relaxed pose. Organ then painted Diana, Princess of Wales but, in a notable break from tradition for female royals, she wore trousers.

Since the Queen took the crown she has been immortalised in paint and photography countless times, by the likes of Cecil Beaton and Annie Leibowitz – as well as on stamps, bank notes and coins. Some of the portraits are distinctly traditional: Pietro Annigoni’s 1969 rendering shows the Queen clad in a red robe, against a dark background devoid of object or vista. This seems a rather sombre depiction, the artist wanting the Queen to be seen alone and peerless in her role.

One of the most famous images is by Andy Warhol, whose early career had been preoccupied with commercial design. His portrait uses strong lines and bright colours in his signature style – exactly as he’d treat a can of soup – to make the Queen’s image a uniform pop art icon.

It’s important not to overlook the influence of consorts, www.britain-magazine.com

IMAGES: © NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, LONDON

“Victoria allowed herself to publicly age in some contexts but not elsewhere – the profile portrait that remained on postage stamps for over 60 years of her reign was made when she was just 15 years old”

IMAGES: © NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, LONDON

HISTORY

mistresses and favourites in the history of royal portraiture, and the exhibition includes many, from Charles II’s mistresses to a striking painting of Wallace Simpson

by Gerald Leslie Brockhurst.

The portrait of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, is a celebration of his being made a Knight of the Garter

by James I. The Duke is akin to a peacock in full plumage – he is draped in velvet and has legs to rival any modern-day supermodel’s. Despite being sweet of temperament and a feast for the eyes he was unpopular at court because he was thought to have been the king’s lover.

There’s also Robert Dudley, Elizabeth I’s favourite.

His portrait shows a handsome, proud man decked out in ‘russet satten’. It is thought this portrait was part of Dudley’s fi nal campaign to persuade Elizabeth to marry him – but of course, she never did.

“The role of the royal portrait has necessarily shifted over time,” says Martin. “While continuity and tradition still underpin them, the nature of royal power has changed as monarchs have moved from rule to reign and are now more accessible than ever through other forms of media.”

Despite the passing of time and the change in fashion, the prominence of the portrait shows no sign of being consigned to the history books.

This image: 'George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham' attributed to William Larkin and his studio, c.1616 Top right: 'Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester' by unknown Anglo-Netherlandish artist, c.1575

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For more historical features, visit www.britain-magazine.com

BOOK AHEAD Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits is at London’s National Maritime Museum until 31 October. For tickets and further information, see www.rmg.co.uk.

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'The loveliest castle in the world', as it is known, has been home to six medieval queens of England, served as a Tudor palace for Henry VIII and hosted stars and royalty during the 1930s, including Charlie Chaplin, Errol Flynn and Edward, Prince of Wales and Wallace Simpson.

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PHOTOS: © MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY/ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS LTD/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES

THE ROYAL FAMILY

A Royal

ENGAGEMENT A new biography of Her Majesty The Queen traces the events of a reign that spans seven decades. In this extract from The Queen, the first in a two-part series, we learn of the engagement between a young Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip Part One

WORDS MATTHEW DENNISON

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This image: Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth II, in the state apartments at Buckingham Palace, July 1947 Left: The newly engaged Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten

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PHOTOS: © NORTH EAST 250/VISIT SCOTLAND/DAMIEN SHIELDS/JOHN FROST NEWSPAPERS/MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY

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n May 1946, bridesmaid Princess Elizabeth was photographed with Prince Philip of Greece at Jean Gibbs’s wedding to the Queen’s nephew, the Hon. Andrew Elphinstone. So widespread were rumours of a royal engagement by the autumn that, on 7 September, the King’s private secretary issued a categorical denial: ‘Princess Elizabeth is not engaged. The report is incorrect.’

At the time Philip was a guest of the King and Queen at Balmoral. Before his three-week stay ended, it seems likely that he proposed to and was accepted by Elizabeth, in her own words, ‘beside some well-loved loch, the white clouds sailing overhead and a curlew crying just out of sight’. In his thank-you letter to the Queen, Philip wrote, ‘I am sure I do not deserve all the good things which have happened to me... The generous hospitality and the warm friendliness did much to restore my faith in permanent values... Naturally there is one circumstance which has done more for me than anything else in my life.’

Following the royal family’s acceptance earlier in 1946 of an invitation to visit South Africa the following spring, the King asked that any arrangement remain secret at least until the family’s return. The King’s condition was not a mark of his opposition to the match, or indeed to Philip himself, whom he described as ‘intelligent, [with] a good sense of humour & thinks about things in the right way’.

Rather, this uxorious, affectionate man experienced an overwhelming aversion to changes to the tight-knit, supportive family unit he later described to Elizabeth as ‘us four, the “Royal Family”’.

Instinctively conservative, and dependent on his wife and daughters for happiness and the day-to-day emotional support that made kingship bearable, he considered it imperative, he wrote, that they ‘remain together’.

Their comfortable shared dynamic was threatened by any addition to their ranks – in particular, a forthright young man of independent views, with a stranglehold on Elizabeth’s attention and, already, a suggestion of impatience at the court’s Victorianisms.

On 31 January 1947, with her parents and Margaret, Elizabeth sailed for South Africa.

The tour’s purpose was respite for the King and Queen after the strain of the war years, and a

Right: Balmoral Castle Inset: The Sunday Pictorial speculates about the royal engagement

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THE ROYAL FAMILY one of her last public engagements before her marriage; Princess Elizabeth making her 21st

birthday broadcast to the Empire during the Royal Tour of South Africa, April 1947

gesture of thanks to the dominion for its contribution to the Allied victory; that Elizabeth would celebrate her 21st birthday in South Africa was an added compliment. While the King fretted at abandoning Britain in a state of near bankruptcy, severe fuel shortages worsening the coldest winter on record, Elizabeth braced herself for the effort of separation from Philip and dissembling her feelings over three months of public scrutiny, their engagement still a secret. Throughout the tour she wrote to Philip, whose photograph in a silver frame she took with her.

At midnight on 8 July, Buckingham Palace announced Elizabeth’s engagement to Philip. She ‘has thought about it a great deal, and had made up her mind some time ago,’ the Queen wrote. Public and press reaction, after lengthy, rather hectic speculation, was mostly positive. ‘There is a special place in English hearts for a sailor and a sailor’s bride,’ the Spectator commented, and the newly engaged couple appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to acknowledge cheering crowds, who had waited all afternoon for a glimpse of them.

‘Not long before the engagement was announced,’ Elizabeth told the biographer Betty Spencer Shew, Philip gave her an engagement ring made of diamonds from a tiara belonging to his mother. ‘I don’t know the history of the stone, except that it is a very fine old cutting,’ she wrote proudly. The stones’ provenance was a reminder that, with or without his princely title, Elizabeth was marrying within the royal fold.

Queen Mary worked out the exact nature of the couple’s consanguinity: third cousins through Queen Victoria, fourth cousins once removed through collateral descendants of George III, second cousins once removed through Christian IX of Denmark. The Scotsman informed readers that Elizabeth’s fiancé was ‘young and handsome, a sportsman and a good dancer, unassuming by nature but allied by birth to several of the Royal families of Europe, and with active service with the Royal Navy in war-time to his credit... he has spent most of his life in this country’.

A jubilantly happy Elizabeth, reluctant to wait until the promise of good weather in the spring, pressed her father for an early wedding. King and prime minister agreed a venue of Westminster Abbey, a green light to large-scale celebrations, and a date of 20 November.

Throughout the four-month engagement, an eager readership devoured royal tidbits: the names of Elizabeth’s eight bridesmaids, including her cousins Princess Alexandra of Kent, Margaret Elphinstone and Lady

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PHOTOS: © ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS LTD/MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY/DOUGLAS MILLER/GETTY IMAGES

Clockwise, from far right: A display of Royal Wedding gifts at St James's Palace; Princess Elizabeth on

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THE ROYAL FAMILY

For more key moments in British history, see www.britainmagazine.com

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THE ROYAL FAMILY Clockwise, from left: The 'Girls of Great Britain and Ireland' tiara; the Princess's eight bridesmaids; the Queen wearing the 'King George VI Victorian Suite' necklace, one of the wedding gifts she recieved from her parents; Australian Girl Guides deliver ingredients for Princess Elizabeth's wedding cake

Mary Cambridge, and her childhood friend Elizabeth Lambart; the honeymoon destination of Broadlands, the Mountbattens’ house on the Test; the silk specially woven in Scotland and Kent for Elizabeth’s Norman Hartnelldesigned wedding dress; ingredients for the wedding cake donated by Australian Girl Guides.

Accounts luxuriated in wedding presents from across the globe: from the richest of India’s princes, the Nizam of Hyderabad, a magnificent Cartier-designed diamond necklace and tiara; a fine Hepplewhite mahogany chair from the Girl Guides’ Association; and the Sultan of Zanzibar’s ebony-and-silver cigarette box for the bride who did not smoke. At home, the purchase of presents by public subscription puffed civic pride. From ‘the citizens of York’ came nine pieces of historic silver made as a wedding present for an earlier Princess Elizabeth, George III’s second daughter; Edinburgh’s gift of 450 pieces of crystal copied the design of crystal in use at Holyroodhouse. In a sign of straitened times, there were practical presents: a refrigerator from the United States; food parcels amounting staggeringly to more than two million pounds in weight.

Of the 25 gowns presented to Elizabeth by the New York Institute of Dress Designers, 20 were offered to brides also called Elizabeth, also 21 and marrying on 20 November; the Women’s Voluntary Service administered the lottery.

Tinned food came from overseas: from Toronto and Ontario and the British community in Buenos Aires; the government of Queensland sent 500 cases of tinned pineapple. Its distribution among the needy was accompanied in each case by a letter from Elizabeth: ‘Many kind friends overseas sent me gifts of food at the time of my wedding... I therefore ask you to accept this parcel with my very best wishes.’

The wedding presents were catalogued and placed on

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display at St James’s Palace. From her parents and her grandmother Elizabeth received a foretaste of her glittering inheritance. A cascade of jewels from Queen Mary included pieces she herself had received at the time of her own wedding in 1893: a large diamond bow brooch and the ‘Girls of Great Britain and Ireland’ tiara, which Elizabeth has continued to wear. From her parents came the crown pearls, two single-row pearl necklaces that had belonged to Queen Anne and to George II’s wife, Queen Caroline, diamond chandelier earrings, a Victorian necklace of rubies and diamonds and another of large sapphires; the King gave his daughter a pair of Purdey shotguns. Like Elizabeth’s engagement ring, Philip’s present of a diamond bracelet was made up of stones from a tiara belonging to his mother.

In time for the wedding, the King conferred on Philip a roster of titles: Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, Baron Greenwich. After some discussion, including, of course, investigation of precedents, he bestowed upon him Royal Highness status; he made him a Garter knight exactly a week after admitting Elizabeth to the ancient order of chivalry, careful to maintain his daughter’s seniority. To Queen Mary he commented with qualified confidence in his decision that it was a lot for a man to receive in a single swoop.

Part two next issue

The wedding of the Princess and her dashing Prince in Westminster Abbey.

This is an edited extract from The Queen, a new biography by Matthew Dennison, published by Head of Zeus, an Apollo book (£25, headofzeus.com). www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © CARL COURT/BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES/ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS LTD/MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY/TIM GRAHAM/ HULTON ROYALS COLLECTION

THE ROYAL FAMILY

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DISCOVER WHERE WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE WAS INSPIRED TO BECOME THE WORLD’S GREATEST PLAYWRIGHT. Immerse yourself in sixteenth century Stratford-upon-Avon to explore the very room where William Shakespeare sat as a pupil in the 1570s and the spacewhere he first saw plays performed by the country’s greatest actors of the day.

‘Best place to visit in Stratford-upon-Avon’ Take part in a live Tudor lesson with Master Thomas Jenkins Learn about William’s father John and hear many stories about the building from our knowledgeable Guides Soak up the atmosphere of the late medieval Priest’s Chapel and marvel at the wall paintings, uncovered during the restoration of the building.

Dress up in authentic Tudor clothes and learn to write with a quill Whether a lifelong Shakespeare enthusiast or new to his enduring legacy, this authentic experience illuminates and brings to life the story of young William.

Website www.shakespearesschoolroom.org Email info@shakespearesschoolroom.org

‘The best of all Shakespeare’s sites...Thoroughly recommend a visit here...staff are amazing ...we really felt we had walked back in time.’

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In Shakespeare’s footsteps The Bard’s links with Stratford-upon-Avon and London are well known, but where did he spend the undocumented years before his first successes on the stage?

IMAGES: © GL ARCHIVE/ALAMY/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JOHN MILLAR

WORDS CATHERINE JONES

Above: A portrait of William Shakespeare This image: Tudor Rufford Old Hall in Lancashire, where it is claimed Shakespeare performed in 1580

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ll the world’s a stage,” says the melancholy Jaques in As You Like It. And in the last 400 years all the world has become a stage for William Shakespeare’s enduring tales of love, loss, joy, jealousy, mistaken identity, madness and mischief.

Between his birth in 1564 and death 52 years later, Shakespeare, in the words of his Eeyorish creation, played many parts. And in many places. His wellchronicled links with Stratford-upon-Avon and London draw millions to both the banks of the Avon and the Thames each year.

But with a new Shakespeare North Playhouse due to open at Prescot, outside Liverpool, in 2022 – its modern exterior housing a 400-year-old cockpit-incourt style auditorium which creates a ‘Shakespeare triangle’ with Stratford’s Royal Shakespeare Company and London’s Globe – comes the perfect opportunity to shine a spotlight on his connections with the North of England.

“

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Clockwise, from left: A bedroom inside Rufford Old Hall, now under National Trust care; the Dining Room at Rufford Old Hall; the Great Hall at Rufford Old Hall, probably built between 1530-1550

PHOTOS: © ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES

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Between schoolboy studies, marriage to Anne Hathaway and his first stage successes there are undocumented years where Shakespeare fell off the radar. And it’s been suggested he spent some of that time in Lancashire.

Shakespeare’s Stratford schoolmaster, John Cottam, hailed from the ‘Red Rose county’ and had connections with the de Hoghton family who lived at Hoghton Tower. Cottam would have been keenly aware of the important patronage the great houses of Lancashire could provide to a promising young man.

In the febrile atmosphere of a country still newly Protestant, Cottam was also one of many suspected of still following the Catholic faith, as were the de Hoghtons. There are three known priest holes at the tower, while proselytising Jesuit priest Edmund

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Campion stayed there on his tour of England in 1580 – a tour which had begun, coincidently, at Lapworth Park just north of Stratford.

Hoghton, a grade I-listed, sandstone-built fortified manor house with formal walled gardens, stands on a hilltop with commanding views over the rolling greenery of rural Lancashire and beyond to the mountains of the Lake District in one direction and North Wales in the other.

Could it have been in Hoghton’s great hall where the Bard first trod the boards? It’s an intriguing theory.

When the wealthy Alexander de Hoghton died in 1581, he left his musical instruments to neighbour and brother-in-law Sir Thomas Hesketh and asked he ‘be friendly’ to both “Fulk Gillom and William Shakeshafte now dwelling with me”. www.britain-magazine.com

Above: Knowsley Hall, the main home of the Earls of Derby sincethe mid-17th century Inset: Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby www.britain-magazine.com

Gillom was said to be a performer from Chester.

And Shakeshafte? The Elizabethans’ freeform spelling and the fact Shakespeare’s grandfather was known to have signed his name in the same way have, over the years, led some historians to make the case for it being the future playwright.

The Heskeths lived at Rufford Old Hall near Ormskirk, and it’s claimed Shakespeare also performed there in 1580. The atmospheric Tudor hall remains at the centre of the timbered landmark which since 1936 has been run by the National Trust. Below the vaulted ceiling and among the armour, tapestries and a rare original carved wooden screen you can imagine what it would have been like to stand in the same spot some 440 years ago.

Two miles from Ormskirk, in the 16th century

visitors would have found Lathom House, the seat of the Earls of Derby, the Stanleys. They were the area’s leading nobility and Lathom the most important house in Lancashire until it was destroyed in the English Civil War and its treasures – including the contents of Richard III’s tent from Bosworth Field – were lost.

The family also had a hunting lodge at Knowsley, and since the mid-17th century the main home of the Earls of Derby has been Knowsley Hall, whose elegant Georgian facade conceals not only handsome Jacobean, Baroque and Victorian interiors but also parts of the original earlier building.

Knowsley is also close to the historic market town of Prescot which, in the 1590s, held the distinction of being the site of the only free-standing, purpose-built theatre outside London. And one man who would BRITAIN

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PHOTO: © JEFF LANGHORNE

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PHOTOS: © WWW.MATTHEWRYCRAFT.CO.UK

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have been familiar with both Prescot and its playhouse was Ferdinando Stanley.

Stanley, born in 1559, was heir to the 4th Earl of Derby and was descended from Henry VII through his mother Margaret, granddaughter of Mary Tudor.

The Countess of Derby was heir presumptive to Elizabeth I, although in the event the queen would outlive her northern cousin.

In 1579, Ferdinando married Alice, the daughter of Sir John Spencer of Althorp – ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales. The Stanleys were renowned supporters of the arts. In his teens Ferdinando, who held the title Lord Strange, had kept a group of acrobats and, when he was called to Court, he started looking for another troupe of performers on whom to bestow his patronage.

After the Earl of Leicester died, the core of his

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popular company re-emerged as Strange’s Men, including Elizabethan comedy king Will Kempe.

As well as performing at Lathom and Knowsley, Strange’s Men became the first recorded company to appear at Philip Henslowe’s Rose Theatre in Southwark. There, alongside plays like Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta, they staged Shakespeare’s earliest works including Henry VI Part 1 and Titus Andronicus.

Some historians believe the young playwright also performed as a member of the company. Shakespeare certainly valued the support of his Lancastrian patron, later paying homage to him by immortalising his ancestor Lord Stanley in Richard III. When riots and then the plague struck London in 1592, theatres were closed, and Strange’s Men left on a tour of the provinces. The following year, when Ferdinando became the 5th Earl, the company changed

Clockwise, from above left: The Jacobean Room inside Knowsley Hall, the Stanley family's former hunting lodge; the State Dining Room at Knowsley Hall; Hoghton Tower www.britain-magazine.com

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BOOK AHEAD Hoghton Tower The 16th-century tower and grounds are open for tours which take visitors on a journey through 1,000 years of de Hoghton history. www.hoghtontower.co.uk Rufford Old Hall The Grade I-listed landmark includes the Tudor hall along with Jacobean and Georgian wings and is set in beautiful gardens. www.nationaltrust.org.uk Knowsley Hall The hall is open for group tours for one week each year, led by Dr Stephen Lloyd, curator of the Derby Collection. Tours for private groups can also be organised by appointment throughout the year. www.knowsleyestate.com Shakespeare North Playhouse The new 350-seat playhouse, with its historic cockpit-in-court design, is due to open in summer 2022. www.shakespearenorthplayhouse.co.uk

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its name to Derby’s Men. It was a short-lived conversion however: within a few months, Ferdinando Stanley had fallen gravely ill at his Knowsley hunting lodge and subsequently died at Lathom, reputedly poisoned after he had refused to join – and then reported – a Catholic plot against the throne.

Derby’s Men morphed into the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, for whom Shakespeare would write some of his most famous plays.

Meanwhile Ferdinando was succeeded to the earldom by his brother William. And it’s said A Midsummer Night’s Dream was first performed as part of celebrations for the new Earl’s marriage, held in the presence of Elizabeth I. For more on William Shakespeare and the places associated with him, see www.britain-magazine.com BRITAIN

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N

ottingham has always had a rebellious streak. The first of its rebels was, of course, Robin Hood and his merry band of outlaws, who robbed the rich to pay the poor. His legacy has passed through the centuries – the locals have a reputation for standing up for what they believe in – and traces of the city’s unruly past can be found all over town.

Whether you believe he was a real-life hero or simply a folk legend, the bronze statue of the ‘noble robber’ standing on Robin Hood’s Lawn provides an irresistible photo opportunity: knees bent and bow raised, he aims an arrow squarely at Nottingham Castle and the establishment within.

Nottingham Castle still dominates the city skyline, but it’s not such a hostile place these days. It reopens this summer after a £30 million, threeyear restoration. Interactive displays offer the chance for budding Robin Hoods to fire longbows in digital archery competitions and spar with Little John in the depths of Sherwood Forest.

Built by William the Conqueror in 1068, Nottingham Castle has been destroyed and rebuilt many times during its history. By 1330 it was a royal palace and the scene of a

bloody coup when young Edward III and his supporters secretly entered via the caves beneath the castle. They captured Edward’s Queen, Isabella, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, who would later be executed as a traitor. Queen Isabella was spared but her ghost is said to haunt Mortimer’s Hole, the cave route into the castle.

Centuries later in 1642, King Charles I hoisted his royal standard from Nottingham Castle, effectively declaring war on his own people and sparking the English Civil War. However, never one to follow the crowd, the city became a stronghold for Parliament in a region that overwhelmingly supported the king, and the castle stayed in rebel hands until the end of the war. These stories and more can be explored in the new Rebellion Gallery.

The Creative Galleries, meanwhile, showcase a collection of fine and decorative art, including paintings, sculptures, salt-glazed pottery and Nottingham lace.

The city’s most famous export has its origins in the Lace Market area, which dates back to the 5th century. The local invention of the knitting frame in the early 19th century saw lacemaking grow from a domestic craft to an international industry.

The spirit of the world’s bestloved folk hero lives on in the history and culture of this fascinating city WORDS NATASHA FOGES

PHOTOS: © TRAVELLINGLIGHT/TRACEY WHITEFOOT/ALAMY

N OTTINGHAM

This image: Nottingham Castle Above: Statue of Robin Hood by James Arthur Woodford on Robin Hood's Lawn

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WEEKENDER For more on Nottinghamshire, see www.britainmagazine.com

brothers and Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst.

Visitors can even take part in courtroom dramas themselves on select days.

The museum’s sister attraction is another must-see: the City of Caves, a labyrinthine underworld of 800 caves, dating back to the dark ages. Take a tour to discover caves that have been used as homes, cellars, brewhouses, a medieval tannery and as air raid shelters during the Second World War. The tunnels also provided secret meetingplaces and escape routes for Nottingham rebels, including (naturally) Robin Hood, who is said to have absconded from the castle to the safety of Sherwood Forest via the network of caves and tunnels that honeycomb Castle Rock, on which the castle stands.

These days, you can take the more prosaic route on the Sherwood Arrow bus. As legend has it, Robin Hood hid out in the forest’s 1,000-year-old Major Oak, and married his beloved Maid Marian at St Mary’s Church in the nearby village of Edwinstowe.

Another trip worth making is to Wollaton Hall three miles west of the centre, an Elizabethan mansion built by Sir Francis Willoughby for his family. It houses an impressive natural history museum, with a collection of rare specimens from across the globe. A new exhibition opening in July, Titus:T-rex is King, will feature the first real Tyrannosaurus rex to be displayed in England for over a century. From outlaws to dinosaurs, Nottingham welcomes one and all.

THE PLANNER

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GETTING THERE AND AROUND Half-hourly trains run from London St Pancras station to Nottingham (1hr 30min). You can take an entertaining tour of Nottingham with a costumed Robin Hood, learning plenty of historical nuggets along the way. www.thetrainline.com; www.ezekialbone.com EAT, DRINK, SLEEP Stay at the boutique Lace Market Hotel, set in a Georgian townhouse in the prettiest part of town. Airy, contemporary rooms come with comfy beds and chic bathrooms. For a meal to remember, eat at Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, which claims to be England’s oldest inn.

Nestled beneath Nottingham Castle, it was once popular with crusader knights; Richard the Lionheart is said to have stopped here before travelling to Jerusalem in 1189, hence the name. Pub classics such as sausage & mash and meat pies are on the menu. www.lacemarkethotel.co.uk; www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

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FURTHER INFORMATION www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © ANDY ANDREWS/VISIT NOTTINGHAM/TRACEY WHITEFOOT/ALAMY

Top to bottom: Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem; the Elizabethan Wollaton Hall; a display of Nottingham lace at Nottingham Castle

In typical Nottingham style, a rebel movement sprung up to protest against the machinery that threatened lacemakers’ livelihoods. The so-called Luddites were led by Ned Ludd, a weaver who sabotaged stocking frames in the factory where he worked. This led to a nationwide rebellion that raged between 1811 and 1816 but was ultimately suppressed by military force.

With its production fully mechanised, Nottingham became the centre of the global lace industry by 1870, and a walk around the Lace Market today reveals many handsome Victorian buildings.

In the heart of the area, the National Justice Museum – formerly the County Gaol – provides another brush with Robin Hood, who was supposedly imprisoned in the dungeons. It has original cells and an atmospheric wood-panelled courthouse.

Famous figures to have stood in the dock include Oscar Wilde, the infamous Kray

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Highland

BEAUTY

Argyll’s wild mountains and tranquil lochs are a stunning refuge for a host of precious sights, from ancient forts to pods of porpoises WORDS JENNY ROWE

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PHOTOS: © IANIN MASTERTON/ALAMY. ILLUSTRATION: © MICHAEL A HILL

RURAL BRITAIN

Inveraray Castle is the Highland home of the Duke of Argyll, Chief of the Clan Campbell, and his family

Clockwise, from top right: The quaint conservation village of Luss on the west side of Loch Lomond; the formidable historic weaponry collection in the Armoury Hall at Inveraray Castle; Loch Lomond, the second largest lake in Britain after Loch Ness

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raditionally ‘the Highlands’ refers to the part of Scotland that lies northwest of the Highland Boundary Fault, which crosses the mainland in a roughly straight line from Helensburgh, Argyll in the southwest to Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire in the northeast. This makes Argyll the most southerly, and arguably the most easily accessed, corner of proper Highland countryside.

Here you can tick many bucket-list sights off your list: red deer roam free; hairy ginger Highland cows are common; and ruined castles cut sharp silhouettes against bright gorse and heather-clad hills. Yet with 3,723km of coastline, you should also expect the unexpected: any route across Argyll will not only traverse mountain and glen, but dip and dive sporadically across countless sea- and freshwater lochs too.

Just a 50-minute drive from Glasgow, the seaside town of Helensburgh is a gentle introduction to the region.

Its handsome promenade overlooks the Firth of Clyde, the river to which Scotland’s second city is so indebted.

Founded at the end of the 18th century, Helensburgh’s own success was tied to a historic ferry crossing to Greenock (now not in service), which once enabled Glasgow’s wealthy merchants to live on the more appealing north side of the river and commute to work.

Helensburgh’s sophisticated reputation was an obvious choice for Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s finest domestic creation, The Hill House. To save this national treasure from rain damage, the National Trust for Scotland has constructed a giant steel-framed ‘box’ around it, which provides protection but also rooftop viewing platforms.

With your new head for heights, the lofty peaks of the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park beckon.

The coast-hugging journey along the west bank of Loch Lomond is calming, and there are many stopping places to enjoy the idyllic sound of the water lapping against the shore. Be sure to visit the conservation village of Luss, where neat rows of stone cottages, the earliest of which were built the 18th century to house workers from the nearby slate quarries, are covered with climbing roses in summer.

Before you reach the northern end of Loch Lomond, follow the road west to explore the Arrochar Alps at the head of Loch Long, one of several sea lochs that eventually feed into the Firth of Clyde. There is no better place to appreciate the region’s water-woven landscape than from the top of one of these craggy mountains.

Ben Arthur, also known as The Cobbler due to the shape of its rocky summit, is a short but sharp climb with panoramic views on a good day. That said, there’s

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PHOTOS: © ISTOCKPHOTO/BENJAMIN CURRIE/SHUTTERSTOCK

RURAL BRITAIN

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RURAL BRITAIN

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RURAL BRITAIN

PHOTOS: © JON SPARKS/ALAMY

Left: Crinan Basin, where the canal meets the Sound of Jura

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much to enjoy loch-side too. Bottle-nosed whales have been known to swim this far inland, or you might be lucky enough to spot a shy sea otter.

From here it’s not far to Inveraray, which sits on the west side of Loch Fyne and is home to the Gothic Revival Inveraray Castle. Concealed in the forest just out of town, it is the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Argyll, Chiefs of Clan Campbell, whose family have resided here since the early 15th century – Torquhil Campbell, the 13th Duke, and Eleanor, his wife, currently live here with their family. The fairytale turrets are a bit of a misnomer considering its infamous Armoury Hall, which showcases around 1,300 pieces of historic weaponry. Some of the swords preserved here are from the Battle of Culloden, one of the most harrowing battles in British history, whose 275th anniversary was commemorated earlier this year.

To continue the castle trail, head north to Kilchurn, first constructed in the mid-15th century by the Campbells of Glenorchy. It may be a gnarled ruin, but it maintains pride of place on a picturesque peninsula at the northeastern end of Loch Awe and is a popular subject for both amateur and professional photographers.

Meanwhile, travelling west from Inveraray, a sand-lined stretch of Loch Fyne’s east bank is just a warm-up for Argyll’s Secret Coast, which is one of the most beautiful drives in the country, yet still flies under the radar of most tourists. The expansive views open up from the head of Loch Ruel; on a fine day they’ll extend beyond the Kyles of Bute towards the Isle of Arran.

Just past here, you can stop off at Tighnabruaich to visit Argyll Coffee Roasters, which supplies many local venues such as the quaint Kilberry Inn on the Kintyre Peninsula, where we head next.

To get there, hop on a small ferry and bob from Portavadie to Tarbert. Oban, known as the “Gateway to the Isles”, is just an hour’s drive away and more or less marks the northernmost boundary of Argyll, but there is plenty to see along the way. First up is the Crinan Canal, “Britain’s most beautiful shortcut”, a major feat of engineering begun by James Watt in 1771 but not opened to traffic until 1822. Don’t miss the two surviving Clyde Puffers, Auld Reekie and Vic 32, at Crinan’s canal basin. These nifty cargo vessels were specifically designed for the Crinan Canal (and the Forth & Clyde) and tasked with carrying produce – mainly whisky – between the islands and the mainland.

Another evocatively scenic section of the route follows, as the road winds through Kilmartin Glen.

First up is the Crinan Canal, “Britain’s most beautiful shortcut”, a major feat of engineering begun

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RURAL BRITAIN

THE PLANNER GETTING THERE It’s easier to embark on an Argyll adventure than you might think. From Glasgow airport (direct flights arrive from London and Bristol daily), the 500 Airport Express bus will connect you with Glasgow Queen Street station and trains to Helensburgh or through Balloch to Oban. West Coast Motors provide good bus links throughout. Alternatively, car hire is available from the airport via several reputable companies. www.glasgowairport.com; www.scotrail.co.uk; westcoastmotors.co.uk WHERE TO STAY The resort at Portavadie marina incorporates a variety of options, from self-catered cottages to studio apartments, while the Loch Melfort Hotel combines classic Scottish country house hotel hospitality with stunning sea-and-island views. www.portavadie.com; www.lochmelfort.co.uk WHERE TO EAT Feasting on the local seafood is a must. Lobster, langoustine, scallops, mussels, oysters, halibut and salmon all feature heavily on menus and will most likely have been plucked from sparkling waters mere miles away. Try Cattle & Creel if you prefer to mix your surf with top-quality turf, and make time too for a visit to Loch Fyne Oysters Ltd, where there is both a restaurant and a deli for fishy souvenirs. www.cattleandcreel.co.uk; www.lochfyne.com

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FURTHER INFORMATION www.wildaboutargyll.co.uk

Here a peculiar conical-shaped hill, surrounded by the flat expanse of Moine Mhor – “the great moss” – will attract your attention. This is the site of Dunadd Fort, the power base of the kings of the Gaelic Dál Riata kingdom between 500-800 AD, and just one of a staggering 800 ancient archeological sites lying within a six-mile radius of the village of Kilmartin.

In contrast to this unruly inland landscape, the 20-acre Arduaine Garden, just 20 minutes further north, is coastal, perfectly coiffed and positively exotic.

Boldly protruding into the Sound of Jura, this verdant oasis provides visitors with atmospheric views towards the islands of Scarba, Jura and Islay; drink it all in and look out for porpoises playing in the wake of fishing boats. Meanwhile the garden’s diverse species, heralding from East Asia to South America, thrive thanks to the shelter of trees, the ocean’s moisture and the temperature -moderating effect of the North Atlantic Drift.

Oban will feel bustling after such rural serenity.

Originally an unassuming fishing village, Oban’s development owes much to its ferry links with several of the Inner and Outer Hebridean islands, and its distillery, which was actually established before the town itself in 1794. This makes it Scotland’s oldest distillery, and your opportunity to get a traditional taste of Scotland.

From here launch straight into a new, Hebridean chapter of your holiday, or perhaps turn back and lose yourself further in Argyll’s earth-meets-water maze. That is the beauty of this coastal corner of Scotland: there is no such thing as a wrong turn, only endless discovery.

PHOTOS: © CHRIS WARREN/4CORNERS IMAGES/AC IMAGES/ALAMY

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Right: The 15th-century Kilchurn Castle at Loch Awe Below: The coastal Arduaine Garden at Loch Melfort

PROMOTION

Portsmouth’s SHOPPING HUB

Gunwharf Quays is the ideal place to treat yourself or your family and friends to something special for less, whilst making a day of it on the scenic waterfront Gunwharf Quays is the South of England’s only waterfront shopping outlet. Located on Portsmouth’s historic harbour, you can shop over 90 famous brands; grab a bite to eat in a choice of over 30 restaurants, bars and cafés; and watch the boats go by as you take in the stunning waterfront location.

Whatever you’re shopping for, you’ll find it here, from stylish women’s fashion and men’s sharp tailoring to beautiful homeware and gifts, all at up to 60% off the RRP. This is outlet shopping...and then some.

Whether you’re looking for the latest looks at discount prices, sportswear that delivers a great price as well as great performance, casual clothing for less, or quality kids’ clothing at special prices, it’s well worth a visit. A brand-new designer handbag can be

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picked up for a fraction of the regular retail price, and, of course, there’s a superb selection of shoes, watches and jewellery to complete your look.

Among the prestigious brands to be found here are The White Company, offering beautiful children’s clothes as well as homeware gifts including candles, throws and cushions; Le Creuset, Zwilling JA Henckels and Denby, all featuring premium-quality cookware and classic tableware; and for a fantastic range of health and beauty, look no further than Molton Brown, L’Occitane, Penhaligon’s and Rituals.

There’s so much to see and do, but whatever you choose, it’s the relaxed approach to shopping at Gunwharf Quays that makes it the perfect destination. Have a lazy lunch in Loch Fyne, savour

French cuisine in Brasserie Blanc, enjoy the fabulous burgers and fries at Five Guys, or savour a glass of Prosecco in one of the many waterfront bars.

Ideally located next to Portsmouth Harbour train station with direct trains from London, Cardiff, Southampton and Brighton, you can be browsing the stores within minutes of alighting your carriage. If you prefer to drive, there is a large underground car park and you can even download an app to make it a contact-free experience. And if you’ve shopped till you dropped, why not take advantage of the new carry to car or home delivery services being introduced this summer, so that you can combine your visit with the city’s other attractions, all just a short walk away. gunwharf-quays.com www.britain-magazine.com

CITY GUIDE

TOP 10 PORTSMOUTH With royal connections, sea views and historic forts, this great maritime city is ripe for exploring WORDS NATASHA FOGES

PHOTO: © EYE35/ALAMY/ILLUSTRATION: © LIZ KAY

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n 1194, Richard I was due to set sail from Portsmouth, a small port in southern England, to fight in his last crusade.

However, the winds and tides were against him and he ended up staying in town for two weeks. His visit sealed Portsmouth’s fortune: the king granted its people a Royal Charter, giving them the right to hold markets and a local court. King John reaffirmed these privileges and established a permanent naval base, hastening this humble town on its way to becoming the world's greatest naval port by the end of the 19th century.

Portsmouth’s position was ideal for trading with France – or attacking it during a time of relentless warfare in the 14th century.

Fortifications were finally built from 1495, including Southsea Castle, from which on a summer’s day in 1545 Henry VIII watched in horror as his flagship the Mary Rose sank just a mile offshore, taking 400 souls with her. She was dramatically raised from the deep in 1982 to take www.britain-magazine.com

pride of place in a dedicated museum. In the adjacent Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Admiral Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory, and the iron-built Victorian HMS Warrior complete the trio of ships on display.

The city’s impressive naval heritage extends to the Second World War, when it was an embarkation point for men heading for the Normandy Beaches. The Portsmouth Naval Memorial commemorates sailors who died at sea during both World Wars.

For a flavour of the city’s heyday, head to the Point (also known as ‘Spice Island’ after the scent of the spices once unloaded here), an area of cobbled streets and salty pubs once jostling with sailors, where press-gangs were feared and sea dogs on shore leave parted from their hardearned money. Centuries may have passed but Portsmouth’s pride in its naval heritage endures; you only need to spend a day here to understand why.

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HMS Victory Built in 1759, this is the world’s oldest commissioned warship, carrying Admiral Nelson to victory in the Battle of Trafalgar. A new gallery tells the ship’s story, and you can explore from the depths of the hull to Nelson’s cabin – an experience all the more evocative for the lingering nautical smells of wood, rope, scrubbed decks and polished brass. www.hms-victory.com

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Spinnaker Tower Choose a fine day to ascend this eye-catching landmark on the waterfront: views can stretch up to 23 miles. From the viewing deck you’re well placed to take in the action in the Solent – the mesmerising comings and goings of ships of all sizes heading in and out of port – while afternoon tea 105m above ground gives a new meaning to the term ‘high tea’. www.spinnakertower.co.uk

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Portsmouth Museum & Art Gallery Housed in a former barracks, the town museum has interesting exhibitions on the city’s history, including one of the world’s largest collections of artefacts relating to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (a one-time resident) and his famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. www.portsmouthmuseum.co.uk

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Mary Rose Museum All that survives of Henry VIII’s flagship is half a hull, providing a fascinating cross-section of decks. The galleries around it show some of the 19,000 artefacts dredged from the deep, from spoons to carpenter’s tools, comprising the fullest picture of Tudor life ever assembled.

A new immersive experience is due to be unveiled this summer. www.maryrose.org

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Charles Dickens’ Birthplace Museum Charles Dickens was born in this modest house on 7 February 1812. Household objects and decorations have been faithfully re-created in the Regency style in three furnished rooms: the parlour, the dining room and the bedroom where the novelist was born. www.charlesdickensbirthplace.co.uk

Kings Theatre This perfectly preserved Victorian auditorium, opened in 1907, is the work of Frank Matcham, theatre designer extraordinaire, who also designed the nearby Theatre Royal. www.kingsportsmouth.co.uk

7 Round Tower Built around 1418 to guard against raids

by French ships, this bastion on the waterfront can still be visited. You can access the top of the tower for sea and city views, while the ground floor is used for occasional exhibitions, and there’s an on-site café too. www.visitportsmouth.co.uk

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PHOTOS: © MAURITIUS IMAGES GMBH/ALAMY/MARY ROSE MUSEUM/IAN PILBEAM/INCAMERASTOCK/BRITPIX/ALAMY/ STEFAN AND SARA VENTER ATUPIX PHOTOGRAPHY/VISIT PORTSMOUTH

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Isle of Wight It takes just 22 minutes to cross the Solent to the Isle of Wight, with regular ferries running throughout the day. Osborne, Queen Victoria’s cherished home, and historic Carisbrooke Castle are among the island’s many attractions. www.visitisleofwight.co.uk

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THE PLANNER Southsea Castle Walk in Henry VIII’s footsteps as you explore the castle keep and its artillery and gun platforms, and take in panoramic views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight.

A weekly champagne bar on summer evenings gives the experience extra sparkle. www.southseacastle.co.uk

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GETTING THERE There are regular trains from London Waterloo station to Portsmouth (1hr 35min). www.thetrainline.com

The D-Day Story This museum dedicated to the Allied invasion of June 1944 movingly tells the story of this pivotal moment in history through the personal possessions and words of the people who took part. A recent addition is the last surviving Landing Craft Tank from D-Day. www.theddaystory.com

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WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK A short walk from the Historic Dockyard, Abarbistro has an outdoor terrace and a menu of classics – seafood platters, salads and burgers – as well as an impressive wine list. The Canteen, a waterfront café located in the historic barracks in Old Portsmouth, gives a great view of goings-on in the Solent, with boats passing within inches of the deck and a menu ranging from eggs Benedict to coconut and lime flapjacks. The Still & West in Spice Island is Portsmouth’s best waterside pub, with quirky painted ceilings inside and a large terrace with harbour views. www.abarbistro.co.uk; www.thecanteen.co.uk; www.stillandwest.co.uk

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FURTHER INFORMATION www.visitportsmouth.co.uk

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PHOTOS: © IAN CROWSON/ALAMY/MATTHEW SCOTT-JOYNT/JIM HOLDEN/ENGLISH HERITAGE TRUST

WHERE TO STAY The Queens Hotel, set in a handsome red-brick building dating back to 1861, has elegant, newly refurbished rooms with plenty of original features; many come with stunning views of the Solent. queenshotelportsmouth.com

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The Queens Hotel, is being restored to its former glory. From the moment you step into the grand lobby, it’s clear you have entered a special place that sits at the very heart of Southsea. Rooms have been recently refurbished to offer luxury and comfort, many with spectacular sea views.

Hotel facilities include a restaurant, hotel bars, a large private garden and a luxury Spa coming soon. The hotel also offers the perfect setting for weddings, special occasions and business events.

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HIDDEN GEMS

Washington Old Hall This stately stone manor, associated with the ancestors of George Washington, offers an intriguing window into 17th-century gentry life

omewhere, in an alternative universe, there is a capital city of an alternative USA called Hertburn D.C. In that ‘other’ world, in the year 1180, William de Hertburn did not swap his portion of land at Stockton, Country Durham, for another estate nearby and never changed his name to ‘de Wessyngton’, so his descendant ‘George Hertburn’ became the first president of the United States.

In our universe, however, William did change his name and, several iterations later, his descendant George Washington became one of the most revered men in history. Traces of William de Wessyngton’s home remain at Washington Old Hall. He would recognise, for example, the pointed arches in the Great Hall.

Most of the house, however, dates to the 17th century, when another descendant sold the property to the Bishop of Durham. The building was part demolished, part remodelled, creating a sumptuous, solid, stone manor house. Today the hall looks pretty much as it did then, save that in between that time and ours, there was a bit of a hiccup…

The building fell on hard times. After suffering a conversion into apartments in the early 20th century, it became so neglected that in 1936 it was slated for demolition. Local schoolmaster Frederick Hill led a campaign to save the old house, raising enough money to buy and restore it for the nation. His Old Hall Preservation Committee stripped out the modern partitions, made the place watertight and, in spite of being interrupted by the Second World War, was able to hand it over to the National Trust in 1956.

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Today, the house is presented much as it would have looked around 400 years ago, featuring carved oak panelling, furniture, paintings, a fabulous collection of Delftware and a delightful Jacobean kitchen. The grounds are filled with a complex topiary knot garden. There is one anachronism: on the first floor, ‘No 5’ is a recreation of the Bone family apartment, inhabited between the late 19th century and 1933 – a reminder of harder times.

As the country slowly comes out of lockdown, the National Trust is presenting a new art installation at the Hall. Created by Lindsey Mendick and Dominic Watson, ‘Wassa’, a papier-mâché and ceramic sculpture, takes the form of a ‘medieval fantasy’ feast, attended by ‘guests’ – from history, legend and folklore – associated with the local area, thus delving deep into the region’s past (‘Wassa’ is the Anglo-Saxon word for ‘chief’).

The work also dips a toe into the region’s fine tradition for tall tales. It’s not completely impossible, for example, that the real ‘Pickled Parson’, preserved in jelly by the artists, genuinely was preserved by his wife after death to convince parishioners they should continue paying their tithes. That said, it’s probably best to take the story with the pinch of the salt she is supposed to have used.

George Washington is, of course, present, but he is not at the head of the table. That honour goes to Fred Hill, the local hero who helped save Washington Old Hall for future generations to enjoy. www.nationaltrust.org.uk www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/CHRIS LACEY

WORDS LAWRENCE ALEXANDER

S T Y L I S H R E T R E AT S I N T H E U K ’ S H OT T E S T L O C AT I O N S From raising the flag on your own private island to watching the stars over the sea from your hot tub, Boutique Retreats specialise in unique, stylish properties that celebrate their surroundings whilst embracing luxurious living.

Whether you’re after something beautifully bijou or large and luxurious, a long weekend boutique-retreats.co.uk

or a two-week summer holiday, our carefully selected properties will take your breath away.

+44 (0)1872 553 491 enquiries@boutique-retreats.co.uk

We know how good getaways should be.