Innehållsförteckning för Mar/Apr 2023 från Britain

Bigger and better than ever in 2023, our annual Great British Holiday competition is a once-in-a-lifetime prize offering you the chance to win an unforgettable five-star break in London and the Cotswolds. A luxurious London stay Starting with free flights (for overseas entrants), our winner and their guest will travel to London for a one-night luxury stay at Middle Eight, a chic hotel set in bustling Covent Garden, whose streets are lined with some of the capital’s best shops and restaurants. On your first evening, get your bearings at The View from the Shard, where you’ll enjoy a breathtaking panorama of the city, followed by a Michelin-starred dinner at Galvin La Chapelle, set in a grand former Victorian chapel. The next night, you will be staying at The Guardsman, an…

Exploring Britain’s coastline If you want to get under the skin of the UK’s home nations, jump aboard this cruise that circumnavigates the country. From Scotland’s legends of Loch Ness and the spirit of Robert the Bruce at Urquhart Castle near Invergordon to the Viking heritage of Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides, the Caledonian spirit comes alive. Dip into the colourful back story of Belfast at the city’s excellent Titanic Museum or step out on to the geological wonder that is the Giant’s Causeway. There’s also a chance to explore the self-governing kingdom of the Isle of Man (left), home of the famous TT motorbike race, and trot along the seafront promenade of its capital Douglas in a horse-drawn tram. Saga Cruises offers a 10-night Hidden Gems of the British…

Cheltenham claims to be ‘the most complete Regency town in Britain’, and the architecture is wonderfully grand, with refined townhouses, stucco facades and genteel gardens galore. Visitors have flocked to this elegant city ever since the 18th century, when its spa waters were in high demand. A local farmer, William Mason, noticed some pigeons pecking at salts deposited by the natural spring. Observing that they were looking rather healthy, he became convinced that the spa had healing properties and starting selling the water for half a penny a glass. In 1738, Mason’s son-in-law, Captain Henry Skillicorne, inherited the land and developed the area as a spa destination. After a royal visit in 1788 – George III spent five weeks in the town in a bid to be cured of his…

STAR LETTER THE COTSWOLDS IN THE FRAME The lyrical descriptions in your article on the Cotswolds [Vol 91 Issue 1] of “honeycombed hamlets, cobblestone streets and tinkling streams” is a perfect inspiration for my favourite medieval English village: Castle Combe in the Cotswolds. Painting each detail warmed my memory of this endearing quaint village. Thank you again for my cosy corner of Britain. Katherine S. Brown, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Our star letter wins a copy of The Road: A Story of Romans and Ways to the Past by Christopher Hadley, an evocative account of the author’s search for an elusive Roman road – and a fascinating journey back in time (£20, William Collins). GUARDS ON PARADE I recently purchased a subscription to BRITAIN. I’m enjoying it very much! During the…

Approached from any direction, Norfolk’s capital announces itself with a sign that says, Norwich: A Fine City. The phrase is a quote from the 1851 book Lavengro by Norfolk author George Borrow, in which he describes Norwich as being ‘a fine old city’. It’s a simple appraisal that is hard to disagree with. Because the city lies out on a limb, some way east of England’s main transport routes, Norwich is often overlooked by visitors. This is a pity because it can compare favourably with more popular destinations like Cambridge, York and Durham. Although relatively small with just 144,000 inhabitants, Norwich was England’s second-largest city during the medieval period. Originally an Anglo-Saxon settlement, the Normans developed the city at the end of the 11th century by building the castle and…

In 1558, a young princess was reading the Bible under an oak tree in Hatfield Park when she heard she had become queen. “This is the Lord’s doing,” she rejoiced, quoting the psalm she had just reached. “It is marvellous in our eyes.” Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII, had grown up at Hatfield Palace, as it was then, happily reciting Latin and Greek declensions in the schoolroom, before Mary I, her Catholic half-sister, acceded the throne and imprisoned her on the estate, fearing her enemies would put Elizabeth, a Protestant, in her place. Hatfield Palace in Hertfordshire had been built in 1485 for John Morton, Bishop of Ely and Henry VII’s minister, and then seized by Henry VIII, along with other church properties. Now, it belonged to Elizabeth. On hearing…

Annual subscription to Britain magazine: UK £21.95 | Europe €43.95 | Australia $68.95 US $45 | Canada $55 | Rest of World £37.95 The official magazine of VisitBritain, and winner of the Best Consumer Holiday Magazine category at the British Travel Awards, BRITAIN is the authoritative voice on UK heritage, travel and culture, and the go-to publication for everyone fascinated by our country’s rich and illustrious history. Two easy ways to order USA & Canada go to www.chelseamagazines.com/K32SPA Or phone 1-866-926-0261 (quote code K32SPA) UK & ROW go to www.chelseamagazines.com/CBRT23 Or phone +44 (0)1858 438 834 (quote code CBRT23)…

One evening in 1723 a servant came to wake his master from an unusually long post-dinner snooze at his London home, only to find that the venerable 90-year-old had quietly passed away in his chair. Thus death drew a close to the extraordinary life of a man whose accomplishments ranged through astronomy, mathematics and physics to anatomy and design. He had been a founder of the Royal Society, the world’s oldest scientific academy in continuous existence, and counted Sir Isaac Newton among fans of his work. His eclectic inventions included transparent beehives for scientific observation and a device to sow grain without waste. Today, 300 years later, we remember Sir Christopher Wren less for being this energetic polymath and more as the revered architect who oversaw the rebuilding of London…

Wales has a strong storytelling tradition, and every schoolchild knows by heart the tales told in a medieval tome called The Mabinogion. Many of these myths and legends are linked to the towering mountains and shimmering lakes of Snowdonia in North Wales, where every hill, lake and village seems to have a tale of giants, knights and dragons in its dim and distant past. Snowdonia’s mythical allure has bewitched visitors for centuries: after the Norman invasion of Britain, various princes of Wales evaded capture by escaping to the mists of Snowdonia, never to be seen again. It is not hard to lose yourself here. Craggy peaks are blanketed in Welsh oak and mountain ash, plunging to lush river gorges, churning waterfalls and vast green valleys. Looming above it all is…

Boasting not only the most complete city walls in Britain, but also the oldest racecourse, the largest Roman amphitheatre and England’s oldest shopfront, the ancient city of Chester would be a tough one to beat on a history-themed Top Trumps card. Despite being a relatively small city compared to its neighbouring northern counterparts, Manchester and Liverpool, Chester’s historic beauty and lively atmosphere bring it to life in a unique way, making it a delightful destination for a city break. Chester’s history dates back to Roman times. Founded as a fort in 79 AD, its large harbour and imposing city walls made it one of the most important settlements of the time. Even now, the city is dotted with evidence of its Roman inhabitants, which often crops up in the most…