Innehållsförteckning för October - November 2024 från Discover Britain

One of the world’s most extraordinary cities, London offers world-class history, art, architecture and theatre – but it’s not always the most restful place to visit. Fortunately, the capital is surrounded by England’s tranquil countryside, where picturesque historic villages dot the landscape – many of which are easily accessible by train, or less than an hour’s drive from the capital. Here are eight of the most charming; each with a delightful place to stay, just in case a day trip isn’t long enough to explore properly. Whether you’re looking forward to an afternoon dipping in and out of galleries and independent shops (with a stop for afternoon tea), or wish to strike out across the fields on a sunlit walk, each of these villages offers the chance to discover a…

Windsor Castle, Berkshire Windsor Castle is the ultimate historic royal fortress, and it can be reached directly from London Waterloo station in under an hour; catch the train to Windsor and Eton Riverside and it’s a five-minute walk from there. This magnificent royal residence is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. With almost 900 years of history within its imposing walls, it has been home to 40 monarchs since and is still one of the official homes of His Majesty King Charles III. It was a particular favourite of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, whose final resting place at St George’s Chapel can be visited by the public. Visitors can tour the castle’s State Apartments, still used today…

During the Second World War, as London came under attack during the Blitz and the capital’s hospitals struggled to cope with an increasing demand for beds, some of Britain’s stately homes became requisitioned as hospitals to treat injured soldiers and other patients. One of those homes was Hertfordshire’s resplendent Ashridge House, which became an extension of the emergency wing of Charing Cross Hospital. As well as treating returning soldiers, it also became home to a temporary maternity ward, providing a safe place for mothers to deliver their babies away from the air raids and the wartime chaos of the capital. In total, 2,700 babies were born at Ashridge between 1939 and 1946, to both local mothers and evacuees from London, and in June 2024, 100 of those babies and their…

TOURS Behind the scenes at the museum Guests at one of London’s classic British hotels can now get exclusive access to one of the capital’s classic attractions: the British Museum. Tucked away on a quiet street that runs alongside the museum, The Montague on the Gardens offers individually designed rooms and traditional afternoon tea in a beautiful Georgian townhouse setting. Now, the newly curated Conflict & Conservation tour – one of several bespoke guest experiences – grants visitors access to the hotel’s high-brow neighbour before it officially opens for the day. After an introduction to the history of the museum, including how it safeguarded its artefacts during the Blitz, guests will join their guide to explore the museum itself. They’ll be taken down secret passageways to hear tales of wartime…

DISCOVER LONDON DAY TRIPS – THE STATELY HOME Leeds Castle is a magnificent palace, built on the site of a Norman stronghold on two islands in a lake formed from the River Len. Set amid idyllic Kent countryside, the castle rises majestically from the surrounding moat, encircled by parklands and manicured seasonal gardens abundant with wildlife, which all add to the allure of what is considered ‘one of the most enchanting castles in England.’ Leeds was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ‘Esledes’, a manor owned by the half-brother of William the Conqueror. The first of two stone castles was built in 1119, and then in 1278, Eleanor of Castile, wife of Edward I, acquired and remodelled the castle, establishing the tradition of the castle being gifted…

DISCOVER LONDON DAY TRIPS – FOOD & DRINK Known as ‘Garden of England’, Kent has long been feted for its patchwork fields that provide much of Britain’s produce. One apocryphal story says that Henry VIII was so impressed by the taste of a Flanders cherry that he ordered the first cherry orchard to be planted here, and today Kent still grows 90 per cent of the UK’s cherries. This bucolic region’s skyline is also often broken up by the distinct shape of oast houses – the chimney-like relics of a time when it was one of the country’s busiest areas for drying out the hops used in beer production (Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewery, is still based here). In recent decades, however, Kent has also built up a reputation for…

FESTIVE HOLIDAYS There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas’, said Charles Dickens, the Father of Christmas. His seminal 1843 novel A Christmas Carol reinvented the Christmas narrative in Britain, and although we may not be visited by three ghosts, and we may not always get the white Christmas we dream of, the festive season in Britain is a sparkling, magical time of year where generosity and Christmas cheer take centre stage. The dark nights are lit up by colourful pine trees and twinkling fairy lights, carols are sung on street corners, time is spent with loved ones and we’re warmed to our cockles by steaming cups of mulled wine and warm mince pies. When it comes to Christmas spirit, you don’t need to ask us twice; throughout…

Crossword no 242 Solutions in next issue Across 1 ____the Wake, Anglo-Saxon resistance leader (8) 5 Royal ruling house of Britain 1603-1714 (6)9 ____Pool, the largest freshwater lake in Cornwall (3)10 Medieval empire ruled by the House of Plantagenet (7)12 Fruit of the hawthorn (3)13 The ____, a Shakespearean play (7)14 Settlement in America founded by Sir Walter Raleigh (7)15 National Trust castle in Wales (5)17 Parliamentarian supporter during the English civil war (9)18 Former nickname of Victoria Beckham (4,5)20 St ____, a scenic spot on the north Cornish coast (5)22 Path beside a canal or river (7)23 ____Castle, a key royal residence (7)25 Tree-like being in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings (3)26 The Knights ____, an order of warrior monks (7)27 Tall deciduous tree (3)28 English Romantic landscape painter…

It’s the definitive image of quaint Englishness. An Arcadian scene of pastoral perfection that seems too good to be true. And in a way, it is. The Hay Wain, John Constable’s depiction of the land around Flatford Mill, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the heart of the Dedham Vale, on the edge of the Suffolk/Essex border, is an idealised version of a countryside that, at the time of painting was being ravaged by industrialisation – physically and politically. Dr Mary McMahon is a curator of the National Gallery’s new exhibition, Discover Constable and the Hay Wain (17 Oct 2024 – 2 Feb 2025, nationalgallery.org.uk), which seeks to examine the painting in a fresh way. Speaking from Trafalgar Square, where the gallery is celebrating its bicentenary year, she explains…

COLUMN Perhaps best described as a systematic arrangement of symbols on the background of a shield (the essential component of any coat of arms) most of us have seen examples of heraldry – an exuberant and deeply traditional form of display – since at least the 12th century. At that time, simple designs served to distinguish individuals on the battlefield, although knights spent more time jousting in tournaments than in actual warfare. As time went on, vanity began to play a role as powerful families competed to see who could sport the most complex, colourful and ornamental arrangements. Today, because of this, heraldry is one of the most attractive and evocative reminders of chivalry’s golden age. Although arms are still granted by the College of Arms (Heralds’ College) in London…

Coins, as well as being practical tokens of commerce, have always said something about our country and times: a point perfectly illustrated by the eight designs featuring flora and fauna on the coins of the nation unveiled last year by the Royal Mint as the first ‘definitives’ of King Charles III’s reign. Hailed as coins for the climate-change era and reflecting His Majesty’s personal passion for nature and conservation, they celebrate our wildlife while also highlighting concerns for its survival. “There are so many elements of detail on the coins, [each time] you look at them you can discover something new,” says Gordon Summers, chief engraver at the Royal Mint, adding, “It takes a great deal of skill to create art on a canvas as small as a 1p or…

The iconic Armada Portrait shows Queen Elizabeth I surrounded by potent symbols of majesty, while in the background we see her navy and ‘Protestant’ winds thwarting the mighty invasion fleet of Philip II of Spain. What could be more stirring? And what could be more beguiling than the story of Sir Francis Drake nonchalantly finishing a game of bowls on Plymouth Hoe before valiantly sailing out to finish off the approaching foe? The failed invasion of England by the Spanish Armada in 1588 may be the most famous conflict of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, but it’s also a tale greatly embellished by Tudor propaganda and later myth-making – the story of a cool-headed Drake playing bowls in the face of imminent danger only emerged many years after actual events took…