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BRITAIN THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

TRAVEL CULTURE HERITAGE STYLE

HOLIDAY MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR

HENRY VIII TRAIL

Hidden Tudor Palaces

Little-known castles and manors in the Heart of England

PRIVATE LIVES OF THE GEORGIANS

COTSWOLD WAY Follow the prettiest path in Britain

LONDON LANDMARKS

The story of Big Ben

Inside Blenheim

Win tickets + tours that take you behind closed doors

MAY/JUNE 2017 £4.50

www.britain-magazine.com

Quote Britain_MarApr17_UK

Inspiring Breaks to National Trust Houses & Gardens Hidden Cotswolds & Poldark’s Chavenage

dŚĞůĂƌŐĞƐƚƌĞĂŽĨKƵƚƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐEĂƚƵƌĂůĞĂƵƚLJŝŶŶŐůĂŶĚĂŶĚtĂůĞƐ͕ ƚŚĞŽƚƐǁŽůĚƐŝƐĂƉĂƐƚŽƌĂůůĂŶĚƐĐĂƉĞŽĨŐĞŶƚůLJƌŽůůŝŶŐŚŝůůƐ͕ŝĚLJůůŝĐǀŝĞǁƐ ĂŶĚƋƵŝŶƚĞƐƐĞŶƟĂůůLJŶŐůŝƐŚǀŝůůĂŐĞƐŽĨŚŽŶĞLJͲĐŽůŽƵƌĞĚƐƚŽŶĞǁŚĞƌĞƟŵĞ ƐĞĞŵƐƚŽŚĂǀĞƐƚŽŽĚƐƟůů͘/ƚŝƐĂůƐŽŚŽŵĞƚŽƚŚĞƌĞƐƉůĞŶĚĞŶƚZĞŐĞŶĐLJƚŽǁŶ ŽĨŚĞůƚĞŶŚĂŵ͕ƚŚĞůŝnjĂďĞƚŚĂŶŚĂǀĞŶĂŐĞ,ŽƵƐĞǁŚŝĐŚƌĞĐĞŶƚůLJĨĞĂƚƵƌĞĚ ŝŶƚŚĞŚŝƚdsƐĞƌŝĞƐPoldark͕ĂŶĚƚŚĞƌĞŵĂŝŶƐŽĨŽŶĞŽĨƚŚĞŐƌĂŶĚĞƐƚZŽŵĂŶ ǀŝůůĂƐŝŶƌŝƚĂŝŶ͘ 5 day tour 4 nights dinner, bed and breakfast at the DĞƌĐƵƌĞŽǁĚĞŶ,Ăůů,ŽƚĞů͕'ůŽƵĐĞƐƚĞƌ „ Porterage „ ŌĞƌĚŝŶŶĞƌƚĞĂĂŶĚĐŽīĞĞĂƚƚŚĞŚŽƚĞů „ Coach transfers to and from your excursions „ Services of a Tour Manager „

:ŽŝŶƵƐĚŝƌĞĐƚ at the hotel

>ĞĂǀĞƚŚĞĐĂƌĂƚŚŽŵĞ ͲĂĚĚƌĞƚƵƌŶĐŽĂĐŚƚƌĂǀĞů

Visits to ,ŝĚĐŽƚĞDĂŶŽƌ'ĂƌĚĞŶwith introductory talk, ŚŝƉƉŝŶŐĂŵƉĚĞŶ, ^ŶŽǁƐŚŝůůDĂŶŽƌ, ŚĞůƚĞŶŚĂŵ, tŝůƐŽŶ 'ĂůůĞƌLJwith guided tour, ŚĂǀĞŶĂŐĞ House with guided tour and cream tea, Bibury, ŚĞĚǁŽƌƚŚZŽŵĂŶsŝůůĂ & ŽƵƌƚŽŶͲŽŶͲƚŚĞͲtĂƚĞƌ

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with

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EDITOR'S LETTER

PHOTOS: © COTSWOLDS PHOTO LIBRARY/LORDPRICE COLLECTION/ALAMY/MARK HEMSWORTH/BLENHEIM PALACE

This issue, we’ve explored relatively unknown territory in England’s heartland and discovered secret Tudor palaces and manor houses, each with their own story to tell, that deserve every bit of recognition as those on the more travelled path. Read all about these hidden treasures in On the Tudor Trail (p14). As it’s now officially spring, we sent one of our trusted writers for a walk along the picturesque Cotswold Way. You can follow his journey as he passes through quaint villages and impossibly gorgeous countryside (plus one or two pubs) in The Prettiest Path (p24). If it’s history you’re after then you’ll love The Secret Lives of the Georgians (p53), where we delve into the private letters of King George III to discover another side to the monarch labelled ‘mad’. Finally, if you want a taste of how the other half live, then come with us as we go behind the scenes at Blenheim Palace in Be Our Guest (p60), to see how the Duke of Marlborough’s lucky visitors are treated during their stay.

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CONTENTS VOLUME 85 ISSUE 3

FEATURES 14

ON THE TUDOR TRAIL

24

THE PRETTIEST PATH

35

TRENCH CONNECTION

38

AN INDOMITABLE DOUBLE ACT

47

A QUIRKY NIGHT’S SLEEP

Sally Coffey, Editor

@BRITAINMAGAZINE FACEBOOK/BRITAINMAGAZINE PINTEREST/BRITAINMAGAZINE @BRITAIN_MAGAZINE

BRITAIN THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

TRAVEL CULTURE HERITAGE STYLE

HOLIDAY MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR

HENRY VIII TRAIL

Hidden Tudor Palaces

Little known castles and manors in the Heart of England

PRIVATE LIVES OF THE GEORGIANS

COTSWOLD WAY Follow the prettiest path in Britain

LONDON LANDMARKS

The story of Big Ben

Inside Blenheim

Win tickets + Tours that take you behind closed doors

OFC_BRI_May/Junenew.indd 1

Proud protector of Scotland’s capital

MAY/JUNE 2017 £4.50

www.britain-magazine.com

24/03/2017 11:55

Cover image: Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire © National Trust Photo Library/Alamy

www.britain-magazine.com

6

53

Discover the hidden stately homes and castles in the Heart of England that were visited and specially granted by the notorious Tudor king, Henry VIII In the first of a two-part series, we journey along the Cotswold Way via quaint villages and ancient sites We chart the history of Burberry, the British brand beloved by adventurers and A-list alike We explore the longevity of one of Britain's most successful songwriting duos, Gilbert & Sullivan Forget the usual hotels and B&Bs, Britain is home to a world of unusual places to stay

THE SECRET LIVES OF THE GEORGIANS The publication of private letters, diaries and essays kept by King George III reveal a different side to the king labelled 'mad' and his family

70 60

38

FEATURES

6

LETTERS

9

THE BULLETIN

69

COMPETITION

78

GREAT BRITONS: WILLIAM CAXTON

60

BE OUR GUEST

70

BIG BEN

75

LYME REGIS

81

www.britain-magazine.com

Peek into the lives of the Marlborough family on one of Blenheim Palace's behind-the-scenes tours As a major renovation project gets underway, we tell the story of London's iconic bell Explore the ‘Pearl of Dorset', the crowning jewel of England's stunning Jurassic Coast

PRECISION PRINTING

98

Head of Market Natasha Syed Advertising Manager James Davis

For VisitBritain Iris Buckley Printed in England by William Gibbons Ltd Production All Points Media

Share your stories and memories of Britain and your travels around the country We bring you the latest news and events, from remembering a princess to a virtual tour of the Houses of Parliament Win tickets for two to Blenheim Palace, plus a stay at The Feathers Hotel, Woodstock

70

CITY GUIDE: ST ALBANS Explore the cobbled streets and colourful Roman history of this heritage destination

Editor Sally Coffey Senior Sub Editor Heidi Finnane Art Editor Clare White

Managing Director Paul Dobson Deputy Managing Director Steve Ross Publisher Steve Pill Finance Director Vicki Gavin Digital Marketing Manager James Dobson Brand Manager Chatty Dobson Circulation Manager Daniel Webb

We join Britain's last commercial Monotype printer as he presses a special edition of Ian Fleming's, The Book Collector

Celebrate the legacy of William Caxton, the man who brought books to the masses

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BRITAIN is the official magazine of VisitBritain, the national tourism agency. BRITAIN is published by The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ Tel: 020 7349 3700 Fax: 020 7901 3701 Email: [email protected]

IN THIS ISSUE

SUBSCRIPTIONS UK/Rest of World: Tel: 01795 419839 Email: [email protected] BRITAIN, Subscriptions Department, 800 Guillat Avenue, Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8GU www.chelseamagazines.com/shop USA and Canada: Tel: 888-321-6378 (toll free) Email: [email protected] BRITAIN, PO Box 37518, Boone, IA 50037-0518 (USA only); BRITAIN, 1415 Janette Avenue, Windsor, Ontario N8X 1Z1 (Canada only) Australia and New Zealand: Tel: 02 8877 0373 Email: [email protected] BRITAIN, Locked Bag 1239, North Melbourne, VIC 3051, Australia. Annual subscription rates (6 issues) UK – £33; USA and Canada – US $41.70 Australia and New Zealand – AUD $84 Rest of World – £40 Back issues www.chelseamagazines.com/shop News distribution USA and Canada: Comag Marketing Group, LLC, 3rd Floor, 155 Village Blvd, Princeton, NJ 08540

HERNE THE HUNTER

UK and Rest of World: Seymour International Ltd. 2 East Poultry Ave, London EC1A 9PT Tel: 020 7429 4000 Fax: 020 7429 4001 Email: [email protected]

We uncover the mysterious legend of the horned Herne the Hunter in our new series on Britain's folklore figures

87

SCOTLAND

THE WITCHERY p47

© The Chelsea Magazine Company Ltd., 2017. All rights reserved. Text and pictures are copyright restricted and must not be reproduced without permission of the publishers

IRELAND ENGLAND

HADDON HALL p14 GRIMSTHORPE CASTLE p14 WA L E S

BLENHEIM PALACE p60

BRITAIN (ISSN 1757-9732 print) (ISSN 2396-9210 digital) (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 Circulation Specialists, LLC, 2 Corporate Drive, Suite 945, Shelton, CT 06484 Periodical postage paid at Shelton, CT and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BRITAIN, PO Box 37518, Boone, IA 50037-0518 Publications Mail Agreement Number 41599077, 1415 Janette Ave, Windsor, ON N8X 1Z1. Canadian GST Registered Number 834045627 RT0001

CHIPPING CAMPDEN p24

The information contained in BRITAIN has been published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. However, where appropriate, you are strongly advised to check prices, opening times, dates, etc, before making final arrangements. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or damage caused by reliance on the information contained within this publication is hereby excluded. The opinions expressed by contributors to BRITAIN are not necessarily those of the publisher or VisitBritain.

ST ALBANS p87

LYME REGIS p75

4 BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/MISCELLANEOUSTOCK/GREG BALFOUR EVANS/ALAMY

REGULARS

53

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

all day... all night... all year Oxford & London Frequent departures 24 hours a day

Download the new Oxford Tube app for the easy way to buy your tickets.

Take the Oxford Tube from the heart of London direct to Oxford.

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Our comfortable coaches run 24 hours a day so there’s no such thing as the last bus.

USB Power Sockets

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YOUR LETTERS

Write to us with your thoughts and memories about Britain and the magazine

My husband Maurice, aged 96, has failing eyesight and resides in an Aged Care Home. He enjoys me reading him BRITAIN from cover to cover and found the article on the BBC fascinating, having as a young navigator in the RAF in WWII been allowed to broadcast a message to his parents in what was then Rhodesia. However, we really enjoyed the article on Canterbury (Volume 85, Issue 1). In l996 we were living in Zimbabwe but we visited Canterbury where our daughter had bought a house with a plaque outside stating 1886. We attended services in the magnificent cathedral and in a month we explored the many nearby picturesque treasures. Now we live in

Our favourite letter wins these gorgeous lightweight leather gauntlets with floral rose cuffs, ideal for all gardening tasks and handmade in Great Britain, from annabeljames (£25.95). www.annabeljames.co.uk

Australia and are old but we have our memories of Canterbury still alive in our hearts. Once read, I pass BRITAIN on to the other residents of the Aged Care Home, many of whom come from Britain. The March issue had everything we could wish for and made our day. Felicity Rooney, Victoria, Australia

NARNIA DISCOVERED

I was thrilled to see an article on CS Lewis and Narnia in the latest issue of Britain (Volume 85, Issue 2). I am a huge fan of his writings, and I’m working on a collection of his first editions, to include six of the seven Chronicles of Narnia so far. As a fan, I’ve made sure to visit the Kilns and Magdalen College at Oxford, and I’ve read much about his life in England. Thank you so much for highlighting the much less discussed Irish influence on Lewis and his timeless stories. I learned plenty of new information with this engaging article. Jared Detter, Santa Maria, CA, US WRITE TO US! By post: Letters, BRITAIN, The Chelsea Magazine Company, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ Via email: [email protected] FOLLOW US! Twitter: @BritainMagazine Instagram: @Britain_Magazine Facebook: www.facebook.com/BritainMagazine Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/britainmagazine

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BRITAIN

A HUNGER FOR BRITISH TRAVEL With the aid of BRITAIN’s back issues, we planned a return to England last September after enjoying a group tour four years ago – this time confident we could go it alone. Accommodation, public transport, and lifetime experiences (including a street chase by a London bobby, who turned out to be very friendly) exceeded expectations. In London, we cruised the River Thames, visited the Victoria & Albert and the Natural History museums, spent more than just time at Harrods, and dined along the romantic Southbank. Broad Oak Cottage at Stow-on-the-Wold proved charming in every manner: we hiked overland paths to nearby villages, spent a day at Chipping Campden and journeyed by rail to Blenheim Palace. Our English diet included savoury pies, bangers and mash, fish and chips, a Sunday roast, a ploughman’s lunch, scones with jam and clotted cream, fresh berries with heavy cream, lardy cake and sticky toffee pudding – you get the picture. Mary and Tom Friggens, Michigen, US

@Buffymarie1 I stayed with my cousin in Eastbourne last summer. A beautiful city and many more nearby.

www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © LAURA NOBLE/GETTY IMAGES/ FORTNUM & MASON/ANGUS MUIR 2012

LETTER OF THE MONTH CANTERBURY TALES

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WINNER

Food and Drink Innovation

AWARD WINNING GIN FROM THE SILENT POOL IN SURREY Open seven days a week, from 10:00am to 3:00pm. For details and to order online, visit the website.

www.silentpooldistillers.com

The

BULLETIN From remembering a princess to a virtual tour of the Houses of Parliament, we bring you the latest news ANNIVERSARY

PHOTO: © MARIO TESTINO

Diana, Princess of Wales August 2017 marks 20 years since the untimely death of Diana, Princess of Wales. To commemorate the adored princess, Althorp Estate in Northamptonshire, the family home of the Spencers since 1508 and the final resting place of the late princess, will host Diana, Princess of Wales (1 May to 8 October), a photographic exhibition of her final official portraits. Held in the exhibition rooms of the Grade I-listed Stables at Althorp, the exhibition will showcase 15 stunning images of the princess shot in 1997 by internationally renowned photographer Mario Testino for Vanity Fair, as well as a selection of remembrances of Diana’s legacy and her charitable works. Entrance to the exhibition is included in the regular Althorp ticket price. www.spencerofalthorp.com

HISTORY / NEWS / REVIEWS / INSPIRATION

SHOPPING

Curious keepsakes

HISTORY

Domesday display Lincoln Castle, built by William the Conqueror in 1068, will display the earliest surviving public record, the Domesday Book, in the Magna Carta Vault from 27 May to 3 September. On loan from The National Archives, the book forms part of a major exhibition, Battles and Dynasties, to mark the 800th anniversary of one of England’s lesser-known battles, the Battle of Lincoln. The historic book, commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, recorded the taxable value and resources of all the boroughs and manors in England and had two volumes – Little Domesday and Great Domesday – the latter of which will be shown. www.lincolncastle.com

Forget buying a kitsch trinket or keychain as a souvenir of your British travels – a bespoke keepsake, inspired by the models commissioned by 18th-century travellers of the Grand Tour, is the real ticket. Artist Timothy Richards of the Modern Souvenir Co. uses the traditional method of plaster casting, established in the 1800s, to create whimsical bookends (see below), busts of famous Britons, (including Jane Austen and Queen Victoria), as well as famous buildings such as Kensington Palace and Somerset House. www.modernsouvenir.com

TECHNOLOGY

H E R I TAG E

Affairs of state It may have been 30 years in the making but the spectacular restoration of 18th-century mansion Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire is complete. The National Trust has worked tirelessly to return the interiors to their former glory and the style intended by architect Robert Adam when he designed the house as a rival to Chatsworth. The final touches of the project included finessing the State Apartments and the Adam-designed state bed that had become badly damaged over the years with flaking gilding and broken carvings. Thanks to archive material and cutting-edge technology, skilled craftsmen were able to faithfully restore the rooms. www.nationaltrust.org.uk PHOTOS: © TERRY MATHEWS/ALAMY/THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES UK/JAMES DOBSON/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/DAVID JAMES WOOD PHOTOGRAPHER 2015/CHAPTER OF DURHAM CATHEDRAL

Virtually there Dreamt of visiting London and touring the Houses of Parliament? Now you can before you’ve even left home. UK Parliament has launched an interactive 360° virtual tour highlighting the fascinating history and interiors of the Palace of Westminster, one of Britain’s most visited buildings. Head online and discover the famous Parliament rooms, including the medieval Westminster Hall and the Commons and Lords debating chambers. This tour will also become part of the Google Maps world, alongside other landmarks, including Buckingham Palace. www.parliament.uk/virtualtour

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BRITAIN

www.britain-magazine.com

OPEN HOUSE

Law and order Set between the two buildings of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London, the Queen’s House was England's first As part of its continued Open Treasure classical building, built in transformation the 17th-centuryofbyitsarchitect Inigo exhibition spaces, Cathedral will display an original 1217I. Jones for Anne ofDurham Denmark, as a gift from her husband, James Forest thethe only surviving 1216villa issue of Magna FourCharter hundredalongside years later, splendid royal is due to Carta in a new exhibition, Magna Carta and the Forest Charters reopen on 11 October following extensive renovations, which (19 9 September). A companion document to the haveJune seentoan overhaul to the galleries housing its famous 800-year-old Magna Carta, The Forestby Charter was an and collection of art – including key works Gainsborough especially document forested north Hogarth –important and original features, for suchthe asheavily 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 of England expanded on several above), oneasofitthe most iconic imagesclauses, of any most Britishimportantly monarch. returning Royal Forest to the common allowing fundraising ordinary The painting has been subjectland, of intensive people gather wood, graze andWith forage to save the it forright the to nation since it was put animals up for sale. the without fear of capital punishment. The exhibition will explore funding target due to be hit this summer, the Queen’s House the be lasting nationalplace impact these documents – three will the perfect to of view thetwo portrait: Elizabeth I was clauses which arePalace still in in force – and which remain born at of Greenwich 1533today and Queen’s House is thealast cornerstone of of British democracy. www.durhamcathedral.co.uk remaining part the palace complex. www.rmg.co.uk

HISTORY / NEWS / REVIEWS / INSPIRATION

READING CORNER Discover our fair isles from the comfort of your armchair Arthur and the Kings of Britain: the historical truth behind the myths by Miles Russell (£20, Amberley Publishing) Explore the historical accuracy of the medieval bestseller, The Historia.

Plump and juicy, the British raspberry season runs from June to October

RECIPE

Raspberry ice-cream Raspberries: beloved by the Romans and the Victorians, who used them in cordials and vinegars, these sweet berries have only been cultivated in Britain since the 17th century. For a surplus of fruit, a raspberry ice-cream makes the perfect solution, and as it can be made in advance, it’s the ideal dessert for summertime soirées. Try this version from The Great Dixter Cookbook: Recipes from an English Garden by Aaron Bertelsen (Phaidon, £24.95).

I n g re d i e n t s : FOR 4-6 SERVING 250g/9 oz (2 cups) fresh raspberries, plus extra to serve

2 eggs, plus 4 egg yolks (save the whites for another dish)

225g/8 oz (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

600ml/1 pint double (heavy) cream

Method: Put the raspberries and 2 tablespoons of the sugar into a small pan. Cook over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves, keeping your eye on it the whole time. Simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened, then push through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding the seeds. Put the eggs, yolks and remaining sugar into a heatproof bowl and whisk briefly to combine. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure it does not actually touch the water, and whisk for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is thick and pale and has doubled in volume. Take off the heat and continue whisking until the mixture is cool (about 3 minutes). Whip the cream in a separate bowl until it forms soft peaks. Fold it gently into the cool egg mixture until just combined. Pour into a shallow freezer-proof container or dish. Gently swirl the raspberry coulis through the mixture, cover with cling film or a lid and freeze for 3 hours. Remove and beat with a fork to break up the ice crystals,then return to the freezer for another 3 hours. For easier serving, allow the ice-cream to soften slightly at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Scoop into bowls and serve with extra berries.

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BRITAIN

I Never Knew That About England’s Country Churches by Christopher Winn (£8.99, Ebury Press) Discover the hidden stories and forgotten pasts of England's many county churches. Insider London by Rachel Felder (£16.99, Harper Collins) A lovely guide to more than 200 London destinations, including stylish shops, restaurants, and cultural experiences. The Private Lives of the Tudors by Tracy Borman (£9.99, Hodder Paperbacks) All the intimate secrets of the Tudor court and private lives of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I. The Really Quite Good British Cookbook edited by William Sitwell (£25, Nourish Books) 100 of Britain's finest chefs and food heroes share their favourite recipes.

www.britain-magazine.com

DISCOVER TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF HISTORY AT DURHAM CATHEDRAL Durham Cathedral is one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Europe. Renowned for its stunning location at the heart of the Durham UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the resting place of St Cuthbert and St Bede, two of Northern England’s greatest saints. Durham Cathedral also boasts the most intact surviving set of medieval monastic buildings in the UK, home to the world-class exhibition experience Open Treasure. Journey through the 14th-century Monks’ Dormitory and Great Kitchen, and marvel at objects from the Cathedral’s collections as the remarkable story of Durham Cathedral is revealed through temporary and permanent exhibitions.

MAGNA CARTA AND THE FOREST CHARTERS Monday 19 June - Saturday 9 September In the 800th anniversary year of its first issue, see the 1217 Forest Charter, and the 1225 and 1300 issues alongside all of Durham Cathedral’s Magna Cartas, which includes the only surviving 1216 issue, and further issues from 1225 and 1300. TREASURES OF ST CUTHBERT From 29 July 2017 Marvel at the Treasures of St Cuthbert in the spectacular Great Kitchen, including St Cuthbert’s wooden coffin, pectoral cross and portable altar. Together these Treasures represent some of the most significant surviving Anglo-Saxon artefacts in the UK.

For opening times and ticket prices visit www.durhamcathedral.co.uk

TUDOR TRAIL

On the TUDOR TRAIL The Heart of England hides some spectacular stately homes and castles, which attracted even the most notorious of Tudor kings, Henry VIII WORDS SALLY COFFEY

The stunning garden and entrance pathway leading to 16th-century Packwood House in Warwickshire

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BRITAIN

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TUDOR TRAIL

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BRITAIN

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T

hough his daughter Elizabeth’s annual progresses may have been better documented, King Henry VIII also embarked on a royal progress each summer to escape the heat in London, which would cause the smell from the already pungent open sewers to become unbearable. For the king, this exodus from the capital was a chance to flaunt his kingship as he stayed with courtiers along the route, who would virtually bankrupt themselves by going to extreme measures to ensure their homes were fit for royal guests and their entourage (which went into the thousands). It was during Henry’s Great Progress of 1541 – in which the progress took the king all the way from London to York – that he stopped off at Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire. Henry had granted Grimsthorpe Castle to William Willoughby, 11th Baron Willoughby de Eresby, in 1516 when he married Maria de Salinas, lady-in-waiting to Henry’s queen at the time, Catherine of Aragon. By the time of the 1541 visit, the house was in the hands of their

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daughter, Catherine Willoughby and her much older husband (and previous ward), Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, who had been Henry’s brother-in-law. The couple went to great expense to extend the house for the visit by Henry and his fifth wife Catherine Howard, using limestone from the nearby Abbey of Vaudey, which had been dissolved in 1536. Henry must have been impressed – he held a privy council here on two days – but unfortunately for his wife, her alleged affair with Thomas Culpeper was about to be uncovered, bringing about her downfall and subsequent beheading. Catherine Willoughby went on to be lady-in-waiting for Henry’s 6th wife, Catherine Parr, and in his book Henry VIII’s Last Love, historian David Baldwin submits his theory that Henry was lining her up to be his 7th wife. Today Grimsthorpe Castle bears the hallmarks of its later architect Sir John Vanbrugh’s Baroque style but its Tudor quadrangle is a reminder of its former guise.

PHOTOS: © CHRIS LACEY/JOHN HAMMOND/JAMES DOBSON/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES. ILLUSTRATION: © MICHAEL HILL

TUDOR TRAIL

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TUDOR TRAIL

PHOTOS: © RIK HAMILTON/NATURESLIGHT/ALAMY/GETTY IMAGES/MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY

Set high on the rugged, windswept Cornish coast, few places beat the drama and romance of Tintagel Castle

The view down the long gallery towards the entrance hall at Packwood House www.britain-magazine.com

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With Kensington Palace at your doorstep and some of London’s best attractions and museums minutes away, the Royal Garden Hotel is ideally located to experience the London way of life. Join us for a great family getaway at our 5-star hotel and enjoy family friendly rooms, toys for the park, boardgames, and much more.

2-24 KENSINGTON HIGH STREET LONDON W8 4PT TEL +44 (0)20 7937 8000 FAX +44 (0)20 7361 1991 WWW.ROYALGARDENHOTEL.CO.UK

TUDOR TRAIL

PHOTOS: © JAMES DOBSON/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES

The Great Hall at medieval Baddesley Clinton in Warwickshire

Inside, tours take you through the grand interior, including the Vanbrugh hall – considered Vanbrugh’s noblest – while outside you can explore the impressive grounds, where deer have walked since medieval times. Further south, Henry granted the Norman fortress of Rockingham Castle in Leicestershire, which had fallen into disrepair, to Edward Watson, a local landowner in 1530. Edward, ancestor of the current owner, transformed Rockingham into a comfortable Tudor house, although it was later changed again into a Victorian mansion. In the hall you can see reminders of its Tudor past, including a portrait of Henry hanging next to one which some historians believe depicts Mary Boleyn, the ‘Other Boleyn Girl’ and sister of Henry’s doomed second wife, Anne. One place where Tudor heritage has been revived rather than forgotten is at Packwood House in Warwickshire, further west. This formerly modest Tudor manor house, which had evolved through its Georgian, Victorian and

Edwardian ownerships, was restored to its Tudor glory in the first half of the 20th century by owner Baron Ash. The painstaking project included converting a large cow barn into a Tudor-style Great Hall with a sprung floor for dancing, which was linked to the main house by a Long Gallery whose walls were adorned with giant tapestries. To create his effect, Baron Ash acquired antiques from other historic houses, including bringing the hall table from nearby Baddesley Clinton, a medieval moated manor located just a few miles away in the beautiful Forest of Arden. The well-preserved house of Baddesley Clinton is nothing short of an architectural gem. Home to the Ferrers family for 500 years, it is now in the hands of the National Trust and includes a moat, bridge and crenelated gatehouse entrance. Throughout the house you can see examples of the Ferrers’ coat of arms in the stained glass and carved wood, a tradition begun by Henry Ferrers the Antiquary, who

The well-preserved house of Baddesley Clinton is nothing short of an architectural gem

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lived at Baddesley from 1564 to 1633, and who is thought to have built the magnificent Great Hall. Following the Reformation, Henry Ferrers rented the house to two Catholic sisters and it became a hiding place for Jesuit priests – its three surviving priest holes are testament to this. Another Tudor house worth a visit in Warwickshire is Coughton Court, which retains many original features, including its elaborate 16th-century gate tower, which was dedicated to King Henry VIII by the house’s owner, Sir George Throckmorton. Throckmorton was once a favourite courtier of Henry’s but he risked execution when he sided with Henry’s first wife Catherine of Aragon when Henry wanted a divorce and he stood against the Reformation. The house at Coughton Court is like a time capsule into the life of an early Tudor family, with incredible portraits and memorabilia on display, including a chemise, which was apparently worn by Mary, Queen of Scots, on the day of her execution and a bishop’s cope, which Catherine of Aragon is said to have once worked on. It is the house’s links to two gruesome plots that earns it its place in the history books, however, as it was here that the Throckmorton Plot was first hatched – a plan by Catholics to murder Queen Elizabeth I and replace her with her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots – while conspirators of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot rode here after their plans were thwarted.

Medieval manor house Haddon Hall, which has been the location of many films Above: Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire

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TUDOR TRAIL

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THE PLANNER GETTING THERE There are mainline train stations within half an hour of each of the properties with regular connections to London. To explore the region fully, however, a car is invaluable. www.thetrainline.com; www.auto-international.com TAKE A TOUR Rockingham Castle and Grimsthorpe Castle form part of the Hidden England collection of properties, which this year has launched group tours that include visits to both these, plus the burial place of Henry VIII’s first wife Catherine of Aragon at Peterborough Cathedral. www.hiddenengland.org FOOD AND DRINK Take afternoon tea in the 17th-century stable block at Haddon Hall, which overlooks the River Wye, while The Case is Altered is a convivial old pub near Baddesley Clinton, which has served locals for centuries but you won't get food here: just good beer and conversation. www.haddonhall.co.uk; www.thegoodpubguide.co.uk

WORCESTER CATHEDRAL Factor in a visit to this, the final resting place of Arthur Tudor, older brother of King Henry VIII and the first husband of Catherine of Aragon, who succumbed to a mysterious ‘sweating sickness’ in 1502. Arthur's remains lay beneath a lovely chantry chapel and the cathedral is also home to King John's tomb – the king visited often to see the shrine of Saint Wulfstan. www.worcestercathedral.co.uk

Aerial view of Rockingham Castle in Leicestershire

Heading north into Nottinghamshire, Wollaton Hall is an Elizabethan mansion, built in the 1580s by the great grandson of one of the richest men in England, Sir Francis Willoughby. Sir Francis’s great grandfather had made what is now Wollaton Old Hall the family’s main home so he could exploit the local coalmines for further riches. Sir Francis obviously felt the family home was no longer suitable for a man of his status and so he commissioned Robert Smythson, the architect behind the magnificent Longleat in Wiltshire, to create an ambitious country house that would leave visitors in no doubt as to the extent of his wealth. The family’s former hall house is located by the church in the village (where Smythson is buried). Also in the village is Wollaton Village Dovecote Museum, housed in the old redbrick dovecote (one of the oldest in Britain) that Sir Francis built before the new house – in Elizabethan times a dovecote was a status symbol as only feudal lords were allowed to erect them. Further north on the edge of the Peak District, Haddon Hall is one of Britain’s finest medieval manor houses. Such is its period appeal that it has provided backdrops in no fewer than three screen versions of Jane Eyre, as well as films Elizabeth, Pride & Prejudice, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Princess Bride.

With its stunning location overlooking the River Wye outside the Derbyshire town of Bakewell, Haddon Hall is rightly considered one of the most romantic Tudor houses in Britain, not least because of a love story that has been passed down by generations. The story goes that in 1563 Dorothy Vernon, daughter of the then owner Sir George Vernon fell in love with John Manners, the second son of the First Earl of Rutland, but her father condemned a union. Quite why Sir George disapproved, nobody knows, perhaps it was because the Manners were Catholics while the Vernons were Protestants. Whatever the reason, during a ball at Haddon Hall, the couple slipped away and eloped to be married. The rest, as they say, is history. Today Haddon Hall is one of the seats of the Duke of Rutland – in the 1920s the 9th Duke and his wife revived the decaying house after 200 years of neglect and it is now inhabited by Lord Edward Manners, brother of the 11th Duke, meaning it is still in the hands of Dorothy and John’s descendants almost 500 years on.

Haddon Hall is considered one of the most romantic Tudor houses in Britain

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 To find out more about the Tudors and England's spectacular stately homes and castles, visit www.britain-magazine.com www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © ROCKINGHAM CASTLE

TUDOR HAVEN Complete the experience with a stay in your very own self-catering Tudor cottage, located near Bidford on Avon in Warwickshire. www.tudorcottage.me.uk

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Guildford Tourist Information Centre [email protected] • 01483 444333

THE COTSWOLDS

Almshouses built by renowned architect Sir George Gilbert Scott Right: Wildflowers growing near the stone folly, Broadway Tower

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The

P RETTIEST PATH Part One

In the first of a two-part series, one writer journeys along the Cotswold Way, via quaint villages and ancient sites WORDS ADRIAN MOURBY

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PHOTOS: © TONY PLEAVIN/VISITBRITAIN/PAUL WESTON/BRIAN JANNSEN/STUART BLACK/ STEVE TAYLOR ARPS/ALAMY/ DENNIS GILBERT/ NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES. ILLUSTRATION: © MICHAEL HILL

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t feels a very long time since breakfast but as we struggle up hill into Winchcombe, pride and relief mingle with the sensation of sore feet. Our first 18 miles on the Cotswold Way has involved a lot of ups and downs – mainly literal ones – and some of the best views in southern England. We almost didn’t start. Breakfast at Cotswold House in Chipping Campden was beguiling. Oh dear, it would have been all too easy to linger at our table in the window of this 18th-century townhouse and watch the life of this ancient market town pass by. But the Cotswold Way runs immediately outside, so eventually there was no avoiding it. We laced up our walking boots and set off in the direction of Broadway, pausing to photograph the sloping, cobbled floor of the ancient market hall in Chipping Campden, which marks the start of the Cotswold Way. If you’re carrying a backpack, there’s a bit of a struggle up to Broadway Tower, a tall stone folly built in 1799 so that Lady Coventry would have something imposing to look at on the horizon from her home, 22 miles away in Worcester. Fortunately we’d sent our luggage on ahead. Our way up to the Tower through sheep-cropped pasture included a field where in 1612 the British made the first attempt in modern times to revive the Olympic Games. To this day shin-kicking – a little known ‘Olympick’ sport - is still played annually in the fields between Chipping Campden and Broadway. Golden maple trees encircle the Tower itself. In the 1880s it was rented as a country retreat for pre-Raphaelite artists William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones. You can climb up to their studio level. We did – and experienced great views of the Avon Valley below but also a dawning realisation that we had nearly 100 miles still to cover over the next four days. The Cotswold Way is a 102-mile National Trail running mainly through Gloucestershire all the way to Bath. It links some of the loveliest rural views and villages you’ll find in England, as well as some great pubs and a few stately homes of boutique dimensions. It’s a leisurely walk if you allow seven days and a bit of a push to do it in five as my wife and I were planning. Fortunately, with our luggage already in Winchcombe, all we had to do now was amble down for our first stop at Broadway

Clockwise, from top left: A limestone cottage in the Cotswold village of Broadway; a field of red poppies near Winchcombe; the ruins of 13th-century Hailes Abbey; Ann's room at Snowshill Manor, Gloucestershire www.britain-magazine.com

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Come and discover Wiltshire’s hidden treasure

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THE COTSWOLDS

The Armillary Court and Well Court Gardens at Snowshill Manor

PHOTO: © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JONATHAN BUCKLEY

Snowshill is a small diversion off the Cotswold Way but the 16th-century house is unmissable itself. This graceful over-sized village was once a major trading post between London and Wales but is now a place for shoppers and diners. We could have easily stopped here for lunch – The Lygon Arms has log fires and Tudor decor – but we’d determined not to eat before Snowshill Manor and Garden. Snowshill is a small diversion off the Cotswold Way, accessed uphill through Buckland Wood, but it’s an unmissable stop if you can get timed tickets to see the 16th-century house of Charles Paget Wade, an early 20th-century eccentric, who filled it with everything he could lay his hands on. Samurai armour, toy trains and religious artefacts make this National Trust property an www.britain-magazine.com

extraordinary treasure trove – there’s also a café on site with (the wonderfully named) Mad Goose Pale Ale on sale. An hour later we resumed our route following the mossy wooden Cotswold Way signs over lovely green rolling fields. Another hour on and we reached Stanway House, a beautiful Jacobean manor that has recently had its impressive gravity-fed fountain restored. If the fountain is on, you can’t miss it as you walk past: a 100,000 gallon reservoir in the hills above the house drops water down a sheer incline into a two-inch nozzle causing the pressurised water to shoot up 300 feet into the air and create the tallest fountain in Britain. This charming, gold-hued Cotswold stone house with its ornate gateway and massive mullioned windows is open to the public at select times from June to August, as is its watermill. When we passed through, both were closed but then we met the assistant miller taking his dog for a walk and he advised us to check out the churchyard. BRITAIN

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We followed his advice and in the churchyard found some delightful and affectionate memorials. One to Graydon Sykott Sweet commemorated ‘A fine soldier and a great gardener’ and another honoured Lord Charteris, Private Secretary to Her Majesty the Queen and Provost of Eton. Before we left we looked in at Stanway’s thatched cricket pavilion which was donated by JM Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, after a happy stay at Stanway House. From here we headed up into some deeply forested hills, turning right at Stumps Cross to look back at Stanway from above and to rest by an odd niched stone memorial in among a copse of trees. Down below rose the remains of 13th-century Hailes Abbey, destroyed by King Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. I later read that the uninscribed memorial where we rested is supposed to mark the spot where Thomas Cromwell sat and ate lunch as he watched the abbey’s destruction, but I’m not sure how clear his view would have been. In any case, if historians are to be believed it’s more likely that Cromwell was down on the ground supervising, before quickly returning to London. Nevertheless, because we carried English Heritage cards we got into the abbey grounds where, as ever in Britain, neat lawns have been laid to make all that turbulent history and destruction look a lot more palatable.

PHOTOS: © VISITENGLAND/ADAM BURTON/AWL IMAGES

We resumed our route following the wooden Cotswold Way signs over lovely green rolling fields

Beautiful fields of lavender near Snowshill Manor. Top: Roses at Sudeley Castle

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A great place to stay, visit and explore t 01432 268430 e [email protected]

@visitherefordshire @VisitHfds www.visitherefordshire.co.uk www.britain-magazine.com

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The beautiful Jacobean manor, Stanway House

THE PLANNER GETTING THERE Cheltenham is the main train and bus hub if you are starting the Cotswold Way in Chipping Campden. Trains run regularly from London Paddington, usually with one change at Bristol Parkway. There are also direct bus services from London Victoria. Both journeys take around two and a half to three hours. WHERE TO STAY Cotswold House in Chipping Campden is a splendid Georgian building directly on the route of the Cotswold Way, while the medieval Lion Inn (right) in Winchcombe is only a few hundred yards off the route. www.bespokehotels.com/cotswoldhouse www.thelionwinchcombe.co.uk

Clockwise, from left: Painswick Rococo Garden; Woodchester Mansion; Queen Elizabeth I

WHERE TO EAT There's a new brasserie at the Lygon Arms in Broadway, which is ideal for a light lunch. This imposing 17th-century inn also has an atmospheric Edwardian dining hall with vaulted ceilings and oak-panelling for more leisurely meals. www.broadway-cotswolds.co.uk/lygonarms

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FURTHER INFORMATION www.nationaltrail.co.uk/cotswold-way; www.cotswolds.com

We lay down on the grass for 20 minutes – and it was a very welcome break – before beginning the final section of our walk, down Puck Pit Lane to Winchcombe. This Cotswold town is full of small idiosyncratic shops but feels like a real community. Its air of tranquility ought to be undermined by the fact that during the English Civil War summary executions were carried out against the walls of its parish church – you can still see the pockmarks that the bullets created – but no. Everything is very restful and we saw some sweet neo-gothic almshouses below the church, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1865 – the architect best known for the Midland Grand Hotel, St Pancras. Finally we arrived at The Lion Inn where we were welcomed by the landlady and her two dogs and, I have to admit, I immediately fell asleep in front of a roaring fire. We had been given a lovely bedroom for the night in this old coaching inn but for the moment at least getting up the stairs and into a hot bath felt pleasurably beyond me. The next day our route took us towards Cheltenham, past the crenelated gatehouse of Sudeley Castle, around a commune that was set up in Jacobean Postlip Hall back in the 1960s (and is still going strong) and up Cleeve Hill, the highest point on this route – there were certainly a lot more ups and downs to come.

Part two next issue

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PHOTOS: © COTSWOLDS PHOTO LIBRARY/ALAMY

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PHOTOS: © COURTESY OF BURBERRY/PHOTO RESEARCHERS/ALAMY

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The Burberry trench is still an iconic fashion item Below: Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, who wore Burberry during his 1914 expedition

C ONNECTION

TRENCH

We chart the history of Burberry, the British heritage brand beloved of adventurers, pioneers and the A-list WORDS ROSE BATEMAN

T

he British institution that is Burberry can have no better endorsement than from national treasure, Emma Watson, who said: “If I could wear any label forever, it would be Burberry. You can’t go wrong with a classic trench and jeans.” It’s a sentiment echoed by scores of fashion’s elite. However, Burberry is more than just the fashion darlings’ latest fad; the now globally distributed luxury brand is steeped in very British history. Today, familiar images of Eddie Redmayne and Kate Moss clad in classic Burberry check emblazoned across billboards worldwide are undeniably glamorous but it’s a far cry from the company’s more humble early days. It was in 1856 that a 21-year old Thomas Burberry opened his first store in Basingstoke, www.britain-magazine.com

Hampshire, having earlier learned his trade as an apprentice to a local draper. Specialising in outdoor wear, it was here, in 1879, that he invented and later patented gabardine – a tough, tightly woven fabric designed to be both weatherproof yet breathable. By 1891, the Burberry name was sufficiently esteemed and established to graduate from its premises in Basingstoke to an additional location in London. A shop on the Haymarket caught the eye of customers both at home and overseas. In circa 1901, a new logo for the brand included the word Prorsum (from the Latin, meaning ‘forwards’). The brand certainly lived up to its new nominal addition, insofar as allying itself with those who made it their mission in life to push boundaries. BRITAIN

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Opposite, top to bottom: Burberry catwalk show February 2017; a 1916 war-time advertisement for the Burberry trench coat

This page, clockwise from above: The Duchess of Cambridge wearing a Burberry trench; the iconic checked cashmere Burberry scarf; aviators Betty Kirby-Green and Charles William Anderson Scott with ‘The Burberry’ racer

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In 1911, Burberry gabardine was the fabric of choice for Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole. Three years later in 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton headed a mission to cross Antarctica wearing none other than Burberry gabardine; and a decade after that, the legendary George Mallory met his end on Everest in 1924 clad in Burberry gabardine, in which he lay, preserved by the cold, until the discovery of his body in 1999. It is unknown whether Mallory died en route to the summit, or on the way down, having reached it; either way, it was Burberry’s British-made and resilient outfitting that kept the elements at bay for the first man to get closest to Everest’s peak. As well as keeping adventurous pioneers protected from nature at its most hostile, Burberry was tasked with keeping the military similarly defended against the elements – gabardine was worn by soldiers in the Boer War, but it wasn’t until the First World War that the classic trench coat was born. Named after the narrow and often squalid dug-out ditches that constituted living quarters for soldiers in war-torn France, Burberry supplied some half a million www.britain-magazine.com

PHOTOS: © COURTESY OF BURBERRY/MARK CUTHBERT/UK PRESS/IMAGNO/ AUSTRIAN ARCHIVES/GETTY IMAGES/MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY 2015

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weatherproof coats to the forces – their hard-wearing material invaluable in the harsh conditions. Lord Kitchener himself, Secretary of State for War in 1914, wore Burberry as his stern portrait implored legions of young men that “Your Country Needs You” via war-effort posters. While the country’s needs abated after the war, the call for trench coats did not. What had been strictly military attire became adopted by civilians, who couldn’t deny the practical and aesthetic merits of the Burberry trench, which had, by this time, acquired the addition of the now-iconic check lining. But despite the cross-over from outdoor staple to fashion garment, the company’s original raison d’etre as providing a protective outer layer for the intrepid had not dwindled; in 1937, the clothing label not only created special aviation pieces, worn by Flying Officer Arthur Clouston and Betty Kirby-Green when they flew the record-breaking fastest return flight from Croydon to Cape Town, but it actually sponsored the plane, a de Havilland DH.88 Comet Racer, called ‘The Burberry’. Fast forward to the present day and Burberry remains one of this country’s true www.britain-magazine.com

heritage brands, uttered in the same breath as Barbour and Hunter on the one hand for its history, but with the same fashion credentials as designers Vivienne Westwood and Paul Smith. The brand fell victim to its own success at the turn of the millennium when its iconic check was adopted by football hooligans and consequently maligned for the association. Happily, its heritage stood Burberry in good stead and its reputation proved as hard wearing as its fabrics. Today, Burberry’s trench remains an icon, while its runway collections are revered on the world stage. It is likely that, if Thomas Burberry could have seen celebrations for last year’s 160th anniversary of the brand he created in a shop in Basingstoke, he would have been stunned. For not only does Burberry continue to command global respect, but a short glitzy film was created for its latest Christmas campaign to tell the story of the brand and the man who founded it, featuring a stellar cast including Domhnall Gleeson, Sienna Miller, Dominic West and Lily James. Thomas Burberry, you’ve come a long way.  For more stories on iconic British brands, visit www.britain-magazine.com BRITAIN

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THEATRE Left to right: Jonathan Miller production of The Mikado at the London Coliseum, 2015; 1881 caricature of Gilbert and Sullivan

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THEATRE

An INDOMITABLE DOUBLE ACT Fish and chips, bacon and eggs, Gilbert and Sullivan: it could be argued that Britain’s most successful exports come in pairs and few have had the longevity of this songwriting duo WORDS RUTH MATTHEWS

PHOTOS: © THEATREPIX/ALAMY/MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY

B

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etween 1871 and 1896, Gilbert and Sullivan collaborated on 14 comic operas in a partnership so successful they continue to be performed with regularity throughout the world to this day. Their works have shaped the development of musical theatre, as well as appearing in and influencing literature, television and film – and even political and daily discourse. If you’ve ever hummed ‘Three Little Maids’ or uttered the phrase “Let the punishment fit the crime”, Gilbert and Sullivan have found their way to you. It is possible, of course, that the name of Gilbert or Sullivan might have endured without the partnership, but more likely that, as director Mike Leigh puts it, “without each other, both Gilbert and Sullivan would probably have sunk without trace”. He explains: “Each of these men was an extremely skilled craftsman in his own right. But the key to their success is that they knew how to write for each other.” Gilbert and Sullivan were both born in London, with six years separating their births: Gilbert’s in 1836, Sullivan’s in 1842. Each, to some extent, followed in the footsteps of his father. Sullivan was the son of a military bandmaster – by the age of eight the child could play most of the instruments in the band. Gilbert’s father was a naval surgeon, but he wrote

novels and short stories later in life, with his son contributing illustrations to his books. As well as similarities, there were differences between the two– though they were both perfectionists, Sullivan was ebullient and sociable, Gilbert famously dour and prickly. In their lives before collaborating, Gilbert wrote widely – short stories, plays and poems including his famous Bab Ballads, where early ideas for his

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PHOTOS: © WORLD HISTORY ARCHIVE/ALAMY/GILBERT AND SULLIVAN FESTIVALS

THEATRE

librettos can be found. The wunderkind Sullivan composed as a child and received the first Mendelssohn Scholarship, which enabled him to study at the Royal Academy of Music and Leipzig Conservatory. It was John Hollingshead, manager of the Gaiety Theatre on the Strand, who matched the talents of the two for a musical burlesque called Thespis, or The Gods Grown Old. The show was not an unqualified success, opening on Boxing Day in 1871 to some booing from the audience and poor reviews, but there was praise too. Sullivan himself wrote to his mother to say, flaws aside, “I have rarely seen anything so beautifully put upon the stage.” No vocal score was ever published and today the manuscript is lost, although one ballad, ‘Little Maid Of Arcadee’, and one chorus, ‘Climbing Over Rocky Mountain’, which found its way into The Pirates of Penzance, survive. Top to bottom: An illustration of the Savoy Theatre c.1881; a performance of The Gondoliers at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, Harrogate www.britain-magazine.com

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Book tickets for the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival at www.britainmagazine.com/gs festival

PHOTOS: © NEIL MCALLISTER/ALAMY/MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY 2015

THEATRE

The pair’s next collaboration – and first hit – came in 1875. At the suggestion of impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte, who was managing the Royalty Theatre and looking for something to accompany Offenbach’s La Périchole, the pair collaborated on Trial by Jury, a work for which Gilbert mined his former short-lived experience as a barrister. Keen to establish a new genre of English comic opera, Carte nurtured the partnership. The Sorcerer, in 1877, featured Gilbert’s famous ‘magic lozenge’ device, which would later become a bone of contention (Sullivan had a hankering for realism rather than magic), but it was with HMS Pinafore that the pair had their first international hit. There is so much to love about Pinafore, which, like many of Gilbert’s librettos, pokes fun at the British establishment. Featuring hits such as ‘When I Was A Lad’, the famous refrain “What, never? Hardly ever!” and a typical topsy-turvy twist at the end, the work is a masterpiece with Gilbert’s razor-sharp lyrics and Sullivan’s music brimming with joy. HMS Pinafore enjoyed the second longest run of any piece of musical theatre in history up to that point. During that time Carte quarreled with his investors, who sent hired

Above: A Vanity Fair caricature of Richard D’Oyly Carte Top: The beautiful Royal Hall in Harrogate, where the annual International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival is held

muscle to seize the scenery during a performance. The thugs were unsuccessful, but the fallout left Carte free to form, with Gilbert and Sullivan, the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, which would go on to perform all their operas and continue for over a century until it closed, in its original form, in 1982. Carte was a force of nature. To prepare American audiences for Patience, Gilbert and Sullivan’s sixth collaboration, he dispatched Oscar Wilde on a lecture tour in the US, so audiences over there might better understand the satire, which focused on the aesthetic movement and its colourful characters – poets such as Wilde, Swinburne and Rossetti. During the run of Patience, Carte determined to build his own playhouse. On the banks of the Thames, the Savoy Theatre, which took its name from the site of the former palace on which it is built, opened in 1881 and became the permanent home of Gilbert and Sullivan. Patience transferred to its stage and each subsequent work would open there, with the canon becoming known as the Savoy Operas. Always forward-thinking, Carte must have been proud to unveil the theatre as the first public building in the world to be BRITAIN

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THEATRE controversy (although Jonathan Miller’s enormously successful production for English National Opera has seen at least 14 revivals) but nevertheless it contains some of the pair’s best-loved songs, such as ‘Three Little Maids From School Are We’ and ‘As Some Day It May Happen’ (aka I’ve Got A Little List). The Gondoliers, which was performed for Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle in 1891, was Gilbert and Sullivan’s last great success. The relationship deteriorated, reaching a nadir with what is cited as the “carpet quarrel” over furnishings at the Savoy Theatre, which took place between Gilbert and Carte (in truth, it was about Carte’s honesty in his business dealings.) Sullivan sided with Carte and a court case ensued. Eventually an uneasy peace was reached in time for their later collaborations, but these never reached the heights of their best work. Sullivan died in 1900, with Carte following him shortly after in 1901. Gilbert was the last of the three to go, in 1911, after receiving a knighthood from Edward VII. There are many ways to remember Gilbert and Sullivan, with memorials to Sullivan in Embankment Gardens and St Paul’s Cathedral and one to Gilbert on the Thames Embankment, which reads “His Foe was Folly, and his Weapon Wit.” But the best way to know the pair is through their glorious works, celebrated most notably at the annual International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Harrogate and London. The festival celebrates its 24th birthday in August 2017, offering a wide range of Gilbert and Sullivan’s works. To paraphrase the great WS Gilbert, it’s not one to be missed.

Top to bottom: 1881 poster for satirical opera, Patience; music sheet for ‘Three Little Maids From School’ ; stage shot of a London performance of comic opera, Iolanthe

 For more on this year’s festival and to book tickets, go to www.britain-magazine.com/gsfestival

PHOTOS: © √ LORDPRICE COLLECTION/CHRONICLE/ALAMY/MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY

illuminated entirely by electric lighting, which would have enhanced the lavish decor. Iolanthe, which premiered there in 1882, would take advantage of the electricity too, furnishing the female chorus of fairies with sparkling magic wands. The theatre, gutted by fire in 1990, was restored in the early 90s. Carte next set his sights on building a hotel on land adjacent to the theatre, which would offer accommodation to tourists, particularly Americans, who travelled to London to catch the latest Savoy Opera. After five years of building, the Savoy opened its doors in 1889. Meanwhile, during the run of Iolanthe, Sullivan was knighted by Queen Victoria for his services to music. Increasingly the composer began to view his comic operas with Gilbert as beneath his talent. He had it in his head he would like to write a “serious” opera (which he would later go on to do with Ivanhoe in 1891) and a long-standing argument between the pair about whether the quality of the music was sacrificed for the good of the words (or vice versa) brewed. It can’t have helped that Princess Ida was no huge success in 1884. That same year, Sullivan wrote to Carte, “It is impossible for me to do another piece of the character of those already written by Gilbert and myself.” When Princess Ida closed, for the first time in the partnership’s history no new opera was ready and Carte was forced to put on instead a revival of The Sorcerer. The situation, however, was resolved by Gilbert’s trip to the Japanese exhibition, which planted the idea of The Mikado – finally a project Sullivan could get excited about. Today, the work is not without

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Stanhope Forbes (1857 – 1947) Gala Day at Newlyn, 1907 Oil on canvas, 106 x 136 cm, Hartlepool Art Gallery © The Artists’ Estate / Bridgeman Art Library Stanhope Forbes (1857 – 1947) Gala Day at Newlyn, 1907 Oil on canvas, 106 x 136 cm, Hartlepool Art Gallery © The Artists’ Estate / Bridgeman Art Library Forbes (1857 – 1947) Gala Day at Newlyn, 1907 Oil on canvas, 106 x 136 cm, Hartlepool Art Gallery © The Artists’ Estate / Bridgeman Art Library Stanhope Stanhope Forbes (1857 – 1947) Gala Day at Newlyn, 1907 Oil on canvas, 106 x 136 cm, Hartlepool Art Gallery © The Artists’ Estate / Bridgeman Art Library Stanhope Forbes (1857 – 1947) Gala Day at Newlyn, 1907 Oil on canvas, 106 x 136 cm, Hartlepool Art Gallery © The Artists’ Estate / Bridgeman Art Library

Bristol Cathedral

“Superior to anything else built in England and indeed Europe at the same time.” Pevsner

www.bristol-cathedral.co.uk

10 2017 June– September 2017 1010June June ––999 September September 2017 10 June – 9 September 2017 PENLEE MUSEUM PENLEEHOUSE HOUSE GALLERY GALLERY &&MUSEUM PENLEE HOUSE GALLERY &01736 MUSEUM Morrab Road, 4HE Tel. Tel. 01736 363625 Morrab Road,Penzance Penzance TR18 TR18 4HE 363625 PENLEE HOUSE GALLERY & MUSEUM Morrab Road, Penzance TR18 4HE Tel. 01736 363625 PENLEE HOUSE GALLERY & www.penleehouse.org.uk www.penleehouse.org.uk MUSEUM Morrab TR18 www.penleehouse.org.uk Morrab Road, Road, Penzance Penzance TR18 4HE 4HE Tel. Tel. 01736 01736 363625 363625 www.penleehouse.org.uk www.penleehouse.org.uk

House and Gardens open for Group Tours Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 1 April until 29 September 2017

201 7 – T H E 20 0 T H AN N IVE R SARY O F H E R D E AT H For entry fees and further information please visit our website or contact the Administrator Telephone 01780 450278 | Email [email protected] T

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2017 marks the 200th anniversary of the death of Jane Austen. Buried in the north nave aisle of Winchester Cathedral, Jane’s work has inspired people from all across the world, generation after generation. Join us for events, services, tours and much more taking place in 2017 to celebrate the life of Hampshire’s favourite author. Further information and enquiries www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk | 01962 857 200  winchestercathedral  @WinCathedral

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©South West Coast Path/Roy Curtis

Praa Sands, Cornwall, England.

visitbritain.com

One of the finest Cathedrals Follow in the footsteps of kings and scholars and learn about the legends, characters and stories of the Cathedral; stories of battles, power, politics, romance and pilgrimage. Stunning architecture, fascinating history and arguably one of the finest Cathedrals in the world. This living, breathing church is open for everyone to enjoy.

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PLACES TO STAY

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A UIRKY NIGHT’S SLEEP

Far from standardised hotels and B&Bs, Britain is home to a world of unusual places to stay that offer a unique place to rest your head while providing an interesting travel tale or two

PHOTOS: © RIK HAMILTON/KEVIN BRITLAND/ALAMY

WORDS HEIDI FINNANE

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PLACES TO STAY

PHOTOS: © RICHARD GADSBY PHOTOGRAPHY/PAUL GRUNDY/MANOR PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY/JERZY BIN

Clockwise, from left: One of the bedrooms in a converted Pullman carriage at the Old Railway Station in Petworth; the lovely exposed-beam interior of Old Smock Mill; West Cornwall's exotic Egyptian House; West Usk Lighthouse in Newport offers four lovely bedrooms

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PLACES TO STAY

C

ornwall may exude boutique houses and cosy cottages but for a night inspired by the Pharaohs themselves, the Egyptian House, in the centre of Penzance, West Cornwall, makes for one of Britain’s quirkiest stays. This beautifully preserved example of Egyptian Revival architecture – a somewhat rare style inspired by Napoleon’s late 18th-century campaigns in Egypt – was built in 1835 by mineralogist and bookseller John Lavin and includes a grand façade with traditional pylon and lotus bud capitals. The design is reminiscent of the famed 1812 Egyptian Hall in London’s Piccadilly that was sadly demolished in 1905, and is often attributed to Plymouth architect John Foulston, although there is little to no evidence to validate this. The exotic exterior of the Grade I-listed building, which interestingly combines two small shopfronts into one, was used by Lavin to lure customers in to buy fossils and minerals – some brought back by overseas explorers but many found by local Cornish miners working in the area – as well as maps, guides and stationery. The Lavin family sold the building in the early 20th century and it became dilapidated over the ensuing years before being rescued by The Landmark Trust in 1968. Renovated in 1970 and returned to its former grandeur, the house has been converted into three compact self-catered apartments, sleeping either 3 or 4, with the top-floor apartment including a view over the chimney pots to Mount’s Bay. Although the interiors are not as rich as the exterior, the apartments do make great bases for exploring the historic port town of Penzance with its beautiful beaches, markets, 1930s Art Deco lido – one of Britain’s last remaining examples – and the island fortress St Michael’s Mount. For a truly lavish experience, The Witchery by the Castle on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile should not disappoint. The rather unassuming 16th-century building by the gates to Edinburgh Castle was originally built for merchant Thomas Lowthian in 1595 and the doorway still bears his initials and motto ‘O Lord in thee is all my traist’. Rather darkly named after the hundreds of witches burnt at the stake on Castlehill during the 16th and 17th centuries, the multi award-winning restaurant, which first opened on Halloween in 1979, is now lauded as destination dining at its best with its delectable food and candle-lit dining room. In more recent years, nine luxurious suites have been added upstairs in the adjacent 17th-century Sempill’s Court and continue the indulgent Gothic-style of the restaurant. The suites are opulence at its finest. Each room is uniquely decorated with plush interiors featuring rich antique furnishings, huge four-poster beds lavishly

For an ever-unique stay, a night in one of four beautiful Edwardian train carriages is a must

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PLACES TO STAY

PHOTOS: © ROBERTHARDING/SIMON EVANS/YURIFINEART/MINDEN PICTURES/ALAMY

Above: The opulent interior of the Heriot suite at The Witchery, Edinburgh Below: Star Castle Hotel on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly Right: The self-contained Old Smock Mill, Benenden

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draped with embroidered velvet, gilded ceilings, intricate tapestries, wood-panelling, marble floors and roll-top baths built for two. The ultimate in decadent escapes, guests receive a bottle of Champagne on arrival and breakfast hampers delivered each morning. Step back in time to the golden age of railway travel at The Old Railway Station in Petworth, West Sussex. The derelict site – once considered Britain’s most beautiful railway station – was lovingly transformed into a glorious bed and breakfast in 1995 and is the ideal spot to access nearby National Trust properties Uppark House and Petworth House, which both date from the 17th century. Built in 1892 at the behest of the then Prince of Wales, who would later become King Edward VII, so he could travel to Goodwood for the horseracing, both the station and Petworth line (which had been opened some years earlier) were very rarely used. Located on the branch line between Pulborough and Midhurst in the middle of the West Sussex countryside, the line was eventually closed in 1966 and the disused railway track replaced with a garden. The wooden station has been completely overhauled with the waiting room and parcels office now the reception area, and the upstairs area converted into two large suites. And while the beautiful station is one draw, for an ever-unique stay, a night in one of the four Edwardian train carriages is a must. The wooden Pullman carriages, the oldest dating from 1912, have been converted into four luxury suites and retain their original brown-and-cream livery, mahogany interiors and windows, and feature large, comfy beds. The unusually short West Usk Lighthouse, situated between Newport and Cardiff and overlooking the River Usk and the Bristol Channel, provides an intimate stay just over two hours’ drive from London. Built in 1821 by the Scottish architect James Walker, the once fully operational lighthouse was decommissioned in 1922, when the property became a family home, before being used as a look-out post during WWII. In 1987 the lighthouse was restored into the sweet B&B that it is today. Decked out in maritime memorabilia, the Grade II-listed building now features four comfortable wedge-shaped rooms that, unusually due to the large circumference of the building, are all contained within the lighthouse. Found at the end of a long stony drive, the lighthouse sits snuggly against the clifftop with lovely sea views. Fans of Doctor Who, will love the Dalek in the entrance hall downstairs and the Tardis on the roof next to the hot tub. And if you’re keen for a little adventure, West Usk is a great spot to take in some of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path – the rugged clifftop walk that hugs 186 miles of coastline from St Dogmaels in the north to Amroth in the south. The archipelago of the Isles of Scilly, to the southwest of Cornwall, is a truly beautiful place to explore, and if you fancy a night in an original Elizabethan fortress, then family-run Star Castle Hotel, on the west of St Mary’s, is ideal. Commissioned by Queen Elizabeth I in 1593, the castle was built as a military outpost during the AngloSpanish War to strengthen the island’s defences against continued Spanish raids. Today it is one of less than 10 recorded fortifications that survive from the period, and history fans will enjoy finding the plaque in an upper room www.britain-magazine.com

of the castle that still bears the initials ‘ER’ for Queen Elizabeth I herself. Named after the unusual outer wall shape, which comes from the eight-pointed star plan of the ramparts, Star Castle Hotel is a character-filled Grade I-listed castle set among 4 acres of secluded gardens. Guests can opt to stay in one of the contemporary suites set outside the starred walls or in one of the small selection of rooms in the original 16th-century fortress, complete with creaky staircases and furniture dating from the Jacobean period. With breathtaking views over the sand-fringed coastline, two restaurants and a dungeon bar, it’s a great base for exploring the islands. Known as the Garden of England, Kent with its many stately homes and castles has no end of attractions and for a truly unusual night for two, the early 19th-century grain mill, Old Smock Mill in Benenden, is spot on. Exquisitely restored in 2011, the smock mill, a design of mill built using a wooden framework rather than masonry, is sadly still missing its rotted sails (locally known as sweeps) and cap, however a request for funding is hoping to soon reinstate the building to its full former glory. Operational until the Second World War, when it was used as a gunner’s lookout, the three-storey mill now features: a kitchen and living area with fireplace on the meal floor, where the ground grain would have been processed; a French-style bedroom on the second floor or stone floor, so called because this is where the millstones were housed; and a huge bathroom on the third floor or dust floor, reached by a spiral oak staircase. Views across the beautiful Kent countryside complete this charming self-contained accommodation.

For more amazing British places to stay, go to www.britainmagazine.com

BOOK AHEAD The Egyptian House, Penzance, West Cornwall Stay in one of three apartments set in this extraordinary 19th-century house, which features a beautiful Egyptian Revival façade. www.landmarktrust.org.uk

West Usk Lighthouse, St. Brides, Newport Cosy bed and breakfast set in an unusually short yet once fully functioning lighthouse with plenty of maritime memorabilia. www.westusklighthouse.co.uk

The Witchery by the Castle, Edinburgh For a truly lavish experience, book into one of these nine opulent suites, which include antique furnishings, four-poster beds and roll-top baths. www.thewitchery.com

Star Castle Hotel, Isles of Scilly Original 16th-century Elizabethan fortress on the Isles of Scilly, which features 4 acres of secluded gardens, two restaurants and a rather scary-sounding dungeon bar. www.star-castle.co.uk

The Old Railway Station, Petworth This wooden railway station has been transformed into a luxury B&B, with options to overnight in an Edwardian railway carriage. www.old-station.co.uk

Old Smock Mill, Benenden, Kent Have a romantic stay for two in an early 19th-century mill, featuring original beamwork, copper sinks, a freestanding bath and charm a plenty. www.oldsmockmill.com

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More than just an air museum! O P E N D A I LY

Burial place of

Katharine of Aragon and first burial place of

‘Brilliant’

Mary Queen of Scots

Source:Trip Advisor

Great for Families / Groups / Schools • Evocative, authentic wartime airbase

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• 20 acre aircraft park and gardens • Shop and Restaurant

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Down Cathedral

Built in 1183 as a Benedictine monastery, Down Cathedral is now a Cathedral of the Church of Ireland. Prominent and majestic, the cathedral is believed to have the grave of St Patrick in its grounds. There is also wonderful stained glass and organ of highest quality. Open all year round. Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 4.00: Sunday 2.00 - 4.00pm The Mall, English Street, Downpatrick, County Down BT30 6AB | T: 028 4461 4922 | E: [email protected] | www.downcathedral.org 52 BRITAIN

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HISTORY

PHOTOS: © ART COLLECTION/ALAMY

Top to bottom: King George III with his wife Queen Charlotte and six of their children; a 1754 portrait by Jean-Etienne Liotard of a 16-year-old Prince of Wales, later King George III

THE SECRET LIVES OF THE GEORGIANS The publication of private letters kept by King George III reveal a different side to the king labelled ‘mad’ and his family WORDS NEIL JONES

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Portrait of six of King George III's children: Princess Augusta, Princess Elizabeth, Prince Ernest, Prince Augustus, Prince Adolphus and Princess Mary

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& Culture and the College of William & Mary. The trove of secrets promises especially to change opinions on George III, Britain’s longest-reigning king (1760–1820). Usually caricatured as the sovereign who ‘lost’ America and ‘went mad’, George was nevertheless the first king of Australia, presided over the union of Ireland with Great Britain into the United Kingdom, and held onto the throne while revolution swept through Europe. A champion of the arts and sciences, he was a prolific writer and hoarder of documents – now giving us vivid, first-hand insight behind closed royal doors. Take, for example, the touching, handwritten instructions on how to be king, given to the young George by his father Frederick (13 January 1749), counselling him to be honourable, just, humane, generous and brave, and to play down the family’s German roots. “Convince this nation that you are not only an Englishman born and bred, but that you are also this by inclination.”

PHOTOS: © JLIMAGES/FRANCISCO MARTINEZ/ALAMY/MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY 2015/NATIONAL CIVIL WAR CENTRE

T

he notepaper may be mottled by age, but the handwriting is clear, the words full of anguish. It is 8 August 1781 and King George III, sitting at Windsor Castle, is penning a letter to his prime minister, Lord North, informing him that the wayward Prince of Wales had fallen into “a very improper connection with an actress and woman of indifferent character”. With the woman now threatening to make public letters from the prince that reveal sensitive political matters, the king has employed an intermediary to buy her off with £5,000 (circa £750,000 today): “undoubtedly an enormous sum, but I wish to get my son out of this shameful scrape.” The letter is just one of many extraordinary documents from the Royal Archives and Royal Library at Windsor Castle being revealed for the first time to the public online through the Georgian Papers Programme (GPP). Launched by the Queen in April 2015 and now live on the GPP website, the project will take until 2020 to complete: bringing over 350,000 pages of Georgian royal love letters, diaries, classified state documents, essays and even abdication plans into the open after over 200 years under lock and key. Covering the reign of the Hanoverian dynasty (1714–1837), the project is a mammoth task being orchestrated by the Royal Archives, the Royal Library and King’s College London, with primary partners in the US – the Omohundro Institute of Early American History

PHOTOS: © HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES/CHRISTOPHER HURST/JOHN HAMMOND/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/FINE ART IMAGES/HERITAGE IMAGES/GETTY

HISTORY

ROYAL SPIES George III employed a network of spies. One, codenamed Aristarchus, specialised in lurid warnings of impending peril, including telling the king he had been seen walking at night in the Queen’s Garden and that the French planned to assassinate him there. Aristarchus’s scribblings proved rubbish and the king sacked him.

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HISTORY

Clockwise, from this painting: State Portrait of George III in coronation robes; The Prince Regent, later King George IV in field marshal's uniform; Queen Charlotte

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HISTORY

PHOTOS: © PAUL MAQUIRE/ALAMY/ ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST © HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II, 2016/WWW.BRIDGEMANIMAGES.COM

King at the age of 22, George III quickly married 17-year-old Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and bought a new London home, today’s Buckingham Palace. Papers reveal just how devoted the couple were to their 15 children, an early model for the modern notion of the Royal Family. Charlotte’s letters describe the children missing their “Papa” when he is away; George meticulously records each child’s height in growth charts to the nearest 1/16th of an inch. But it is the king’s insatiable hunger for knowledge and tireless obsession with detail that really strikes. His countless essays on history, the constitution, revenue and tax, languages, maths, geography, philosophy, music and natural sciences show a busy brain processing almost every subject under the sun: not least jottings “On TurnepRooted Cabbage” and plans for a turnip prize – he was

DOOMED LOVE Princess Amelia (right, painted by Peter Edward Stroehling c.1805), George III’s youngest child, had an affair with a king’s equerry, Charles FitzRoy, and even signed her letters to him ‘AFR’ (Amelia FitzRoy). Amelia died from tuberculosis at the age of 27 and in her will of 28 July 1810 left almost all her possessions to her “most valuable friend” FitzRoy. Subsequent letters between FitzRoy, the Prince of Wales and royal solicitors chart wrangles to override the will and avoid a scandal.

Left: The Dutch House, one of the few remaining sections of Kew Palace, the home of King George III where he had an observatory built in 1769 to view the transit of Venus

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THE ISLES OF SCILLY ENGLAND

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THE CHANNEL ISLANDS

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