Indice dei contenuti per Dec/Jan 2016 in Discover Britain

Beautiful forms and compositions are not made by chance, nor can they ever, in any material, be made at a small expense.” A lifelong adherence to this uncompromising maxim has ensured that Wedgwood, the fine china and porcelain company founded by potter Josiah Wedgwood in 1759, has endured to the present, its output revered now as it was then. In his lifetime, the humble potter produced three ceramic collections that remain sought-after by collectors: Queen’s Ware, Black Basalt and Jasperware. The former was so christened after Queen Charlotte, who appointed him Queen’s potter in 1762 (another famous fan was Russia’s Empress Catherine II, who amassed a collection of 952 pieces). Today, his work resides in esteemed collections at the Victoria & Albert and British Museums, and there even exists a…

WALES & THE WELSH BORDERS 28 APRIL - 7 MAY, 2016 Castle ruins, poetic vistas, meandering medieval streets, and a magnificent Celtic heritage bring the beauty of Wales to life against a backdrop of rolling green hills and dramatic sea cliffs. The Romans mined for gold, the Tudors founded a dynasty, and the Normans built castles, the ancient remains of which are scattered on windy hilltops throughout the countryside. Along the way, Wales’ ancient Celtic heritage has been memorialised in a stunning collection of literature and artwork. This spring, why not join Discover Europe and journey into the heart and history of ancient Wales? We’ll show you where the magic of this Celtic kingdom comes to life on Wales and the Welsh Borders. LET’S UNPACK IN THE PEAKS 6 -…

BURLINGTON ARCADE’S BEADLES The shopping mall has been one of the most ubiquitous additions to cities and suburbs across the globe. But did you know that, love them or hate them, the proliferation of shops presented under one roof all began in London’s Mayfair? Built in 1818, the Burlington Arcade (below) remains not only the oldest, but also the most refined, incarnation of the shopping centre. Next door to the Royal Academy, its passageway was constructed on the orders of Lord George Cavendish, brother of the 5th Duke of Devonshire, to prevent people throwing rubbish over the wall of his home, Burlington House. Be warned; such anti-social behaviour is still off-limits, as the arcade is patrolled by “Beadles” – originally former members of Cavendish’s regiment, the 10th Hussars – who…

DO KINGSTON LACY Designed to resemble an Italian palace, Kingston Lacy was built by the Bankes family, following the siege at Corfe Castle during the Civil War at which the Royalist Lady Bankes was betrayed by one of her own soldiers. The house’s art collection is spectacular, with sculptures and paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck, Titian and Brueghel, exquisite detailed carvings, family souvenirs and even an “I owe you” note from a king. Kingston Lacy also boasts the largest private collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts in the UK. There’s plenty to see on the 8,500-acre estate: a Japanese tea garden; Badbury Rings, an Iron Age fort; and even a Roman road. After an invigorating walk, put your feet up with Kingston Lacy’s homemade cake and prize-winning scones. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kingston-lacy HARDY COUNTRY…

1 Cliveden House Berkshire Cliveden’s 300-year history has seen it burn down twice, host virtually every British monarch since King George I – and witness a scandal that almost brought down the government. Built in 1666, it has housed three dukes, an earl and Frederick Prince of Wales, before America’s wealthiest man, William Waldorf Astor, gifted it to his son and daughter-in-law Nancy Astor, the UK’s first female MP, in 1906. It achieved notoriety in 1961 when, during the Cold War, Secretary of State for War John Profumo had a liaison with Christine Keeler, a showgirl with intimate connections to a Soviet diplomat there. The threat to national security shook the government to its core. www.clivedenhouse.co.uk 2 Burgh Island Devon There’s nowhere quite like Burgh. Set on a small tidal…

WIN A TWO-NIGHT LUXURY STAY AT THE LANGHAM, LONDON The Langham is London’s most historic five-star hotel. Perfectly situated in the heart of the capital at the top of Regent Street, it has delighted guests since 1865 when it made its debut as the very first “grand hotel” in Europe. These days it is covered in accolades, most recently scooping the coveted prize for the best bar in the world. Discover Britain has teamed up with The Langham, London to offer one lucky reader and a guest the chance to win a two-night stay at the hotel, along with afternoon tea at the recently relaunched Palm Court restaurant and a 90-minute Chuan Body Elements treatment in the surpassingly brilliant Chuan Spa, after which pampering the winner will be treated to…

One of the chief joys of travelling around Britain is that you never know when you might stumble across a former haunt of some historic notable. But forget the blue plaque trail of such luminaries’ homes; it is just as illuminating to know where they chose to go for complete relaxation. These isles are home to many of the getaways of royal dynasties past and present, from the romantic retreat of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to that of a convalescing King Edward VII. We look at some of the most spectacular... TUDOR TEMPTATIONS You can just imagine King Henry VIII riding into Thornbury Castle with his second wife, Anne Boleyn, in the summer of 1535. They were on a progress (tour) to the West Country and for 10…

Today London’s skyline is dominated by huge, clinical glass-and-steel towers with odd nicknames like the Gherkin, the Cheesegrater and the Shard. They erupt from the streets to the clouds, leaving long shadows over Britain’s capital city, impressive and intimidating all at once. Stand a few miles in any direction from the City, and this is what you see: buildings so massive and powerful and strange that it can feel as though they were erected by aliens. In the Middle Ages things were not so different. A busy, international city was dominated by a few soaring buildings. In the centre was the original cathedral of St Paul’s (later destroyed by fire in 1666). And in the southeast was the Tower of London, its moat fed by the river Thames and its…

That 2015 marked the Tudor Hampton Court Palace’s half-millennium milestone makes the royal residence one of the great, and certainly the most lavish, survivors of the period. That it endures at all, however, is no thanks to its 17th century incumbents, the co-regents, King William III and Queen Mary II, according to Tudor historian and the palace’s joint chief curator, Tracy Borman. “Had William and Mary had their way, they would have knocked it down – they did knock half of it down, as it was. There are different theories about why they stopped: firstly, they had come from the Netherlands and wanted to establish themselves amidst the British monarchy, so perhaps they realised that if they destroyed all of Hampton Court Palace, it wouldn’t be particularly popular. On the…

Dove Cottage William Wordsworth’s opus was most prolifically penned at Dove Cottage (now a museum), in the Lake District’s Grasmere. Having spied his future home in 1799 on a walking tour with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, he and his sister Dorothy lived at Dove Cottage (below left) for the ensuing eight years. Those immortal lines “I wandered lonely as a cloud” were inspired by a walk (he is said to have walked 175,000 miles in his lifetime) with his sister, who recorded in her diary, “When we were in the woods beyond Gowbarrow Park we saw a few daffodils close to the water side… we saw that there was a long belt of them along the shore, about the breadth of a country turnpike road. I never saw daffodils so beautiful…

Britain boasts the best and most historic watering holes in the world. It is unsurprising that many of these globally famous pubs can be found within the capital, offering good cheer and restorative respite to city dwellers, and a window into ye olde London charm to its fascinated visitors. From Chaucer’s day, when pilgrims would meet at the Tabard Inn in Southwark en route to Canterbury, to Queen Elizabeth I reportedly dancing at Ye Olde Mitre in Holborn, many such pubs remain essentially unchanged, the combination of good drink, a convivial atmosphere and a historic setting enduring to this day. Here are six drinking dens that offer a glimpse into London’s past. The Lamb and Flag, Covent Garden This pub originally dates from 1638, although the current building hails from…

A tour of Lord’s provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes insight into the most famous cricket ground in the world. Led by an expert guide, it takes in the Grade II*-listed Pavilion with the celebrated Long Room and players’ dressing rooms, complete with the Honours Boards; the award-winning J.P. Morgan Media Centre; and the MCC Museum – home to the priceless Ashes Urn. The extraordinary architecture and fascinating art and memorabilia on display mean that you need not be a cricket buff to get the most out of a Lord’s Tour; they’re for anyone seeking a quintessentially English experience. Opened by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh in 1953, the MCC Museum is one of the oldest such sporting institutions in the world. It traces 400 years of cricket history, from its emergence…

The nation that gave the world Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple loves nothing more than exercising its little grey cells on a mystery. But not all great British enigmas are as neatly solvable as a detective novel. With the discovery of a “superhenge” in September – nearly 100 enormous stones, dating back 4,500 years, buried just two miles away from the famous site – the mystery of Stonehenge deepens. “The new discovery was made in an area called Durrington Walls,” explains Hugh Newman, earth mysteries and megalithic science researcher. “It’s already known that the Stonehenge landscape is much, much wider and vaster than people have realised and this is just one example... The Stonehenge we see today is really only the last in several thousand years of construction. People think…

If you can dream—and not makedreams your master;If you can think—and not makethoughts your aim;If you can meet with Triumph and DisasterAnd treat those two impostors just the same... These words to the Rudyard Kipling poem If hang above the players’ entrance at Wimbledon’s Centre Court, a salient and timely reminder to the titans about to slog out on that hallowed patch of manicured grass that there is more to victory than just winning. They are also strikingly British. “It’s not the winning, it’s the taking part” is not just a national axiom; it is instilled in the British psyche. Which is, conversely, why the Brits have so long been devotees of all manner of sports from the weird to the wonderful, as well as being exporters of them to…