Britain 2015-09 10

BRITAIN
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
TRAVEL CULTURE HERITAGE STYLE
WIN
a 5-star stay in
Anne Boleyns
childhood home
AWARD-WINNING MAGAZINE
Magnificent Castles
From haunting Welsh fortresses to
moated medieval palaces
Garden of England
Explore the lush valleys & quaint villages of Kent
POLDARKS
CORNWALL
Tales of smugglers
and forbidden romance
DUCHESSES
ON DUTY
Meet the women

who run our
stately homes
EDITOR'S LETTER
Ive been reminded this
issue of the vast number
of castles we have on
our shores, from moated
palaces, such as Hever
Castle and Leeds Castle, which we
explore in In Englands Green and
Pleasant Land (p6), to the often
forgotten fortresses that dot the Welsh
landscape in The Iron Ring (p58).
Of course in Britain were also spoiled
with lots of rather splendid stately
homes. Ever wondered how these
historic houses survive in the 21st
century? Then make sure you read
Loves Labours Not Lost (p22) to hear
from the duchesses that have revived
the fortunes of some of our most
cherished estates.
If you were glued to the screen
watching the recent period drama
Poldark then youll know that the real
star of the show was the gorgeous
backdrop of secluded bays and dramatic
moors of southeast England, which we
visit in Cornish Idyll (p35).
But for me, the travel highlight of
this issue was visiting the medieval
village of Lovely Lavenham (p55), which
is every bit as special as Id imagined
and Im sure youll love it too.
The 14th-century
moated manor
house Ightham
Mote, in Kent
CONTENTS
VOLUME 83 ISSUE 5
FEATURES
6
Sally Coffey, Editor
@BRITAINMAGAZINE
PHOTOS: KATIE GARROD/AWL-IMAGES.COM/DAVID CHAPMAN /ALAMY
FACEBOOK/BRITAINMAGAZINE
22
PINTEREST/BRITAINMAGAZINE
BRITAIN_MAGAZINE
BRITAIN
WIN
a 5-star stay in
Anne Boleyns
childhood home
Magnificent Castles
From haunting Welsh fortresses to
moated medieval palaces
Explore the lush valleys & quaint villages of Kent
POLDARKS
CORNWALL
Tales of smugglers
and forbidden romance
47
DUCHESSES
ON DUTY
Meet the women

who run our
stately homes
SEPT/OCT 2015 4.25
11
9 771757 973084
www.britain-magazine.com
UK_OFC_BRI_sep/oct15.indd 1
35
Garden of England
27/07/2015 16:20
Cover image: Leeds Castle, Kent Travel Pictures Ltd
35
70
THIS GREEN & PLEASANT LAND

We take a tour of Kent the glorious Garden
of England and take in its beautiful moated
castles, its medieval manor houses and
beautifully preserved old villages
LOVE'S LABOUR'S NOT LOST

We discover that duchesses aren't just for
period drama these modern businesswomen
discuss the realities of running their
stunning stately homes in the modern age
CORNISH IDYLL
Packed with sleepy villages, hidden coves
and historic harbours, this English coastal
county is a rural treasure trove, overflowing
with quintessential British charm
THE CLIVEDEN SET

We go behind the scenes at the estate in
Buckinghamshire that has been at the
heart of British society and politics
and a fair share of its scandals for centuries
22
47
FEATURES
55
58
71
44
81
85
LOVELY LAVENHAM
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
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Email: info@britain-magazine.com
A largely unspolit Tudor treasure, this Suffolk

village was once at the heart of a thriving wool
trade and one of England's richest towns
THE IRON RING

King Edward I's battle to subdue the Welsh left
a legacy of more than 600 castles. We bring
you some of the most magnificent examples
Editor Sally Coffey

Art Editor Clare White
Sub Editor Sally Hales
SCOTTISH PRETENDERS
Publisher Caroline Scott

Digital Product Manager Oliver Morley-Norris
We take a look at the people and places that

played pivotal roles in the Jacobite rebellions
two gutsy attempts to reclaim the throne
from the Hanoverians
Advertisement Manager Natasha Syed

Sales Executive Elizabeth Dack
Sales Executive Helena Murphy
Managing Director Paul Dobson
Deputy Managing Director Steve Ross
Commercial Director Vicki Gavin
Subscriptions Manager William Delmont
58
REGULARS
17
For VisitBritain Iris Buckley

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THE BULLETIN
Tours of tunnels beneath the White Cliffs
of Dover, HMS Victory's overhaul and the
National Trust's volunteer dilemma
TALL TALES
The Victorians were great pioneers, but some
of their ideas were a bit off the mark
COMPETITION
Win a luxurious break for two at Hever
Castle Anne Boleyn's childhood home
CITY BREAKS: BRIGHTON

The famous seaside resort has attracted
many of our literary greats over the years
91
LETTERS
98
QUIZ: WHAT'S IN A WORD?
Your views on Britain, and your magazine
News distribution
IN THIS ISSUE
From griggles and boossenning to Boris-noris

and skimmerton-riding, discover the bizarre
world of the West Country dialect
SCOTLAND
71
EDINBURGH p71
ALNWICK p22
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BRITAIN (ISSN 0019-3143) (USPS 004-335) is
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IRELAND
ENGLAND
HARLECH p58
GRANTHAM p22
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WA L E S
GREENWICH p17
MARGATE p6
TRURO p35
4 BRITAIN
Its London.
Under one
iconic roof.
Fantastic dining, tax-free
shopping, awe-inspiring public art
and exciting cultural events, all
under 150 years of breathtaking
architectural history.
Shopping. Dining. Art. Culture.

St Pancras is more than a station its a destination.
Find out more at:

www.stpancras.com
/stpancrasint |
@StPancrasInt |
stpancrasinternational
In
ENGLANDS
GREEN &
PLEASANT
LAND
Take a tour of Kents lush valleys, which are home to

moated castles, medieval manor houses and some
of our nations best-preserved ancient villages
WORDS JOHN E VIGAR
LESS THAN AN HOUR FROM LONDON

6
BRITAIN
Turn to page
81 for your chance
to win a five-star
overnight stay for two
at Hever Castle
Beautiful Hever Castle

was the childhood
home of Anne Boleyn
BRITAIN
he Victorian novelist Charles Dickens

summed up the county of Kent as he
saw it in The Pickwick Papers, when
he wrote: Kent, Sir everybody knows
Kent apples, cherries, hops and women.
As Dickens intimated, its for good reason Kent is known
as the Garden of England its fertile soil is perfect for
growing apples, hops and, in more recent years, grapes, as
English Wine vineyards have flourished in the region.
Having lived in Chatham for a few years as a child and
near Rochester for much of his adult life, Dickens knew
Kent well and many references to the county can be found
in his novels the Kent marshes, for instance, create an
atmospheric backdrop in Great Expectations.
Much of the character of Kent is dictated by its location,
bounded as it is by water for three-quarters of its border,
which stretches from the River Thames in the north to the
English Channel in the south.
Kents history has also been influenced by its proximity
to the Continent, the people who have travelled through it,
and its relationship to London the furthest tip of Kent is
just 85 miles from the capital.
As in Dickens time, Kent is still predominantly an
agricultural county, with orchards, hop gardens and
vegetable fields offering a patchwork landscape away from
BRITAIN
the towns that are often home to Londons commuters.

It is agriculture that has adorned the countys natural
beauty with farms, windmills and oast houses (unusual
round structures with pointed roofs originally used to dry
the hops used to make beer).
Water has played the most important part in the
development of Kent. The countys two main rivers, the
Medway and Stour, flow to the sea, fed on their way by
streams that have carved out verdant valleys, which
protect picturesque villages.
Hundreds of years ago some of these streams were
dammed to create defensive moated sites on which
Englands most famous castles were built. Leeds Castle,
near Maidstone, was one such castle and one only has to
see its reflection in the huge lake formed by the damming
of the River Len, to understand why it has been named the
loveliest castle in the world.
For centuries it was home to the queens of England
before being restored in the 1920s as a private residence.
Built of Kentish ragstone, the castle has seen little military
action in its 900-year history perhaps due to its secure
island location and today its interiors are a mix of
medieval re-creation and chintzy 20th-century comfort.
Hever Castle, near Edenbridge, is another medieval
moated home. Less fortification and more grand manor
PHOTOS: ANGELA DAMPIER/ALAMY/VISITBRITAIN/DAVID SELLMAN/GETTY IMAGES/ROBERT HARDING PICTURE LIBRARY LTD

ILLUSTRATION MICHAEL HILL
Kent
South Gloucestershire
Clockwise, from top left: Flower

borders at Goodnestone Park;
Penshurst Place and Gardens;
lovely Leeds Castle
BRITAIN
10
BRITAIN
Kent
PHOTOS: NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANDREW BUTLER/TRAVEL PIX COLLECTION/AWL IMAGES LTD
Facing page: The cottages at Ightham

Mote, viewed from the courtyard.
This picture: Scotney Castle
house, with status-wielding towers and a drawbridge,

Hever was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, one of
King Henry VIIIs less-fortunate wives.
The spirit of the past is tangible in Hevers ancient
interiors, which are as cosy as rooms in a castle can be.
Saved from dereliction almost 100 years ago by
William Waldorf Astor, the castle is complemented by
a formal garden created to display Astors formidable
collection of antique statuary, and five-star overnight
accommodation is available in two wings of the castle.
One of Kents most famous moated homes, Ightham
Mote, near Sevenoaks, takes its name not from the
water that surrounds it, but from the word moot,
meaning meeting place evidence that this site has
been a place of congregation since Saxon times.
Its wooded and isolated setting down single-track
lanes ensured that it was little known until the
National Trust launched an appeal to conserve it at a
cost of 10 million 30 years ago. Now the work is
complete, this charming medieval house, built around
a heavily timbered courtyard, is presented to show
many different periods in its 600-year history.
Scotney Castle is another historic moated castle,
albeit in a slightly less preserved state, but while the
14th-century ruined castle is atmospheric, it is the
glorious 770 acres of woodland and gardens that really

draw praise, while the Victorian mansion hides many
a family secret.
Incredibly some of the historic homes that dot
the Kent countryside are lived in by the descendants
of their original owners.
Penshurst Place, not far from the bustling spa
town of Royal Tunbridge Wells, is home to
Lord De LIsle, whose family tree includes poet
Sir Philip Sidney, Queen Elizabeth Is most loyal
courtier a contemporary of William Shakespeare.
The Great Hall is one of the best preserved in Britain,
with a central open fire and high chestnut roof, and
it is often used as a filming location, most recently,
in the BBCs adaptation of Wolf Hall.
For millennia people coming from other countries
have brought their ideas and influences to the people of
Kent, who welcomed them but, rather tellingly, the
county motto is Invicta, which means unconquered.
Following the Battle of Hastings, the Normans
brought their building stone from France to make up
for the paucity of building materials in Kent. You can
see the architectural result in the thousand-year-old
churches near the Channel coast with their dazzling
white Caen stone that reflects the clear light.
BRITAIN
11
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PHOTOS: VISITENGLAND/ALEX HARE/TRAVEL PICTURES LTD
Kent
Later, in the 16th and 17th centuries, artisans escaping

religious persecution in Europe brought different
skills and the town of Sandwich (where Tom Paine, the
Anglo-American activist, was married) fondly remembers
its strangers and the Dutch architecture they brought
with them. That architecture quickly became a status
symbol to those able to afford it and across the east of the
county rounded gables became the latest must-have.
Pretty villages that have survived the test of time include
Chilham, just a few miles southwest of Canterbury. Lots
of period buildings remain, including the 16th-century
White Horse pub. Chilham formed part of the Pilgrims
Way and some believed that Thomas Becket was buried in
its 15th-century churchyard.
It was in the village of Barham, a few miles southeast
of Canterbury, that one of Thomas Beckets assassins,
Reginald FitzUrse, lived.
As much as Kent has welcomed visitors, it has also
been a springboard for those wishing to leave our shores.
Down House was the home of 19th-century naturalist
Charles Darwin, whose five-year voyage on HMS Beagle
changed the way we understand the world around us.
The study in which he wrote On the Origin of Species
contains his furniture and the garden in which Darwin
formulated his theories is just as he knew it.
Above: A poppy field at

dawn near Barham.
This picture: Chilham village
BRITAIN
13
Kent
Oast houses like this one are
a familiar sight in Kent
THE PLANNER
GETTING THERE
Many of Kents towns can be reached by train from London St Pancras station
(Rochester 40 minutes; Faversham 1 hour; Margate 1.5 hours; Dover 1 hour).
The western half of the county is served by London Victoria. www.trainline.com
Clockwise, from left:
LEEDS CASTLE
Painswick Rococo
Leeds Castle, which was once used as a palace by King Henry
VIII and Catherine
Garden;
of Aragon, is open year-round and there are regular events heldWoodchester
across its 500 acres
including falconry displays or you can lose yourself in the estates
magnificent
Mansion;
Queenmaze.
I castle
The nearest train station is Bearsted and a shuttle bus runs fromElizabeth
here to the
from April to September. www.leeds-castle.com
BATTLE OF BRITAIN MEMORIAL

In the 75th anniversary year since the Battle of Britain, a visit to this free
memorial, which is dominated by a huge statue of a seated pilot, is recommended.
As you enter the site at Capel-le-Ferne, Churchill's haunting words greet you: Never
in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few," and today
those words are as poignant as ever. www.battleofbritainmemorial.org
EASTWELL MANOR HOTEL
Dating back to the time of the Norman Conquest, Eastwell Manor has many
impressive period features, from carved panelled rooms to baronial stone fireplaces.
Each room is individually designed in a classical style and many come with four-poster
beds. There is also an award-winning restaurant and a relaxing spa.
www.prideofbritainhotels.com/eastwell_manor
Another family of travellers were the Powell-Cottons,

whose country estate, Quex Park, near Margate,
displays the trophies of Big Game hunting in Africa and
Asia during the reign of Queen Victoria. Although killing
was their aim, the family were also interested in learning
about the animals and cultures they encountered and a
purpose-built gallery was opened in 1896 to display the
familys unusual collections. If this is all too much then a
visit to Goodnestone or Godington Park and Gardens offer
more quintessential English experiences.
Margate itself lays claim to being one of Englands
earliest seaside resorts and has recently reinvented itself as
a cultural destination, with a gallery of modern art named
after the famous landscape artist, JMW Turner, who
lived here for a period, and a heritage amusement park,
Dreamland, built in 1920, but revamped this year with a
unique assortment of vintage rides.
Romney Marsh in southeast Kent has been called
the sixth continent due to its other-worldly terrain and,
while this may be a bit of a stretch, the landscape is
unforgettable. The land has been reclaimed from the sea
and made over to sheep farming. In summer the sounds of
marsh frogs and skylarks resound around diminutive
14
BRITAIN
villages and huge medieval churches built on the profits

of the once thriving wool trade.
It was this evocative landscape that inspired Russell
Thorndike to write a series of books based on true
events about a smuggling clergyman, Dr Syn, whose
activities went almost unnoticed across these empty acres.
Along the spine of Kent its northern coastline
a series of picturesque towns display continuing maritime
activity. Whitstable is home to an important oyster fishery
whose history can be traced back centuries and where an
annual festival celebrates the landing of these shellfish.
Faversham is a quayside town with streets of medieval
houses delightfully colour-washed and the proud owner
of a copy of King Johns Magna Carta.
Closer to London, Rochesters Norman castle dominates
the River Medway and protects its ancient cathedral
whose damp, earthy smell was much admired by Dickens.
Whether you come for its castles, its swathes of open
pastures and coastline or its quaint villages, a journey
through Kent will feel a million miles from London.
For more stories and gorgeous photos from the delightful county
of Kent go to www.britain-magazine.com/kent
PHOTO TRAVEL PICTURES
BESIDE THE SEASIDE IN MARGATE

Theres big news at the UKs original pleasure park in Margate, Dreamland,
which has undergone a huge revamp, with vintage rides and classic side shows, and is
set just back from the lovely sandy beach. While here, visit the Turner Contemporary
gallery, which has pieces by its namesake JMW Turner that were inspired by the Kent
landscape. www.dreamland.co.uk www.turnercontemporary.org
A DAY TO REMEMBER
D I S C OV E R O N E O F E N G L A N D S M O ST
B E AU T I F U L A N D H I ST O R IC C A ST L E S
he verc ast l e.c o.u k

Email info@hevercastle.co.uk | Call +44 (0)1732 865224
journeys
inspired by
heritage
Delve Deeper into Britains Heritage

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from a range of unique fully-escorted tours

inspired by Britains fascinating history and culture
Engaging
Itineraries
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visiting a selection of historic properties and

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Created in collaboration with key heritage organisations
including the National Trust, National Trust for Scotland

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after-dinner talks from subject experts;

bringing history to life
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excursions; many with royal connections, political pasts
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Guaranteed
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Images: National Trust Images / David Levenson, Dennis Gilbert, Matthew Antrobus
Quote Britain_SepOct15
HISTORY / NEWS / REVIEWS / INSPIRATION
The
BULLETIN
The latest news, from the future of our heritage
properties to the restoration of Britain's answer
to the Sistine Chapel
NEWS
Beneath the White Cliffs of Dover

A labyrinth of Second World War tunnels, built underneath the
iconic White Cliffs of Dover on the orders of Sir Winston Churchill,
is now open to the public after two years of excavation work.
Fan Bay Deep Shelter was constructed in the 1940s to prevent
German ships from moving freely in the English Channel. It was
decommissioned in the 1950s and filled in during the 1970s.
Originally carved out of the chalk in just 100 days by Royal
Engineers from the 172nd Tunnelling Company, the shelter had
five large chambers providing bombproof accommodation.
Among historic finds at the site were wartime graffiti and a

Unity Pools football coupon dated 20 February 1943.
Specialist guides will lead hard-hat and torch-lit tours deep into
the heart of the White Cliffs. The tours, which last 45 minutes
and include entering a dark, dirty and wet environment, will
operate until the end of September, possibly later, depending on
weather conditions, before resuming in spring.
For more information on the White Cliffs of Dover and Fan Bay
Deep Shelter visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/white-cliffs-dover
NEWS
Help out at our

heritage homes
NEWS
PHOTOS: NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JOE CORNISH/PETER WILLIS/PORTSMOUTH DOCKYARD/GORDON SCAMMELL/LOOP IMAGES/CORBIS
Victory colours
She is the most celebrated ship in naval
history and now HMS Victory has been
returned to the colours she sported at the
infamous Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
The historically accurate makeover is
the result of careful research, which
revealed the ship was painted pale yellow
and dark grey at the time of her famous
victory, in which Admiral Lord Nelson
was fatally wounded.
The overhaul is part of the most
comprehensive programme of conservation
work to be done on HMS Victory since she
was first installed in the dry dock in the
heart of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
in the 1920s, where she sits alongside King
Henry VIIIs doomed flagship Mary Rose
and HMS Warrior. www.nmrn.org.uk
The future of our nations heritage

properties lies in the hands of all of us as
the National Trust has announced it is
running out of the volunteers who enable
it to keep its buildings open to the public.
The National Trusts army of helpers
are an invaluable resource who carry out
all sorts of tasks, from maintenance
work, to keeping an eye on rare paintings
and furniture. Volunteers are traditionally
recruited from our retired population but
this group is now too busy travelling the
world or providing childcare to help out.
To find out about volunteering at the
National Trust go to www.nationaltrust.
org.uk/get-involved/volunteer
SHOPPING
Stay warm in style
GALLERY
Delicate beauty
As part of its 8 million revamp, York Art
Gallery has launched its Centre of Ceramic
Art (CoCA), along with several new gallery
spaces, transforming it into a major cultural
destination and artistic hub for the region.
A never before open to the public space in
the 19th-century Grade II listed building
has become CoCA, home to the gallerys
collection of more than 5,000 examples of
British studio ceramics from throughout the
20th century to the present day.
The new gallery will open with a major
new commission by renowned ceramicist
Clare Twomey, Manifest: Ten Thousand
Hours, which will see 10,000 handmade
slipcast ceramic bowls, identical in form
and colour, piled high in towering columns.
There will also be exhibitions showcasing
more of the gallerys collections, as well as
major touring exhibitions and blockbuster
loans. For more information go to
www.yorkartgallery.org.uk
The onset of autumn is a great excuse to

invest in elegant and practical outwear to
fend off the elements.
British heritage label Thorndale has a
range of wax jackets and quilted coats,
all made here in Britain. Thorndales
monogramming service also allows you
to personalise your garments with
hand-embroidered initials.
Prices start from 150 ($234) for jackets
and 45 ($70) for accessories.
www.thorndale.co.uk
18
BRITAIN
OPEN HOUSE
Britains Sistine Chapel

The crowning glory of the Maritime Greenwich World
Heritage Site, in London, is the magnificent Painted Hall,
which is recognised as the greatest piece of decorative
painting in England: our very own Sistine Chapel.
Designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas
Hawksmoor, it was originally intended as a dining hall
for naval pensioners who lived at the Royal Hospital for
Seamen, a charity founded by Queen Mary II and her
husband, King William III, to look after Royal Navy sailors

who were too sick or old to serve.
The walls and ceiling were painted by Sir James
Thornhill between 1708 and 1727 and to mark the 340th
anniversary of his birth, the Old Royal Naval College has
launched a campaign to raise money for the next stage
of restoration, which will begin in 2016. The Painted Hall is
open daily and is free to enter. www.ornc.org/paintedhall
RECIPE EXTRACTED FROM THE GREAT CORNISH FISH BOOK/

WWW.GREATCORNISHFOOD.CO.UK/PHOTO: JOFF LEE
READING CORNER
Cosy up in your favourite
chair and lose yourself in
one of these books
Cornish folk have

been tucking into
freshly pickled crab
for centuries.
For more on Cornwall
see page 35
The Debs of Bletchley

Park by Michael Smith
(9.99, Aurum Press).
The unheard story
of the Debs and the
essential role they
played in the vital work
of Station X at the
famous spy base.
RECIPE
Luxury Cornish Crab Tart

This tart, devised by Roddas Cornwalls famous 125-year-old creamery features in
The Great Cornish Fish Book (17.99, Cornwall Food & Drink), out this September.
I n g re d i e n t s : SERVES 6 TASTY HOT OR COLD

375g (12oz) pack ready-rolled short crust pastry
or make your own using 250g (9oz) flour and
125g (4.5oz) Cornish butter
113g (4oz) Roddas Cornish clotted cream
100g (3.5oz) watercress, stems removed

and finely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
113g (4oz) Roddas Cornish crme frache

1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
250g (9oz) mixed crab meat
100g (3.5oz) freshly grated Davidstow Extra

Mature Cheddar
3 free range eggs
Cornish sea salt and black pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 200C (390F) and very lightly grease a 22cm loose bottom flan tin. Place
the tin onto a baking tray. Roll out the pastry until its big enough to generously fit the tin.
Ease the pastry into the tin, pressing into the edges and leaving excess pastry falling over the
sides dont trim at this stage. Prick the base with a fork. Line the pastry with greaseproof
paper and fill with baking beans. Trim the excess pastry using a sharp knife. Bake the pastry
case blind for about 15 minutes remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for a
further 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle the watercress on the bottom of the pastry
case. Top with evenly distributed crab meat. Whisk together the eggs and the clotted cream,
crme frache, chilli flakes and lemon juice and half the cheese. Season well. Pour the egg
mixture into the case. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the
filling feels firm in the centre. Allow the tart to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
20
BRITAIN
The Story of the

Thames by Andrew
Sargent (9.99,
Amberley). Fascinating
insight into the history
of the longest and most
famous river in England,
which mirrors the
story of the capital city
it dominates.
Stuff Brits Like
by Fraser McAlpine
( 9.99, Nicholas Brealey
Publishing). A witty guide
to the quirks of Britain
and the British, which
puts forward some
interesting observations
on the nations psyche.
Pleasures of the
Table: A Literary
Anthology by
Christina Hardyment
(20, The British
Library). An ode to
food from some of
the worlds greatest
writers and poets.
The Lost Tudor
Princess by Alison Weir
(Jonathan Cape, 20).
The historian returns
with an account of
Margaret Douglas,
a woman with royal
blood, who lived during
five Tudor reigns.
Aristocracy
22
BRITAIN
PHOTOS: DAVID JENSEN 2013/TRAVEL PIX COLLECTION/AWL IMAGES LTD/WASHINGTON ALLSTON/WIKIMEDIA
This page:
Alnwick Castle, in
Northumberland.
Facing page: The
Duchess of
Northumberland,
with dog Fuzzy
Loves
Labours Not Lost

Author Jane Dismore talks to some of our nations most
prestigious duchesses about the realities of running a
stately home in the 21st century
BRITAIN
23
The stately homes of England

How beautiful they stand!
To prove the upper classes

Have still the upper hand
ow wonderful that many of Britains

glorious stately homes still survive in
the 21st century for everyone to enjoy.
They were even immortalised in verse by
that most English of gentlemen, Noel Coward, in 1929,
who unashamedly changed part of an earlier poem, The
Homes of England, writing: The stately homes of
England, how beautiful they stand, to prove the upper
classes, have still the upper hand.
Composed in 1827 by Felicia Hemans, who coined
the term stately home, the third and fourth lines
originally read: Amidst their tall ancestral trees, oer
all the pleasant land. By 1929, however, the power and
wealth of the upper classes, owners of the great houses and
24
BRITAIN
ancestral trees, had declined. The pleasant land had

suffered the Great War and was on the verge of the
Depression. Stately homes, as Coward continued, had to
be rebuilt and frequently mortgaged to the hilt. And yet,
despite the burst pipes and leaky cisterns, Coward
recognised the countrys willing fight for its heritage.
Happily, today, many great houses are managing
without being turned into hotels or conference centres,
but the hard work must continue. How often, marvelling
at the architectural gems and fabulous pieces of art
within, do we visitors think about what is involved and
who is responsible for keeping everything looking lovely?
Unbelievably, some stately homes are still owned and
occupied by the original family to whom they were
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF ALNWICK CASTLE/ROBERT LAZENBY/AWL IMAGES LTD/

CRITICAL TORTOISE LTD/VISITENGLA ND/CHATSWORTH HOUSE TRUST/BELVOIR CASTLE
Belvoir Castle, home of

the Duke and Duchess of
Rutland, is nestled on a
hilltop overlooking the
Vale of Belvoir
in Leicestershire
Top left: The Comedy

of Errors at the
Globe Theatre,
London
Top to bottom:
The exquisite
Elizabeth Saloon at
Belvoir Castle;
Chatsworth House,
home of the Duke
of Devonshire
This image:
The Minack
Theatre, Cornwall
bequeathed, which gives them a uniquely personal feel.

Among such owners are dukes; one of the best-known
houses still in the family is Chatsworth, home of the
Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. The duke is one of only
24 non-royal British dukes remaining today, who sit with
their duchesses one branch down from royalty on the
aristocratic tree. These dukes hold titles bestowed upon
their ancestors by monarchs over the centuries in
recognition of devoted service.
Most dukedoms still come with large houses and land
(although often far less than before) and with privilege
comes a responsibility to future generations. Not only do
the houses need maintaining, so do the estate farms and
tenanted properties that provide many jobs and homes.
BRITAIN
25
Enjoy the journey,

not just the destination!
Idyllic landscapes, picturesque villages, vibrant
cities and almost 16,000km of track: discover
Britain, the birthplace of modern train travel, and
beyond in the most scenic and comfortable way.
Custom make your perfect holiday! Give us a call today

and speak to one of our experienced Travel Consultants.
Let us custom make your holiday by rail today.

UK Office: 020 3327 3550 | AU Office: 1300 500 481
US Office: 1 888 753 5160 | NZ Office: 0800 000 554
or visit www.railbookers.com
C E L E B R AT I N G
years
The Aristocracy
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF BELVOIR CASTLE/COURTESY OF THE DUCHESS OF ARGYLL
Top to bottom:
The Duchess of
Rutland with
Belvoir Castle in
the background;
the Duke and
Duchess of
Argyll and their
three children
In Leicestershire, Belvoir Castle, perched high on a

hilltop like something out of a fairytale, has been home to
the Manners family for more than 500 years. David
Manners became the 11th Duke of Rutland in 1999. His
wife, Emma, was handed a big black box of keys to the
castle by her mother-in-law and wished good luck. There
was no training book on being a duchess or running a
stately home. Fortunately, Emma (then expecting the
fourth of their five children) had already acquired useful
skills and experience. As a farmers daughter, she loved the
countryside. Her varied career included working as a land
agent and running a successful interior design business.
It was just as well. The estate was in a dreadful financial
state, a bit like the Titanic going towards the iceberg,
she says. Emma had to make unpopular decisions,
including redundancies, but it was vital; she was aware of
the responsibility she and the duke have towards their
community. She started working with a smaller but very
strong team with great advisors and using contractors for
specific tasks. Happily her plans have gone well. She has
turned Belvoirs shoot into one of the best in the country
and is busy restoring the gardens, designed in the early
19th century by Elizabeth, duchess to the 5th duke.
Few stately homes today can afford to resist demand
as a wedding venue, and Belvoir is no exception.
BRITAIN
27
The Aristocracy
Inveraray Castle
sits on the shores
of Loch Fyne
Filmmakers appreciate it too: The Young Victoria was

filmed in the sumptuous staterooms. Of the many visitors,
Emma says: I love people being here. We live here and we
share our heritage with people, thats how we work.
On the shores of Loch Fyne, imposing Inveraray Castle
has been home to the Dukes of Argyll since 1720 and is the
seat of Clan Campbell. For centuries the focal point of the
little town, in 1975 it was badly
damaged by fire for the second time in
its history.
The Duchess of Argyll, Eleanor, tells
how, with the commitment of her
parents-in-law and the help of the
amazing local people and clan
members, the castle survived and was
restored for posterity. Today it is one
of Scotlands major tourist attractions.
Eleanor came to the castle in 2002 when she married
Torquhil, the 13th duke. They have three children but
running the castle, which has a 16-acre garden, is a
full-time job and Eleanor is very hands-on: Its not like
that film where you walk around the shrubbery all day.
Although many staff help run the castle during the
season, Eleanor is in charge of the tearoom and does
the buying for the shop. She is happy to share their
fantastic house and its original hand-painted rooms with

the public and she is always thinking of new ideas to keep
the visitors coming.
A 2012 Christmas special of Downton Abbey was
filmed at Inveraray (it doubled as the fictional Duneagle
Castle) and visitors are fascinated by the castles reputation
for being haunted; even today guests still report odd
experiences.
Eleanor and Torquhil, as Chief of
Clan Campbell, are always thrilled
to see clan members from all over
the world at Inveraray.
The couple actively support local
businesses and every September host
The Best of the West Festival at the
castle, celebrating the west of
Scotlands food, drink and music.
Across the border, the fortress of Alnwick Castle is home
to the 12th Duke and Duchess of Northumberland.
Alnwick has been in the Percy family since 1309 when the
dukes ancestors virtually ruled the north of England. The
castle has enjoyed further fame in recent years, thanks to
duchess Jane and her ambitious creation, the Alnwick
Garden, while Ralph, the duke, has restored several of the
magnificent state rooms.
PHOTO: VISIT BRITAIN/BRITAIN ON VIEW
Alnwick Castle and

Syon House are more
important than any
duke or duchess. The
buildings will go on
28
BRITAIN
AT
TR NE
AC W
TI
O
N
Discover time
Take time to discover the glorious grounds and gardens, playgrounds, falconry displays and winding maze at Leeds
Castle. With special events, including the Festival of Flowers 22nd 27th September and many more activities
taking place throughout the year. Be sure to make time for the sights and sounds of The Dark Sky a brand new
flagship attraction commemorating the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt.
Delicious
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10/07/2015 13:55
BRITAIN 29
LinkedIn
The gorgeous library

at Alnwick Castle
is very much a
family room
But when Ralph unexpectedly became duke in 1995, and

the family moved from a manageable farmhouse into the
vast castle, there were more immediate concerns. Jane
needed to create a modern home inside the medieval walls.
The couple also needed to consider the future; it was
important that the heir, George, Earl Percy (then just
11 years old) should develop a sense of duty towards
Alnwick and to do that, he had to love the castle and
want to bring his children up in it, Jane says.
And so Alnwick Castle underwent a much-needed
restoration, including a new roof so George would not
need to do anything major for two generations.
Jane then turned her attention to creating a new garden
out of Alnwicks derelict one. It now boasts one of the
worlds biggest tree houses and the famous Poison Garden,
which brings together some of the worlds most deadly
plants and the gruesome stories behind them. The Alnwick
Garden has since generated 150 million for the regions
economy and works closely with community groups.
BUY THE BOOK

Jane Dismore is the author of the book Duchessess Living in the 21st
Century, by Blink Publishing, priced 20. www.blinkpublishing.co.uk
Around 300 staff in Northumberland keep everything

running and the visitors happy. The shops sell unusual
foods and books that Jane has launched, based on old
family recipes and household tips. Alnwick Castle has
famously featured as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films
and as Brancaster Castle in the 2014 Downton Abbey
Christmas special. Jane believes that Alnwick Castle and
Syon House, in Middlesex another Percy home are
far more important than any duke or duchess that is in
them. The buildings will go on and on.
Further south, in Bedfordshire, stands magnificent
Woburn Abbey, home to Andrew, the 15th Duke of
Bedford, his wife, Louise, and their two children. Woburn
has been in the family since 1547 when King Edward VI
gifted it to John Russell, who he also made the 1st Earl of
Bedford following instructions in the will of his father
King Henry VIII, for his soldierly skill and loyalty.
Woburn has come to evoke many images to visitors of all
ages, from its famous safari park to the 24 paintings by
Canaletto, the largest private collection of his Venetian
views on public display.
Overseeing the estate is a mammoth task the abbey
itself has around 120 rooms and Louise, duchess since
2003, appreciates the passionate people who work at the
abbey: Every person on the estate has a unique role
BRITAIN
31
32
BRITAIN
The Aristocracy
PHOTOS: FLIRT/ALAMY/CRAFT IMAGES/BRIDGETDAVEY.COM
Top to bottom: The

Duchess of Bedford;
Woburn Abbey.
Facing page: The Queen
Victoria Bedroom once
hosted the monarch
and her husband
and I like to think of us all as one big team. Everyone plays

a vital part in passing down their knowledge and
understanding of the house and estate. It is thanks to
Andrews grandfather, Ian, that Woburn Abbey is open
to the public at all. When he became 13th duke in 1953 the
estate was subject to massive death duties and was
badly neglected.
Over the centuries the Russell family has produced
politicians, philosophers and statesmen and Ian was
determined to preserve the treasures in his familys home,
which had played host to monarchs; King Charles I
came to Woburn twice as a guest, but his third visit was
as a prisoner of Parliament.
Ian and his wife worked hard to prepare Woburn for the
public and it opened in 1955. Today Louise, always
thinking of new projects, is conscious that they must keep
Woburn moving forward for the next generation.
Each of these duchesses combine running an estate with
other commitments: family, charities, public duties. It is
demanding work but they consider it a huge privilege to be
part of Britains living history and, with their dukes,
custodians of our nations great heritage.
For more intriguing stories and beautiful photos of Britain's

ancestral homes go to www.britain-magazine.com/statelyhomes
BRITAIN
33
CORNISH
Idyll
Visit the sleepy villages, hidden coves and historic

harbours of Cornwall, which provided the perfect
backdrop to recent romantic period drama Poldark
WORDS CHANTAL BORCIANI
Holiday Hideaways
36
BRITAIN
PHOTOS: CRAIG JOINER/CORBIS/PHILIP FENTON LRPS/FRANK FISCHBACH/ALAMY/TRAVEL PIX COLLECTION/AWL IMAGES LTD/LAYTON BENNETT
ulses may have been set racing by the gripping

18th-century drama Poldark and its lead
character, played by British actor Aidan Turner,
but one of the biggest stars of the searing
BBC remake of the 1970s TV series is undoubtedly
Cornwalls majestic coastline.
Based on Winston Grahams acclaimed novels, the
costume drama is a passionate tale of shipwrecks, family
ties and lost love, and was filmed largely on location in the
breathtaking county of Cornwall, which is home to some
of Englands oldest pubs and historic boltholes, not to
mention some spectacular vistas.
If youve been swept away with the romance of Poldark
then you may want to pay a visit to the Grade II listed
harbour of Charlestown, near St Austell, in south
Cornwall, which feels as though its been transported from
a bygone era. With its collection of tall ships, cobbled quay
and winding lanes, its easy to see why this spot almost
unchanged since Georgian times was chosen to double as
the Cornish capital of Truro in the TV show.
Once youve immersed yourself in the history of the
town and marvelled at the swaying masts of those
impressive square riggers, head to The Lost Gardens of
Heligan, a 15-minute drive away, where youll find more
than 80 acres of restored lawns, meadows and woodlands,
including an alpine-inspired ravine and Maori-carved tree
ferns. There are interactive displays, kitchen gardens and
an exotic jungle area with raised walkways to explore.
North of Charlestown, the bustling harbour town of
Fowey has some of the best tea shops in Cornwall think
billowing layers of chocolate sponge and never-ending
cream teas as well as boats for hire at the quayside.
There is a huge range of accommodation nearby, from
B&Bs to old English inns, but for those who like to be in
the centre of things, The Old Quay House sits right on
Foweys waterfront. Once a refuge for seamen, the
whitewashed Victorian boutique hotel offers unparalleled
Front page: Remnants of tin mines at Botallack. Clockwise, from top left:
Doyden Castle, Port Quin; St Ives; the cove and harbour at Port Isaac;
St Mawes Castle. Above: The Old School House, St Agnes
BRITAIN
37
views over the estuary and the hotels restaurant, Q,

champions seasonal West Country produce.
For salty Cornish atmosphere, head to Sams, a casual
bistro located in an old lifeboat station at Polkerris, near
Daphne du Mauriers Menabilly home. Nestling up to the
golden sands, its a great spot for a sunset dinner.
When a place is known as the Church of the Storms,
you know it has had a rather dramatic past. The tiny
15th-century church of St Winaloe is no exception and sits
above the sands at Church Cove, Gunwalloe, the site
chosen for Poldarks gripping late-night wrecking scenes.
Throngs of actors descended on the shore during the
night shoots, lighting torches and fires along the beach but
today this crescent of honey sand is beautifully peaceful
and popular with swimmers.
Stay overlooking the famous bay at Halzephron House,
a 17th-century property perfect for larger groups or
families. Sleeping 12, guests can feel a part of smuggling
history and take the secret tunnel down to the beach.
The house looks out across lawns to St Michaels Mount
and in the evening you can glimpse the lights of the
famous open-air Minack Theatre at Porthcurno.
From Church Cove, visitors can head south to one of the
most photographed beaches in Cornwall, Kynance Cove,
or east to the magical Helford River. A picture-postcard
setting, take time to sit, relax and simply watch the world
go by in Helford village. Boats potter back and forth
and a clutch of traditional pubs serve prawns and crab
sandwiches. One of our favourites is the Ferryboat Inn, a
short ferry ride across the estuary.
For an idyllic slice of Cornwall, tiny Porthgwarra Cove
lies a few miles from Lands End and is a wonderfully
secluded beach. The slither of golden sand gives way to
turquoise waters and it is here that Ross Poldark strips off
his clothes to take a cooling dip, while love interest
Demelza watches from the clifftop.
Today the fishing hamlet is home to a clutch of
whitewashed self-catering cottages and a caf. Accessed
via a slipway or through a granite tunnel, Porthgwarra is
as romantic a hideaway as you could imagine.
St Aubyn Estates Holidays has six self-catering cottages
nearby, with two located in the centre of Porthgwarra,
38
BRITAIN
PHOTOS: MIKE EVANS/DAVID PICK/ALAMY
Holiday Hideaways
Top left: The Old Quay House is housed in a

whitewashed Victorian building, perched
on the waters edge in the town of Fowey.
This page: The beautiful clear waters of
Kynance Cove, near the Lizard
Holiday Hideaways
Be sure to take a walk along the

wildflower-strewn clifftops to see rare
sea birds swooping across the water
and keep your eyes peeled for seals
BRITAIN
39
Elegance, romance and tranquility

in a hidden corner of Cornwall
Bespoke ceremony and reception for up to 150-200 guests (Tredudwell Gallery)

Small and intimate party in the house
Marquee wedding for up to 300 guests
www.tredudwell.co.uk
01726
870226
www.tredudwell.co.uk 01726
870226
Tredudwell
Manor,
Lanteglos-by-Fowey, CornwallCornwall
PL23 1NJ PL23 1NJ
Tredudwell
Manor,
Lanteglos-by-Fowey,
NEW YEARS EVE IN SCOTLAND
HOGMANAY 2015
December 29, 2015 to January 4, 2016

Six Nights - $2,995 per person
Ring in the New Year with a traditional Highland
New Years Eve celebration at the elegant, awardwinning Culloden House. Three nights of gala
celebration with High Tea, Ceilidh with Scottish
music, country dancing, piper and storyteller in this
18th-century Georgian Manor House. Also three
nights in Edinburgh at the four-star George Hotel.
Deluxe Accommodations Motorcoach

Transportation Champagne Reception
Hogmanay Gala Breakfast Daily
Three Gourmet Dinners High Tea
Pipers & Storytellers Highland Day Tour
Edinburgh Christmas Village
E-mail Judy@celticjourneys.us for more information
Call us at 703.941.6455 www.CelticJourneys.us

40 BRITAIN
Holiday Hideaways
PHOTOS: KEVIN BRITLAND/ALAMY/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ROSS HODDINOTT
For more tips

on visiting Cornwall
go to www.britainmagazine.com/
cornwall
which are ideal for couples or small families. Be sure to

take a walk along the wildflower-strewn clifftops to see
rare sea birds swooping across the water and keep your
eyes peeled for seals basking on the sands.
Many of the epic shots of Ross Poldark riding across the
country were filmed around the brooding Bodmin Moor,
while exterior shots of Nampara, Poldarks home, were
filmed in the heart of Bodmin, at St Breward.
Flanked by the peaks of Rough Tor and Brown Willy,
the parish of St Breward is home to the highest church in
Cornwall (700ft above sea level) and one of Cornwalls
oldest pubs, the 11th-century Old Inn. There are lots of
holiday cottages nearby where you can escape the world
for a few days, such as the gorgeous detached stone
house of Poldue.
A short drive away, en route to Port Isaac, St Tudy Inn is
one of the finest gastro pubs in the area and serves locally
sourced ingredients in beautiful surroundings.
The tensions and turmoil of the Cornish tin mining
legacy run like a seam through the Poldark narrative and
several of the regions mines were used when filming.
The National Trusts Levant Mine doubled as the
fictional Tressiders Rolling Mill, while Owles and Crowns,
near Botallack, starred as Wheal Leisure.
Today visitors to Levant can stand above the skip shaft,
looking down into the black abyss below, see the huge
engine running, and walk through one of the damp
underground tunnels where 31 men lost their lives in the
man-engine tragedy of 1919.
The crew also filmed underground shots at Poldark
Mine, the only complete underground mine in Devon and
Cornwall open to the public. Now a tourist destination,
visitors can enjoy tours and join craft workshops.
Those familiar with the beautiful northern reaches of
the Camel Estuary and Constantine Bay will recognise the
Left to right: The

beach at Helford
Passage on the
Helford River;
the granite outcrops
of Rough Tor,
Bodmin Moor
epic cliff shots in Poldark. A walkers paradise, the beaches

are backed by patchwork fields and rolling dunes, which
epitomise the north Cornish landscape.
The bustling harbour of Padstow is a good north-coast
base and foodies will love Rick Steins Seafood Restaurant
(although you need to book ahead) or one of his various
offshoots located around town (hence the towns
nickname of Padstein).
From Padstow, head south to Port Quin where you will
find the 19th-century Doyden Castle, which is looked after
by the National Trust and provides accommodation for
two. Despite its arched windows and crenellated tower, its
not actually a castle at all but a pleasure house built by
wealthy bon viveur Samuel Symons in 1830.
Winston Graham wrote the first of his Poldark tales in a
beach hut at Perranporth, just around the coast from St
Agnes Head, so it seems fitting that this shoreline was used
for many of the sweeping Nampara Valley shots.
The pretty town clings to the sides of a valley as it bends
its way to the sea and the picturesque sandy beach at St
Agnes Head, called Trevaunance Cove, with kaleidoscope
waters and picturesque shallows, is worth a visit.
Stay amid the buzz of St Agnes at 1 Old School House,
a traditional Grade II listed property available through
Beach Retreats and, perhaps, like Graham, you too will be
inspired by your romantic surroundings.
The slither of golden sand gives way

to turquoise waters and it is here that
Ross Poldark strips off to take a cooling
dip, while Demelza watches on
BRITAIN
41
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
Cornwall's stunning
landscape was one
of the stars of
hit BBC costume
drama Poldark
GETTING THERE
By train Direct trains run from London Paddington to
St Austell and Bodmin Parkway and take between four
and four-and-a-half hours. Sleeper trains are available.
www.trainline.com
By air The main airport is Newquay Cornwall, which
has daily flights from London (one-hour flight time) and
Manchester (70 minutes flight time).
www.newquaycornwallairport.com
GETTING AROUND
The South West Coast Path provides a walking link from
one Poldark spot to another and is probably the finest
way to appreciate the spellbinding Cornish coast.
www.southwestcoastpath.com
If driving, it is possible to take in the beauty of the north
and south shores on a short break, so hire a car.
www.cornwallcarhire.co.uk
To explore, get a Ride Cornwall ticket a one-day pass
that allows unlimited travel across public transport.
www.firstgroup.com
BOOK AHEAD
THE LOST GARDENS OF HELIGAN
This collection of unusual plants, some of which
date from 1850, offers a fascinating insight into the
horticultural habits of the Victorians. Its name comes
from the fact the gardens which were once a
Georgian pleasure garden fell into decline for several
decades before being restored to beautiful effect.
www.heligan.com
PHOTOS: MAMMOTH SCREEN/VISITBRITAIN/DANIEL BOSWORTH
THE OLD QUAY HOUSE

This luxury boutique hotel has an enviable location,
overlooking the busy harbour in Fowey.
www.theoldquayhouse.com
HALZEPHRON HOUSE
Surrounded by National Trust land, this stunningly
restored house, which can be hired as a whole or on a
B&B basis has played host to AA Milne, JM Barrie and
Arthur Conan Doyle.
www.halzephronhouse.co.uk
THE FERRYBOAT INN
This pub, which dates back 300 years, lies on the
seafront of the North Helford Passage. Now in the
hands of seafood specialists, the Wright Brothers,
expect well-prepared shellfish that is grown and
harvested at the Duchy of Cornwall Oyster Farm.
www.thewrightbrothers.co.uk/restaurants/
the_ferryboat_inn
42
BRITAIN
ST AUBYN ESTATES HOLIDAYS

This consortium of cottages for hire lies in Porthgwarra
the perfect base for exploring the South West Coast
Path, where wildflowers and bird life abound.
www.staubynestatesholidays.co.uk
THE OLD INN
Factor in time for a pint or a Moorland Grill at
Cornwalls highest inn, in St Breward, where ponies
often roam through the village.
www.theoldinnandrestaurant.co.uk
LEVANT MINE
See the only Cornish beam engine in the world that
is still in steam on its original mine site.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/levant-mine
Putto statue in
The Lost Gardens
of Heligan
RICK STEINS SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Steins flagship restaurant has a reputation for serving
the very freshest seafood and has spawned several
other Stein eateries around Padstow.
www.rickstein.com/eat-with-us/
the-seafood-restaurant
POLDUE
Make the most of Bodmin Moor while staying at
Poldue (sleeps eight), where exterior shots of Ross
Poldark's cottage, Nampara, were shot, along with
many capturing the cast on horseback. The spacious
detached house is ideal for large families or groups
of friends who are looking for a tranquil getaway.
www.classic.co.uk
DOYDEN CASTLE
The views from the arched windows of this cottage
on a cliff's edge are nothing short of spectacular.
www.nationaltrustholidays.org.uk/holiday-cottage/
doyden-castle-port-quin-cornwall
OLD SCHOOL HOUSE

It was near the historic town of St Agnes that
Winston Graham wrote his first Poldark tale. Follow in
his footsteps with a stay in this lovely period property.
www.beachretreats.co.uk
ENJOY THE BEST OF

THE SOUTH WEST...
The Grosvenor Hotel
Torquay
DEVON
The Metropole Hotel
CORNWALL
The Grand Hotel
Padstow
The Fowey Hotel
Torquay
The Falmouth Hotel
Fowey
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The age of
DISCOVERY
The Victorians presided over some of the most

incredible inventions and discoveries in history but their
predictions werent always spot on
WORDS SALLY COFFEY
PHOTOS: MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY 2010/2008/CONTRABAND COLLECTION/ALAMY
Sir John was able to train the little black

poodle to pick out the card bearing that
word whenever he was hungry.
hey pioneered photography,

made huge leaps forward in
terms of transport and were
responsible for Morse
Code, but while the Victorians were
undoubtedly ambitious, some of their
assumptions were at best misguided
and at worst absurd.
While great minds were discovering
X-rays and inventing new forms of
communication, such as the telephone,
others were debating the strong
conviction that the sun was actually blue
and that Martians were building
waterways on Mars.
In her new book Great Victorian
Discoveries, Caroline Rochford explores
some of these Victorian beliefs and
distractions, some more dubious than others...
THE DOG THAT COULD READ
The Right Honourable Sir John Lubbock
MP was famous for teaching his pet poodle,
Van, to read, though to what end it was not
clear. Rochford writes: He achieved this
44
BRITAIN
remarkable feat by taking identical pieces of

cardboard and painting upon them a variety
of simple words such as food out bone
tea, and so on.
Then, by associating food in the dogs
mind with the card bearing the word food,
THE EYE ELECTROMAGNET

One occupational hazard for workers
at the steelworks in the north of England
was that tiny bits of metal became
lodged in their eyes during the working
day, and so when a Mr Snell of Sheffield
came up with a way of removing splinters,
it was welcomed.
Rochford describes the science behind
Snells ingenious method: A projecting
collar of soft iron attached to a magnetic
probe was gently waved over a patients
eyeball, and the iron splints that had become
embedded inside were attracted to the
magnetic pull and thereby freed, without
any need to make contact with the eye.
THE DOCTORS CARRIER PIGEON
Dr Harvey John Philpot had a novel way of
administering prescriptions by employing
carrier pigeons as his unqualified assistants.
Tall Tales
BUY THE BOOK

For more
extraordinary
theories from
the great minds of
science, engineering
and natural history
of the Victorian
Age, see Caroline
Rochfords book,
Great Victorian
Discoveries (9.99,
Amberley).
ISBN 9781445639499
Rochford says he
would take along
with him half a dozen
birds in a small basket,
and after seeing a
patient, he would tie the prescription round
the neck of one and let it go. The bird would
fly straight home to the surgery, where the
medicine was prepared.
THE BRAINS OF MEN AND WOMEN
He would probably be lynched for making
such a claim today but in 1892, at an
assembly of the Medical Society of London,
psychiatrist Sir James Crichton-Browne said
the brains of men and women varied greatly.
Rochford writes: He was able to
demonstrate that the average female brain
was significantly lighter than the average
male organ, and he had calculated that this
would still be so if women were as large and
heavy as men. Moreover, he explained that
the gravity of the grey matter of the male
brain was higher than that of the female,
while the specific gravity of the white
matter was the same in

both. Convinced by the
accuracy of his research,
he uttered a warning
against over-educating
women. Instructing
them as if they are men
is a grave mistake, for
their brains are not
designed to function like
a mans, he declared.
THE DEADLY COCA PLANT
Victorian Britain was enthralled by word
of a plant native to South America that
was being used as a nervous stimulant

that enabled people to carry out strenuous
work without getting tired, while also
staving off hunger.
Although the coca plant had been
introduced to Western culture as early as
the 1500s, it was only in the 19th century
when the taking of stimulants was
common practice that it really made its
way into British society.
Rochford says: Taken in large doses, the
drug was believed to invigorate both muscle
and intellect, producing what was described
as a remarkable sense of satisfaction.
So much faith was placed in the drug that
cocaine lozenges were given to treat colds,
and pregnant women were even advised to
take coca to relieve morning sickness;
Colonel John Stith Pemberton also famously
added coca leaves to the original recipe of
Coca Cola. However, following some
high-profile deaths, the drug was banned
in the UK and the US.
8 For more weird and wonderful tales from our

shores visit www.britain-magazine.com
Available from A M B E R L E Y www.amberley-books.com
Agincourt by W B Bartlett (20).

A day 600 years ago unparalleled
in English history through the eyes
of a king, an archer and a squire.
ISBN 9781445639499
Living in Squares by Amy Licence

(20). Extraordinary lives and
innovative art: the story of sisters
Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf.
ISBN 9781445645759
Middle Ages Unlocked by Gillian

Polack and Katrin Kania (20).
Factual, fascinating, educational
and entertaining Helen Hollick .
ISBN 9781445645834
BRITAIN
45
EMMA WILLIS
MADE IN ENGLAND
WWWW.EMMAWILLIS.COM
66 JERMYN STREET . LONDON . SW1Y 6NY
Clockwise from left:

George Villiers, 2nd
Duke of Buckingham;
Harriet Howard,
Duchess of Sutherland;
Christine Keeler (right)
and Mandy Rice-Davies;
John Profumo; Lady
Astor; figures of the
Duke of Buckingham
and the Countess
of Shrewsbury
THE CLIVEDEN SET
Home to earls, dukes and a prince, and later a meeting place for
intellectuals, Cliveden has been at the heart of society for centuries
JOHN HAMMOND/PA ARCHIVE/PRESS ASSOCIATION IMAGES/THE PRINT COLLECTOR
PHOTOS: MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY/ALAMY/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/
WORDS CHARLOTTE CROW
Estate Secrets
here was no impropriety

whatsoever in my acquaintance
with Miss Keeler, said John
Profumo, the Secretary of State
for War, of the showgirl Christine Keeler.
Mere months later, however, he was forced
to admit to the affair he had lied about
to Parliament, inflaming the almighty
Cold War scandal that would bring the
British Establishment to its knees in 1963.
Profumo first set eyes on a topless
Keeler on a sultry July evening in 1961.
Accompanied by his wife, the actress
Valerie Hobson, it was the politicians first
visit to Cliveden, the sumptuous
Buckinghamshire
home of Viscount
William Astor. In the
blue and gold panelled
dining room that had
once graced a Parisian
chteau, a lavish
dinner was being held
in honour of the
President of Pakistan.
After the meal, Astor escorted his guests
out into the grounds. As the shadows
lengthened across velvety lawns, the group
gravitated to the swimming pool. Here they
encountered Keeler with her host, Simon
Ward, Astors osteopath, enjoying watery
high jinx with some racy young friends.
Another significant guest to join the Ward
party at Cliveden that weekend was the
Soviet naval attach, Captain Yevgeny
Ivanov, who it was later alleged had also
had relations with Keeler.
In the course of its history Cliveden has

been occupied by an earl, three countesses,
two dukes, a prince and two viscounts.
It has played host to the great and the good,
from Garibaldi to Gladstone, Gandhi to
Noel Coward. Today the house is a
privately-owned luxury hotel, which has
undergone a major refurbishment and its
gardens, grounds and surrounding 376-acre
estate are in the care of the National Trust.
Cliveden has been at the pounding
political and social heart of the nation
throughout its near 350-year existence.
Chosen for its fabulous aspect, with arguably
the prettiest views of the Thames in southern
England, the steeply
sloped chalk
promontory had to be
levelled by hand in
the 17th century to
accommodate the
house and 400ft
garden terrace in
front of it.
The man behind this project was
George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham.
A favoured courtier of King Charles II (he
had carried the kings orb at the coronation),
Buckingham was a political hothead and
a pivotal member of the group of five
ministers known as the Cabal.
One of the wealthiest courtiers of the
Restoration era, he acquired the 150-acre
estate in 1666, the same year as the Great
Fire of London. He desired a hunting box,
close to London, where he could bring his
friends and enjoy his quarry as well as his
mistress, the seductive beauty Anna Maria,
Countess of Shrewsbury.
No picture is known to exist of the first
Cliveden, apparently a four-storey brick
structure atop an arcaded terrace built by the
architect William Winde. The diarist John
Evelyn, writing in 1679, described
that stupendous natural rock, wood, and
prospect, of the Duke of Buckinghams, and
buildings of extraordinary expense. Evelyn
reported Cliveden altogether answers the
most poetical description that can be made
of solitude, precipice, prospect, but he
told the king without flattery later the
same day it did not please me so well as
Windsor as the land about was wretchedly
barren, and producing nothing but fern.
Soon after Buckingham acquired Cliveden
his mistresss husband, Sir Francis Talbot,
11th Earl of Shrewsbury, challenged him
Cliveden has played

host to the great and the
good, from Gladstone to
Gandhi, to Noel Coward
Christine Keeler leaves court after a hearing in

connection to the Profumo affair
48
BRITAIN
BRITAIN
49
ALAMY/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JOHN HAMMOND
PHOTOS: S&G BARRATTS/EMPICS ARCHIVE/PA PICS/THE NATIONAL TRUST PHOTOLIBRARY/
Clockwise, from this photo:

Cliveden; 1909 portrait
of Nancy Astor by
John Singer Sargent;
Cliveden's panelled library
Discover Kensington Palace, Londons royal secret tucked away next to Hyde Park.
Explore stunning gardens, unearth childhood memories of Queen Victoria and listen to
all manner of scandal and gossip about the captivating people that once lived here.
High Street Kensington
50 BRITAIN
Estate Secrets
mistress, Buckingham gave her short shrift:

Why, Madam, I did think so, and,
therefore, have ordered your coach to be
ready, to carry you to your fathers
a devilish speech, in Pepys view.
Between 1737 and 1751 Cliveden was
leased from Anne, 2nd Countess of Orkney,
to Frederick, Prince of Wales, the father of
King George III, who raised his family here.
It was during the occupancy of Annes
granddaughter, Mary, one spring evening in
1795, that a maid carelessly knocked over a
candle while turning down a bed and the
house burned to the ground. Amazingly,
this was not the only conflagration to
destroy Cliveden: a second came later.
Sir George Warrender, an immensely
wealthy Scottish baronet and MP
purchased the derelict property in 1824.
He commissioned the architect William
Burn to completely rebuild the house,
restoring Cliveden to its former glory and
earning himself the nickname Sir Gorgeous
Provender for his generous hospitality and
fondness for entertaining.
Top to bottom: Nancy Astor, who became the first

female MP in 1919; Lady Astor with her husband
and children; the Long Garden at Cliveden
PHOTOS: CHRONICLE/ALAMY/NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/CLIVE NICHOLS
to a duel. The men met on a January

morning at Barn Elms, near Putney Bridge.
The story goes that the countess,
dressed as a boy, held the bridle of
Buckinghams horse and watched the
bloody proceedings in which her lover
slashed her husband with his weapon
from the right breast through the
shoulder, inflicting fatal injuries that put
Shrewsbury in his grave two months later.
With characteristic arrogance,
Buckingham ordered a flint relief in the
shape of a rapier and the date of the duel
to be set into the turf on the terrace at
Cliveden, where it can still be seen.
Samuel Pepys was damning in his
assessment: This will make the world
think that the king hath good councillors
about him, when the Duke of Buckingham,
the greatest man about him, is a fellow of
no more sobriety than to fight about a
whore. The duke, unrepentant, brought
Anna Maria to Cliveden in May 1668.
When his poor wife objected to the idea of
sharing her home with her husbands
BRITAIN
51
Queen Victoria became a regular visitor

to the house after her great friend Harriet,
the Duchess of Sutherland, and her husband
bought it in 1849 for 30,000.
They had barely settled into their
new home before fire broke out again,
in November of that year.
Alerted to the clouds of smoke that could
be seen downriver from Windsor, the Queen
ordered fire engines to be sent to help tackle
the blaze, but to no avail; the late-Georgian
house was ruined.
The magnificent Italianate palazzo that
replaced it thankfully still stands to this day.
It was designed and built for the Sutherlands
in the 1850s by Sir Charles Barry, architect
of the Houses of Parliament, and is regarded
as one of his finest classical achievements.
Many years later, when Queen Victoria
heard that the Duke of Westminster had sold
this building to William Waldorf Astor,
a fantastically wealthy American, the elderly
monarch wrote that she was grieved to
think of it falling into these hands.
But it was in the hands of the Astors that
Cliveden enjoyed one of the liveliest chapters
of its history, after William Waldorf gave
Cliveden to his son as a wedding present in
1906. The new chtelaine was Nancy Astor,
who was to become the first woman to take
her seat as a Member of Parliament. At
Cliveden she was queen bee, drawing to her
lavish house parties a dazzling array of

international celebrities, politicians, writers
and artists: Amy Johnson, Franklin D
Roosevelt, Herbert Asquith, TE Lawrence,
Edith Wharton, Rudyard Kipling and
George Bernard Shaw among them.
Charlie Chaplin described Nancy as a
charming hostess, who would have made
a wonderful actress, but there was a
darker side. Nancy was known for her
anti-Semitic remarks and Isaiah Berlin
branded her the most detestable woman
in England.
The coterie of politicians and journalists
courted by the Astors in the 1930s, known
as the Cliveden Set, included Lord Lothian
and Lord Halifax. Their shared support
for Neville Chamberlains efforts at
appeasement with Germany in the run-up
to the Second World War led to accusations
of Nazi sympathy and misplaced
interference in British foreign policy.
In the gathering storm Nancys
relationship with one of her guests,
Sir Winston Churchill, was notoriously
strained. If I were your wife I would
poison your coffee, she once said to him.
Madam, if I were your husband I would
drink it, he famously replied.
For more extraordinary stories from our stately

homes, visit www.britain-magazine.com
BEHIND THE SCENES
ESTATE AND GARDENS

The house is set on a chalk cliff amid 376 acres
of Grade I listed formal gardens and woodlands
managed by the National Trust. Its celebrated
parterre affords views over the River Thames.
The gardens and woodland are open from
52
BRITAIN
mid February until the end of the year and the

fee of 9.50 per adult also lets you try your luck
in the maze. If you want to see inside the house
then join one of the tours of parts of the ground
floor on Thursday and Sunday afternoons (3pm
to 5pm) between April and October. Tours cost
2 and take 25 minutes but they do book up so
get your timed ticket as soon as you arrive.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cliveden
PHOTOS: MARKA/ALAMY/EVERETT COLLECTION HISTORICAL
STAY AT CLIVEDEN
Choose between Spring Cottage, a luxury
three-bedroom 18th-century hideaway that can
accommodate up to eight guests, or rooms and
suites in the main house. The Inchiquin Suite,
overlooking the Grand Drive, Fountain of Love
and gardens, is the most luxurious and is furnished
in a traditional style. To really feel part of the
Cliveden Set you can even opt for exclusive use of
the house and grounds but it doesn't come cheap.
www.clivedenhouse.co.uk
MESS ABOUT ON THE RIVER

There is a lovingly restored flotilla of vintage
launches (see right) in Cliveden Boathouse, which
can be hired for as little as an hour to a whole day.
Optional extras include afternoon tea on board,
a picnic lunch or a Champagne cruise all the
way to Henley and back.
www.clivedenhouse.co.uk/boat-trips
Estate secrets
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Clockwise, from top: The

Boathouse at Cliveden;
Nancy Astor, with son
William Waldorf Astor II;
Amy Johnson,
Charlie Chaplin, Lady
Astor and George
Bernard Shaw, in 1949
27/05/2015 08:44
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BRITAIN take you on
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BRITAIN
53
Thinking of a Rural Retreat?

Idyllic cottages to elegant country houses, there is
sure to be a property thats perfect for
you and your family. Over 300 properties for
224 guests, many from 2 night stays.
ST CHADS COLLEGE
St Chads College is set on a dramatic site in
the shadow of Durham Cathedral in the centre
of medieval Durham.
Visit our NEW WEBSITE
Ensuite and Standard B&B accommodation is

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ruralretreats.co.uk
A simply stunning new spa

the newest luxury addition to the Swan at Lavenham
54 BRITAIN
www.dur.ac.uk/chads
Discover the art of swanning around

Call 01787 246246 or email weavers@theswanatlavenham.co.uk
www.theswanatlavenham.co.uk/weavers
ALISTAIR LAMING/CHOOSE SUFFOLK/VISITBRITAIN/JOANNA HENDERSON
PHOTOS: NAGELESTOCK.COM/ALAMY/NICKSMITHPHOTOGRAPHY.COM/
LOVELY
AVENHAM
f you want to visit an old English town

with beautiful half-timbered buildings
in spades and plenty of quaint places to
eat and drink, Lavenham is for you.
Though it is known as a medieval village,
recent archaeological discoveries prove that
the Romans settled on its outskirts and its
name comes from an early Saxon thane
called Lafa and means simply Lafas home.
The Saxon settlement was near the
present-day Church of St Peter and St Paul,
which is perhaps the last of the great Suffolk
wool churches, completed just before the
Reformation in 1530, though a church has
stood on this site since Anglo-Saxon times.
A huge Perpendicular style building, inside
it contains elaborate examples of stone
masonry as well as beautiful Victorian glass
There are few English villages as

pretty as Lavenham in Suffolk,
which was one of the richest
towns in Tudor England
windows following its 19th-century

restoration. Despite these early origins, it
was when the town first acquired a market
charter in 1257 that it really began to thrive.
As the English wool trade flourished,
Lavenham, which was renowned for its blue
dyed wool, became wealthy from the export
of wool to places such as Flanders.
At its peak Lavenham was the 14th richest
town in England; when King Henry VII
visited in 1487 he actually fined the villages
most powerful family, the De Veres, for

being too ostentatious with their wealth.
The wool trade fell into decline from 1525,
due in part to strikes from workers over pay,
increased taxes on the trade and competition
from Holland, which began producing
lighter, cheaper wool. By the time Queen
Elizabeth I visited Lavenham in 1578 its five
guildhalls had become workhouses.
However, this turn of fortune is what saved
the beautiful village of Lavenham as we
know it today. While many other English
medieval towns and villages were rebuilt by
landowners during the extravagant Georgian
period, or at least had their medieval
buildings covered with Georgian frontage,
the residents of Lavenham couldnt afford to
do so and kept their original facades.
BRITAIN
55
Timeless Treasures
For
more photos of
Lavenham go to www.
britain-magazine.
com/lavenham
Take a stroll down the high street and youll

be delighted at the detail that remains, from
iron door knockers to peep-holes.
Central to the town is The Swan Hotel
& Spa, located in a stunning 15th-century
building, which features oak-beamed
interiors, cosy nooks and open fires.
Though originally a modest coaching
house with seven bedrooms, today
The Swan is a sprawling hotel that has
been sympathetically extended, with 45
comfortable rooms and one of the most
understated, serene spas weve visited.
Guests can choose to dine in the Brasserie,
or, for a more formal dinner, in the 2 AA
rosette Gallery restaurant, which has a high
timbered ceiling and a minstrels gallery.
Alternatively, some light bites can be
ordered in the Airmens Bar, which contains
lots of memorabilia to the US Army Air
Force 487th Bombardment Group, who were
stationed in Lavenham during the Second
56
BRITAIN
World War. There are quiet corners dotted

around the ground floor where you can enjoy
a drink but, if you want a more traditional
pub, the Six Bells, a Grade II listed building
in the nearby village of Preston St Mary, just
two miles away, will suit.
Lavenhams high street has all the village
necessities, from a good butchers to a post
office (housed in the chemist in case you
were wondering) and an array of gift and tea
shops, including Munnings Tea Rooms at the
Crooked House (which also has a gallery and
a shop), which looks like something out of a
nursery rhyme. Our favourite find though
was Timbers, a treasure trove of antiques
that belies the buildings small exterior.
In the market square youll find The Little
House and Lavenham Guildhall, both of
which house museums, which give some
insight into life in the village 500 years ago,
and surrounded with buildings like these, its
not hard to imagine at all.
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
By train: The nearest railway station is Sudbury, which
is an hour by train from London, with one change.
You can catch a bus from near the station to Lavenham.
www.trainline.com
By car: If coming by car, there is free parking in the village
and it is about a two-hour drive from London.
WHERE TO STAY
The Swan Hotel & Spa, in the heart of the village, has
well-appointed rooms in a truly breathtaking building
and
the brand-new
Weavers House Spa is worth a visit.
BUY
THE BOOK
www.theswanatlavenham.co.uk
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.discoverlavenham.co.uk
Front page: The Little Hall. Top: The Swan.
Above, from left: Munnings Tea Rooms, Gift Shop
and Gallery at the Crooked House, and other
quaint scenes from around the village
The Cotswolds
The source for high
quality art and
antiques in Britain
www.moxhams-antiques.co.uk
www.ionahousegallery.org
www.architectural-heritage.co.uk
www.pritchardantiques.com
www.tobiasbirch.com
The Cotswolds Art and Antiques Dealers Association

50 dealers of knowlege and integrity located in
the quintessentially English Cotswolds
www.thecada.org T: +44 (0)7831 850544
www.strachanfineart.com
Wales
Ring
THE IRON
There are more than 600 castles in Wales a legacy

of King Edward I and his determination to subdue Welsh
dissidents and keep control. Here are some of
the most majestic of those historic fortresses
WORDS GRAHAM WATKINS
fatal blow struck the Welsh

monarchy in 1282 when Prince
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn
son of Gruffudd) was cut down
by an English soldier. His premature death
earned him the title Llywelyn the Last and,
even today, some Welsh people regard him
as the last true Prince of Wales.
Llywelyns death was the culmination of a
brutal campaign by the English King Edward
I to defeat the Welsh.
Having conquered the country, Edward,
nicknamed Longshanks because of his
height, incorporated the Principality of
Wales into England, colonised his new land
with loyal Englishmen and crowned his own
son Prince of Wales, a title that is still used
by the British Royal Family today. Fortified
towns were built to protect the English
58
BRITAIN
settlers and a ring of castles was constructed

to dominate the resentful Welsh.
It was a massive construction project.
The worlds leading castle designer, James
of St George, a military engineer from
Savoy, France, was appointed Master of
The Royal Works in Wales. The castles he
created were technical masterpieces,
designed to withstand attack and project
King Edward Is power across the land.
Edwards castles subdued the natives for a
century until Owain Glyndwr, a charismatic
Welshman, emerged to challenge English
domination. Visit Wales and you will
discover a legacy of more than 600 castles
to explore. Some, like Conwy and
Caernarfon, are World Heritage Sites but
they all have fascinating stories to tell about
ancient battles, legends and mysteries.
Beaumaris Castle, built in

1284 by King Edward I, is
considered one of the
finest examples of
13th-century military
architecture in
the country
CONWY CASTLE
Conwy, completed in just six years by hundreds of migrant
English craftsmen, controlled the main route into north
Wales. The castles defences were tested in 1294 when King
Edward I was himself besieged there for two months.
Resupplied by sea, the garrison held out, fortified, it is said,
by generous gifts of wine from the kings personal cellar.
Later, the castle would be taken by guile when Owain
Glyndwr and a companion knocked at the gate posing as
carpenters sent to undertake repairs. The ruse worked. They
were admitted, killed the guards and opened the gates.
Containing the best preserved suite of medieval private royal
chambers in England and Wales, the castle attracts more
than 150,000 visitors annually. It isnt just the castle people
come to see. The battlements continue for three quarters of a
mile around the old town, making Conwy one of the most
impressive medieval walled towns in the world.
www.cadw.gov.wales/daysout/conwycastle
60
BRITAIN
Wales
Visit www.
britain-magazine.
com/castles for
more beautiful
photos of British
castles
BEAUMARIS CASTLE
The last and, considered by some, the best of Edwards
castles, Beaumaris was never completed. Named after
the Norman Beau Mareys or Fair Marsh, which
describes the site chosen for the castle, construction
started in 1295 but was dogged by a lack of funds.
With no money to pay his 1,800 craftsmen,
James of St George gave them leather tokens. Morale
collapsed and building work slowed as men drifted
away. Then, in 1300, Edward was distracted by a
rebellion led by William Wallace. He ordered an
invasion of Scotland and building at Beaumaris
stopped. Wallace was captured and executed in 1305.
Although unfinished, Beaumaris is regarded by many
as the most perfect example of symmetrical castle
design. UNESCO agrees, praising Beaumaris Castle
as a unique artistic achievement and for its beauty
of proportions and masonry.
PHOTOS: FUNKYFOOD/PAUL WILLIAMS/ALAMY/VISITBRITAIN/BRITAIN ON VIEW/IAN DAGNALL
www.beaumaris.com
BRITAIN
61
Bodysgallen Hall
Hotel, Restaurant & Spa
Llandudno, North Wales LL30 1RS
Tel: +44 (1492) 584466
www.bodysgallen.com
Bodysgallen Hall is a Grade I

listed house, set in its estate of
220 acres of gardens, parkland
and farmland, two miles from
Llandudno with views to
Conwy Castle, Snowdonia and
the sea. It was originally built in
1250 as an outlying watchtower
to Conwy Castle, whilst the rest
of the house was built between
1620 and 1900.
Its gardens defined by walled

compartments include a
parterre, and a woodland
garden with a terrace
overlooking Conwy Castle and
Snowdonia.
As an hotel it offers fifteen
bedrooms and sixteen
cottage suites, meeting rooms,
Spa and a renowned
restaurant.
In September 2008 HISTORIC

HOUSE HOTELS LTD and all
its interests in BODYSGALLEN
HALL and the other two
Historic House Hotels,
HARTWELL HOUSE and
MIDDLETHORPE HALL, became
the property of the NATIONAL
TRUST, by donation, with all
profits henceforward benefiting
the houses and the charity.
5 Star Rugby Hospitality

Packages 2015
The St. Davids Hotel & Spa provides 5 star service and
accommodation together with panoramic views over Cardiff
Bay. The hotel is a short trip away from Cardiff city centre and the
Millennium Stadium with easy access by road or water.
Standard Package
Return transport from the St Davids

Hotel & Spa to the Millennium Stadium
Pre-match sparkling wine and bottled
beer reception
3 course pre-match meal in our
Tempus at Tides restaurant followed by
coffee and mini welsh cakes
59 per person*
WELSH HIGHLAND RAILWAY
Caernarfon, LL55 2YD Beddgelert, LL54 4UY Porthmadog, LL49 9NF
Our station at Caernarfon is just a few minutes walk from the

historic castle, making the Welsh Highland Railway an ideal part
of a day-out in beautiful Snowdonia. Ride from coast to coast or
take a shorter trip to picturesque villages and mountain walks.
Relax and enjoy a car-free, care-free ride in comfortable, modern
carriages with an 'at-your-seat' buffet service and on-train toilets.
Visit our website for more information, plus details of our many
special events and family activities taking place during the year.
FFESTINIOG & WELSH HIGHLAND RAILWAYS

Harbour Station, Porthmadog, Gwynedd, LL49 9NF
enquiries@ffwhr.com
62 BRITAIN
01766 516024
AVAILABLE EXTRAS
Speed boat taxi to the Millennium
Stadium
Private luxury boat ride with on board
refreshment to the Millennium Stadium
Spa packages available
Gold Package
All of the standard package

Upgraded Champagne and canaps
pre match reception
Dedicated function room overlooking
Cardiff Bay
Half a bottle of wine per person with
the meal
Match day goodie bag to include
programme, referee ear set,
chocolate rugby balls and St Davids
treats
Welsh cakes to take away for a mid
match snack
Post match St Davids Hotel pie and
mash
All for only 99 per person*
Chargable parking available, subject to availability

*Please note that these packages do not include match tickets to the Millennium Stadium
The St. Davids Hotel & Spa, Havannah Street, Cardiff CF10 5SD
Call 029 2045 4045 or visit www.thestdavidshotel.com
www.festrail.co.uk
Rugby World Cup Packages quarter page.indd 1
28/07/2015 10:53
Wales
HARLECH CASTLE
Located in the Vale of Clwyd, Denbigh

(right) was originally the site of a Welsh
castle named Dinbych little fort in
Welsh but all trace of it was obliterated
before Edwards build. His castle, and the
new walled town, would be far from little.
Goblin Tower is said to be haunted by a
stonemasons son, who was thrown to his
death from the top. During the Civil War
the castle was held by Royalist Colonel
Salesbury, known affectionately by his men
as Old Blue Stockings. Despite having only
one cannon and limited supplies, he refused
to surrender. After King Charles I was
captured and a written order sent, the
Royalists marched from the castle in good
order, having been given the honours of
war by their besiegers and allowed to retain
their muskets with matches lit at both ends.
Watch the 1964 film Zulu and you will hear

a rendition of a song popularly known as the
Men of Harlech, sung by the Welsh soldiers
defending Rorkes Drift. The original Welsh
version celebrates the longest siege in the
British Isles when Harlech Castle (below)
held out against Yorkist attackers for an
incredible seven years. Perched on a 200ft
(61m) cliff, the fortress was impregnable.
When the exhausted, tiny garrison
surrendered, the castle was surrounded by
10,000 men. During the Civil War, Harlech
was the last castle in Britain to surrender to
Parliament. Legend tells of Harlechs Princess
Branwen, fated to die of a broken heart a
story of giants, treachery and war. With
breathtaking views across Tremadog Bay and
the mountains of Snowdonia as a backdrop,
Harlech Castle is a gem in a magical setting.
www.cadw.gov.wales/daysout/denbighcastle
www.harlech.com
PHOTOS: CROWN COPYRIGHT (2009) VISIT WALES/CHRIS WARREN/LOOP IMAGES/CORBIS
DENBIGH CASTLE
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63
Discover one of Wales best kept

secrets at Tredegar House
An unexpected hidden gem just moments from the

motorway, Tredegar House and its surrounding parkland
is a historic oasis right at the heart of Newports postindustrial landscape.
One of the last remaining examples of a Restoration
era mansion this handsome house is as notable for its
impressive architecture and flamboyant interiors as it is
for its notorious history. With tales of riotous parties, lost
fortunes, animal menageries, war heroism, giant birds
nests, dark arts and doomed marriages the Morgan
family who lived here for centuries certainly ran no
ordinary household.
Today you can meet the newest family at Tredegar House

the National Trust team. Hop on one of the many tours
and daily talks to hear our stories and buff up on your
history, get hands on with food preparation in the Great
Kitchen and learn more about how the team are restoring
the mansion behind the scenes. Or make the day your
own and explore at your own pace through the grounds.
Open seven days a week and just moments from the M4. Visit
website for more details and find out more about whats on.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tredegarhouse
Free Tea for two
Days out are so much better when spent with friends. Treat yourselves to a pot of tea for two on us when you bring
this voucher with you when you visit. Promotional code: BRITAINNTT42
Voucher must be surrendered on redemption, no cash alternative. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Photocopies will not be accepted
Wales
CARREG CENNEN
PHOTO: ADAM BURTON/WWW.ROBERTHARDING.COM/CORBIS
Standing on a stone cliff in the Brecon Beacons, Carreg

Cennen will test your fitness as you clamber its ramparts.
Voted Waless most romantic ruin and immortalised by
the landscape artist JMW Turner, Carreg Cennen is a
castle of mystery. Take a torch to explore the secret
passageway leading to the cave where Owain of the Red
Hand slumbers, waiting for the clarion call summoning
him to rise up with his warriors.
Carreg Cennen has a bloody history, changing hands
many times over the centuries. In the 1960s, when its Castell
Farm was sold to its tenant farmer, Mr Morris, the lawyer
made an expensive mistake and included the castle in the
sale. Discovering the blunder, his client, Lord Cawdor, tried
to buy the castle back but the farmer, thrilled by his good
fortune, refused. Its still owned by the Morris family who
welcome visitors and serve them refreshments.
www.carregcennencastle.com
BRITAIN
65
Wales
CAERNARFON CASTLE
PHOTOS: DAVID ANGEL/ALAMY/JIM RICHARDSON/CORBIS
Overlooking the Menai Strait in a beautiful part of

Wales, Caernarfon has been a military stronghold since
Roman times. Stonemasons discovered what were
believed to be the remains of the Roman Emperor
Magnus Maximus while building Edwards castle.
To appease the Welsh, Edward promised he would
appoint a Welshman, who spoke no English, to be the
new Prince of Wales. He then gave the title to his own
son, who had been born at Caernarfon.
Maintaining the tradition, Queen Elizabeth II
invested her son, Charles, as Prince of Wales at
Caernarfon in 1969. Dominated by the Eagle Tower,
the castles polygonal design is believed to be modelled
on the Walls of Constantinople, inspired by the
discovery of the Roman Emperors tomb.
Attackers, storming the castle through the Kings
Gate, had to pass over two drawbridges, batter down
five reinforced doors and cut a way through six
portcullises while being continuously bombarded
through murder holes and arrow loops.
Today, Caernarfon Castle is in the care of the Welsh
Heritage Agency, Cadw, a Welsh word meaning to
keep or to protect and entry is much easier; you can
pay a modest admission fee and stroll in.
www.caernarfon-castle.co.uk
66
BRITAIN
Moorcroft Art Pottery

Handmade in Britain since 1897
Each piece of Moorcroft tells a story, with inspiration coming from all the corners of
the world. This summer, Moorcroft designers have focused on the treasures of Britain...
DERWENT RESERVOIR Numbered Edition

The natural shades of indigo and moss-green express
everything that can be said about the Great British
outdoors. In each third of the vase, Derwent Reservoir is
pictured with the 617 Squadron practising the low-level
flights needed for Operation Chastise or Dam Busters.
OUT AT SEA Limited Edition 100

This nostalgic nautical design is a welcome
sight anytime of the year for many. The
British coastline is a haven and getaway for all
those people yearning the saline smells, the
exciting movement of an angered ocean and
the comforting wafts of fresh fish and chips
amongst so many other appealing traits of our
few and far between precious harbour towns.
BATTLE OF BRITAIN Limited Edition 75

Hurricanes and Spitfires, all manoeuvring and
accelerating miles high in the menacing summer
sky. Thousands were lost and thousands more
were injured. Vicky Lovatt has paid homage to
the brave pilots and engineers who fought off
enemies hurtling down from above, many of
them sacrificing themselves for the greater good.
Celebrations of British wildlife, events and towns have all found their home
across numerous other designs, which can be found on our website.
To view and purchase the above designs plus many more, visit
www.britain-magazine.com and click on Britain Shop.
SPECIAL OFFER
50 off Moorcroft Pottery
purchased at the Moorcroft Heritage Visitor Centre,

Sandbach Road, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent ST6 2DQ.
Orders can be made by telephone on +44 (0)1782 820515 or via
heritagevisitorcentre@moorcroft.com
Quote BritMag15 to redeem voucher.
Not to be used in conjunction with any other offers or discounts. Expires 31/12/15
RUNNYMEDE Numbered Edition
Ladys smock and the rare ragged-robin grow
by the peaceful riverside where Magna Carta was
said to be signed. Seen by many as the birthplace
of modern democracy, this picturesque setting is
quite rightfully, a treasure for all democracies
across the world.
Telephone: 01782 820500

Email: enquiries@moorcroft.com www.moorcroft.com
www.moorcroft.com
Discover award-winning surprises in Wirral

Wirral Peninsula is an oasis of breathtaking coastline, and lush countryside, with a delicious range of eateries
and welcoming places to stay. Ideally situated between the two cities of Chester and Liverpool, enjoy
stunning views over the Welsh Hills and the River Dee on one side, with the spectacular Liverpool skyline
and the River Mersey on the other. Discover Wirral for an action-packed break or a leisurely long weekend.
Discover a warm welcome
Discover Coast & Countryside
The stunning Grade II listed Hillbark Hotel &

Spa is an idyllic place to stay and Merseysides
first 5 star hotel. Set in beautiful parkland, indulge
here - choosing from 2 AA or 3 AA Rosette fine
dining, and be pampered in the sumptuous spa.
Revitalised, explore Royden Park and ride the
model railway - ideal for kids.
Visit Ness Botanic Gardens to discover an

exquisite educational environment, and
outstanding collections of plants and flowers,
along with a visitor centre, nature trails and a caf.
Close-by is Inglewood Manor, recognised with a
Visit England Taste award for its fine dining.
This country house hotel retains all the charm
of a lavish Edwardian family home and is
surrounded by 38 acres of exquisite grounds.
Later explore Wirral Country Park in
Thurstaston; the first country park in Britain.
It is home to the Wirral Way, a 12-mile former
railway line tracing the Dee Estuary coast and
offering an environmental oasis for walkers and
cyclists, as well as breathtaking views from the
dramatic cliffs across the estuary.
You will also discover the Shore Cottage Studio,
winner of a North West Coastal Excellence Award
and offering a variety of art courses with
inspirational views.
Hillbark Hotel & Spa, Frankby
In nearby West Kirby, enjoy some retail therapy

at the boutique shops before strolling along the
promenade or beach, and take in wonderful views
of Wales and Wirrals treasured Hilbre Islands.
Walk or take a boat to the islands and see a variety
of wildlife, followed by more adventure with the
water sports at the Marine Lake. Emerge shaken
not stirred at The Wro Bar, Lounge & Loft; Best
Bar in Merseyside three times and Wirrals Best
Bar Team this year, before taking a short hop to
Hoylake, childhood home of James Bond actor,
Daniel Craig. Here, choose from quality eating
places and find Royal Liverpool Golf Club, which
played host to the last Mens British Open
Championship.
Wirral is a golfers paradise; with 14 spectacular
courses, and the Wirral Golf Classic - an amateur
golf tournament taking place every September.
Then, begin the day at Port Sunlight to receive

an absorbing insight into a 19th Century model
village. Marvel at award-winning gardens, the art
gallery, and uniquely designed houses. Just across
the village unwind at the Leverhulme Hotel, an
art-deco boutique resting place with its 2 AA
Rosette restaurant. Step back in time at Wirral
Attraction of the Year - Port Sunlight Museum,
before visiting nearby Claremont Farm, home to the
Wirral Farm Feast every summer. Try one of the
cooking courses here or visit the superb farm shop.
Later, ferry across the Mersey with Europes
celebrated and oldest ferry service, departing from
Seacombe and Woodside. Follow this with a
quality real ale at Gallaghers Pub & Barbers Wirral CAMRA Pub for the fourth time, and
gents get a hot towel shave while youre there!
Discover the taste of Wirral

The Jug & Bottle, Heswall
In nearby Heswall is The Jug and Bottle welcoming guest accommodation with views of
the Dee and perfect for a delightful meal in an
inviting gastro-pub environment.
Finally, relax at award-winning Thornton Hall
Hotel & Spa in the quaint Thornton Hough
Village. Treat yourself to a 3 AA Rosette fine
dining experience, here in its Lawns Restaurant
with panoramic views of the beautiful grounds,
or indulge in afternoon tea on The Lawns.
Discover Culture
Ness Botanic Gardens, Ness
Dell Bridge, Port Sunlight
The delightful, 5 Star Gold, Mere Brook House

is the perfect base to explore some must-see
attractions. Wirral Accommodation of the Year
three years on the run, and recently named
Merseyside Guest Accommodation of the Year,
this Edwardian guesthouse in Thornton Hough
offers a warm welcome in luxurious surroundings.
Discover historic Birkenhead Park; the inspiration

for New Yorks Central Park, before journeying
to Oxton Village. This is home to the established
Michelin star restaurant, Fraiche - number one in
the Sunday Times Top 100 UK restaurants and in
the top 20 UK restaurants within the Which Good
Food Guide. Make time for a stop at the nearby
Williamson Art Gallery, and view its permanent
and national touring exhibitions.
Then, heading to the eastern side of Wirral
Peninsula, explore North Wirral Coastal Park,
with Britains oldest brick lighthouse - Leasowe
Lighthouse, and the seaside town of New Brighton.
The promenade here is home to the Floral Pavilion
Theatre, the Light cinema, and Championship
Adventure Golf, along with a casino and places
to eat and stay. The perfect end to your stay is
award-winning Caffe Cream. Choose from one of
their many unique ice cream flavours produced on
site, and enjoy views of New Brighton Lighthouse,
with Liverpool as its backdrop.
Dont miss out - plan your break:
visitwirral.com
& follow @visit_wirral
Discover Wirral
50 miles of beautiful walks, 22 miles of breathtaking coastline, award

winning attractions and accommodation with fantastic places to eat,
including our very own Michelin star restaurant - discover it all in Wirral!
For your chance to win an unforgettable stay:
visitwirral.com/winaweekend
(Terms and conditions apply)
Hilbre Islands
LHM HP 202x129mm - FINAL.pdf 1 7/29/2015 5:03:45 PM
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12 Holland
Road London
W14 8LZ
Open daily
10amPM- 5:30pm; Tuesdays closed Free guided tours on Wednesdays and Sundays 3pm Visit our website for exhibitions and events
CM
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From 1875, 18 Stafford Terrace was the home of Punch cartoonist

Edward Linley Sambourne, his wife Marion, their two children
and their live-in servants. The house gives an insight into the
personal lives of the Sambourne family, and also provides a rare
example of what was known as an 'Aesthetic interior' or 'House
Beautiful' style.
Open September to June
Public open days on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays:
guided & costumed tours AM (advance booking essential)
and open access PM. Private tours also available
More information: www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums
18 Stafford Terrace, London W8 7BH

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
70 BRITAIN
18 STAFFORD TERRACE
THE SAMBOURNE FAMILY HOME
STEP BACK IN TIME TO 1899
Jacobite Rebellions
Scottish
PRETENDERS
How a gutsy rebellion begun by supporters of the son of King James II

300 years ago led to a Bonnie Prince being heralded a hero
PHOTOS: THE PRINT COLLECTOR/ALAMY/HULTON ARCHIVE/ISTOCK
WORDS NEIL JONES
he plot and cast are extraordinary: a foreigner,

52nd in line to the throne, is made King of
Great Britain and Ireland, while a King over the
Sea and a Bonnie Prince, who seek to regain the
Crown, have their hopes dashed on a Scottish moor by a
blue-blooded butcher. Add disguises, scheming and
skirling bagpipes: if William Shakespeare had been around
to witness the Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1745, he
would surely have found material for a great tragedy.
This year marks the 300th anniversary of the rising
known as the Fifteen (171516), a dramatic outburst of
Jacobite rebellion that had been brewing ever since the
Above: The Battle of

Culloden, depicted in
an 18th-century
painting. Top right:
Prince Charles
Edward Stuart,
painted by
Antonio David
Glorious Revolution (168889) had ousted Roman

Catholic King James II from the throne in favour of his
daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange.
The subsequent Act of Settlement (1701) that excluded
Catholics from the Crown meant that when Queen Anne
died childless in 1714, 51 blood relatives were passed over
before George of Hanover, closest eligible Protestant to
succeed, was thrust onto the throne.
Boorish and unable to speak English, King George I
impressed few of his new subjects and gave fresh impetus
to feelings that James Francis Edward Stuart, exiled son of
King James II, was the rightful heir.
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had been stillborn in 1688, then smuggled in a

bundle of washing into exile in France when his
father King James II lost the throne. The
lugubrious individual who appeared 27 years
later fell sadly short of his adventurous past.
Unable to inspire the rebellion to continue, he
slipped back to the Continent, settling in Rome.
Although the Fifteen was foiled, with Eilean
Donan Castle all but destroyed in 1719,
disturbances continued, until the House of
Stuart had another chance to invade in 1745,
alongside the French. While James was too tired
to bother, his 24-year-old son Charles, so sweet a
prince, that flesh and blood could not resist following
him, answered the call.
In the event, French backing fell away, but Charles
pressed on, arriving at Glenfinnan, Scotland, in August
1745 with just 50 supporters.
Over two days the charismatic, blue-eyed Young
Pretender attracted 1,500 men about him and he raised
his fathers standard todays monument and visitor
PHOTOS: GL ARCHIVE/ALAMY/ VISITBRITAIN/BRITAIN ON VIEW/JOHN MCKENNA/CAMANI IMAGES
Popular myth says the Jacobite rebellions

(from the Latin Jacobus, James) that sought
to restore the Stuart dynasty, pitched Scots
against English, or Catholics against
Protestants. In reality, there were Jacobite
sympathisers across England and Wales
too, and across religious divides. Those
uneasy about the union of the kingdoms
of Scotland and England in 1707 also
found a focus for dissent, while powers in
Europe were ever ready to raise mischief by
backing the Jacobite cause.
Open rebellion broke out in Scotland in
1715, led by the Earl of Mar, but was checked in
November by government forces at Sheriffmuir,
northeast of Dunblane. Slow off the mark, James
Stuart, the Old Pretender, returned from France to
Scotland only in December, holding court at Scone Palace.
This was the man who, it was rumoured, had been a
changeling: the baby smuggled into Mary of Modenas
bedroom in a warming-pan to replace the royal baby that
Clockwise from top left:

A portrait of King
George I ; Eilean
Donan Castle, in
the Highlands, which
was partially
destroyed by
government ships in
1719; Scone Palace,

where James Francis
Edward Stuart held
court; etching
of James Stuart, who
was known as the
'Old Pretender',
circa 1688
DID YOU KNOW?

On 20 February 1702, King William was
riding Sorrel, a new horse, in the park of
Hampton Court. As the horse began to
gallop it stumbled on a molehill and fell,
throwing William, who broke his
collarbone with ultimately fatal
consequences. This unhappy incident gave
rise to a new Jacobite toast: To the little
gentleman in black velvet.
BRITAIN
73
PHOTOS: CLASSIC IMAGE/ALAMY/AIN SHARP
Jacobite Rebellions
Above: The first

meeting of Prince
Charles with Flora
MacDonald on the Isle
of South Uist, 1747
Below: The Palace

of Holyroodhouse,
Edinburgh, where
Prince Charles
set up court
centre at the head of Loch Shiel, framed by dramatic

Highland glen scenery, tell the story. Edinburgh fell to
Jacobite hands and Charles set up court at Holyroodhouse,
conducting official business there. His armys rout of
government forces at Prestonpans in September sent shock
waves to London and the speed at which Jacobites
marched to Derby by 4 December, just 125 miles from the
capital, threw banks and businesses in the City into panic;
King George II prepared to flee.
But things began to go wrong for Charles. Promised help
from France failed to materialise and English Jacobites
showed little support, leading senior officers to argue for a
withdrawal back to Scotland. What might have been if
Charless army had not turned around?
The Jacobites defeated government forces at Falkirk in
January 1746 and took Inverness in the following month,
however crucial momentum had been lost and, by spring,
money and supplies were running critically short. The fate
of the Forty-Five rising was about to be sealed at the
BRITAIN
75
Left: A depiction of
Bonnie Prince Charlie,
who was known as
the 'Young
Pretender', painted
posthumously
PHOTOS: GL ARCHIVE/ALAMY/NATIONAL TRUST/ROBERT THRIFT
Below: Mezzotint of
Bonnie Prince Charlie
disguised as Betty
Burke after his defeat
at the Battle of
Culloden, by John
Williams, 1746
Charless armys rout

of government forces at
Prestonpans sent shock
waves to London, and
the speed of marching
threw banks into chaos
76
BRITAIN
Battle of Culloden, five miles southeast of Inverness.

Take up the story at the Culloden visitor centre, where an
exhibition features eyewitness accounts, a battlefield
guide and tours that detail events of 16 April 1746.
After a botched night-time attack on sleeping
government Redcoats had left Jacobite troops
weary and hungry, Charles faced down his
advisors God damn it! Are my orders still
disobeyed? and insisted on joining battle.
Vastly outnumbered 7,500 to 5,500 the
Jacobites advanced through afternoon hail,
gunfire and grapeshot. Their great tactical
weapon, the feared Highland charge, was
no match for the well-drilled forces of the
Duke of Cumberland, son of King George II. In an
hour Charles had lost 1,500 men, while government
casualties were just 50. The Jacobite dream lay dead on
the rain-drenched, boggy moor, the last hand-to-hand
150720 RET advert.pdf
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Something you never knew about Whisky

We want to tell you a story.
A historic story that shaped Scotland and a story that most locals arent
even aware of. Its the type of story we like to tell our passengers up
here in the Highlands
It was 1707. The Scottish economy was on the brink of economic
disaster. Famines and sickness plagued the lands. There was only one
thing going well and that was the whisky trade. But this was about to
drastically change.
Whisky distillation was becoming increasingly profitable and the UK
government saw this as an opportunity to raise funds for its war with
France. So a substantial malt tax was imposed. For Scotlands national
drink, it spelt disaster.
By 1725 distilleries were penniless and many were left unemployed.
Riots sprang up in Stirling, Dundee, Elgin and Paisley. In Glasgow houses
were burnt-down, 8 people were killed and 400 Dragoons were sent to
placate this unruly challenge to the union. Scotlands whisky distilleries
urgently had to do something.
So they hid.
The term moonshine originates from this period because many were
forced to secretly make whisky at night. Huge swathes of distillers
moved to the distant islands and furthest reaches of Scotland to avoid
this tax, thus creating the erratic whisky landscape that still exists today.
The malt tax had great repercussions and is currently still in existence.
But luckily for us, rather than wipe out whisky production, it just made
the industry more interesting . . .
Highland Explorer Tours

Theres a reason we wanted to tell you that story. Its because we have a
suite of new Taste of Scotland tours, which allow you to sample some
of Scotlands finest food and drink. But thats not all we offer.
We have award winning 1 to 7 day tours visiting quintessential Scottish
locations and attractions such as Glen Coe, Loch Ness and the Jacobite
Steam Train. All our guides are local experts with a friendly attitude and
a passion for storytelling. Book a tour today and discover Scotlands
extraordinary history and culture.
AWARD WINNING
HIGHLAND DAY TOURS

T: +44 (0) 131 558 3738
www.highlandexplorertours.com
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BRITAIN 77
Jacobite Rebellions
Clockwise from top left:

The Battle of Culloden,
painted in 1850, artist
unknown; Loch Shiel
with the Glenfinnan
Monument marking
the uprising; a Jacobite
wine glass; Flora
MacDonald's tomb
on the Isle of Skye
PHOTOS: THE PRINT COLLECTOR/HERITAGE IMAGES/IAN DAGNALL/ALAMY/JIM DUNN/
GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL MUSEUMS/HOLMES GARDEN PHOTOS
battle fought on British soil. While the Bonnie Prince fled,

Butcher Cumberland and his men showed no mercy,
slaying those who remained.
In the aftermath, the government ruthlessly set about
dismantling Highland culture, depriving clan chiefs of
their legal powers and clansmen of their weapons. Jacobite
estates were seized, and the kilt and tartan were banned.
Mighty Fort George was built northeast of Inverness as
a government army base.
Charles went on the run across the Highlands and
Scottish islands for five months before making good his
escape abroad; his disguise as Betty Burke, an Irish
spinning maid, in the company of Flora MacDonald,
entered legend though he was nearly discovered when he
unthinkingly hoisted up his skirts to cross a river.
At first feted on the Continent as a romantic hero, the
once-handsome Bonnie Prince became a tragic figure of
drunken dissipation, dying in Rome in 1788 following
a stroke. He long lamented not perishing at Culloden.
For more stories on the history and struggles of Britain's royal

households go to www.britain-magazine.com
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RAISING A GLASS TO REBELLION
At a time when Jacobite support was treasonable,
those loyal to the cause would conclude covert
meetings by raising their glasses over a
finger bowl, signifying allegiance to
the King over the Sea (James Francis
Edward Stuart).
As a result, Jacobite drinking
paraphernalia that had hidden or coded
imagery also sprang up.
See, for example, a tray in the West Highland
Museum at Fort William. It is covered in
seemingly random scrawl until you place a
metal cylinder or goblet in its centre, when the
likeness of Bonnie Prince Charlie becomes
apparent as a reflection.
www.westhighlandmuseum.org.uk
Other toasting vessels included
Amen glasses, inscribed with Amen in
reference to the conclusion of the Jacobite national

anthem, The Origin of our Own. Such glasses often
bore a tear-shaped bubble in the stem,
symbolising mourning for the absent
royal house.
Further symbols on Jacobite glasses
included thistles and sunflowers (Scotland
and Restoration). Glasgow Museums has
400 Jacobite objects in its collection, including
this wine glass (left) with an engraved portrait of
Charles Stuart. www.glasgowmuseums.com
For your own Jacobite toast, try Drambuie, the
secret recipe for which was given by Bonnie Prince
Charlie to John MacKinnon, chief of Clan
MacKinnon, in thanks for helping him to escape
from the Isle of Skye. Its full Gaelic name
'an dram buidheach' means the drink
that satisfies.
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guests receive complimentary access to the castle
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Hever Castle has received the TripAdvisor
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year running as a visitor attraction and for its
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It is a member of the Historic Houses
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The original medieval castle, with its
gatehouse and walled bailey, was built in 1270.
The Tudor dwelling was added within its walls
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Hever in the 15th and 16th centuries.
In 1903, American multi-millionaire William
Waldorf Astor bought the estate and between
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showcasing Greek and Roman statuary, to the
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VISIT KELMSCOTT MANOR
VISIT THE COTSWOLDS RETREAT OF WILLIAM MORRIS

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84 BRITAIN
Where to
eat, stay and
visit
City breaks
BRIGHTON
The playground of the pleasure-seeking Prince Regent, the seaside city of Brighton
also attracted our literary greats from Rudyard Kipling to Lewis Carroll
WORDS SALLY COFFEY
HIDDEN IN
THE PRIVATE
GARDENS OF
SUSSEX SQUARE IS A
TUNNEL SAID TO HAVE
INSPIRED LEWIS CARROLL
Below: The Royal

Pavilion was
commissioned by
the Prince Regent
and is an enduring
testament to
his lavish tastes
ver since the Brighton Belle the

worlds most famous electric train,
complete with Art-Deco styling
and Pullman carriages began bringing
day trippers from London to the town in
the 1930s, Brightons transformation from
a quaint fishing village to a bustling holiday
destination has been complete.
Today it is the epitome of a traditional
British seaside town think lazy afternoons
dozing on deckchairs, rolling up your
trouser legs for a spot
of paddling in the sea
before eating fish and
chips on the pebbles.
The Victorian pier is a must for any visit,

with its arcade machines, cheeky carnival
cutouts and kiosks selling sticks of rock.
Although Brighton didnt attract the
masses until much later, it was the arrival of
the Prince Regent, who came here in the
1780s to partake in the famous sea water
cure, popularised by the Georgians, that
made it a fashionable place to be.
The Prince Regent who went on to
become King George IV was known for
his lavish tastes and libertine lifestyle and he
must have found something alluring about
the town following his first visit in 1783 as
he soon commissioned the exotic pleasure
palace known as the Royal Pavilion.
Of course one thing that kept him coming
back was his love for Maria Fitzherbert,
a twice-widowed woman who he secretly
married (though the marriage wasnt legal).
Fitzherbert lived in a property in Old Steine
but a secret tunnel ensured the Prince could
visit his wife away from prying eyes.
Brighton soon became a hotspot for
socialites and it was even referenced by Jane
Austen in Pride and Prejudice in 1813. When
Lydia Bennets suitor Wickham returns to his

barracks in the town, she yearns to visit him,
not least so she can experience the buzz
of the town: In Lydias imagination, a visit
to Brighton comprised every possibility of
earthly happiness, Austen wrote.
One of the lasting reminders of this
period of extravagance, which continued
after the death of King George IV in 1830,
is the incredible Regency architecture that
abounds, especially in its gorgeous squares,
the most famous of which hides a detail that
may have inspired one of our most treasured
works of literature.
Hidden in the private gardens of Sussex
Square, which together with Lewes Crescent
forms the biggest crescent in Britain, is
a tunnel that creeps down to the coast
road, which is said to have inspired the
famous rabbit hole in Lewis Carrolls Alices
Adventures in Wonderland: The rabbit-hole
went straight on like a tunnel for some way,
and then dipped suddenly down.
At the top of Sussex Square is a plaque to
Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carrolls real name),
who used to stay with his sister Henrietta
PHOTOS: LENSCAP/ALAMY/VISIT BRIGHTON/VISITENGLAND/ALEX ROBINSON/WWW.ROBERTHARDING.COM/

CORBIS/SCOTT HORTOP IMAGES. ILLUSTRATION: MICHAEL HILL
DON'T
MISS
City Breaks
CUT-OUT-AND-GO GUIDE: BRIGHTON
GETTING THERE
The Brighton Belle may no longer

run (though a campaign is afoot to
reinstate it and it should be up and running
in 2016) but there are regular high-speed
trains from London Victoria to Brighton that
take less than an hour. www.nationalrail.co.uk
Once in Brighton you can walk between
most attractions or hail a cab if you want to
venture to Rottingdean or Sussex Square.
Distances are quite small so prices are
reasonable. There are also regular buses
between Brighton and Rottingdean.
WHERE TO STAY
Clockwise from far

left: The Music
Room in the Royal
Pavilion; the Palace
Pier; seafood
afternoon tea at
GB1; Sussex Square.
Below: Brighton
Pier's Helter Skelter
who lived on the square. Carroll wasnt

the only famous visitor Prince Albert
was known to take strolls in the gardens
when his friends the Sassoons lived here
and he seemed to have a more favourable
opinion of the town than his wife, Queen
Victoria, who complained of intrusion by
locals: The people here are very indiscreet
and troublesome.
For the lucky few who are given access,
its easy to picture Alice popping out of a
secret enclosure or pathway. This
year marks 150 years since the
publication of Alices Adventures in
Wonderland and it was in the same
year that another Brighton local, a
certain Rudyard Kipling, was born.
Though his birthplace was
in India, it was in the Brighton
suburb of Rottingdean that
Kipling settled with his young
family when he came to England
in 1897. The Kipling Gardens,
which formed part of the gardens
of The Elms, where Kipling lived
with his wife and children
An inn has stood on the site of the

four-star seafront Old Ship Hotel since
Shakespeares time and, over the centuries,
a host of illustrious guests, from King
Charles II to Charles Dickens, have graced its
halls and glittering Assembly Rooms (now
known as the Paganini Ballroom).
www.oldshiphotel-brighton.co.uk
For something a little more contemporary,
Drakes of Brighton is a lovely boutique
hotel housed in a double-fronted Georgian
townhouse. The hotel has its own cocktail
bar, while dinner in the restaurant is
recommended: it came out top for Brighton
restaurants in the Good Food Guide 2015 for
the sixth year running.
www.drakesofbrighton.com
If youd like to stay in the charming village
of Rottingdean, the seven-bed B&B of
Blenheim House will be a home from home.
www.blenheimguesthouse.co.uk
WHERE TO EAT
The Grand Hotel in Brighton

(above, right) is a gorgeous Victorian
building, with a spiral staircase leading up to
exquisite rooms. It has its own day spa but, for

us, the main reason to visit is to experience
the GB1 Seafood Restaurant & Bar. Take a
window seat and choose from a succulent
choice of seafood dishes (there are a few
meat options too) while you take in the sea
view, or opt for a seat at the newly installed
oyster bar for a touch more glamour.
www.grandbrighton.co.uk/dining-en.html
If you want to follow in the footsteps of
some of our best writers, then book a table
at Englishs of Brighton, once frequented by
Lewis Carroll and Oscar Wilde (though not at
the same time, we might add). Oysters are
the order of the day, but look out too for
signed photos from the likes of Charlie
Chaplin. www.englishs.co.uk
Locals tell us that when it comes to fish and
chips, The Regency is hard to beat.
www.theregencyrestaurant.co.uk
The Plough Inn in Rottingdean serves tasty
pub meals, with ingredients sourced from the
villages own butcher and greengrocer.
www.theploughinnrottingdean.co.uk
CUT-OUT-AND-GO GUIDE: BRIGHTON

DRINK in the Cricketers (left), Graham
Greenes favourite pub. In the upstairs Greene
Room you can look at lots of memorabilia
related to Greene and oddly the pub also
lays claim to being Jack the Rippers local.
PEER through the tunnel that inspired Lewis

Carrolls rabbit hole. Access is via a pathway off
Madeira Drive underneath Sussex Square. While
here, take a walk around Sussex Square and see
if you can spot all the plaques for past luminaries
who spent time here.
DISCOVER the town's literary links and

learn more about some of the writers who have
been inspired by Brighton and its surrounds.
Blue Badge Guide Lyn Neville offers a range
of walks around the town and can cater an
itinerary to suit. www.brightonwalks.com
IN THE HEART OF BRIGHTON,

THE TOWN'S OLDEST
HOTEL, THE OLD SHIP, WAS
A POPULAR HAUNT OF DICKENS
DON'T
MISS
SHOP in the Lanes for unique gifts, or try to

nab a heritage piece in one of the many antiques
shops that wind their way through this ancient
part of Brighton. Look out for places that
inspired Greenes writing and historic buildings
such as the Druids Head, which is supposed be
Brightons most haunted pub.
Book bag
TAKE THE KIPLING TRAIL through

the writers old haunts: a new guide covers all
the places in and around Rottingdean and the
South Downs that are linked to the author of
The Jungle Book and the Just So series of books.
One place worth factoring in is North End
House in Rottingdean, where Kiplings son
Edward was born, as well as the Kipling Gardens
(above). Each summer, the village also hosts the
annual Kipling Festival.
www.kiplingfestivalrottingdean.co.uk
PHOTOS: LIZ FINLAYSON/ALAMY/VISITBRITAIN/BRITAIN ON VIEW/DUNCAN P WALKER/ISTOCK
Live like
a local
Brighton Rock by Graham
Greene (Vintage, 8.34)
Alices Adventures in Wonderland

by Lewis Carroll
(Penguin Books Ltd, 12.99)
88
BRITAIN
James Oliver is the

director of Find & Build,
a property search and
renovation service
When Im not working I love to go to:
* The Basketmakers Pub, which is a proper local
tucked away in a backwater of North Laine.
It serves great food and, more importantly, beer,
and the crowds spill out on to the street during
the summer evenings.
* Vine Street Vintage, which sells cool interiors for
less than some of the other shops. My current
favourite is a set of refurbished 1960s fairground
waltzers converted into sofas.
* The Coffee Counter is an independent cafe.
Located in Vine Street away from the main
drag, it picks up trade from people who need a
breather from the city centre.
www.findandbuild.co.uk
SEA VIEWS
The Victorian pier
is a must for any
visit, with its arcade
machines, carnival
cutouts and kiosks,
selling Brighton rock
from 1897 to 1902, are bursting with colour

and huge, blossoming roses.
The Plough Inn overlooks the village
pond, while at The Grange, which doubles as
a library and a gallery, there is a permanent
Kipling room, showing intimate National
Trust images of the writer and his family.
Back in the heart of Brighton, the
towns oldest hotel, The Old Ship, was a
popular haunt of Charles Dickens and his
contemporary William Thackeray, who set
part of his novel Vanity Fair here.
Dickens also stayed at the Royal York
Hotel, where he gave his first reading of
David Copperfield and he is also believed to
have written much of Dombey & Sons here.
In the 1930s author Graham Greene
depicted a different side of the town in his
novel Brighton Rock that of the razor gangs
that flitted in and out of the maze of streets
known as The Lanes.
On one of these streets, Black Lion Street,
lies The Cricketers, Brightons oldest pub
and Graham Greenes local. The Lanes,
with their hidden corners, are much the
same today as they were in Greenes
time, though they are now somewhat
more salubrious in their offerings,
which include gorgeous antiques
and jewellery shops, and are
a great place to listen
out for the ghosts of
literatures past
8 For more on Britain's

seaside towns go to www.
britain-magazine.com
At the heart of drakes philosophy is the desire to make their guests feel
like treasured friends coming to stay and provide a real escape from day
to day life. For over a decade now, drakes has been top of the game and
continues to set standards in luxury, design and customer care.
Fabulous sea views, sumptuous handmade beds and deep freestanding
baths has earned them the reputation of being Brightons most
romantic hotel.
Be sure to book a table at the restaurant at drakes, Brightons highly
acclaimed fine dining restaurant to complete your experience.
drakes
BRIGHTON
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BRITAIN 89
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90 BRITAIN
Web: www.gowithIT.co.uk
Albro House Hotel
155 Sussex Gardens, Hyde Park, London W2 2RY

Tel: +44 (0)20 7724 2931 / +44 (0)20 7706 8153 Fax: +44 (0)20 7262 2278
E-mail: joe@albrohotel.freeserve.co.uk
Website: www.albrohotel.co.uk
Located near Hyde Park, public transport and convenient for sightseeing and shopping.
Comfortable rooms all with TV, private facilities, tea / coffee maker, phone, radio
and hairdryer. Friendly efficient service. Quiet, relaxed atmosphere. Some parking.
Families and small groups welcome. Tours booked. Luggage storage. Free WiFi
Rates per person including cooked
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Single rooms from
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Low
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A GOOD VALUE HOTEL IN CENTRAL LONDON
The Registry
SAFEKEEPING RECORDS OF YOUR LAST WISHES
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enquiries TheRegistry.org.uk
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The ultimate gift of peace we can give to those we

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Over To You
YOUR LETTERS
Get in touch with your views about the country, your travels and the magazine
OUR FAVOURITE LETTER AFTER A FASHION

Thank you for the article on
British fashion in July 2015
(Volume 83 Issue 3). I visited
Kensington Palace while
I was in London in April
(I had hoped to catch a
glimpse of the Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge, but
no such luck) and, along with
the excellent displays of
Queen Victorias possessions,
I saw the dress exhibit
mentioned in the article.
I must admit, however, that
the most fascinating outfits
for me were not those of the
Queen or even Princess
Diana, but of Princess
Margaret. In the 1950s
and 1960s she was as much
a standard bearer in
British style as Princess
Diana was in the 1980s. It
wouldnt be hard to imagine
some of her iconic looks coming back into style.
I love reading your excellent magazine.
Barbara-Anne Eddy, Vancouver, Canada
Our favourite letter wins

this gorgeous book on fashion
history, London Couture
1923-1975: British Luxury, by
Edwina Ehrman and Amy de la
Haye, (50), published by the
V&A Museum. The book
eloquently draws on some of the
best pieces in the museums
modern collections.
www.vam.ac.uk
PHOTOS: TRINITY MIRROR/MIRRORPIX/ALAMY/ANTONIO BUSIELLO/HATFIELD HOUSE
FIT FOR A QUEEN?

Being an ex-pat, I take an annual visit to my homeland every summer.
In 2012, I visited Hatfield House with my younger sister.
One of the artefacts was a pair of Elizabeth Is
riding gloves with delicate slender fingers and
small hands. I remember saying: How on earth
could anyone get their hands in those?, which
brings me to the conspiracy theory question of
who Elizabeth I really was. Certainly not a man.
Elizabeth A Holland, Port Clinton, Ohio, USA
HOW TO WRITE TO US by post to: Letters, BRITAIN, Chelsea Magazines, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London, SW3 3TQ; or to: Letters,
BRITAIN, Circulation Specialists Inc, 2 Corporate Drive, Suite 945, Shelton, CT 06484, USA. Or email the editor: sally.coffey@chelseamagazines.com
Follow us on Twitter at @BritainMagazine or like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritainMagazine
TIME FOR TEA

I married Clare, my wife of
63 years, in Liverpool while
stationed at RAF Burtonwood.
Ill health now prevents us
from returning from the US,
so thank you for bringing
England to us. We cant pick up
a copy of your magazine without
seeing places weve been to and
sights weve seen. In July 2015
(Volume 83 Issue 3), for instance,
there was both Hampton Court
and Kensington palaces.
While there are hundreds of
tea rooms on the west coast of
the US, we miss the quaint tea
rooms of rural England. For
a while I was collecting all of
your magazines, but I have since
passed them on to others for
them to enjoy.
Bill Willis, Lompoc,
California, USA
MORE LETTERS...
Sadly we dont have room to publish all of
your letters here. To read more go to
www.britain-magazine.com/letters
@RuthDunkin
Rule Britannia and
always that, love to go
to @BlenheimPalace
and wave my flag!
BRITAIN
91
BRITAINS CHOICE favourite destinations to explore
Four good reasons to visit

1066 Country this Autumn!
Bexhill Festival of the Sea
5 6 September 2015
Hastings Seafood & Wine Festival
19 20 September 2015
Battle of Hastings Re enactment, Battle
10 11 October 2015
Rye Wild Boar Week
24 October 1 November 2015
www.visit1066country.com/events
National Trust Images. Registered Charity Number 205846.
BATTLE BEXHILL HASTINGS HERSTMONCEUX PEVENSEY RYE
Newark Park
Enjoy a relaxing day out at Newark

Park. Discover the historic house,
explore the gardens and enjoy
autumn walks on the estate.
exploring
We're on the Cotswold escarpment,

just off the A4135 Dursley-Tetbury.
Members and under 5s go free.
01453 842644
nationaltrust.org.uk/newarkpark
Corsham, Wiltshire
the real star of Poldark (The Daily Mail)
Historic High Street
Independent shops
Peacocks roam freely from Corsham Court
Poldark filmed here
20 minutes from Bath and the M4
www.corsham.gov.uk/visit 01249 702130
20
minutes
from Waterloo
20 MINUTES
F R O M W AT E R L O O
Dine. Shop. Stay. Escape.
Village lanes & boutiques

Pubs, restaurants & hotels
Twickenham Stadium
London Wetland Centre
Kew Gardens, Richmond Park
& Hampton Court Palace
Richmond upon Thames

W W W. V I S I T R I C H M O N D . C O . U K
Visit Richmond, Surrey
@Visit_Richmond1
www.visit1066country.com/ROOT1066
950
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Open 1st April to 30th September 2015

Contact Info Line 01367 240932 or
www.buscotpark.com for opening times
Battle Bexhill Hastings Herstmonceux Pevensey Rye
To book space call Natasha +44 (0)207 349 3732
BRITAINS CHOICE discover fascinating heritage attractions
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 a pulpit 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: info@downcathedral.org
www.downcathedral.org
Check our website for opening times and admission prices
FIND OUT HOW THE FEW

CHANGED HISTORY
The new Wing visitor centre at the National Memorial to the Few is
home to a unique audio-visual experience that tells the tale of the
Battle of Britain, arguably the most important conflict fought by this
country in the whole of the last century.
The Cotswolds
The Scramble Experience, opened this spring, complements the

existing Memorial and the other features of this special clifftop site,
dedicated to the men Churchill called the Few.
10%
online discount
Use promo code
BritMag2015
Time Out
of the Ordinary
Those features include the Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall,

which lists the names of all those who took part in the Battle, and a
replica Hurricane and Spitfire.
Open daily from 10am. For seasonal closing times and much more
information see www.battleofbritainmemorial.org
AT THE INSPIRATIONAL
BATTLE OF BRITAIN
VISITOR CENTRE IN KENT
Visit us at CT18 7JJ on the B2011 at
Capel-le-Ferne, just outside Folkestone, Kent
Discover 1,000 years of British history and explore

award-winning gardens at a much loved family home,
in the heart of the Cotswolds.
Open daily until Sunday 1st November 2015, 10am - 5pm
Events throughout the season | Discounts for group bookings
Free cup of tea or coffee for concession ticket holders, Mon to Fri
www.sudeleycastle.co.uk
Tel: 01242 604 244
telephone - 01303 249292

email - manager@battleofbritainmemorial.org
BR7.qxp_Layout 1 28/07/2015
15:35 Page 1
Llancaiach Fawr Manor

is where the past and the present meet. History here
is tangible. The servants of the house are living and
working in 1645 and encourage you to share and
engage in their world and the cares and concerns of
ordinary people living in extraordinary times.
DAVID AUSTIN ROSES
Open Tuesday - Sunday 10 - 5pm
Munstead Wood (Ausbernard)
David C.H. Austin
David Austins fragrant, repeatflowering English Roses are the

result of a lifetimes dedication
to rose breeding.
Visit www.davidaustinroses.com
BR7
Call 800 328 8893 (US)

01902 376300 (UK)
For more information visit our website or just give us a call
www.llancaiachfawr.co.uk
01443 412248
BRITAINS CHOICE take a tour and make the most of your holiday
Private Small
Group Tours
England, Scotland and Ireland

Experience up to 5,000 years of
British history and culture
including pre-history, castles,
grand houses, battlefields,
Roman Britain, architecture,
industrial history, scenery,
gardens, Shakespeare, Robert
Burns, Cotswolds, Lake District,
Whisky Tours and much more.
Private tours arranged by an
experienced and bonded
tour guide, self-drive tours
also available.
Hidden britain1-4
30/1/09
14:53
Page 1
Tel: +44 (0)141 638 5500

Website: www.catswhiskerstours.co.uk
Blog: www.catswhiskerstours.com
Direct e-mail: info@catswhiskerstours.co.uk
Jane Austen
The Dancing Years
Explore Jane Austens

early life with Hampshire
Ambassador, Phil Howe.
Discover the villages,
churches, country houses
and trace the people she
describes in her letters.
Tours can include a visit to
the Jane Austen
House Museum, and
the village of Chawton.
Enjoy lunch at a Hampshire
country inn. An ideal halfday or one-day tour.
Downton Abbey Tours
when available.
45 mins by train from
London Waterloo
For more information Phone: +44 (0)1256 814222

e-mail: info@hiddenbritaintours.co.uk
or visit www.hiddenbritaintours.co.uk
Chauffeured sightseeing tours

of rural & historic Britain
Chauffeured
tours
Chauffeured sightseeing
sightseeing tours
Uncover the the hidden treasures and quirky
of of
rural
& historic
Britain
rural
Britain
delights of&thishistoric
fascinating country.
Uncover the hidden treasures and quirky

An
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delights
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Uncover
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An exclusive
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delights
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Tailored to the interests of the client, personalised itineraries allow
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An exclusive
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for upoftoBritain.
3 people
The Tours of the Realm experience is friendly, secure and an ideal
choice for visitors wishing to relax and enjoy the sights at a leisurely
pace with an excellent level of customer care.
tel: 07595 769615 or 01303 863869
email: enquiries@toursoftherealm.com
www.toursoftherealm.com
WHATS IN a word?
PHOTO: BETA757/SHUTTERSTOCK
Our language expert reveals the hidden meanings

of some bizarre West Country phrases
The West Country is an informal term for an area of south-west

England comprising the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset,
Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. It is a predominantly
rural region, surviving on tourism, dairy farming and agriculture.
Famous for its cider, clotted cream and pasties, the area boasts
gorgeous pastures in Exmoor, Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor.
Famous inhabitants include writers, such as Thomas Hardy and
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and eminent Britons Sir Joshua
Reynolds, Sir Christopher Wren and Sir Walter Raleigh.
In the Victorian glossaries of the county dialects youll find
unique words and phrases for some of the oddest customs and
traditions in this part of rural England.
In Cornwall there is boossenning in the parish of Altarnun,
where villagers cured mental illness by placing the patient on the
brink of a square pool filled with water from the Nuns Well; the
patient was then plunged into the water, roughly baptised and
repeatedly dipped until the frenzy had forsaken them.
In Somerset, cock-squailing was a gruesome old Shrove

(locally called Shaff) Tuesday sport that involved flinging sticks at
a cockerel until it died. During skimmerton-riding another
Somerset sport the effigy of a man or woman accused of being
unfaithful was carried on a pole, accompanied by rough music
from cows horns and frying pans. An earlier version involved two
people riding back to back on a horse, with ladles and marrow
bones in hand to ridicule a hen-pecked husband.
In Wiltshire there are two lovely phrases: a queens cushion,
meaning a seat for a little girl, made by two people crossing hands
and carrying her between them (likewise, theres a kings cushion
for a little boy), and a pigeon pair for a boy and a girl (when a
mother has only two children).
Adam Jacot de Boinod is the author of The Meaning of Tingo: and Other
Extraordinary Words from Around the World, published by Penguin Books,
and is the creator of the iPhone app Tingo, a quiz on interesting words.
WEST COUNTRY Conundrums

Can you guess the correct definition of the following phrases?
2. Griggles
1. Chinbowdash
(Dorset dialect)
A) The tie of the cravat.

B) To beat up batter for pudding.
C) Pertaining to a puppet show.
(Wiltshire dialect)
3. Boris-noris
A) Curls that hang over a womans shoulder.

B) Small, worthless apples remaining on the tree
after the crop has been gathered.
C) The four of clubs, considered unlucky.
A) Touch and go.

B) Vigorously with might and main.
C) Careless, reckless, happy-go-lucky.
(Dorset dialect)
For all the answers, plus more questions on the origins of English words, go to www.britain-magazine.com/quiz
988BRITAIN
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