Celebrating the best of our nation, every issue of Discover Britain is packed with features from history to travel. Read about the events that changed history, as well as British traditions and their origins, or be inspired for your next trip with great ideas for where to go and what to see. Whether you’re planning a weekend city break or an escape to the countryside, Discover Britain is your essential guide to getting the most out of your stay.
Welcome!
Letters
Wish you were here... • Inspiring postcards from around the British Isles
Highland paradise • Autumn is the best time to explore Queen Victoria’s beloved Cairngorms. Janice Hopper plots a whisky-fuelled trail of castles and attractions through Britain’s largest national park
DISCOVER THE CAIRNGORMS
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Treasure Island • Britain is home to a wealth of ancient treasures that help us to bring the past into focus. Diana Wright reveals the histories behind our nation’s most dazzling hoards
MY BRITAIN
Men behaving badly • With their glib charm, sexual promiscuity and dishonourable antics, Martha Alexander presents a history of Britain’s greatest cads and bounders from Henry VIII to James Bond
Royal Progress • The stuffy monarchy appeared ill-suited for the Swinging Sixties, yet as the former ITV News Royal Editor Tim Ewart reveals, Queen Elizabeth more than embraced these changing times
24 hours in… LIVERPOOL • Discover Pop Art ferries, boho studios and ornate toilets in The Beatles’ hometown
Passion Projects • While some museums house the world’s finest artefacts, others are content to celebrate more unusual passions. Laura Silverman explores Britain’s most eccentric collections
WIN a cultured London city break • Celebrate our museums special with a five-star hotel stay on the doorstep of the capital’s best collections
HOW TO ENTER
DISCOVER LONDON • A Kew Gardens’ gem restored Historic London Bridge The capital’s best museum exhibits
ROOM TO GROW • The newly-restored ‘greatest glasshouse in the world’ is just one more reason to visit the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as Steve Pill discovers
AT A GLANCE…
Bridging the gap • London Bridge is the oldest Thames crossing in the capital and its vast history adds character to the vibrant tourist area surrounding it as Florence Sheward discovers
Free for all • From extinct skeletons and ancient sculptures to royal gold and pioneering space suits, Florence Sheward picks out 15 of the best museum exhibits you can see for free in the capital
A FAMILY AFFAIR • Close to London and filled with antique treasures, Hatfield House was home to Tudor kings and queens. Yet today, as Nicola Rayner discovers, this Jacobean masterpiece is above all a family home
UNITED FRONT • Seemingly opposed in class, politics and personality, Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee forged an unlikely friendship during wartime as David Cohen reveals
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM • Facts, figures and stories from London’s grand palace of bones and fossils
IN NUMBERS
MAKING HISTORY • From Roman occupation and Viking battles to Georgian manors and New World voyages, the English county of Essex has been at the forefront of history for centuries as Steve Pill discovers
Night at the museum • Five sumptuous stays on the doorsteps of Britain’s best museums
BOOK REVIEWS • Brush up on Britain with these choice new hardbacks
The RAF roundel • As Britain’s Royal Air Force celebrates its centenary, Laura Silverman looks at the history of its iconic red, white and blue logo