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Home , Chideock, Fountains Abbey, Palace of Beaulieu, Windsor Castle, Woburn Abbey

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1 The Best of

Planning a trip to England presents a bewildering array of options. We’ve scoured the country in search of the best places and experiences; in this chapter, we share our very personal and opinionated selections to help you get started.

1 The Best Travel Experiences • A Night at the Theater: The torch peppered with ivy-covered inns and passed from Shakespeare still burns honey-colored stone cottages. brightly. London’s theater scene is • Punting on the Cam: This is acknowledged as the finest in the Cantabridgian English for gliding world, with two major subsidized along in a flat-bottom boat with a companies: the Royal Shakespeare long pole pushed into the River Company, performing at Stratford- Cam’s shallow bed. You bypass the upon-Avon and at the Barbican in weeping willows along the banks, London; and the National Theatre on watch the strolling students along the the South Bank in London. Fringe graveled walkways, and take in the theatre offers surprisingly good and picture-postcard vistas of green lawns often innovative productions staged along the water’s edge. See p. 540. in venues ranging from church cellars • Touring Stately Homes: England has to the upstairs rooms of pubs. hundreds of mansions open to visitors, • Pub Crawling: The pursuit of the some centuries old, and we tell you pint takes on cultural significance in about dozens of them. The homes are England. Ornate taps fill tankards often surrounded by beautiful gar- and mugs in pubs that serve as the dens; when the owners got fanciful, social heart of every village and town. they added splashing fountains and Quaint signs for such names as the miniature pagodas or temples. Red Lion, the White Swan, and the • Shopping for Antiques: Whatever Royal Oak dot the landscape and treasure you’re looking for, you can beckon you in, not only for the pint find it in England. We’re talking but also for the conviviality—and Steiff teddy bears, a blunderbuss, an perhaps evenCOPYRIGHTED the entertainment or 1890 MATERIALtin-plate toy train, an egg cup the food. allegedly used by , a • Motoring through the Cotswolds: If first-edition English print from driving involves a determined trip from 1700, or the definitive Henry one place to another, motoring is wan- Harper grandfather clock. No one dering at random. And there’s no bet- polishes up their antiques and curios ter place for it than the Cotswolds, less quite as brightly as English dealers. than 161km (100 miles) west of Lon- From auction houses to quaint don, its rolling hills and pasturelands shops, from flea markets to country 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 5

THE BEST OF LITERARY ENGLAND 5 fairs, England, particularly Victorian its tilled valleys lying in the shadow England, is for sale. of forbidding peaks, as it was meant • Cruising on Lake Windermere: to be viewed—from the water. A Inspired by the lyric poetry of great jaunt is the round-trip from Wordsworth, you can board a boat at Bowness to Ambleside, at the head of Windermere or Bowness and sail the lake, and back around to the vil- England’s most famous lake. You’ll lage of Lakeside, at the southern tip. see the ’s scenery, with See p. 636.

2 The Best of Literary England • Samuel Johnson’s House (London; Stratford gleefully peddle Shake- & 020/7353-3745): The backwater speare’s literary legacy, including his at no. 17 Gough Sq., situated on the birthplace, where the son of a glover north side of Fleet Street, was John- was born on April 23, 1564. Anne son’s home from 1748 to 1759. Here Hathaway’s Cottage, in the hamlet of he worked on his Rambler essays and Shottery, is also popular; Shakespeare his dictionary, and here his beloved married Hathaway when he was only wife, “Tetty,” died in 1752. See p. 182. 18 years old. See “Stratford-upon- • Keats House (London; & 020/ Avon,” in chapter 14. 7435-2062): Most of the poet’s brief • Sherwood Forest (East Midlands): life was spent in London, where he You won’t find Errol Flynn in Techni- was born in 1795 in a livery stable color-green tights gallivanting through run by his father. He moved to a forest of mighty oaks with his band Hampstead in 1817 and met his of merry men. Although most of the fiancée, Fanny Brawne, there. In this forest has been open grassland since house, he coughed blood into his the 14th century, it lives on in legend, handkerchief. “That drop of blood is literature, and lore as the most famous my death warrant,” he said. “I must woodland in the world. At the Sher- die.” He left for Rome in 1820 and wood Forest Visitor Centre at Edwin- died there a year later. See p. 187. stowe, the world of Friar Tuck and • Jane Austen Country: The author of Little John lives on. See “Notting- Pride and Prejudice and Sense and hamshire: Robin Hood Country,” in Sensibility wrote of rural delights and chapter 16. a civilized society—set mainly in her • Grasmere (The Lake District): beloved . In 1809, she William Wordsworth lived here with moved with her mother to Chawton, his sister, Dorothy, who commented 80km (50 miles) south of Bath, on the “domestic slip of mountain” where she lived until 1817. Her behind their home, Dove Cottage. house is now a museum. Her novels The cottage itself is now part of the Persuasion and Northanger are Wordsworth Museum, displaying associated with the city of Bath, manuscripts and memorabilia. The where she visited frequently in her poet also lived for a time at nearby youth and lived from 1801 to 1806. Rydal Mount, just north of Amble- In her final year, she moved to 8 Col- side (one of his descendants still owns lege St. in Winchester. She is buried the property), where you can see gar- in Winchester Cathedral. See p. 319. dens landscaped by the poet. • Stratford-upon-Avon (Warwick- Throughout the region, you’ll find shire): The folks who live in touristy the landscapes that inspired this giant 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 6

6 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF ENGLAND of English romanticism, including Museum. Here the famous Brontë sis- the shores of Ullswater, where ters lived and spun their web of Wordsworth saw his famous “host of romance. Emily wrote Wuthering golden daffodils.” See “Grasmere,” in Heights, Charlotte wrote Jane Eyre and chapter 18. Villette, and even Anne wrote two • Haworth (West ): Second novels, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and only to Stratford-upon-Avon as a Agnes Grey, though neither measures major literary pilgrimage site is the up to her sisters’ works. See “Haworth: home of the Brontë Parsonage Home of the Brontës,” in chapter 19.

3 The Best of Legendary England • (near Salisbury, Wilt- came here as a child with Joseph of shire): The most celebrated prehistoric Arimathea. According to another monument in Europe, Stonehenge is legend, King Arthur was buried at some 5,000 years old, but its original Glastonbury, the site of the fabled purpose remains a mystery. The Avalon. See p. 381. romantic theory that Stonehenge was • Tintagel (Cornwall): On the “constructed by the Druids” is non- windswept Cornish coast, the sense; it was completed before the of Tintagel is said to be the birthplace Druids reached Britain in the 3rd of King Arthur. The castle was actu- century B.C., but the legend persists. ally built much later than the See p. 359. Arthurian legend, around 1150. But • Glastonbury Abbey (Somerset): who wants to stand in the way of a One of the great abbeys of England good story? No one in Cornwall, and once a center of culture and that’s for sure. Tintagel merrily touts learning, Glastonbury quickly fell the King Arthur legend—in town, into ruins following the Dissolu- you can order an Excaliburger! See tion of the . One story “Tintagel Castle: King Arthur’s Leg- about the abbey says that Jesus endary Lair,” in chapter 12.

4 The Best of Ancient & Roman England • Roman Painted House (Dover, • Roman Baths (Bath, Avon): Dedi- Kent): Called Britain’s “buried Pom- cated to the goddess Sulis Minerva, peii,” this 1,800-year-old structure has the baths were founded in A.D. 75. exceptionally well-preserved walls and Among the finest Roman remains in an under-floor heating system used by the country, they’re still fed by the Romans. It’s best known for its Britain’s most famous hot spring. The unique Bacchic murals. See p. 275. site of the Temple of Sulis Minerva is • (west of Marlborough, excavated and open for viewing. See Wiltshire; east of Bath, Avon): p. 370. Although not as famous as Stone- • Corinium Museum (Cirencester, in henge, this is one of Europe’s leading the Cotswolds): This museum con- prehistoric monuments. Its circle of tains one of the best collections of more than 100 stones—some of archaeological remains from the them weighing in at 50 tons—is Roman occupation of Britain. You’ll arrayed on an 11-hectare (28-acre) see Roman mosaics that have site. See p. 360. 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 7

THE BEST OF NORMAN & MEDIEVAL ENGLAND 7 remained in Britain, along with 118km (73 miles) from Wallsend, or provincial sculpture, such as figures Wall’s End, north of Newcastle upon of Minerva and Mercury. See p. 451. Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Sol- • Hadrian’s Wall (near Hexham, way beyond Carlisle in the west. A Northumberland): A World Heritage milecastle (small fort) was added at Site, this wall—now in ruins—was every mile along the wall. A highlight ordered built by Hadrian, the Roman is Vindolanda, the last of eight succes- emperor, in A.D. 122 to hold back sive Roman forts built on a site adja- barbarian invasions from the north. cent to the wall. See “Hexham, Marking the far northern border of Hadrian’s Wall & the Pennine Way,” the Roman Empire, the wall stretched in chapter 19.

5 The Best of Norman & Medieval England • Battle Abbey (East Sussex): At this conquest of England. A 13th-cen- site of the famous Battle of Hastings tury gateway remains from the origi- (fought on Oct 14, 1066), the Nor- nal fortress. The Luttrell family held mans defeated King Harold’s English possession of the castle and its lands army. built a from 1376 until the great commemorative abbey here; the took it over in 1976. See p. 386. high altar of its church was erected • Warwick Castle (Warwickshire): over the spot where Harold fell in This is the finest medieval castle in battle. The abbey was destroyed dur- England, lying on a cliff overlooking ing the Dissolution of the Monaster- the Avon River. Its most powerful ies (1538–39). Some ruins and commander in the 1400s was the earl buildings remain, about which Ten- of Warwick, who, during the War of nyson wrote, “O Garden, blossoming the Roses, was called the “King- out of English blood.” See p. 281. maker.” One of the best collections of • Hastings Castle (Hastings, East Sus- medieval armor and weapons in sex): Now in ruins, this was the first of Europe is behind its walls. See p. 493. the Norman erected in England • & Studley Royal (ca. 1067). The fortress was unforti- (southwest of , in North - fied in 1216. An audiovisual presenta- shire): These ruins evoke monastic tion of the castle’s history includes the life in medieval England. In 1132, famous battle of 1066. See p. 282. Cistercian monks constructed “a • Rye (East Sussex): Near the English place remote from all the earth.” Channel, this port—one of England’s Explore the ruins as well as the Stud- best preserved towns—was a smug- ley Royal, whose lavish 18th-century gling center for centuries. Louis Jen- landscaping is one of the few surviv- nings once wrote, “Nothing more ing examples of a Georgian green gar- recent than a ’s Cloak, Hat den. See p. 675. and Ruffles should be seen on the • (North Wales): Edward streets of Rye.” See “The Ancient I ordered this masterpiece built after he Seaport of Rye,” in chapter 8. subdued the last native prince of • Dunster Castle (Somerset): This Wales. Visitors today can tour the royal castle was built on the site of a Nor- apartment where Edward brought his man castle granted to William de queen, Eleanor. The castle’s eight tow- Mohun of Normandy by William ers command the estuary of the River the Conqueror shortly after his Conwy. See p. 747. 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 8

8 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF ENGLAND

6 The Best of Tudor & Georgian England • Hampton Court (outside Lon- Wood (1704–54), among others, don): The most magnificent of the helped create a city of harmony and grand residences and royal lin- beauty, with landscaped terraces, ing the west of Central famous crescents such as the Royal London, Hampton Court was built in Crescent, and Palladian villas. See grand style for Cardinal Wolsey—until “Bath: Britain’s Most Historic Spa Henry VIII snatched it away. Henry Town,” in chapter 10. added the great hall in 1532, forcing • (Warwickshire): laborers to toil 24 hours a day in shifts. This castle was the setting for Sir The sheer size of the palace is amazing, ’s romantic novel, Kenil- and on its grounds is the world’s first worth, first published in 1862, which indoor tennis court. See p. 187. recounts the supposed murder of • Bath (Avon): Much magnificent , wife of Robert Dudley, 18th-century architecture remains earl of Leicester. had pre- exactly as Jane Austen saw it, despite sented Kenilworth Castle to her repeated World War II bombings. At favorite earl in 1563. The castle was one time, Bath was the most fashion- destroyed after the civil war and is able spa in Britain. Architect John now in ruins. See p. 497.

7 The Best of Victorian England • Albert Memorial (Kensington • (southeast of East Palace, London): If any statue sym- Cowes on the ): This bolizes an era, this flamboyant tribute was Queen Victoria and Prince to Victoria’s consort, her beloved Albert’s most cherished residence. Albert (1819–61), does; it is the epit- Constructed at Queen Victoria’s own ome of Victorian excess. The statue expense, it is imbued with her spirit. depicts Albert holding a catalog of The rooms are a perfect period piece the Great Exhibition. He overlooks of Victoriana, with all their artifacts the South Kensington Culture Cen- and stuffy chairs—a cozy clutter best tre, his last legacy. The 4m-high (14- evoked by her sitting room. Grief- ft.) statue went into place in 1876 stricken at the death of Albert in and was instantly described as an 1861, the queen requested that the “outsize reliquary casket.” house be kept as it was upon the • Houses of Parliament (London): No death of her husband. See p. 337. government building in England • Manchester (Lancashire): A major symbolizes the Victorian age like the inland port since 1894, Manchester , housing Par- long had a reputation as a blackened, liament. Replacing a palace destroyed foggy, and forbidding city, grim and by fire in 1834, it cost £2 million dowdy, the worst of the Midlands. ($3.8 million) to build, a princely But it has been cleaned up, and today sum at the time. The building was its center is filled with masterpieces of completed in 1860 and turned out to sturdy, solid , be Gothic fantasy, its facade deco- including homes built for the great rated with monarchs ranging from industrial barons of the 19th century. William the Conqueror to Queen See “Manchester: Gateway to the Victoria. See p. 159. North,” in chapter 17. 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 9

THE BEST CATHEDRALS 9 • National Railway Museum (York): is filled with railway memorabilia, The first national museum to be built more than 40 full-size locomotives, away from London is devoted to the plus the century-old Royal Saloon, in locomotive that changed the face of which Queen Victoria rode until her Victorian England. Set in an original death. See p. 661. steam locomotive depot, the museum

8 The Best Museums • The British Museum (London): Housed in a neoclassical country When Sir Hans Sloane died in 1753, house, this collection presents 2 cen- he bequeathed to England his vast turies of American life and styles— collection of art and antiquities for including George Washington’s only £20,000 ($38,000), forming the mother’s recipe for gingerbread. See nucleus of a collection that would p. 368. one day embrace everything from the • The Fitzwilliam Museum (Cam- Rosetta Stone to the hotly contested bridge, East Anglia): Although Lon- Elgin Marbles (Greece wants them don dominates this list, some back). It’s all here—and much, much outstanding regional museums exist, more—in one of the world’s great including this gem near King’s Col- museums. See p. 160. lege. Exhibits range from paintings by • The National Gallery (London): Titian and Renoir to Chinese, Egypt- One of the world’s greatest collections ian, and Greek antiquities. See p. 543. of Western art dazzles the eye. Artists • Walker Art Gallery (, Lan- ranging from da Vinci to Rembrandt cashire): One of the finest collections to Picasso are represented here. The of European and British paintings in gallery is especially rich in works by Britain, this gallery deserves to be bet- artists. See p. 163. ter known. A nearly complete study of • Tate Britain (London): Sir Henry British paintings is displayed here, Tate, a sugar producer, started the from Tudor days to the present. The 10,000-piece collection with only 70 gallery also owns an outstanding col- paintings. The Tate was considerably lection of pre-Raphaelites. See p. 614. enlarged when J. M. W. Turner • National Museum of Wales bequeathed some 300 paintings and (Cardiff): This museum, Wales’s 19,000 watercolors to England upon finest, presents the panorama of the his death. The Tate Modern, a repos- history of this little country from pre- itory of avant-garde modern art, is historic times until the present. And directly across the river. See p. 162. its collection of 18th-century porce- • The American Museum (Claverton, lain is one of the finest in the world. 3km/2 miles east of Bath, Avon): See p. 704.

9 The Best Cathedrals • (London): One funeral of Princess Diana in 1997. of the world’s greatest Anglo-French With few exceptions, the kings and Gothic buildings has witnessed a queens of England have all been parade of English history—from the crowned here, and many are buried crowning of William the Conqueror here as well. See p. 156. on Day 1066 to the 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 10

10 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF ENGLAND • (Canterbury, landmark spire—its most striking fea- Kent): The object of countless pil- ture—was completed in 1325. The grimages, as described in Chaucer’s cathedral epitomizes the Early English Canterbury Tales, this cathedral style of architecture. See p. 357. replaced one that was destroyed by • (Durham, York- fire in 1067. A new cathedral was also shire): Completed between 1095 and destroyed by fire in 1174, when the 1133, this cathedral exemplifies Nor- present structure was built. Thomas à man architecture on a broad scale. Its Becket, the archbishop of Canterbury, nave, a structure of almost majestic was murdered here, and his shrine was power, is its most notable feature. See an important site for pilgrims until p. 687. the Reformation. See p. 268. • (York, Yorkshire): The • Winchester Cathedral (Winchester, largest Gothic cathedral north of the Hampshire): Construction of the Alps is also among the grandest, with cathedral that dominates this ancient incredible stained-glass windows. Its city and capital of old Wessex began unusual octagonal in 1079. In time, Winchester Cathe- has a late-15th-century choir screen dral became England’s longest by William Hyndeley. See p. 662. medieval cathedral, noted for its 12- • Llandaff Cathedral (Llandaff, bay nave. Many famous people are Wales): Begun under the Normans, buried here, including Jane Austen. this cathedral outside Cardiff makes a See p. 319. dramatic impression. Its west front is • Salisbury Cathedral (Salisbury, Wilt- one of the best works of medieval art shire): The most stylistically unified of in Wales. That didn’t prevent England’s cathedrals, this edifice was Cromwell’s armies from using the built in the mid–13th century. Its edifice as a beer hall. See p. 703.

10 The Best Castles, Palaces & Historic Homes • Woburn Abbey (Woburn, Bedford- tapestries, paintings, and even the shire): A Cistercian abbey for 4 cen- red silk stockings Elizabeth I wore. turies, Woburn Abbey has been See p. 259. visited by everyone from Queen Vic- • (Windsor, Berk- toria to Marilyn Monroe. You’ll see shire): The largest inhabited strong- Queen Victoria’s bedroom, and the hold in the world and England’s Room, with its 21 perspec- largest castle, Windsor Castle has tives of Venice. The grounds, more been a royal abode since William the popular than the house, include the Conqueror constructed a motte and Wild Animal Kingdom, the best zoo- on the site 4 years after con- logical collection in England after the quering England. Severely damaged London Zoo. See p. 262. by fire in 1992, the castle has been • (Hertfordshire): mainly restored. Its major attraction Hatfield was the childhood home of is the great Perpendicular of Elizabeth I, who was under an oak St. George’s, begun by Edward IV. tree there when she learned she had The chancel is known for its three- become queen of England. Hatfield tiered stalls, with its misericords remains one of England’s largest and (ledges used for support) and ornate finest country houses, with antiques, carvings. See p. 224. 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 11

THE BEST GARDENS 11 • (Woodstock, near was the former residence of Eliza- Oxford, Oxfordshire): England’s bethan poet Sir Philip Sidney answer to Versailles, this extravagant (1554–86). In its day, the house palace was the home of the attracted literati, including Ben Jon- 11th duke of Marlborough and the son. The original 1346 hall has seen birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. the subsequent addition of Tudor, The structure was designed by Sir Jacobean, and neo-Gothic wings. See John Vanbrugh, of p. 288. fame. Sarah, the duchess of Marlbor- • Hever Castle & Gardens (Edenbridge, ough, battled the architects and Kent): This was the childhood home of builders from the beginning, wanting , second wife of Henry “a clean sweet house and garden be it VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I. ever so small.” That she didn’t get— In 1903, William Waldorf Astor, an the structure measures 255m (850 ft.) American multimillionaire and Anglo- from end to end. phile, bought the castle, restored it, and designed the gardens. See p. 253. landscaped the grounds. From the out- • Knole (near Tonbridge, Kent): side, it still looks as it did in Tudor Begun in 1456 by the archbishop of times, with a moat and drawbridge pro- Canterbury, Knole is celebrated for tecting the castle. See p. 287. its 365 rooms (one for each day of the • Beaulieu Abbey–Palace House year), its 52 staircases (for each week (Beaulieu, in New Forest): Home of of the year), and its seven courts (for the first Lord Montagu, Palace House each day of the week). Knole, one of blends monastic England’s largest private houses set in from the Middle Ages with Victorian a 404-hectare (1,000-acre) , trappings. Yet many visitors consider is a splendid example of Tudor archi- the National Motor Museum, also on tecture. See p. 286. the premises and with a collection • Penshurst Place (near Tonbridge, of more than 250 antique automo- Kent): One of England’s most out- biles, more fascinating than the standing country homes, this mansion house. See p. 333.

11 The Best Gardens • Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (near Its flamboyant parentage, unusual London): A delight in any season, landscaping (the grounds were laid everything blooms in profusion in between the surviving parts of an this 121-hectare (300-acre) garden, Elizabethan mansion), and location from delicate exotics to common- just 34km (21 miles) northeast of place flowers and shrubs. An easy trip Cranbrook make it the most intrigu- from London, , as it’s ing garden on London’s doorstep. known, possesses the largest herbar- Overrun by tourists in summer, it’s ium on earth. Famed landscape archi- best in autumn, when the colors tect Capability Brown helped lay out peak. See p. 288. part of the grounds. See p. 189. • Wisley Garden (Wisley, Kent): Wis- • Sissinghurst Castle Garden (near ley Garden sprawls across 101 hectares Maidstone, Kent): A notorious liter- (250 acres), filled with an abundance ary couple, Vita Sackville-West and of flowers and shrubs. Maintained by Harold Nicolson created this garden. the Royal Horticultural Society, it 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 12

12 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF ENGLAND ranges from alpinelike meadows to flowering rhododendrons. The land- summer carpets of flowers. In early scaped orchid house alone is worth the summer, the gardens are brilliant with trip here. See p. 290.

12 The Best London Experiences • Cruising London’s Waterways companion, it’s one of the most idyl- (Tube: Charing Cross): In addition to lic ways to spend a sunny London the Thames, London is riddled with afternoon. See p. 185. an antique canal system, complete • Wandering through Covent Gar- with towpath walks, bridges, and den: George Bernard Shaw got his wharves. Replaced by the railroad, inspiration for Pygmalion here, where the system was forgotten until redis- the character of Eliza Doolittle sold covered by a new generation. An violets to wealthy operagoers. The old urban renewal effort has restored the fruit and vegetable market, with its system, with bridges painted and Cockney cauliflower peddlers and repaired, and towpaths cleaned up. butchers in blood-soaked aprons, is See “Organized Tours,” in chapter 6. long gone. But what’s left is just as • Viewing the Turners at the Tate: interesting: Today’s is Upon his death in 1851, J. M. W. London’s best example of urban Turner bequeathed his personal col- renewal. An antiques market is in the lection of 19,000 watercolors and piazza on Monday, a crafts market some 300 paintings to the people of Tuesday through Saturday. See p. 92. Britain. He wanted his finished • Watching the Sunset at Waterloo works, some 100 paintings, displayed Bridge: Waterloo Bridge is the best under one roof. Today at the Tate, place in London to watch you get not only Turner but also set over Westminster. From here, glimpses of the Thames through the you can also see the last rays of sun- museum’s windows. How appropri- light bounce off the city spires in ate—the artist lived and died on its the East End. banks in Chelsea and painted the • Spending a Night at a West End river in its many changing moods. Theater: London is the theatrical See p. 160. capital of the world. The live stage • Enjoying a Traditional Afternoon offers a unique combination of vari- Tea: Nothing is more typically ety, accessibility, and economy—and British, and it’s a great way to spend a look at next year’s Broadway hit. an afternoon. We suggest our favorite Coverage of the London theater scene places for tea (p. 151). begins on p. 202. • Rowing on the Serpentine: When • Crawling the London Pubs: With the weather is right, we like to head some 5,000 pubs within the city lim- to this 17-hectare (41-acre) artificial its, enough traditional ones remain, lake, dating from 1730 and located in especially in central London. Make a Hyde Park. A stream was dammed to crawl worthwhile by fortifying your- create the artificial lake, whose name self with a ploughman’s lunch or a derives from its winding, snakelike plate of shepherd’s pie. Our favorites shape. At the Boathouse, you can rent include Grenadier (p. 214), Salisbury a boat by the hour. With the right (p. 216), and Red Lion (p. 216). 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 13

THE MOST CHARMING VILLAGES 13

13 The Best of Modern Britain • Tate Modern (London; & 020/ those rare species that grow in the 7887-8888; www.tate.org.uk): A Amazon, and it’s set in breezy Corn- Bankside Power Station in Southwark wall. The gardens spread over 51 was transformed into a vast collection hectares (125 acres) in a former clay of modern art, even 21st century quarry. Locals refer to the attraction avant-garde works. Favorite artists are as “the Garden of Eden.” See p. 425. showcased here, including every • Castlefield: In the city of Manchester, painter from Matisse to Andy this historic core has been designated Warhol, from Salvador Dalí to as an urban heritage park, inviting Picasso and Francis Bacon. In addi- exploration. In a feat of gentrification, tion to the permanent collection, city authorities are turning this once- there are first-rate changing exhibi- blighted area of warehouses and tions. See p. 163. canals into a thriving community full • British Airways London Eye of restaurants, bars, museums, and art (& 0870/5000-600; www.london galleries. The first railway station in eye.com): Taking a ride in this “pod,” the world, dating from 1830, has you can see for 40km (25 miles) on a been converted into The Museum of clear day. It’s London viewed as a bird Science and Industry. See p. 604. might see it. For nearly half an hour, • National Space Centre (Leicester; you hover over the city in a slow- & 0870/607-7223; www.nssc.co.uk): motion flight. See p. 184. Crowned by a futuristic rocket tower, • The Eden Project (Bodelva, St. this is Britain’s only attraction dedi- Austell; & 01726/811-911; www. cated to space science and astronomy. edenproject.com): Lying 48km (30 Visitors are taken through eight miles) west of Plymouth, this geo- themed galleries, where they see space desic dome shelters some of the rockets, satellites, and capsules. Many world’s most exotic plants, including attractions are hands-on. See p. 574.

14 The Most Charming Villages • Clovelly: It is said that the little church was even depicted in the community of Clovelly has Bayeux Tapestry—that’s how old it is. been featured on more calendars than • Painswick: Deep in the heart of the any other village in England. Starting Cotswolds, this old wool town is still at a great height, the village cascades remarkably well preserved, its ancient down to the harborfront along a nar- buildings still guarding the narrow row, cobblestone High Street. You streets blanketed by antique cottages park your car at the top and make the of honey-colored stone. Its church is trip on foot. Supplies are carried known for the 99 yew trees. Accord- down by donkeys. See p. 415. ing to legend, the Devil won’t let the • Bosham: A real discovery, the Sussex 100th yew tree grow. To the north of village of Bosham (p. 291) seems to the town, its Garden is visi- slumber in a time warp. Once a ted by people from all over the world. stamping ground for Saxon kings, it See p. 452. lives with its memories, its historic • Bibury: For sheer charm and quaint- beauty, and old cottages intact. Its ness, the old Cotswold town Painswick 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 14

14 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF ENGLAND is a rival of Bibury for the title of most for weather-beaten roofs, original picturesque village in England. Sitting mullioned windows, and a fine per- idyllically on the Coln River, Bibury is pendicular church from the 15th cen- known for its Arlington Row, a charm- tury. See p. 474. ing cluster of 17th-century weavers’ • Betws-y-Coed: Deep in the heart of cottages that are remarkably preserved. the national park of Snowdonia, this See p. 458. oddly named village lies in a tree-lined • Chipping Campden: Elegant, regal valley of the River Conwy. With an Chipping Campden seems frozen in antique church, it also comes com- time, fighting other Cotswold vil- plete with tumbling rivers and water- lages, Bibury and Painswick, for the falls set against a backdrop of title of most beautiful in England. It mountain scenery. The town, which is is a dream of long ago when wealthy also known for its eight bridges, makes wool merchants built honey-stoned an ideal center for exploring the attrac- cottages in prosperous towns. Look tions of North Wales. See p. 733.

15 The Best Walks & Hikes • New Forest: Requisitioned by William it’s only 1.6km (1 mile). A well-worn the Conqueror as a game reserve in footpath, Warden’s Way, meanders 1079, the 374-sq.-km (144-sq.-mile) beside the edge of the swift-flowing New Forest isn’t very new. Today the River Eye. You pass cottages of honey- New Forest is one of southern Eng- colored stone, antique houses, stately land’s best rural playgrounds, attract- trees, footbridges, and old millponds. ing eight million annual visitors. You You can also extend the walk another 1 can ramble its carefully laid out trails at 2.5km (1 ⁄2 miles) to romantic Bour- leisure, or else take a guided scenic ton-on-the-Water. See p. 466. walk offered by the Forest Commis- • The : Beginning sion. Our favorite is the Arboretum in the cathedral city of Winchester in Sensory Trail, stretching for .8km the West Country, the South Downs (a half-mile). See p. 329. Way, one of the most scenic hikes in • Dartmoor National Park: Rich in the south of England, goes all the way legend and lore, this national park to the town of Eastbourne. The dis- northeast of Plymouth is home to tance across the bucolic terrain is gorges, fields of purple heather, and 159km (99 miles). A bridleway forms the Dartmoor pony. The park is criss- the trail across these chalk uplands as crossed with about 805km (500 miles) you traverse miles of woodland. A of walking and hiking trails along with highlight is the “Cliffs of the Seven bridle paths. To get the scenic most Sisters.” Bookstores in Winchester out of this area, join one of the guided sell copies of A Guide to South Downs walks offered by the Dartmoor Way by Miles Jebb (Constable Press) National Park Authority (p. 402), and the even more detailed South 1 ranging from an easy 1 ⁄2-hour jaunt to Downs Way by Paul Millmore 6 long hours of trekking. (Aurum Press). • The Great Cotswold Ramble: One • The Cotswolds Way: One of the of the most memorable walks in Eng- great hiking “rambles” of England land is between the two idyllic villages is the Great Cotswolds Way, a 167km of Upper and Lower Slaughter. And (104-mile) trail that cuts through 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 15

THE BEST HISTORIC LUXURY HOTELS 15 some of England’s most beautiful waterfalls, and steep hills, the Peak scenery in the bucolic Cotswolds. District National Park is the scenic Laid out as late as 1968, the ramble highlight of the East Midlands, cover- goes from the town of Chipping ing some 91,404 sq. km (542 sq. Campden, arguably the most beauti- miles). The Peak District National ful in the Cotswolds, in the north, Park (p. 576) will supply you with going all the way to the spa city of details for hiking through this rugged Bath. The trail is clearly signposted terrain. The most evocative walk is the at every intersection en route. The Monsal Trail lying between Buxton hike takes from 7 to 8 days but, of and Bakewell, two towns that make course, you can stop at any point. the best centers for touring the park. • Peak District National Park: A dis- trict of moors, dales, green valleys,

16 The Best Historic Luxury Hotels • Brown’s Hotel (London; & 020/ Worcester. Some of the inn’s antiques 7493-6020; www.brownshotel.com): are listed in The Dictionary of English All Chippendale and chintz, Brown’s Furniture. Request a room in the was launched by the former manser- Tudor Wing with its tilted oak floors vant to Lord Byron in 1837, and it has and wooden beams. Number 20, been going strong ever since. Today, it with its massive canopied bed, is our occupies 14 historic houses just off favorite. See p. 472. Berkeley Square and coddles its well- • Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel heeled guests in luxury. See p. 107. (Lake Ullswater, the Lake District; • Chewton Glen Hotel (New Milton, & 01768/486301; www.sharrowbay. Hampshire; & 800/344-5087 in the co.uk): This gem is known as much U.S., or 01425/275341; www.chewton for its cuisine as for its accommoda- glen.com): This hotel is the best place tions. The location alone would jus- to stay in southwest England. Service, tify checking in: a 4.8-hectare taste, and quality are its hallmarks. (12-acre) site, with several gardens, in The health club has a stunning a national park on bucolic Lake Ulls- design, with a centerpiece swimming water, beneath Barton Fell. The lake- pool and 28 hectares (70 acres) of side dining room offers panoramic manicured grounds. Guest rooms views of the water, and you can feature period furniture. And the always find something delectable on meals served in the Marryat Room the menu. See p. 652. Restaurant are prepared with first- • Bodysgallen Hall (Llandudno, rate ingredients. See p. 330. North Wales; & 01492/584466; • The Lygon Arms (Broadway, Cots- www.bodysgallen.com): One of wolds; & 01386/852255; www. Wales’s greatest country-house hotels, thelygonarms.co.uk): Dating from this 17th-century mansion lies on 81 1532, this fabled inn in the hectares (200 acres) of gardens and Cotswolds has hosted many famous parkland. Even though an antique, it guests—Charles I used to drop in, oozes with modern comforts while and even spent a retaining its charms in elegantly fur- night here, on the eve of the Battle of nished suites. See p. 748. 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 16

16 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF ENGLAND

17 The Best Modern Luxury Hotels • The Sanderson (London; & 800/ • Jonathans (Birmingham; & 01214/ 697-1791 or 020/7300-1400; www. 293757; www.jonathans.co.uk): This sandersonlondon.com): Ian Schrager, modern hotel looks like an antique— king of New York hip, took an office but it’s not. Set within a classic 19th- building near Oxford Street and century country house outside turned it into a bastion of modern Birmingham, it’s been recycled and luxury living—or, as they call it, an brilliantly converted into a hotel. “ethereal, transparent urban spa.” Although it’s filled with Victoriana, The menu and concept for the including four-poster beds and fire- restaurant were the creation of the places, its facilities are up to date. The great Alain Ducasse. See p. 112. bedrooms are all suites and furnished individually. See p. 502.

18 The Best Moderately Priced Hotels • The Sanctuary House Hotel (Lon- was featured on the PBS Mystery! don; & 020/7799-4044; www.fullers series, Poirot. Those seeking decent hotels.com): In a historic building accommodations in , at close to Westminster Abbey, a brew- an affordable price, have made their ery has converted an old building into way to this address in Cartwright a traditional English inn with pub Gardens ever since Maggie Jenkins downstairs. It’s like something you opened the place in the 1920s. might find in the countryside of Eng- Rooms are small but well furnished, land, but instead it’s in the historic and some of the original Georgian heart of London. The place is a bit charm remains. See p. 115. nostalgic, like the food served—all the • Mermaid Inn (Rye, Sussex; & 01797/ old favorites such as roast beef, Welsh 223065; www.mermaidinn.com): Eng- lamb, and Dover sole. See p. 118. land’s most famous smugglers’ inn, the • The Fielding Hotel (London; & 020/ Mermaid sheltered Elizabeth I on her 7836-8305; www.the-fielding-hotel. visit to Rye in 1573. At the time of the co.uk): Named after the novelist queen’s visit, the inn had already been Henry Fielding of Tom Jones fame, operating for 150 years. Still going this hotel is one of the most eccentric strong, it leans heavily on English in London. You’ll either love it or romance—old-world furnishings, some hate it. Most guests love its cramped, four-poster beds, and even a secret quirky, quaint aura, and its location staircase. From its doorstep, the cob- at Covent Garden is unbeatable. blestone streets of ancient Rye await Everything is old-fashioned and tra- exploration. See p. 277. ditional, but if you complain that the • Powder Mills Hotel (Battle, Surrey; bedrooms are too small, Smokey, the & 01424/775511; www.powder African gray parrot, will tell you off! millshotel.com): Near the famous See p. 116. battlefield at Battle Abbey, this Geor- • The Jenkins Hotel (London; gian house stands on 61 hectares & 020/7387-2067; www.jenkin- (150 acres). A historic property that shotel.demon.co.uk): Hailed by one once catered to luminaries such as the London publication as one of the 10 duke of Wellington has been success- best hotel values in town, the Jenkins fully converted to receive paying 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 17

THE BEST B&Bs 17 guests, housing them in style and • Ravenwood Hall (Bury St., comfort—all at an affordable price. Edmunds, Suffolk; & 01359/ See p. 281. 270345; www.ravenwoodhall.co.uk): • Apsley House Hotel (Bath, Avon; Deep in the heart of East Anglia, this & 01225/336966; www.apsley- was once called Tudor Hall. Today, it house.co.uk): Away from the city stands in a 2.7-hectare (7-acre) park center, this 1830 house was suppos- and gardens with an outdoor pool and edly constructed for the duke of tennis courts. Sleep in a four-poster Wellington. Its owners have restored bed and immerse yourself in old Eng- it and created a period house of char- land after having had a good dinner acter with an ambience of subdued and a toasty “warm-up” at the fire- elegance. See p. 364. place. See p. 551. • House Hotel (Chideock, • Henllys Hotel (The Old Court- ; & 01297/489242; www. house, Betws-y-Coed, North Wales; chideockhousehotel.com): A former & 01690/710534; www.guesthouse- 15th-century thatched house, once snowdonia.co.uk): This luxurious used by the in 1645, is B&B has the amenities of a small inn. now a hotel of charm and grace with It was converted from a Victorian fireplaces and individually decorated magistrates’ court and is set in lovely bedrooms. See p. 346. gardens along the river. See p. 734.

19 The Best B&Bs • Collin House (London; & 020/ poets such as Wordsworth. A warm 7730-8031; www.collinhouse.co.uk): welcome greets you as you’re ushered Near Victoria Station, this B&B was to one of the comfortably furnished constructed back in 1830 but has bedrooms in this antiques-filled Victo- stayed abreast of the times. Comfort- rian house that was successfully con- ably furnished and well-maintained verted to receive guests. See p. 635. bedrooms await you in one of the • White Vine House (Rye; & 01797/ most convenient sections of London. 224748; www.whitevinehouse.co.uk): The English breakfast is fit fortifica- In the romantic old seaport of Rye, tion for the day. See p. 118. this B&B has won many awards for • The Vicarage Hotel (London; the beauty of its garden and the qual- & 020/7229-4030; www.london ity of its restoration in a former 1568 vicaragehotel.com): In Royal Ken- sea captain’s house that was but a sington, the Diviney family has long derelict shell when restored in 1987. been hailed as the most hospitable The creeper-clad cottage offers invit- B&B keeper in London. Not far from ing bedrooms with both modern com- the Portobello Road Market, this forts and antiques. See p. 278. restored Victorian town house is an • The Beadles (Salisbury; & 01980/ inviting oasis of comfort and 862922; www.guestaccom.co.uk): charm—all at an affordable price. See This modernized Georgian house p. 122. with antique furnishings and a view • Fir Trees (Windermere; & 01539/ of the cathedral is a standout. It lies 442272; www.fir-trees.com): This 11km (7 miles) from Salisbury in a attractive and inviting guesthouse lies well-manicured garden with taste- near Lake Windermere, so beloved by fully furnished bedrooms. See p. 354. 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 18

18 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF ENGLAND • The Big Sleep Hotel (Cardiff; places to stay”—has been converted & 029/2063-6364; www.thebig from a 1960s office tower. A hotel of sleephotel.com): In the capital of affordable prices and chic minimal- Wales, this B&B—hailed by Condé ism, it is owned in part by actor John Nast Traveller as “one of the coolest Malkovich. See p. 699.

20 The Best Restaurants • Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s (Lon- • Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons (Great don; & 020/7499-0099): Gourmet— Milton, southeast of Oxford, Oxford- and famous Broadway musical shire; & 800/845-4274 in the U.S., or producer—Andrew Lloyd Webber has 01844/278881): The country-house proclaimed this hot chef the finest in hotel and restaurant of self-taught London. Maybe that’s going a bit far, Chef Raymond Blanc have brought but Ramsay is dazzling tout London him a TV series, as well as cookbooks with his pots and pans. Everything he and a school of cuisine. A new light- does bears an innovative twist, and ness, inspired mainly by Japan and the though he has learned from the past, Mediterranean, is more evident in the he’s hardly anchored there. Try any- celebrated chef’s creations, and more thing, but make sure you sample his meatless dishes appear on the seasonal “cappuccino” of white beans with menu. But the intensely French loyal- grated truffles. You’ll want to adopt ties remain: sweetbread-stuffed pigs’ him and take him home. See p. 125. trotters, kidneys, and foie gras, even • Le Gavroche (London; & 020/ veal tongue. See p. 243. 7408-0881): Long known for its • Le Champignon Sauvage (Chel- top-rate French cuisine, this stellar tenham, the Cotswolds; & 01242/ restaurant has risen to the top again 573449): David Everitt-Matthias has following a bit of a slump in the awakened the sleepy taste buds of 1990s. Come here for that grand Cheltenham. Thoroughly imbued in meal and skip the trip to Paris (we the French classics, he also adds more don’t really mean that). The menu modern and lighter touches to his options are a delight, with such tanta- table d’hôte menus, the finest at this lizing dishes as a cassoulet of snails old spa. Some dishes reach into the with herb-seasoned frogs’ legs. Natu- old English repertoire, including rally, the wine cellar is among Lon- stuffed leg of wild rabbit served with don’s finest. See p. 125. black pudding and turnip sauerkraut. • The Square (London; & 020/ His desserts are acclaimed as the most 7495-7100): One of the great Lon- luscious in England. See p. 456. don restaurants to have emerged in • The Moody Goose (Bath, Somerset; the 21st century, this gourmet citadel & 01761/416784): The spa city of is the domain of Master Chef Philip Bath offers some of the finest dining Howard, whose continental cuisine in the West Country and, in Bath has dazzled the food critics of Lon- itself, this English restaurant is the don. Howard is justifiably praised for market leader. A most refined cuisine his “magic” in the kitchen and for his is served here in an elegant Georgian use of “stunningly fresh” ingredients, setting. The kitchen is known for its which he deftly concocts into master- passion for fresh ingredients, and pieces. See p. 128. everything is cooked to order and to perfection. See p. 366. 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 19

THE BEST WEBSITES FOR ENGLAND 19

21 The Best Pubs • Salisbury (London; & 020/7836- thatched roof. A gathering place for 5863): Glittering cut-glass mirrors, the locals of Dartington, it’s a good old-fashioned banquettes, and light- place for a drink on a windy night, as ing fixtures of veiled bronze girls in log fires the lounge and bar flowing togas re-create the Victorian snug. See p. 406. gin-parlor atmosphere in the heart of • The Punch Bowl Inn (Lanreath, the West End. Theatergoers drop in near Looe, Cornwall; & 01503/ for homemade meat pie or a salad 220778): Licensed since 1620 as a buffet before curtain. See p. 216. pub, this was a former rendezvous for • Grenadier (London; & 020/7235- smugglers. High-backed settees and 3074): Arguably London’s most old fireplaces evoke the atmosphere famous pub, and reputedly haunted, of old England. Sample drinks in one the Grenadier was once frequented of the kitchens—among the few by the duke of Wellington’s officers “kitchens” in England licensed as on leave from fighting Napoleon. It bars. See p. 424. pours the best Bloody Marys in town, • The Turk’s Head (Penzance, Corn- and filet of beef Wellington is always wall; & 01736/363093): Dating a specialty. See p. 214. from 1233, this durable local favorite • The Ship Inn (, Devon; is filled with artifacts and timeworn & 01392/272040): Frequented by beams. Drinkers take their lagers into Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter a summer garden or retreat inside to Raleigh, this pub near Exeter Cathe- the snug chambers when the wind dral is the most celebrated in Devon. blows cold. See p. 429. It still provides tankards of real ale, • The Lamb Inn (Burford, the the same drink swilled by the likes of Cotswolds; & 01993/823155): This Sir John Hawkins. You can also eat is our favorite place for a lager in all here; portions are large, as in Eliza- the Cotswolds. In a mellow old house bethan times. See p. 394. from 1430 with thick stones and • The Cott Inn (Dartington, near mullioned and leaded windows, it’s a Totnes, Devon; & 01803/863777): good place to spend the night, have Constructed in 1320 and believed to a traditional English meal, or quaff a be the second-oldest inn in England, beer. Snacks are served in the time- it’s a low, rambling, two-story build- worn bars and lounges or in a garden ing of stone, cob, and plaster under a in summer. See p. 461.

22 The Best Websites for England • Britannia (www.britannia.com): bookings. Dining information includes This site is more than a travel guide; ratings based on food, service, atmos- it’s chock-full of lively features, his- phere, and price. Most restaurants list tory, and regional profiles, including prices and which credit cards are sections on Wales and King Arthur. accepted. • Automobile Association—UK (www. • Londontown.com: The Official theaa.com): This site lists hundreds Internet Site for London (www. of places to stay, ranked by price londontown.com): This fab site from and quality with apparently objective the city’s tourist board will get you reviews. Many lodgings accept online panting to start your trip. It lists 05_138199 ch01.qxp 8/28/07 10:54 AM Page 20

20 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF ENGLAND accommodations, pubs, events, And the Hot Tickets section offers attractions, and places to live it up independent insider advice on thea- after dark. Daily special features ter, music, and comedy. include discount offers. You can • The 24 Hour Museum (www.24hour download mini–area maps by Tube museum.org.uk): This excellent web- stop, attraction, theater, or street. site aims to promote Britain’s thou- • This Is London (www.thisislondon. sands of museums, galleries, and com): The Evening Standard operates heritage attractions. You can search this well-rounded site, which geographically or gear your holiday includes a frank guide to dining, around one of its themed “trails” and drinking, and clubbing. You can tour Museums and the Macabre, Art search for city attractions and events. Treasures of the North East, and so on.