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
Travel notes • Laura Silverman rounds up the latest news and events from across the British Isles
Capital Day Trips • Whether you’re a lifelong city resident or flying in for a week from abroad and keen to explore, why not try one of these 27 great days out in easy reach of London, Cardiff and Edinburgh
WIN a Great British holiday • Enter our competition for your chance to win a luxury holiday in Britain for two, including free flights
Dress like a Briton
24 hours in… ABERDEEN • Dive right into harbour life in Scotland’s third largest city with our guide to the essentials
Splendour everywhere • For Sir John Betjeman, northern Cornwall featured the best of England – its countryside, its coast and its churches. Laura Silverman visits some of the places that inspired his poetry
MY BRITAIN
DISCOVER LONDON • Leafy, literary Hampstead The capital’s favourite creatures Inside the Wallace Collection
Looking down on London • High above the capital, the leafy northern suburb of Hampstead has been a hotbed for highbrow cultured types for more than two centuries, as Nicola Rayner discovers
Rich Pickings • Built by an aristocratic dynasty with an eye for beauty and an illegitimate heir, the Wallace Collection is one of the world’s finest treasure houses, as Steve Pill discovers
WILD CITY • From political cats to tropical birds, London is home to some unlikely animals. Charlotte Hogarth-Jones reveals the capital’s favourite creatures – and where to find them
FORTH BRIDGE • Our insider guide to the Victorian structure that became a focus for both Hitchcock and Hitler
Second Time Lucky • After an unremarkable first stint as Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli made a triumphant return to office. Alexander Larman profiles his indelible mark on British politics
To the ‘MOON & BACK • As Britain gears up for royal wedding fever once more, Diana Wright explores the history behind two of our monarchy’s favourite honeymoon destinations
BEYOND THE BARD • From pioneering stately homes to sporting heritage, there is much more to Warwickshire than simply being the home of William Shakespeare, finds Florence Sheward
Charming Gibraltar • This British overseas territory boasts year-round sunshine and offers a unique mix of history, wildlife and culture
The white rose of York • Hotly contested symbol or rose-tinted addition to history? Natalie Marchant continues our series on iconic British emblems