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
Discover Britain
Wish you were here... • Inspiring postcards from around the British Isles
Romance County of • The Georgian period in Hampshire was a time of romantic writings, reconnecting with nature, and grand expeditions, as Florence Sheward discovers
In between Iasland • Floating in the English Channel, untethered from Britain, Guernsey is a jigsaw puzzle of vying political interests and cultural panache, says Jenny Rowe
ISLAND HOPPING • Catch a ferry to explore the other three main islands in the Bailiwick of Guernsey
Beyond Middlemarch • To celebrate the 150th anniversary of George Eliot’s epic Victorian novel Middlemarch, Diana Wright visits the English Midlands places that inspired the groundbreaking author
CITY OF CULTURE
MY BRITAIN
Forgotten Fashions • Trends come and go, though some never return – often with good reason. Martha Alexander trawls Britain’s fashion archives to bring us the beautiful, the ridiculous and the wildly impractical
WEAR TO GO • Six venues devoted to British fashion history
PRINCE PHILIP 1921-2021 • To mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, who died on 9 April aged 99, Adrian Mourby pays tribute to his dutiful role as Britain’s longest-serving consort
SUPPORTING ROLES • Four more male consorts throughout history who have served the British Royal Family
The Garden of Words • As Oxford Botanic Garden celebrates its 400th anniversary, Adrian Mourby visits the pioneering scientific oasis that inspired Britain’s greatest writers
HISTORIC TOWNS ST IVES • Our series of guides to Britain’s most fascinating old towns heads to Cornwall and the historic harbour of St Ives, which became a home to fishermen and artists alike
Howard’s WAY • Florence Sheward explores their legacy at Arundel Castle
Mystic COAST • From bluestone cliffs and holy islands to Tudor houses and hermit’s chapels, Pembrokeshire is a spellbinding destination says Ravneet Ahluwalia
5 places to visit in Pembrokeshire
Swan Upping • This medieval custom may have changed with the times, yet it remains true to its royal roots