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
Shakespeare Beyond • From the tip of the Cotswolds to the heart of ancient Mercia, there is much more to the Midlands county of Warwickshire than the Bard of Avon, as Florence Sheward discovers
Talking Points • From Elizabeth I’s empowering leadership to Winston Churchill’s wartime defiance, Florence Sheward picks out 13 of the best speeches in British history
Far from the Madding Crowd • Keen to escape the honeypot locations, David Atkinson set out on a tour of the Lake District’s quieter spots in order to reclaim the spirit of the Romantic poets
MY BRITAIN
Speaking Out • A campaign to save the Welsh language is about more than words, says Sally Hales, it is a celebration of national identity and a connection to a rich history of culture
TALKING POINTS • Five places to explore Welsh language and identity
A New Kind of LUXURY • Immerse yourself in quintessential Dorset life and don’t lift a finger with English Cottage Vacation, which offers a unique blend of rural charm and five-star luxury
FESTIVE TREATS
Woven heritage • Jenny Rowe visits the world’s only surviving hand-crafted tartan mill, DC Dalgliesh in the Scottish Borders, to pick apart the historic threads of this traditional industry
The Stage is Set • As the lights return to London’s West End, Adrian Mourby celebrates the historic venues and figures that have made the capital’s theatre district the envy of the world
BOOK NOW • Forthcoming West End highlights
WINDSOR • Our series of guides to Britain’s most fascinating old towns leads us to Windsor, a veritable treasure trove of Royal history and heritage less than hour from London
Sitting on The Fens • Emerging from the Cambridgeshire marshland, Ely Cathedral is in an unlikely spot for one of Britain’s finest churches. Christopher Beanland visits this godly destination
THE RIVER MEDWAY • Our new series of trails continues as Florence Sheward sets out a self-guided walk around the Kent coast filled with maritime history and Dickensian intrigue
Mappa Mundi • The second in a new series shining a light on Britain’s most prized objects and the stories behind them