Table of contents for July/August 2019 in Britain

Summer is upon us, and at this time of year there’s nowhere we’d rather be than Cornwall, whose salty shores hold some of England’s most stunning sights (Hidden Cornwall, p14). Watch Shakespeare under the stars at the rock-hewn Minack Theatre, visit serenely beautiful St Michael’s Mount or take in some art in sunny St Ives. Continuing the coastal theme, we’ve rounded up the very grandest of grande-dame hotels (Beside the Seaside, p61), offering sea views, history and luxury galore. Elsewhere this issue, we head north to the Peak District (Peak Performance, p76), whose moody moors are carpeted with purple heather in late August; and revisit nostalgic summery scenes from our favourite books (Summer Reading, p32). Finally, I hope you enjoy our new back page, dedicated to the hidden gems that…

EVENT Pop-up Shakespeare Step back in time to experience what it would have been like to see a play in the 16th century at Europe’s first ever pop-up Shakespearean theatre. The pop-up Shakespeare’s Rose will present eight plays this summer, at the foot of Clifford’s Tower in York and in the grounds of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. The 13-sided playhouse, complete with Elizabethan-style garden, will be hosting performances of Hamlet, Henry V, The Tempest and Twelfth Night in York until 1 September, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and Richard III at Blenheim Palace until 7 September. www.shakespearesrosetheatre.com HERITAGE Bridge to the past A jaw-dropping new footbridge will be opening at Tintagel Castle this summer. The 13th-century castle is currently reached via a challengingly steep staircase, but…

Britain didn’t use to have hotels on its coastline. It had quayside taverns where sailors and ferrymen caroused, but respectable people pretty much kept their distance from the shore until the late 18th century when sea-bathing became fashionable. The Old Ship Hotel in Brighton claims to be the first coastal hotel in Britain, but it wasn’t built overlooking the sea at all. The first mention of it, in 1559, describes an inn more than 100 yards from the shore down Ship Street. Brighton’s beach in those days was full of hauled-up boats and fishermen’s makeshift cottages. But in 1703 a huge storm washed away the shoreline, leaving the side of the Old Ship facing the English Channel. When a new promenade was built in front of the Ship, its owners…

Nestled between moorland and sea in South Devon, Totnes is a captivating market town with a colourful personality. Dating back to 907 AD when Alfred the Great’s son Edward built a small settlement here, the town is dotted with historic sites and impressive architecture. Following the Norman Conquest, William the Conqueror bestowed Totnes on a favoured Breton called Judhael, who built a motteand-bailey castle across the town walls, and a priory, which he eventually gave to the Church. Make the climb to the top of the castle’s keep for sweeping views of the entire town and across to the River Dart. The town’s prime location on the river, which rises in Dartmoor and runs to the sea at Dartmouth, made it rich in Tudor times: Totnes played a crucial role…

GETTING THERE The Peak District is easily reached by car, being around 3hr 15min from London, 1hr 30min from Birmingham and only an hour or so from Manchester. The National Park is also well served by bus and rail, with train stations at places such as Edale, Hope and Hathersage. www.nationalexpress.com; www.thetrainline.com WHERE TO STAY The Cavendish Hotel on the Chatsworth House estate offers finely furnished rooms and an excellent restaurant. The Peacock at Rowsley is a luxurious option near Bakewell with four-poster bedrooms and a fine-dining restaurant. Alstonefield Manor is a B&B with bags of charm, set in a country house on the hills above Dovedale. Expect fresh flowers, high-class decor and scones and tea on arrival.cavendishbaslow.co.uk; thepeacockatrowsley.com; alstonefieldholidaycottages.com WHERE TO EAT An atmospheric 18th-century pub on the village…

LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR I just wanted to share my delight in reading this magazine. I’m from Essex and I’ve lived in America for 11 years now. I live in Brooklyn in Clinton Hill and one of my neighbours gets this magazine sent to them. They kindly leave it in the building lobby after they are done and I manage to get it very often! It makes me miss home but it’s so nice to feel that pride every time I read it. Thank you and thanks to my mystery neighbour who gets this sent! Lorna Martin-Latner, New York City, USA ROYAL ROOTS Having recently done my family tree it was exciting to see the portrait of Elizabeth Woodville in your magazine [Vol 86 Issue 5] as she is my 15…

GETTING THERE Penzance is around 5hr 30min by train from London Paddington. By car take either the M5 or A303 west until you meet the A30, which continues down to St Ives and Penzance. Flybe operates flights from London Heathrow to Cornwall Airport Newquay, about an hour’s drive from West Penwith, with car hire available. www.thetrainline.com; www.cornwallairportnewquay.com WHERE TO STAY The Mount Haven Hotel offers chic rooms with fantastic views over St Michael’s Mount. www.mounthaven.co.uk WHERE TO EAT There are many wonderful places to sample delicious food. The Gurnard’s Head near Zennor is renowned, while La Casita near St Ives offers wonderful tapas in a relaxed atmosphere. www.gurnardshead.co.uk; www.lacasitarestaurant.co.uk…

The largest of the Inner Hebrides isles, with its jagged peaks that pierce the sky, and moody mountains that loom over eerily still lochs, Skye is a place that has inspired many a storyteller. In Scottish folklore, myths and legends were traditionally passed down from generation to generation as a way of helping people understand the world around them or to instil confidence (or fear) in a clan. On Skye there is much to fathom: the Old Man of Storr, for instance, a rocky pinnacle that juts skywards from the Trotternish Ridge, is said to be the thumb of a giant, frozen in time. Meanwhile, it is said that Clan MacLeod, who once controlled much of Skye and have their family seat at Dunvegan Castle in the northwest of the…

The Old Ship Hotel This rambling collection of old buildings enjoys an enviable location, right on the promenade with immediate access to the bustling Lanes shopping district. www.thecairncollection.co.uk Grand Hotel, Eastbourne The Grand’s Great Hall sets the tone for this very imperial hotel. It’s three storeys high and a popular venue for afternoon teas. www.grandeastbourne.com The Headland Hotel This hotel occupies a dramatic clifftop location overlooking Fistral Beach, and has a warm and cosy feel despite its Victorian grandeur. A pampering spa completes the experience. www.headlandhotel.co.uk The Pier, Harwich With its chic first-floor dining room overlooking the old Royal Navy Dockyard, The Pier has a contemporary, boutique ambience. www.milsomhotels.com The Portmeirion Hotel Nothing beats staying in the village, in one of the idiosyncratic cottages owned by the hotel, and then…

GETTING THERE There are direct trains from London Paddington taking just under 4 hours. www.thetrainline.com EAT, DRINK, SLEEP Only 5 minutes walk from town, The Old Forge is a 600-year-old stone building with 11 rooms and a cottage in a beautiful garden. Grade I-listed Dartington Hall sits in 800 acres of gardens and deer park, a 10-minute drive from town. For locally produced wine and cheese visit Sharpham Vineyard for a tour or lunch. www.oldforgetotnes.com; www.dartington.org; sharpham.com FURTHER INFORMATION www.visittotnes.co.uk…

Once known as “the workshop of the world” and “the city of 1,000 trades”, Birmingham was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution. It developed from a small Anglo-Saxon hamlet to a market town in the 12th century. By 1791 it was the world’s first manufacturing town and by the time it was granted city status in 1889 it had become the fastest-growing city of the 19th century. Birmingham played a leading role in almost every type of industry, from metalwork and engineering to the manufacture of pens and motor vehicles. The city became synonymous with innovation, with pioneers such as William Murdoch (who invented gas lighting), James Watt and Matthew Boulton (famous for developing steam engine technology) leading the way. Its industrial heritage is second to none, but the…

My hat shop is located right in the centre of the Great Western Arcade. It’s in a great location as it’s where you get all the fun, independent businesses. It’s here that I discovered my love for cheese and wine, thanks to shops like Loki wine and Anderson & Hill. The staff opened my eyes to a whole new world. And speaking of eye-opening, in the arcade there’s an optician called Glimpse where I found the coolest Vinylize frames I’ve ever seen. Their selection is like no other. They’re quirky and stylish. I also love visiting the Black Country Living Museum. I was first told about this place by a customer who loves the baker boy caps we sell. Black Country is where you find all things Peaky Blinders. The…

RHS: A Nation in Bloom by Matthew Biggs (White Lion Publishing, £30). A beautifully illustrated story of how plants and gardens can transform people’s lives. 2,000 years of Manchester by Kathryn Coase (Pen & Sword Books, £16.99). The history of Manchester from a Roman settlement to a city at the heart of the Industrial Revolution. Anna Duchess of Cleves: The King's Beloved Sister by Heather R. Darcie (Amberley Publishing, £20). A fresh look at Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII’s fourth wife. Cutty Sark: The last of the tea clippers by Eric Kentley (Bloomsbury, £20). This special 150th anniversary edition is a wonderfully illustrated narrative. The Austen Girls: The Story of Jane & Cassandra Austen, the Closest of Sisters by Helen Amy (Amberley Publishing, £20). An investigation into the life of…

Picture a party of London sculptures. Lord Nelson of Trafalgar Square is stomping around, waving his sword, while Millicent Fawcett of Westminster is making a speech. Prince Albert of Kensington Gardens is trying to find a chair, and hovering by the drinks table… Is that Eros? What’s a Greek god doing here? Maybe you recognise this winged figure. He’s from Piccadilly Circus, and although he looks like Eros, he’s really his brother, Anteros. The statue was designed to commemorate Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, a philanthropist and social reformer. Lord Shaftesbury, who died in 1885, campaigned for better working conditions for women and children. A memorial committee commissioned Alfred Gilbert, a rising Aesthetic artist, to design a tribute. It took him five years. Anteros, said Gilbert, represented “reflective and…

GETTING THERE EasyJet flies from London Gatwick to Inverness (1hr 45min). From here you can drive (2hr 30min) or take the train to Kyle then a bus to Skye. For a more romantic experience, take the Caledonian Sleeper train at night from London to Fort William, arriving in the morning, from where you can get the Jacobite steam train (May to September) to Mallaig. Ferries from Mallaig take you to Skye. www.invernessairport.co.uk; www.scotrail.com; www.sleeper.scot; www.calmac.co.uk EAT, DRINK, SLEEP The simple rooms at the Stein Inn – the oldest inn on Syke – have plenty of quaint appeal, and you can have a delicious seafood dinner next door in the Loch Bay restaurant. www.stein-inn.co.uk; www.lochbayrestaurant.co.uk FURTHER INFORMATION www.isleofskye.com…

GETTING THERE There are frequent trains from London Euston to Birmingham New Street. The journey takes around two hours. www.thetrainline.com WHERE TO STAY One of Birmingham’s oldest hotels, the luxurious Macdonald Burlington offers guests complimentary spring water from their very own underground well. www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk The Edgbaston, a 10-minute drive from the centre, has a stylish Art Deco interior including a glamorous cocktail lounge, and is renowned for its elegant afternoon tea. www.theedgbaston.co.uk For a stay with history, the National Trust have two atmospheric holiday cottages in the centre of town, with the Back to Backs on their doorstep. www.nationaltrust.org.uk WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK Discover the original balti at one of the many eateries in the Balti Triangle, just south of the centre, or head to the Digbeth Dining Club…