CONTENT
- 7 Wonders of Britain
- Destinations: Wiltshire's Stately Homes
- UK Travel tips and news
Welcome friends, its time to put the kettle on, settle into a comfortable armchair, and enjoy the best of Britain with Britain Update. But before you do, please take the time to forward this newsletter to someone who loves Britain as much as you do.
David Ross, Publisher
Worthy of Note
Seven Wonders of Britain
A survey conducted by the English Tourist Board has revealed what the English public consider the "Seven Wonders of Britain". Participants in the survey were asked to select their choices from a shortlist of 17 possibilities within England. Here are the results of the survey:
1 . . . Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
2 . . . Stonehenge
3 . . . Windsor Castle
4 . . . Eden Project
5 . . . York Minster
6 . . . Hadrian`s Wall
7 . . . London Eye
Historic Houses in Wiltshire
If you are interested in stately homes you will find an embarrassment of riches on a visit to Wiltshire. Here are a few of the best, including my own highly-biased personal pick as the cream of the crop:
Bowood House and Gardens
Address: The Estate Office, Bowood, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0LZ Tel:
Open Daily from late March to early November House 11am - 5.30pm Grounds 11am - 6pm website
One of England's finest stately homes, Bowood was built about 1725 on the site of an earlier hunting lodge. In 1754 the 1st Earl of Shelburne bought the estate, and over the next few decades the building was transformed into an imposing yet elegant design, with contributions from many of the finest architects of the day, including Henry Keene, Robert Adam, 'Capability' Brown, and Sir Charles Barry. The extensive gardens (over 2000 acres) remains one of Brown's finest works.
Lacock Abbey
Address: Lacock, nr Chippenham, SN15 2LG
Open: 30 March to 3 Nov: daily 1–5.30 (closed Tues & Good Fri
Part of former monastic buildings, founded in 1232. At the dissolution of the monasteries, the Abbey was turned into a country house and its church was destroyed. Fortunately, it still retains its cloisters, sacristy, chapter house and monastic rooms. The upper floors showcase fine furniture, portraits, and lovely stone carvings. Lacock is famous as the home of William Henry Fox-Talbot, one of the pioneers of photography.
Longleat House
Address: Longleat, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 7NW
web site
This symmetrical three-story house built by Sir John Thynne is probably the finest example of an Elizabethan mansion in England. The house stands as a splendid focal point in the 900 acres of parkland landscaped by Capability Brown. Longleat In-Depth
Wilton House
3 m W Salisbury, Wiltshire, on A30
Begun in 1630 on earlier Tudor foundations, with contributions at various points by Inigo Jones, James Wyatt, and William Kent. Highlights are Jones' staterooms, the Single Cube (30 x 30 x 30 feet) and the Double Cube (60 x 30 x 30 feet). Paintings by Breughel and Rubens. The house features a fascinating tour of the servant's quarters, allowing a peek at life "below stairs."
Other historic houses to consider include Mompesson House and Malmesbury House, both in Salisbury, and Corsham Court, near Chippenham.
Each of these houses is impressive and fascinating in its own way. My personal pick as the most enjoyable house to visit would have to be Wilton House, though the setting is less impressive than Longleat or Bowood. However, I will hedge my recommendation with one caveat: if you have children, Longleat offers more than enough in the way of family attractions and activities to keep even the most hyperactive child occupied for an entire day!
Travel Tips and News
Georgian Festival in Lancaster
The 10th National Sedan Chair Carrying Championships -- one of England's most off-beat events -- will be a highlight of Lancaster's annual Georgian Festival Fair (August 26). They consist of teams of three (two gentlemen carriers and a lady passenger) racing replicas of 19th-century sedan chairs over an 80-yard course below Lancaster Castle.
The fair aims to recreate a provincial fair of 1809, and includes jugglers, acrobats, musicians and dancing, a fortune teller, games, and dramas including "The Dramatic Triumph and Tragedy of the Death of Admiral Lord Nelson".
Scottish Mansion opens
A 17th century country mansion in Scotland has opened to the public for the first time, its interior intact, just as the last owners left it. Described as a 'time-capsule', Newhailes is the 250-year-old home of a legal family: its purchaser, Sir David Dalrymple, rose to become Solicitor-General for Scotland.
One of the most important rococo interiors in Scotland and reputedly haunted, it features:
~ Fully furnished rooms, some decorated with 18th-century Chinese wallpaper and silk damask wall hangings.
~ A library completed in the 1730s and described by the English lexicographer Dr Samuel Johnson as "the most learned room in Europe."
~ A Chinese drawing room which is a riot of gilded rococo seashells.
The house, maintained by the National Trust for Scotland, is at Musselburgh, six miles from Edinburgh. Visitors should pre-book a guided tour (no more than ten people at a time are taken round and booking has been brisk). Open afternoons Thursday - Monday until Oct. 27. Website: http://www.nts.org.uk.
Derbyshire's One-Table Restaurant
Enjoy a dining experience with a difference at Buckingham’s: a restaurant with only one table. The restaurant in Chesterfield, Derbyshire is offering visitors a new concept in dining out. With only one table, award-winning chef Nick Buckingham tailors his menu to his guests who have the option of reserving the whole table for up to eight people or joining others booked for the same night. http://www.buckinghams-table.com/
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
More than 100 hot-air balloons will be taking part in the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta (August 8 - 11). Set in parkland at Ashton Court, on the western outskirts of the city, the free festival has become the largest event of its kind in Europe, attracting half a million visitors. From Aug.9-11 there will be mass lifts of over 100 balloons at 6am and 6pm each day. A variety of events take place in the arena, and there will be a wide range of exhibitors and catering facilities. Website: http://www.bristolfiesta.co.uk
Black Country Food Festival
Fish and chips; beer and faggots (a type of meatball) and the UK’s champion sausages – these and other regional delicacies will feature in the Black Country’s first food festival from October 26 – November 3. A ‘battle of the butchers’ and stands selling local produce will also feature.
The event takes place in the Black Country Living Museum at Dudley, near Wolverhampton in England’s West Midlands. This open-air museum, made up of historic local buildings reassembled brick-by-brick on a picturesque site, includes a traditional 1930s fish and chip shop lit by gas lamps and a sweet shop where delicacies are hand-made daily. There is also a pub, the Bottle and Glass Inn, serving Holdens, one of the many local beers for which the area is acclaimed. Admission to the Black Country Living Museum is £8.25. Websites: http://www.blackcountrytourism.co.uk; http://www.bclm.co.uk.
Hadrian's Wall by Bus or Bike
This summer, for the first time, a daily bus service runs the full length of Hadrian's Wall across Northern England, Britain’s largest and most important Roman monument. An extension of the Hexham-Carlisle service, it offers more frequent buses around the famous central section of the Roman wall - Housesteads, Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum - and for the first time runs directly to Corbridge Roman Site and museum.
The buses run daily until September 8, then on Sundays until November 3. There is also a new vehicle with cycle-carrying facilities. This will prove useful for cyclists tackling the 220-mile Northumbria’s Cycling Kingdom, a new circuit which takes in the coast, and castles such as Bamburgh and Lindisfarne, as well as Hadrian's Wall. Hadrian's Wall Summer Guide 2002 is available at local tourist information centres, and includes bus and train timetables for the area, which is a World Heritage Site.
Website: http://www.hadrians-wall.org.
Notting Hill Carnival
Europe’s largest arts festival – and the carnival that is second only to Rio – fills the streets of west London again this summer. The Notting Hill Carnival is an event full of sound, colour and excitement (August 25-26). This suburb is a vibrant inner-city area whose people create one of the greatest free shows on earth. Carnival fun extends beyond the two days. A grand gala event takes place at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (Aug. 17) with tickets available from the box office at £10 each. The Steel Band Panorama – when bands compete for the ‘champions of steel’ prize – is at Horniman’s Park, Kensal Road (Aug. 24).
From its beginnings in the 1960s with a small procession of Trinidadians, Carnival has evolved into a multi-cultural arts festival attended by two million people.
Square Mile of London website
More and more visitors to London are discovering that the financial area of London, known as ‘The Square Mile’ is an essential part of London to visit, for beyond the obvious tourist attractions of St Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and The Monument there are, among other things, cinemas, live music, dance, comedy, theatre, exhibitions, street entertainment and a whole lot more. Shoppers can find specialist markets and many fascinating small shops tucked away in forgotten corners. And of course, there are thousands of cafes, restaurants and pubs.
Now everyone can see what's happening and what's where in the Square Mile by looking at http://www.squaremiletimes.co.uk, which lists everything that's happening in the area, including weekly features on eating, shopping, things to do and where to stay.
Bath's Jane Austen Festival
The second Bath Jane Austen Festival is staged from September 21-29. The great novelist lived in the elegant city at one point; visited it several times, and her books include various scenes there. There will be many more events than last year, including talks; readings of Austen's novels and letters; and music. There will also be performances, including Tony Head in a one-man show "Darcy's Dilemma"; and four films based on the novels, from "Pride and Prejudice" (1940) starring Laurence Olivier to "Mansfield Park" (2000).
There will be Austen-themed bus tours and guided walks; a rare chance to visit 4 Sydney Place, home of the Austen family for three years; and a talk on 18th-century eating habits, followed by a Georgian style meal. Sally Lunn's famous 'Bath bun' restaurant will offer an Austen evening, and there will be a musical picnic at Prior Park Landscape Garden.
Website: http://www.janeaustenfestival.com.
Heritage Cities Online
Five of Britain's finest and most-visited cities have joined forces to promote their history and heritage to overseas visitors. They are Bath, Chester, Edinburgh, Stratford-upon-Avon and York, and they have launched an informative website. It gives extensive details of their histories, attractions and events; and advice on sightseeing buses, and how to obtain passes offering free or reduced entrance fees. Website: http://www.heritagecities.co.uk
Diana Memorial
An American landscape designer has won a competition to design a fountain in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales. Kathryn Gustafson's design, which will cost £3m to build, incorporates a 50 x 80 metre oval stone ring filled with water. The memorial will be built next to the Serpentine in Hyde Park, London. Work will begin immediately, and the fountain is expected to be in place by August 2003.
