Britain – September 2019

http://www.britain-magazine.com

Britainisaplaceof

traditionsthatdate

backmanyhundreds

ofyears–justlookatour

unwaveringattachment

tothecustomarymid-afternooncuppa.

Ourleadfeature(HouseRules,p14)

delvesintothecenturies-old

ceremoniesintegraltotheHousesof

Parliament–myfavouritebeingthe

Beefeaters’checkingofthecellarsfor

GunpowderPlotters.

enthere’sthecountry’sbighouses

UpstairsDownstairs,p30),bastions

oftraditionwhosestricthierarchywas

never–oralmostnever–disturbed.

Lookingbackfurtherintime,we

exploretheage-oldritesoftheAnglo-

SaxonsSecretsofSuttonHoo,p67),

whosedevotiontotheirkingsawaship

fulloftreasurehauleduparivervalley

tohis‚nalrestingplace.

Subvertingallthisadherenceto

traditionisOliverCromwell(OurChief

ofMen,p41),CharlesI’snemesis,who

unceremoniouslythrewouttheroyal

rulebook.Brutaltyrantorrevolutionary

hero?Youdecide...

Enjoytheissue!

VOLUME 87 ISSUE 5

FEATURES

14 HOUSERULES

Combining1,000yearsofhistory,thedramaof

modern-daypoliticsandmajesticarchitecture,atour

oftheHousesofParliamentisquiteanexperience

23 INTHELIMELIGHT

250 yearsago,theatreimpresarioDavidGarrick

stagedaJubileeinStratford-upon-Avon,putting

theBard'sbirthplaceonthemap

30 UPSTAIRSDOWNSTAIRS

WiththeDowntonAbbeyfilmabouttohitourscreens,

weexplorewhatlifewasreallylikefortheUpstairs

andDownstairsresidentsofBritain'sbighouses

41 OURCHIEFOFMEN

OliverCromwellwasquicktoseizecontrolafter

thedeathofCharlesI,butwasheheroorvillain?

49 MAKINGASPLASH

Whenbodyandsoulneedsoothing,there'snowhere

morerestorativethanacountry-househotelspa.

WepickBritain'sbestplacesforapamperingstay

EDITOR'S LETTER

30

59

CONTENTS

23

Coverimage:TheHousesofParliament

©4Corners Images

@BRITAINMAGAZINE

BR ITAITRAVELCULTUREHERITAGESTYLE

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

UpstairsSecretlives of the country’s grandestDownstairshouses

GhostlySUTTONofanburialancientgroundHOOking

OLIVERCROMWELLRevolutionaryhero

orbrutaltyrant?

PompRule BritanniaandpoliticsattheHousesofParliament CORNISH HOTELA SPA BREAK IN WINA LUXURY

RURALQuaint villages of the CotswoldsIDYLLS

PINTEREST/BRITAINMAGAZINE

@BRITAIN_MAGAZINE

FACEBOOK/BRITAINMAGAZINE

Natasha Foges, Editor

PHOTOS:

©
ENGLISH HERITAGE TRUST/ARCHIVART/ALAMY/CHRIS GEORGE PHOTOGRAPHY

Audley End's

formal parterre