Discover Britain

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!

Discover Britain

Brit Edit • Your curated guide to Britain this season

Noticeboard • This issue, we encourage you to expand your horizons and you reminisce about the “beauty of England”

DISCOVER SHAKESPEARE

William’s WORLD • Discover leafy Warwickshire and beyond – a place of bucolic beauty, historic homes, and pretty villages

Behind the scenes • You can see costumes, props and more than a little theatre magic on a backstage tour at the Royal Shakespeare Company, as Sally Coffey discovers

FOOD of LOVE • After a busy day spent exploring the many Shakespeare attractions in Stratford-upon-Avon, here are some of the best places to refuel

What drew me here… • Canadian Nancy Durham tells Liz Schaffer all about how she came to be living on a lavender farm in Wales

Catherine, rewritten • Henry VIII’s fifth wife is remembered as being a silly girl who deserved her punishment, but her true path to the chopping block tells a much sadder tale, Henrietta Easton learns

The gingerbread town • Russell Higham heads to Ormskirk in Lancashire to discover more about how a British delicacy has taken root here for almost 300 years

Turner prizes • To mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of one of England’s greatest painters, Susan Gray selects 10 places to see JMW Turner works in 2025

My Britain • Ryan Brown is the newest Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) at the Tower of London, where he now lives, having swapped the picturesque gardens of Hillsborough Castle in his native Northern Ireland for the medieval atmosphere of one of the capital’s most iconic buildings

Strange Britain: Londinium • David Long takes us on a tour of the many Roman ruins and relics that can be found in the capital

Weekend In LEWES • As well as being the country home of Britain’s Bloomsbury Group, Lewes was one of the cradles of American Independence, as Russell Higham discovers on a short break in the East Sussex town

A personal touch • Kate Youde steps inside the National Trust’s conservation studio in Kent to see some of the tireless work that goes into preserving some of our nation’s biggest treasures

Magical history tour • Diana Wright highlights some of the key places to visit to learn more about Magna Carta and its role in British history

London SPOTLIGHT • This issue, our Londonphile delves into the city’s rich art scene and wealth of public collections to share five of his favourite galleries

CROSSWORD & QUIZ