British Travel
The best hotels and places to rent in Britain, and staycation guides to unmissable holiday hotspots.
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Lime Wood hotel review: The New Forest's country house hotel par excellence
The Lime Wood in the New Forest has established itself as one of Britain's best country house hotels, but does it live up to the hype? We sent Rosie Paterson to find out.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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The Country Life guide to Bali: What to see, where to stay and what to eat
Bali’s popular dry season is upon us — April to October — and this year, the Indonesian island’s popularity looks set to soar. Here’s our guide to what to do, where to stay and what to eat.
By Teresa Levonian Cole Published
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Jason Goodwin: 'He thought his wife had punched him — but he was down the pub with a six-inch knife sticking out of his back'
A chance encounter in the unlikeliest of places leaves Jason Goodwin with a memory he'll surely never forget.
By Jason Goodwin Published
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Down Hall review: A country house hotel retreat where you can try out the sport which has the A-listers buzzing
Down Hall Hotel and Estate is a 110-acre playground just a few minutes outside the M25 where fun and games are part of the attraction. Toby Keel paid a visit.
By Toby Keel Published
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May Hill: A walk across the summit of Gloucestershire
May Hill, with its spectacular views lit by winter sun, has a promise of the spring to come, as in Edward Thomas’s account of an epic walk. Fiona Reynolds follows in his footsteps.
By Fiona Reynolds Published
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Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland: The spectacular border town with a castle that changed hands 13 times
Berwick-upon-Tweed spent centuries as a pawn in Anglo-Scottish conflict; today, it's a charming border town with spectacular sights. Clive Aslet takes a look.
By Clive Aslet Published
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Ewelme, Oxfordshire: The medieval almshouses set up by Chaucer's grand-daughter and still running today
Country Life's 21st century Grand Tour of Britain stops off at the remarkable church and almshouses at Ewelme, Oxfordshire.
By Toby Keel Published
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The Flying Scotsman: How the first 100mph locomotive became the most famous train in the world
The first train to officially hit 100mph may not even have been the first, and didn't hold the rail speed record for long; yet a century later its legend is undimmed. Jack Watkins celebrates the Flying Scotsman.
By Jack Watkins Published
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Caernarfon Castle, Gwynedd: 'One of the great buildings of the Middle Ages'
Wales is spoilt for beautiful, evocative and dramatic castles in magnificent locations — yet still Caernarfon Castle stands above the rest.
By Clive Aslet Published
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Durham Cathedral and Castle: 'The Normans at their most audacious and expansive'
The view of Durham from the train is epic and defiant: the great central tower of the cathedral rising as if it were its own unconquerable cliff, a symbol of Christian civilisation that has endured centuries of hostile waves to stand triumphant.
By Jack Watkins Published
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Canterbury Cathedral: Architectural wonder, place of worship, and site of one of history's most infamous murders
Canterbury Cathedral is the seat of the Church of England, the end of the nation's most famous pilgrimage route, and a place where 1400 years of history can be seen.
By Clive Aslet Published
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Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire: The story of Robin Hood's woods
The ancient hunting grounds of William the Conqueror are famed across the world as the hiding place of the legendary outlaw Robin Hood.
By Clive Aslet Published
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The Island of Ely, Cambridgeshire: Where 85ft above sea level is almost a mountain
Clive Aslet takes a look at Ely, the beautiful and ancient city that can be seen from miles around in the Fens.
By Clive Aslet Published
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Battle, East Sussex: The site of the battle 'that permanently changed the course of history in England and beyond'
The Battle of Hastings didn't actually take place in Hastings, but a few miles north — and you can still visit the site of perhaps the most consequential battle ever to take place on English soil.
By Clive Aslet Published
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Glastonbury, Somerset: The place where the Holy Grail came to Britain
The ancient town of Glastonbury is synonymous without spirituality, mysticism and legend — and it's an unmissable stop-off on our list of places in the 21st century Grand Tour of Britain.
By Clive Aslet Published
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Lindisfarne, Northumberland: The Holy Island with a castle, priory and 1,500 years of history
Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, has 1,500 years of recorded history and remains as popular as ever with pilgrims of all kinds. Clive Aslet takes a look at its history, and tells the tale of how Country Life's founder bought and transformed this ancient spot.
By Clive Aslet Published
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Chapel of St Peter on the Wall, Essex: 'The deepest living root of the church in Britain'
Our 21st century Grand Tour of Britain moves on to an ancient church in Essex.
By Clive Aslet Published
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![Henry II', 1935. Henry II, King of England, circa 1860. Henry II (1133-89), the first Plantagenet king of England, ruled from 1154. From Kings & Queens of England - A Series of 50. [John Player & Sons, London, 1935] Artist Unknown. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images)](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uzWTXTSVJ7fZVeKtDmx8fk-230-80.jpg)
Dover Castle, Kent: England's strongest castle
Jack Watkins looks at the story and impact of The Great Tower at Dover Castle, the imposing creation of Henry II that still stands strong almost 900 years later.
By Jack Watkins Published
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The extraordinary tale of Hadrian's Wall: 'Men have been deified for trifles compared with this admirable structure'
What once kept out hordes of bloodthirsty warriors is, nearly 2,000 years later, barely proof against the most timid of sheep. But if Hadrian’s Wall is now low on stature, it remains high on atmosphere, says Harry Pearson.
By Harry Pearson Published
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Colchester, Essex: The purpose-built capital city of Roman Britain
Clive Aslet considers the town that was one of Roman Britain's greatest cities — and even, for a while, its capital: Colchester.
By Clive Aslet Published
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St Michael’s Mount, Cornwall: The monastery that became a castle that became a home
Few spots on the coast of Britain are as romantic and storied as St Michael's Mount in Cornwall.
By Toby Keel Published


