Britain Update #28

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.

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Contents
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1. Great British Web Sites
2. Destinations
3. Books on Britain
4. Travel news from Britain

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Great British Web Sites
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Window to the West of England

This site takes in the West Country (Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset) with a very thorough gazetteer of the major tourist destinations, lots of local links for more information, accommodation details, what to do in each area, local maps, and transportation. There's even a "shopping village" section where you can buy local Wessex crafts. If you feel inspired, you can submit an article on a west country destination after your visit is over. Although the site is a pr project of a local web site design firm, there is a lot of information here of value in planning a trip.

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Destinations: Winchcombe
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There is nothing spectacular about the small Cotswold village of Winchcombe. It is really much like a hundred other Cotswold villages - which is to say it is a beautifully timeless place of matchless warm-toned Cotswold stone cottages, tea shops, and traditional medieval architecture. The church of St. Peter has an excellent collection of gargoyles, one of which is said to be the model for Lewis Carroll's Mad Hatter.

Nearby is St Kenelm's Well, commemorating a 9th century martyr. The story goes that the boy king Kenelm was murdered by his sister. When the men bearing the body stopped here to rest, they set down Kenelm's coffin and a spring gushed forth from the ground. The waters of Kenelm's Well are reputed to have healing properties.

Just a mile from Winchcombe are the ruins of Hailes Abbey. At one time Hailes was one of the most popular pilgrimage centres in Britain, as the abbey claimed to possess a phial of Christ's blood. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries destroyed the Abbey, the "blood" was revealed to be a mixture of saffron and honey. Hailes Abbey today is a peaceful sight, with ruined arches lying in a quiet meadow. So popular was the abbey to medieval pilgrims that the Prior of Hailes built a hotel to house the richer visitors. This hotel lives on as The George Hotel. The building itself has been altered several times, but still retains an open gallery over the courtyard.

Most people come to Winchcombe to visit Sudeley Castle. The castle, which looks down on the village, was the final home of Queen Catherine Parr after the death of Henry VIII. She is buried in the chapel, and the castle has displays of objects associated with her, including her prayer book. The castle gardens are quite lovely, and well worth a visit.

Just a short walk along the Cotswold Way from Winchcombe brings you to one of the finest Neolithic remains in Britain, Belas Knap burial chamber. Belas Knap was built about 3000 BC as a many-chambered tomb. When the site was excavated in 1863, 38 skeletons were found. Remains from the excavation are on display at the church museum in Winchcombe.

Winchcombe on the Web:
http://www.winchcombe.co.uk/ http://www.accofind.com/winchc/info/info.htm

Sudeley Castle
http://www.stratford.co.uk/sudeley/ http://www.stratumtechnology.co.uk/heritage/sudeley.htm

Belas Knap
http://www.henge.demon.co.uk/gloucestershire/belas.html

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Books on Britain
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Lonely Planet's "Walking in Britain" My pick from our bookstore this time around is this guide to walking in England, Wales, and Scotland by the popular Lonely Planet guidebook publishers. The first section of the book gives you plenty of information on walking in general - weather patterns, essential gear, accommodation options, and so on. The meat of the book is its description of long and short distance walking trails for each region. Each walk has an overview, route information, and the major sites along the trail. Of even more value are the accommodation suggestions for different budgets.

I found the maps too small to be of much use, though. In my opinion this book covers so much territory that it loses value as an on-the-ground guide to each trail. It's major use would be as a tool to use for selecting a walk. Once you've chosen a walk, use the author's suggested reading list to select a mapguide to take along. I recommend this book as a first step for someone planning a walking tour anywhere in the UK. Excellent research, voluminous information, and good value. See more here

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Travel News from Britain
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EVENTS AT DOVER CASTLE
Sixty years on to the weekend, Dover Castle this May commemorates the evacuation of Dunkirk, master- minded by Sir Winston Churchill and Vice Admiral Ramsay from within its secret tunnels, with a programme of living history recreating the tension and anxiety for wartime personnel at the castle as they planned the rescue of over 300,000 stranded French and British troops.

On Sunday 28 May and Bank Holiday Monday 29 May, re-enactors in authentic World War II uniforms and "civvies" will give visitors a taste of life as it may have been for some of the 700 personnel based at the castle during the worst days of the war - ranging from Red Cross and ARP workers, to local defence volunteers ("Home Guard") and even NAAFI staff, who kept key military workers fed and watered as they worked round- the-clock on the dramatic rescue.

Also marking the anniversary this year is a new interpretation in Vice Admiral Ramsay's Casemate, part of the secret network of tunnels in the famous white cliffs below the castle which acted as the command centre for "Operation Dynamo". The new display extends the unique experience of 1940's underground life as dramatic re-constructions, sounds and smells simulate the cramped conditions in the underground military hospital, telecommunications station, and barracks.

Moving a few hundred years back in time, visitors to Dover Castle can also enjoy a new exhibition setting the scene as preparations take place for a visit from King Henry VIII in 1539 to inspect the sea defences (and look for a new wife!). A bedroom and stateroom with accurate replica furnishings and decor, smells, and a state of the art sound system recreate the bustle and atmosphere as the King's huge array of trunks, furniture, and furnishings are unpacked and made ready for his stay.

Other attractions at the castle include a dramatic computer-programmed Siege of 1216 exhibition, royal chapel, former royal apartments, and the impressive Princess of Wales Royal Regiment Museum.

More on Dover castle at the official English Heritage web site http://www.english-heritage.org.uk

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English Culture awarded "Best of the Net" ******************************
In the last issue of Britain Update I touted our new feature, "English Culture", an addition to our popular history section. Well, no sooner was the news out than About.com awarded "English Culture" their "Best of the Net" award for January. See why at http://www.britainexpress.com/History/english-culture.htm

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That's all for now. Until next issue, let me remind you that laughter is contagious. Spread some around.

David Ross
Editor
Britain Express
http://www.britainexpress.com
The UK travel and heritage guide
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Contents © 2001 David Ross and Britain Express

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