KEW GARDENS—London’s vast 300-acre indoor/outdoor Royal Botanic Gardens boast an estimated 38,000 species of plants as well as the world’s largest orchid collection and the Palm House and Temperate House conservatories. Within the gardens, 17th-century Kew Palace, favorite home-away-from-home for George III, has reopened its doors after almost a decade under renovation. WHERE: 8 miles/13 km southwest of London. Tel 44/20-8332-5000; www.rbgkew.org.uk.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY—The first museum in the world devoted to portraits when it opened in 1856, it is dedicated to collecting “the likenesses of famous British men and women,” from Hans Holbein the Younger’s Henry VIII portraits to Andy Warhol’s silkscreens of Mick Jagger and the queen. The ground floor shows contemporary personalities—from writers to actors to boy bands—in various mixed media. INFO: Tel 44/20-7306-0055; www.npg.org.uk.
REGENT’S PARK—The most classically beautiful and manicured of London’s parks, Regent’s Park was designed by John Nash as an estate with dozens of villas for the aristocracy. Today it offers some of London’s most beautiful flower gardens, hundreds of deck chairs for sunbathing (when the sun cooperates), and open-air Shakespeare at Queen Mary Gardens in summer. INFO: Tel 44/20-7298-2000; www.royalparks.org.uk.
SHOPPING—Fortnum & Mason is the world’s most elite grocery store. Floris has been London’s leading perfumer and purveyor of toiletries since it opened in 1730. Turnbull and Asser is the place for bespoke shirts while Liberty sells its famous fine-patterned prints and fabrics (especially scarves) in unique Art Nouveau surroundings. As much a cultural experience as a shopping spree, Harrods is the king of department stores; its elaborate Food Halls sell “everything for everybody,” and the fourth floor’s Georgian Restaurant is where to go for afternoon tea. Or try the Fifth Floor Café of Harvey Nichols, London’s most fashionable department store, another good place to recharge. FORTNUM & MASON: Tel 44/20-7734-8040; www.fortnumandmason.com. FLORIS: Tel 44/20-7930-2885; www.florislondon.com. TURNBULL AND ASSER: Tel 44/20-7808-3000; www.turnbullandasser.com. LIBERTY: Tel 44/20-7734-1234; www.liberty.co.uk. HARRODS: Tel 44/20-7730-1234; www.harrods.com. HARVEY NICHOLS: Tel 44/20-7235-5000; www.harveynichols.com.
Harrods is the United Kingdom’s largest department store.
HITTING THE MARKETS—In Notting Hill, Portobello Market is the granddaddy of all London street markets. Thousands of stalls sell antiques, collectibles, and vintage clothing, with Friday to Sunday the busiest days. On weekends Camden Market offers an unpredictable jumble of both junk and food (and the odd diamond in the rough). South of Tower Bridge, Bermondsey Market is a proper flea market, held every Friday, and scoured before dawn by dealers. Just south of London Bridge and known as “London’s Larder” since the 13th century, Borough Market is by far the city’s best food market. PORTOBELLO MARKET: www.portobellomarket.org. CAMDEN MARKET: www.camdenlock.net. BERMONDSEY MARKET: www.bermondseysquare.co.uk/antiques.html. BOROUGH MARKET: www.boroughmarket.org.uk.
SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM—Hogarth originals and Piranesi drawings are part of an eccentric collection in the charmingly chaotic home of the 19th-century architect, famous for designing the Bank of England. Time your visit for the first Tuesday of the month when the interior is lit by candles. INFO: Tel 44/20-7405-2107; www.soane.org.
WALLACE COLLECTION—Bequeathed to the nation by the widow of art connoisseur Sir Richard Wallace in 1897, this museum is housed in a lovely Italianate mansion and includes works by Titian, Rubens, Velázquez, and Gainsborough and the largest collection of English armor in the country. INFO: Tel 44/20-7563-9500; www.the-wallace-collection.org.uk.
SPECIAL EVENTS
On a Saturday in early or mid June, Trooping the Colour is the official celebration of the queen’s birthday, with all the queen’s horses and all the queen’s men departing from Buckingham Palace. For more tradition, head for the Royal Ascot Races, held in Berkshire in June, as famous for millinery finery and appearances by the royal family as for the races themselves (30 over a 5-day period). Held in late June–early July, the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships is one of the tennis world’s most prestigious tournaments. And in a gardening-mad nation, the grand event of the season is the Olympics of gardening, a monumental 4-day horticultural orgy in May called the Chelsea Flower Show organized by the Royal Horticultural Society. TROOPING THE COLOUR: www.trooping-the-colour.co.uk. ROYAL ASCOT RACES: www.ascotco.uk. WIMBLEDON TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP: www.wimbledon.com. CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW: Tel 44/845-260-5000; www.rhs.org.uk.
WHERE TO STAY
ASTER HOUSE—This gem of a B&B in the heart of South Kensington wins hands down for its comfortable accommodations, consistently warm welcome, and delightful garden. Breakfast is served buffet style in the sunlit conservatory. INFO: Tel 44/20-7581-5888; www.asterhouse.com. Cost: from $290.
BLAKE’S—This classic South Kensington hostelry cobbled from five Victorian terrace houses sets the standard by which all other boutique hotels in London are judged. Expect daring color schemes, an opulent atmosphere, a who’s-who clientele, and top-drawer service. INFO: Tel 44/20-7370-6701; www.blakeshotels.com. Cost: from $300 (off-peak), from $420 (peak).
CHARLOTTE STREET HOTEL—London’s first and still favorite boutique hotel combines the best of contemporary English style, facilities, and extras. Its location north of Oxford St. in Fitzrovia means you’ll find lots of media and fashion types at its popular Oscar bar. INFO: Tel 44/20-7806-2000; www.charlottestreethotel.com. Cost: from $390.
CLARIDGE’S—This bastion of tradition is so much a part of the old establishment, it functions as a kind of annex to Buckingham Palace, unflappably hosting heads of state, yet somehow it manages to be unstuffy. Come for afternoon tea or a port in the Art Deco Reading Room, or dine at celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s in-house restaurant. INFO: Tel 44/20-7629-8860; www.claridges.co.uk. Cost: from $880 (off-peak), from $995 (peak); dinner $145.
CONNAUGHT—With 90 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites, the Connaught is a “baby grand” hotel in size and home to French culinary star and media darling Hélène Darroze and her sef-named restaurant. If you’ve never stayed at Buckingham Palace, stay (or dine) here for the next-best thing. INFO: Tel 44/20-7499-7070; www.the-connaught.co.uk. Cost: from $550 (off-peak), from $850 (peak); dinner $150.
PORTOBELLO HOTEL—The Portobello in Notting Hill has been a favorite with celebrities over the years, and you’ll either love or hate the quirky style and eccentric touches that reflect the nearby Portobello Market. A real plus is the popular in-house bar that is open till the very wee hours. INFO: Tel 44/20-7727-2777; www.portobello-hotel.co.uk. Cost: from $375.
EATING & DRINKING
AFTERNOON TEA—Nowhere is Britain’s most sacrosanct daily custom performed with more reverence or flair than at the rococo Palm Court of the Ritz Hotel. Dainty finger sandwiches complement fresh-baked scones with homemade strawberry jam and clotted cream as well as an array of bite-size tea cakes and fancy pastries. Less formal but served at the very place where the tradition is said to have originated is tea at the Langham Hotel’s own splendid Palm Court. For style on a budget, you can’t beat a cuppa with all the trimmings at the Orangery, an 18th-century conservatory on the grounds of Kensington Palace. THE RITZ LONDON: Tel 44/20-7493-8181; www.theritzlondon.com. Cost: $60. LANGHAM HOTEL: Tel 44/20-7636-1000; http://london.langhamhotels.co.uk. Cost: $60. THE ORANGERY: Tel 44/20-3166-6112; www.hrp.org.uk. Cost: $25.
BIBENDUM—This hot spot offers an eclectic, modern, consistently inventive menu served in Michelin House, an Art Nouveau masterpiece. The separate, very popular Bibendum Oyster Bar and Café are at street level amidst more splendid architecture. INFO: Tel restaurant 44/20-7581-5817, oyster bar 44/20-7589-1480; www.bibendum.co.uk. Cost: restaurant $85, oyster bar $69, café $15.
GEALES—A lot more posh now than when it opened in Notting Hill on the eve of World War II, this neighborhood place is still your best bet for fish-and-chips, though the menu now includes other fare like fish pie and even steak. INFO: Tel 44/20-7727-7528
; www.geales.com. Cost: dinner $45.
GORDON RAMSAY—Mr. Ramsay’s renowned flagship eatery serves “modern European” cuisine. The dishes are innovative and complex, on the order of pressed foie gras marinated in white port and salt marsh lamb with crystallized walnuts and cumin. (Another location is at Claridge’s Hotel; see above.) INFO: Tel 44/20-7352-4441; www.gordonramsay.com. Cost: dinner $140.
THE IVY—This is still one of the most difficult tables to book, with its glamorous 1930s décor, high-energy buzz, great people-watching, and consistently excellent (if predictable) food—from the reinvented fish-and-chips and Ivy hamburger to the signature salmon cakes. INFO: Tel 44/20-7836-4751; www.theivy.co.uk. Cost: $75.
OXO TOWER RESTAURANT—Breathtaking views of St. Paul’s and the illuminated Thames are the real attractions here, although the modern European and fusion cuisine get solid reviews. The neighboring brasserie serves similar though less stratospherically priced dishes. INFO: Tel 44/20-7803-3888; www.harveynichols.com. Cost: restaurant $95, brasserie $70.
PUBS—London is awash in “public houses,” where the welcome—and the ale—is always warm. The only surviving galleried 17th-century coaching inn, George Inn is an atmospheric pub offering food as well as drink. Once the mess hall of the Duke of Wellington’s Grenadier Guards and reputedly haunted by one of them, the Grenadier serves a mean Bloody Mary and is always crowded and convivial; its beef Wellington is a favorite. The Red Lion, built in 1821 and redesigned in the 1870s, is the ultimate Victorian pub—small, intimate, and dedicated to the fine art of drinking. GEORGE INN: Tel 44/20-7407-2056. GRENADIER: Tel 44/20-7235-3074. RED LION: Tel 44/20-7930-2030.
THE RIVER CAFÉ—The simple-made-chic, always seasonal Italian menu is the lure here, as is the chance to eat outdoors by the Thames in warm weather. An iconic venue that spawned a legendary cookbook and a generation of influential chefs, the River Café is popular for signature dishes such as mushroom risotto. INFO: Tel 44/20-7386-4200; www.rivercafe.co.uk. Cost: dinner $95.
RULES—London’s oldest restaurant, Rules was established as an oyster bar in 1798. Oysters are still a house specialty, along with game from its own estate, with a setting that’s unapologetically late 1700s. INFO: Tel 44/20-7836-5314; www.rules.co.uk. Cost: dinner $75.
DAY TRIPS
OXFORD—Although the city of Oxford dates back to the 12th century, it is the university—collectively formed of 38 colleges—that draws visitors and has given the city its identity and character since it first opened its doors in 1263. The buildings are like a textbook of English architecture, making Oxford a visually fascinating and excellent walking city. Visit the history-steeped students’ drinking halls (for starters, the well-known 13th-century Bear Inn) or peek into the Ashmolean Museum, a treasure trove of fine art and antiquities that first opened in 1683. In the center of town but with a country inn ambience, the 17th-century Old Parsonage is the hotel of choice. For a complete about-face, head to the country and the Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and enjoy the extraordinary talents of world-renowned French chef Raymond LeBlanc; stay the night in an exquisitely decorated guest room. WHERE: 57 miles/92 km northwest of London. OLD PARSONAGE HOTEL: Tel 44/1865-310-210; www.oldparsonage-hotel.co.uk. Cost: from $350. LE MANOIR AUX QUAT’SAISONS: Tel 44/1844-278881; www.manoir.com. Cost: from $770; dinner $155.
WINDSOR CASTLE—Windsor is the oldest and—with 1,000 rooms—largest occupied castle in the world. Since its construction began under William the Conqueror almost a millennium ago, it has been home to eight successive royal houses, including that of the present queen, Elizabeth II, who spent much of her childhood here and has dubbed it her favorite residence. Highlights include the Changing of the Guard; Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House; the Great Kitchen; and the Gothic jewel of St. George’s Chapel, which, like Westminster Abbey (see p. 18), contains the tombs of many English monarchs. Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour, lie here. WHERE: 23 miles/37 km west of London. Tel 44/1753-831-118; www.royalcollection.org.uk.
THE ROYAL PAVILION, BRIGHTON—The star attraction of Brighton, London’s favorite seaside getaway, is the Royal Pavilion, a pseudo-Oriental pleasure palace begun in the late 1700s and enlarged by the prince regent, later King George IV. The fantasy structure of minarets and Moorish domes on the outside hide a whimsical chinoiserie interior, one of the most ornate in Europe. Always loved for its bracing breezes, the naughty postcards, and the fish-and-chips one finds while promenading along the 3-mile-long amusement-lined Brighton Pier, the city now boasts cafés, antiques shops, and galleries in the tight-knit alleyways called the Lanes. Look for English’s of Brighton, a long-time institution known for its no-fuss super-fresh fish and oysters on the half-shell. WHERE: 51 miles/82 km south of London. ROYAL PAVILION: Tel 44/1273-290-900; www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk. ENGLISH’S OF BRIGHTON: Tel 44/1273-327980; www.englishs.co.uk. Cost: dinner $60.
Ancient Rome’s Line in the Sand
HADRIAN’S WALL
Hexham, Northumberland, England
Where legions once marched, sheep now peacefully graze. A few sections are all that remain of this dividing wall that was constructed some 1,800 years ago as the demarcation line for the northwesternmost border of Rome’s mighty empire. Named after Emperor Hadrian (A.D. 76–138), who ordered its construction, the wall spanned 73 miles across England, between Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast (beyond Carlisle) and Wallsend on the east coast (beyond Newcastle), with major forts and smaller “mile-castles” dotted along its length. Work was begun in 121 by some 18,000 soldiers and indentured slaves, and was abandoned around the year 400 as the Roman Empire crumbled.
Today, the wall is Britain’s largest ruin dating from the Roman era and is one of northern Europe’s most impressive and important Roman sites. The best-preserved chunk is a 10-mile stretch in Northumberland, to the east of Carlisle and within striking distance of England’s much-visited Lake District (see p. 16). Also in this area are some of the region’s finest Roman forts, including Birdoswald, Vindolanda, and Housesteads, all with attached museums giving a fascinating insight into daily life on the wall for Roman soldiers.
Walk beside the wall for a mile or two or hike its entire length on the Hadrian’s Wall Path—one of England’s most popular national trails. Or rent a bike and sample the equally popular Hadrian’s Cycleway.
South of the ancient wall sit several modern towns, including Haltwhistle, which claims to be the geographic midpoint of the country, a fact celebrated by the Centre of Britain Hotel. Dating from the 15th century, the hotel combines classic and contemporary style with a friendly welcome and good service. For more history and greater creature comforts, retreat to nearby Langley Castle Hotel, about 7 miles east of Haltwhistle in the village of Langley-on-Tyne. Built in 1350 during the reign of King Edward III, its turreted 7-foot-thick walls and original medieval stained-glass windows and spiral staircases enchantingly evoke the past. It’s a pocket of modern luxury complete with an acclaimed restaurant.
The wall was one of the Roman empire’s greatest engineering feats.
WHERE: Hadrian’s Wall is between Carlisle and Newcastle, about 250 miles/400 km north of London. VISITOR INFO: www.hadrians-wall.org; www.nationaltrail.co.uk/hadrianswall. CENTRE OF BRITAIN HOTEL: Tel 44/1434-322-422; www.centre-of-britain.org.uk. Cost: from $120. LANGLEY CASTLE HOTEL: Tel 44/1434-688-888; www.langleycastle.com. Cost: from $250; dinner $60. BEST TIME: Apr–Oct for pleasant weather.
The Thrill of the Hunt
THE INTERNATIONAL ANTIQUES AND COLLECTORS FAIR
Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, England
Think antiques-lover’s paradise and you think of London. But where do the umpteen antiques dealers that fill the stalls and stores of Portobello Road and Camden Passage replenish their stock? At Newark’s Antiques and Collectors Fair, the largest in all of Europe filling an 86-acre showground with up to 4,000 vendors’ stands and stalls.
Antiques hunters and collectors will find the 2-day fair—held six times yearly—both a joy and an enduran
ce test, with stalls stretching to infinity and the widest range of antiques and collectibles imaginable on sale. Sellers arrive from throughout Britain and Europe, attracting buyers and the merely curious from all over the world. Most dealers are savvy merchants, so fantastic deals are not likely (though by no means impossible), but those arriving promptly when the gates open might happen upon a choice find. To avoid a predawn start on a day trip from London, stay overnight at the small and charming Grange Hotel. Its amiable hosts provide a warm welcome, and the beautiful and tranquil garden is the perfect place to recover after a hectic morning of bartering.
In addition to the hope of the ultimate find, the crowds come for the enormous range and variety of wares. Those with little intention to buy will enjoy this as an enormous cultural outing: Since the British traveled so extensively and far afield during colonial days, shopping English antiques is like shopping the world.
WHERE: 108 miles/174 km north of London. VISITOR INFO: www.iacf.co.uk/newark. GRANGE HOTEL: Tel 44/1636-703-399; www.grangenewark.co.uk. Cost: from $150. WHEN: Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, and Dec.
England’s Most Perfect Baroque Palace
BLENHEIM PALACE
Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England
Of England’s countless stately homes, Blenheim is the most celebrated. Its size and opulence are testimony to its wealth of history: It was the gift of a grateful Queen Anne to General John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough, after his crushing defeat of the French in 1704 at the Bavarian village of Blenheim. In 1874, a boy called Winston Churchill was born here; he went on to become Sir Winston, Britain’s Prime Minister during World War II. Designed by leading architect of the day Sir John Vanbrugh and regarded as the finest Baroque construction in Britain, the lavish palace—impersonal in scale—is England’s answer to Versailles.
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