Ah, the sweet smell of spring is finally here. Flowers are beginning to bloom, the sun has started to shine and there is hope on the horizon for a great British summer!
I’m sure you’ll agree that spending so many months at home has only made our adventurous, curious hearts grow fonder with a passion for travel and exploration.
I will appreciate my upcoming travel trips so much more, and it has only made my job as travel Editor, and the content in our latest issue, seem even more special than usual!
Lockdown might have put a stop to many things, but it certainly hasn’t stopped the travel industry preparing to ensure a super fun and warm welcome once it is safe for visitors to return. From new hotels and luxury spas, exciting holiday resorts full of adventure and off-grid activities, luxury boutique stays in acres of unspoilt countryside and coastline, brand new attractions to immersive one-of-a-kind experiences – it seems there has perhaps never been a better time to explore the British Isles!
With so much ‘British staycation’ wanderlust flying about we couldn’t resist compiling our Ultimate British Bucket List. Deep in the West Dorset countryside we Meet the Makers behind the world’s only vodka made from cows’ milk. We uncover 10 of the most wonderful places to visit in Yorkshire and discover that there’s much more than just Cheddar Cheese and ancient apple orchards to Somerset’s epicurean offering in The Rise of Food and Drink. In search of beautiful destinations where social distancing is made easy, you won’t find better than a remote Sea Garden Cottage on the white sandy shores of Tresco island, a luxury family stay in the heart of Suffolk’s rolling countryside at The Ickworth or a whisky tour around the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, Islay - the Lord of the Isles.
Wherever, and whenever, you next plan to take a holiday in the British Isles, we hope British Travel Journal continues to deliver as your indispensable travel magazine, and wish you a safe and seamless journey full of wonderful memories.
NOTTINGHAM Nottingham Castle Following a multi-million-pound investment, Nottingham Castle and its sprawling caves below are anticipating an exciting relaunch. Once lockdown lifts you will be able to step into the story of the epic retelling of Robin Hood, rebellion and creativity. nottinghamcastle.org.uk DERBY Museum of Making On the site of the world’s first factory (The Derby Silk Mill) the Museum of Making is an impressive 5-year, £18million project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund – now ready to open. Located in the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the key sites of the industrial revolution, this brand-new museum will showcase the region’s 300-year history of making and celebrate its rich history of innovation. From the world’s smallest engine, run using a human hair, to a seven tonne Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine suspended in a new atrium above visitors’ heads, there will be 30,000 objects to enjoy. ◆ derbymuseums.org LAKE DISTRICT Wordsworth Grasmere Poetry fans will be delighted to hear the news of this re-imagined museum celebrating William Wordsworth in the Lake District. The former Wordsworth Museum has been completely transformed to include a reinterpretation of Dove Cottage, where William lived when he produced most of his greatest and bestloved poems, a Sensory Garden and Woodland. ◆ wordsworth.org.uk BritishTravelJournal.com 19
