British Travel Journal | Spring 2021

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.

1BEST ABBEY RIEVAULX

1BEST ABBEY RIEVAULX Because of its remote moorland Yorkshire was often chosen as a place for religious retreats. Rievaulx Abbey was founded in the early twelfth century by Cistercian monks from France. It occupies a romantic wooded valley deep in the North York Moors. St Aelred, one of the first abbots of Rievaulx, wrote of the location 'everywhere peace, everywhere serenity'. Under Aelred the abbey grew to great wealth thanks to the enterprise of its 140 monks and 500 lay brothers. This religious community farmed, brewed, traded and even set up an early blast furnace on the site. When Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in 1538 Rievaulx fell into disrepair, but in the eighteenth century its beautiful remains became a place of inspiration for artists. In the 1750s local land-owner, Thomas Duncombe MP built a terrace along the valley top from which the abbey ruins can be still be admired today. The soaring Gothic arches of Rievaulx’s choir -mercifully intact - continue to inspire visitors and there is also a new café and museum on the site. english-heritage.org.uk 64 BritishTravelJournal.com Pictured above: Rievaulx Abbey is the perfect choice for a peaceful day out, with its extensive ruins and fascinating museum in a secluded North York Moors valley. Right: Young woman looking at the window of Betty's Cafe Tea Rooms, York. ©VISITBRITAIN/ASHLIEGH WICK

2 BEST TEA ROOM BETTYS Bettys occupies a prominent position in Helen's Square, York and on the corner of Parliament Street and Montpellier Parade in Harrogate. It also occupies a special place in the heart of Yorkshire people. This small chain of elegant cafes was begun in 1919 by a Swiss confectioner called Frederic Belmont who arrived in Harrogate speaking very little English. At the time this spa-town was a goldmine thanks to wealthy visitors seeking to drink it restorative waters. (To modern sensibilities the sulphurous waters of Harrogate are far too pungent to support a tourism industry!). Belmont’s business prospered, later merging with the famous coffee-makers, Taylors of Harrogate. Today there are six Bettys across Yorkshire and the company is still owned by Frederic Belmont’s descendants. The Lady Betty Afternoon Tea presented on a three-tier cake stand is the signature dish of these tea rooms but also popular are Bettys Champagne Truffles, Yorkshire “Fat Rascal” Scones, Lemon and Lime Cake and the Bettys Bread Box. bettysandtaylors.co.uk à BritishTravelJournal.com 65