Editor’s Note: This long article originally appeared in Issue #6 of the Anglotopia Print Magazine in Spring 2017. You can support great long-form writing about British History, Culture and Travel by subscribing to the Anglotopia Print Magazine, a quarterly love letter to Britain. Subscribing makes articles like this possible and ensures the future of Anglotopia. You can … [Read more...] about Top 10 Britain: Top 10 Things to See and Do in Winchester – Exploring Alfred the Great’s Capital
Hampshire
Finding Downton: Our Journey to Highclere Castle
Editor's Note: This long article originally appeared in Issue #5 of the Anglotopia Print Magazine in Spring 2017. You can support great long-form writing about British History, Culture and Travel by subscribing to the Anglotopia Print Magazine, a quarterly love letter to Britain. Subscribing makes articles like this possible and ensures the future of Anglotopia. You can … [Read more...] about Finding Downton: Our Journey to Highclere Castle
British Travels: Our Journey to Downton Abbey – Visiting Highclere Castle – Is It Worth It?
We did not fully enjoy our visit to Highclere Castle. The place is beautiful but as a managed attraction it has problems. Let’s start at the beginning. We’re huge Downton Abbey fans and have dreamed of visiting the house where they filmed the show, Highclere Castle, for many years. The problem with visiting Highclere Castle is that it’s only open on certain days of the year. … [Read more...] about British Travels: Our Journey to Downton Abbey – Visiting Highclere Castle – Is It Worth It?
Great British Houses: Beaulieu Palace House – Home to Britain’s National Motor Museum
Beaulieu Palace House, as it is grandly known, is part medieval Cistercian Abbey and part Victorian Gothic revivalist country mansion. Opened up to the public in the 1950s by the famous 3rd Baron Edward Douglas-Scott Montagu, Beaulieu House created the blueprint for other stately homes transition from family home to tourist destination and exists today as part of the group of … [Read more...] about Great British Houses: Beaulieu Palace House – Home to Britain’s National Motor Museum
British Travels: The Echoes of the Battle of Trafalgar at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Because of his towering height, Captain Hardy had to crouch below the beams in the lower deck of HMS Victory. It was quite a scene. Gunpowder still thick in the air. A legend lay dying. It was Hardy's task to inform Nelson that they were victorious that day in the Battle of Trafalgar. And then Nelson passed into history and the scene was immortalized in paintings and … [Read more...] about British Travels: The Echoes of the Battle of Trafalgar at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
The Saga of the Jane Austen Ring Comes to an End in Britain’s Favor
This story has been all over the headlines. Last year, at auction, American singer Kelly Clarkson bought one of only 3 rings known to be owned and worn by classic Brit Lit star Jane Austen. The Brits reacted with suitable horror that such a treasure was at risk of being taken out of Britain. The government mobilized and banned the export of the ring while the Jane Austen … [Read more...] about The Saga of the Jane Austen Ring Comes to an End in Britain’s Favor
Brit Lit: Jane Austen to Grace £10 Note from 2017
There was much controversy a few months ago when it was announced that Sir Winston Churchill would replace the only woman featured on British Money on the £5 note. The Royal Mint has decided to make a change to the £10 note and remove Charles Darwin and replace him with Jane Austen instead in response to the critics. From the BBC: Author Jane Austen is to feature on … [Read more...] about Brit Lit: Jane Austen to Grace £10 Note from 2017
Ancient Roman Ring That May Have Inspired Tolkien On Display Now in Hampshire
A new exhibition at The Vyne - a Tudor palace turned family home turned National Trust attraction in Basingstoke - explores whether an ancient Roman ring discovered in a southern English field in 1785 could have been the One Ring to rule J.R.R. Tolkien's imagination and inspire his creation of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The intricate gold band, which ended up on a … [Read more...] about Ancient Roman Ring That May Have Inspired Tolkien On Display Now in Hampshire
Downton Abbey: Your Guide to Downton Abbey Tours in Britain – See the REAL Downton!
Downton Abbey is a huge success all around the globe and one thing it has certainly done is generate interest in travel to Great Britain. Did you know you can explore the halls of 'Downton Abbey' (aka Highclere Castle) yourself? Or that you can walk through Downton Village (actually Bampton)? You can indeed! So, we've put together a listing of all the Downton Themed tours … [Read more...] about Downton Abbey: Your Guide to Downton Abbey Tours in Britain – See the REAL Downton!
BBC reports on excavation at Jane Austen’s home in the Hampshire Countryside
According to a new BBC article, treasures found at the birthplace of Jane Austen shed light on the life the author led while drafting the stories that became Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensability. While she wrote of wealthy ladies and gentlemen, it appears Ms. Austen led more of an average villager's life. Austen was born in the house in the Hampshire countryside in … [Read more...] about BBC reports on excavation at Jane Austen’s home in the Hampshire Countryside
Laura’s London: 50 Years of James Bond – Beaulieu National Motor Museum
Bond in Motion 2012 marks the 50th anniversary since the first James Bond movie, Dr No, in 1962. England's best loved spy has featured in 22 films, with the 23rd, Skyfall, due to be released (in the UK) on 26 October 2012. This is the largest official collection of original Bond vehicles the world has ever seen and includes a range of vehicles from cars, boats, … [Read more...] about Laura’s London: 50 Years of James Bond – Beaulieu National Motor Museum
Cool Places to Stay: Old Shepherd’s Huts in Hampshire – Back to nature in corrugated iron
A new holiday site in an ancient bluebell wood opens this summer offering accommodation in replica shepherd’s huts. Wriggly Tin Shepherd’s Huts in the South Downs in Hampshire offers visitors the back-to-nature appeal of camping in simple but cosy accommodation built in a traditional style. Shepherd’s huts – rooms on wheels, like small caravans – were designed in the 19th … [Read more...] about Cool Places to Stay: Old Shepherd’s Huts in Hampshire – Back to nature in corrugated iron
Cool Britain: An Old Fort at Sea Becomes a Luxury Venue
A man-made island 2km (1 mile) from Portsmouth Harbour on the south coast of England opens in March as a 5-star luxury retreat. Spitbank Fort was built in the 1870s to protect Portsmouth from a possible invasion by Napoleon III. It is 50 metres (162 ft) in diameter with walls that are 4.6 metres (15ft) thick. It will be open for exclusive hire, special events and corporate … [Read more...] about Cool Britain: An Old Fort at Sea Becomes a Luxury Venue
Top 12 England Tourist Attractions for Arts and Culture in England
1). Tate Modern – The national gallery of international modern art and is one of London’s top free attractions. It’s packed with challenging modern art and is housed within a disused power station on the south bank of the River Thames. The imposing brick building, opposite St Paul’s Cathedral, has a superb permanent collection of modern art including masterpieces by Matisse, … [Read more...] about Top 12 England Tourist Attractions for Arts and Culture in England
50 years of James Bond’s cars at the National Motor Museum
An exhibition of 50 iconic James Bond vehicles – the largest of its kind staged anywhere in the world – opens in January at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu. The exhibition will run for the whole of 2012 in celebration of 50 years of James Bond movies. Bond in Motion will feature a range of vehicles that have appeared in Bond films over the years including cars, boats, … [Read more...] about 50 years of James Bond’s cars at the National Motor Museum
Guide to Jane Austen’s England from the Telegraph
This is definitely worth sharing for all those Jane Austen loving Anglophiles out there. The Telegraph has put together a quick guide to Jane Austen's England with plenty of pretty pictures. From the Article: A sleepy Hampshire village, Steventon, was Jane Austen's home for the first 25 years of her life. The late 17th-century house in which she and her family lived was … [Read more...] about Guide to Jane Austen’s England from the Telegraph
Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas in 2007 in a closet in Chicago. Anglotopia is for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia is now our full-time jobs and we spend our time working on the site and planning our yearly trips to Britain. In 2014, we founded 