Innholdsfortegnelse for 2021 Annual Edition - Issue 05 i Great West Way® Travel Magazine

GARDENS THROUGH THE SEASONS The gardens of the Great West Way are beautiful whatever the season, but here are the must-sees throughout the year Words: Adrienne Wyper From the world famous to the well-kept secrets, here are some gardens along the Great West Way where you won’t be able to help but stop and smell the roses! SPRING SPLENDOURS • SAVILL GARDEN This 35-acre garden in Windsor Great Park’s grounds is home to a glorious spring display of award-winning rhododendrons, in the sunken woodland garden. Trumpet-like flowers appear in every shade: pure white, pale cream, lemon, apricot, shocking pink, purple and flaming scarlet – many of them scented. • BLENHEIM PALACE Formal gardens include Water Terraces, an Italian Garden, and the Rose Garden. Gardens manager Hilary Wood says: ‘The Secret…

POST-COVID HOTEL STAYS From the city, riverside, to the countryside - a safe and warm welcome awaits Words: Jessica Way HOTELIERS ALONG THE GREAT WEST WAY have been busy preparing to reopen their doors, and welcome you back safely, on the 17 May 2021, covid restrictions permitting. Whether you are looking for a city break in a luxury spa hotel, a countryside manor house offering rambles in acres of outdoor space, or a boutique hotel on the banks of the river, there is a hotel for every occasion. Hospitality teams have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure enhanced safety procedures to offer you peace of mind during your stay, so here’s a look at some of the best hotels, getting you ready for your summer staycation. HOTELS IN…

THE WAY FORWARD A look at some of the highlights and what’s new on the Great West Way ACCOMMODATION NEWS THE FARM AT AVEBURY The Farm at Avebury, in the heart of Wiltshire, has been under the stewardship of the Hues family for four generations as a family-run working farm - and they are delighted to announce the next chapter in their long and successful story, launching brand new accommodation for guests. There are six, newly converted, self-catering holiday apartments inside the former stables, with exposed timbers and the original staddle stones, clustered around a landscaped courtyard - think wild flowers and grasses in corten steel planters. The Farm is situated inside the UNESCO-protected Avebury World Heritage site. Nearby attractions include Avebury Henge and Stone Circle and The Red Lion,…

CAPTURING THE MOMENT Photographers are never short of inspiration for the perfect shot along the Great West Way. Vote for your favourite capture from our ten finalists for your chance to win a prize to go here! www.greatwestway.co.uk/competition THANK YOU to all the wonderful photographers out there who have been helping build our Great West Way Instagram page. With so many wonderful shots it has been difficult to narrow down the photos to a top 10 of finalists. Readers - I hope these images inspire you and thank you for helping us to choose our Capturing the Moment Photography Competition 2021 winner! For the opportunity to make the finalists of our Capturing the Moment 2022 Competition follow our Instagram page instagram.com/GreatWestWay and tag @GreatWestWay or use the hashtag #GreatWestWay www.greatwestway.co.uk/competition…

HISTORIC STOPS TRAIN TRAVEL Making tracks on the Great West Way can point you at endless amounts of history and fun facts to be discovered along its length from London to Bristol Words: Geoff Moore TAKING TO THE TRACKS is certainly one way to explore locations and the history of the Great West Way. In one go the journey is just 1hr 40min, but stopping en route to explore the route in your own time is 'slow travel' at its best. One of England’s great long-distance railway lines, the Great Western Railway runs along the full distance of the Great West Way – from London’s Paddington station to Bristol Temple Meads. It’s chief engineer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel and you’ll travel the course he plotted back in the 1830s, including…

VIDEOS AND MULTIMEDIA › Keep busy at home with Wiltshire Museum's new At Home programme featuring do-it-yourself craft activities, learning resources for kids, stories about intriguing objects and documents from their collections and libraries: wiltshiremuseum.org.uk/donations/at-home › Take a Google Street View tour of the Roman Baths: romanbaths.co.uk/walkthrough Or have a go at these online games: romanbaths.co.uk/online-games › Test your fashion knowledge with the Fashion Museum and Assembly Rooms online quiz: www.fashionmuseum.co.uk/quiz and download some children's activities: fashionmuseum.co.uk/childrens-page › Keep an eye on the Youtube account for The Pounds Art Centre, where they post videos of performances and readings: youtube.com/user/PoundArts/videos › For any foodies out there, you can now book a virtual food tour of Bath to enjoy from your own home thanks to Savouring Bath. You can even purchase a…

CALENDAR EVENTS From confetti battles to music festivals, to canoe races and country shows OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2021 BRISTOL FILM FESTIVAL OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2021 Returning this year is the much-loved Bristol Film Festival with top titles screened in unique spaces. Donnie Darko is showing in Redcliffe Caves, you can watch UP at Clifton Observatory, Jurassic Park at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Interstellar at The Planetarium, and AIRPLANE at Aerospace Bristol – and many more. bristolfilmfestival.com BATH COMEDY FESTIVAL OCTOBER–NOVEMBER 2021 Bath Comedy Festival presents household names in the world of comedy and promotes the big names of tomorrow. visitbath.co.uk/events HENLEY LITERARY FESTIVAL 2–10 OCTOBER 2021 Bringing together punters and pundits from far and wide, this year’s line-up includes Gyles Brandreth, Sebastian Faulks, Kate Mosse, Elizabeth Day, Simon Mayo and Kiran Millwood Hargrave.…

FIVE OF THE BEST SMART PHONE TOURS Discover the Great West Way at your own pace with these easy-to-follow smartphone apps 1 BANKSY BRISTOL TRAIL Fans of street art will love this new self-guided smart phone tour in Bristol dedicated to the famous pseudonymous street artist, Banksy. The tour takes you to see his works of art around the Floating Harbour, Park Street, Stokes Croft and Montpelier, and includes Valentine, the new artwork that only appeared in Bristol last year. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ON THE APP STORE OR GET IT ON GOOGLE PLAY CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE AND TO BOOK THE BATH AND WILTSHIRE TOUR 2 WALKING TOURS, BATH Lose yourself without getting lost with the must-have app when visiting Bath. Available from the iTunes App Store…

YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY One of the most enjoyable ways to embrace Slow Travel is on foot so why not try one of these great self-guided walking routes along the Great West Way - offering you the perfect opportunity to fasten up those laces and step outside into the great British countryside. NEW TRAILS FOR MALMESBURY › The White Walls Way is a brand new 20-mile marked footpath trail, one of a handful of new routes launched by Malmesbury Area Pathfinders. Other routes include the Saxon Trail combining physical remains with virtual reimagining and the 350 year anniversary of the Trial of the Malmesbury Witches, with a new multimedia trail telling this true story of turmoil, allegations and hangings. exploremalmesbury.com WALKERS ARE WELCOME IN PEWSEY › Discover Pewsey Vale is…

STRIKING ARCHITECTURE TO SEE ON THE ROUTE There are many impressive styles of architecture to see on the Great West Way. How many in our list here have you visited? Words: Samantha Rutherford CLIFTON SUSPENSION BRIDGE BRISTOL Be sure to stroll across Bristol's famous Clifton Suspension Bridge. One of Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s most striking works, it straddles the dramatic Avon Gorge. Pop into the Visitor Centre in Leigh Woods to find out more about the people who built, maintain and treasure it. Entrance to the Visitor Centre is free, although donations are appreciated. GREAT PAGODA KEW Kew’s Pagoda was completed in 1762 as a gift for Princess Augusta, the founder of the Gardens. It was one of several Chinese buildings designed for Kew by Sir William Chambers, who…

GOURMET GUIDE FOOD & DRINK Discover a wealth of hidden culinary delights and epicurean experiences on the Great West Way Words: Karyn Noble Sure, you could travel the Great West Way from London to Bristol in an afternoon, but epicureans know the reward is in the discovery, and we’ve got 500 miles of delicious detours for you! Linger as long as you can, because this stretch of English countryside needs to be savoured, and slow travel is the best way to experience it. This slice of quintessential England is home to some of the country’s best agricultural land, and with that comes excellent local produce, from fresh fruits and vegetables to fine wines. Farms rear animals and nurture crops, breweries experiment with craft beers, and kitchen gardens cultivate seasonal veggies.…

WHAT ITEM WOULD YOU SAVE FROM A FIRE? Curators of some of the best museums along the Great West Way reveal what single item in their collections they would choose to save if disaster struck HOLBURNE MUSEUM NAME: Will Cooper ROLE: Curator of Contemporary Programmes WHAT I WOULD SAVE FROM A FIRE: “Diana and Actaeon, Siena, tin-glazed earthenware, about 1495. There’s a lot to like about this incredible piece of c15th maiolica; the naive style of the figures, Actaeon mid transformation but looking more like a stag wearing a pair of green 501s, Diana’s coquettish look after hitting Actaeon with her magic arrow. It’s really got it all, but what I think I like most is that it’s funny. I was often taught that museums are serious places of study…