Issue 226 is now on sale

From royal Highland adventures in the north to the Isle of Wight and Wiltshire’s wonderful gardens in the south, this issue we bring you plenty of travel inspiration for 2022 and beyond

You don’t need to have been born in a place – or even have visited it before – for it to feel like home. In fact, it is easy even during a short break somewhere to start fantasising about the possibility of moving there for good.

It’s nice to know that this feeling happens to the best of us. Queen Victoria became so enamoured by her first “quite beautiful” glimpse of Edinburgh in 1840 that she returned to Scotland on a regular basis, more than almost any other British monarch, and even made a home in Balmoral on the River Dee amid the natural splendour of the Cairngorms National Park. Natalie Marchant does a fantastic job of charting that royal Caledonian love affair in this issue.

Elsewhere, we visit Britain’s last major bellfoundry in Loughborough to discover how a devoted trust and young apprentices are safeguarding this ancient craft for future generations. Plus we’re awe-struck by Durham Cathedral, the centrepoint for new pilgrimage routes that celebrate the dawn of Christianity in the north. We hope you enjoy the issue!

Also inside the issue:

• Discover the mystical county of Wiltshire, blessed with some of the world’s most beautiful and expertly-designed country estates
• Head to the Isle of Wight to explore the legacy of the Freshwater Circle, a talented group of Victorian artists and writers who once lived there
• Go back to your roots with our comprehensive guide to tracing your British heritage
• Though he died more than five centuries ago, we ask why the “crook-backed” King Richard III remains so controversial
• Elegant modernist home or medieval royal palace? Welcome to Eltham Palace, the London manor with the split personality
• Visit Lewes, a fiery and cultured spot in the South Downs
• Meet Ann Kenrick, the first female Master of the historic Charterhouse in London
• Win a Great British holiday worth up to £5,000

Buy your copy of issue 226 (February/March 2022) here (available from 7 January) or subscribe online to have Discover Britain delivered direct to your door six times a year.

Cover caption: York Minster, home to one of countless bells made by the Loughborough Bellfoundry. Cover credit: Mark Sykes/AWL Images