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A short chronological overview of the British past, from prehistory to the present, and a map of where the other entries in…

How the British live: small houses by international standards, mostly built of brick, arranged in terraces and semis, and full of details…

The 73-mile Roman frontier wall across northern England, begun in AD 122, and the most substantial Roman monument in Britain.

Scotland's national dish: sheep offal minced with oatmeal, suet and spices, traditionally cooked in a stomach lining, and considerably better than its…

The 31st of October: an old Celtic festival of the dead, largely forgotten in England, then reimported from America and now firmly…

The great Tudor palace on the Thames west of London, seized by Henry VIII from Cardinal Wolsey and later half-rebuilt in baroque…

The autumn church service and school assembly giving thanks for the harvest, at which tinned goods are donated and "We Plough the…

The pre-wedding parties held separately for the bride and groom — traditionally a night out, now frequently an entire weekend abroad.

The medieval system of hereditary coats of arms, still regulated in Britain by the College of Arms — and still, legally, a…

A substantial cooked evening meal eaten at a table — historically working-class, and entirely different from the afternoon tea it is now…

The Scottish New Year: a celebration historically far bigger than Christmas, with first-footing, Auld Lang Syne and two public holidays.

Spiced, fruited sweet buns marked with a cross on top, eaten toasted with butter around Easter — and now, to general complaint,…

How British houses are identified — by number, by name, or by both — and why a great many have a name…

The main shopping street of a British town: the traditional centre of local commerce, and the subject of decades of anxious discussion…

The Palace of Westminster: the riverside Gothic building housing the Commons and the Lords, and the most recognisable seat of government in…