Season Guide - Britain - Hilton Racing

Oxfordis the most cosmopolitan city near Silverstone. In the cobbled streets, lined with international cafes and restaurants, babbles a multinational mix of languages. Heikki Kovalainenlives in Oxford with his English girlfriend. Being a university city means it punches way above its weight.

The city has some superb food (try eating at the old Oxford prison!) but the best restaurant in the area is Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons just south of Oxford.Regularly it has been voted the best place to eat in the UK.

Oxford’s night scene is on a par with much larger cities.Raoul’s is all 60’s décor and chilled music done with world class style. Baba on the Cowley Road is also upmarket and so tends not to attract the student grunge brigade. In July, when F1 comes to Britain, the students are off on their summer break.

Harry Potter might have introduced Oxford to a new generation but it brims with arts and culture from across the spectrum. The Ashmolean Museum is the oldest museum in the world and teeming with art and relics from as far back as Ancient Egypt. The Bodleian Library’s collection contains 7 million books. No wonder space is running out.Modern Art Oxford does at the name suggests, houses some fantastic contemporary works.

Oxfordis home to the Mini and there are tours around the plant on the outskirts of town. The Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon, a few junctions north of Silverstone on the M40 motorway is the best car museum in the area.

British food is not all about fish and chips or roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Two of the UK’s 3 Star Michelin restaurants are just over an hour from Silverstone; the Fat Duck and the Waterside Inn, both at Bray on the River Thames. They lead the way in modern British food but the food revolution has spread across the country. Pubs especially are oases of gastro food in the country. With dozens of good ones, grab a copy of the Good Pub Guide and follow your nose.

Michael Schumacher was flying up to Silverstone one day when he saw the massive outline of an impressive country pile below. He expressed interest in making an offer, so the story goes, only to be told it was Blenheim Palace and that the historic home was not on the market!

History litters the English countryside like pubs or strange village names. But this corner of England’s green and pleasant land is all about Shakespeare. Stratford-upon-Avon was his birthplace and the place thrives in his name.Performances of his works, in traditional and more modern adaptations bring The Bard’s work to life in all styles. Even those who speak no English are touched by a performance in his home town.

Choosing the country over London does not mean leaving boutique shopping behind. Many of the UK’s top designers like Ozwald Boateng, Anya Hindmarch, Nicole Farhi and Mulberry have outlet shops at Bicester Village, a stone’s throw from Silverstone.