Dawes
When I moved to the UK ten years ago I wanted to buy a proper British touring bike. Dawes was considered the best. However, much changed with the brand over the past ten years. They struggled at times, yet they made a few fabulous frames, notably a titanium tourer and 531 Reynolds 531 lugged "retro" Galaxy. Dawes has a well-deserved cult following here. Ask anyone in the industry and they'll concur.
My Galaxy uses Reynolds 853 steel and came with solid Deore/XT components on a 9-speed triple. (of course... most all of it has been replaced over the years and miles...) It's kind of a shame Dawes didn't hold out one more year to make a special 50th anniversary edition. I for one would love to see what they would come up with...
Btw, for all you gravel hounds, I can easily run 700 x 38mm tyres with mudguards/fenders! This bike goes just about anywhere I want...