As a foreigner who grew up in the 20^th century, my perception of British landscapes came from idyllic images conveyed through TV detective stories filmed in country villages, be they adaptations of Agatha Christie’s novels or the series Midsomer Murders: round hills with emerald-green grass and interspersed hedgerows and woods, and gorgeous cottage gardens, cramming with luxuriant flower arrangements… An image that lives on since William Blake’s celebration of “England’s green and pleasant land” in his poem ‘Jerusalem’ (1808), which, on a music written by Sir Hubert Parry in 1916, has become one of England’s unofficial anthems.

Ten years ago, a tour in Yorkshire’s national parks and in some of their market villages allowed me to taste the delights of the English countryside and to capture its essence. I also had the opportunity to observe beautiful country gardens during several trips to England, and to admire the know-how of English gardeners in public parks such as the Dingle Garden in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, or the Valleys Gardens in Harrogate, Yorkshire.

In this theme, dealing with England’s natural and cultural treasures, I invite you to explore…

1) how England’s landscapes and gardens have evolved throughout modern British history. Successive changes, reflecting historical and social changes and interrelating with British arts, have affected their features over centuries, giving them distinctive personalities within European/western culture.

2) some historic and natural highlights of Yorkshire. I posted the outline of a 6-day trip I made there in 2014, with some maps and recommendations.

3) a part of the West-Midlands, from Birmingham to Shrewsbury and Chester: I posted the outline of a 10-day stay in May-June 2017.

The photo illustrating this page (Credit: David Noton Photography, Alamy Stock Photo) was found on the following webpage: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/habitats/hedgerows/