“England’s green and pleasant land”

As a foreigner who grew up in the 20th 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.

In 2014, 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 invite you to follow in my footsteps through the outline of this 6-day trip, completed with some maps and recommendations. I also visited a part of the West-Midlands, from Birmingham to Shrewsbury and Chester in May-June 2017, and I also posted the outline of my 10-day stay in this beautiful corner of England.

During these trips, I had the opportunity to observe beautiful country gardens 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. Thus, in this theme dealing with England’s natural and cultural treasures, I invite you to read my essay about the distinctive personalities of England’s gardens and landscapes, and their representations in arts in British “modern” history. Indeed, 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.

In July 2024, I enrolled in a two-week summer programme at Cambridge and seized the opportunity to explore its magnificent colleges and bucolic surroundings. I thus posted on this page the photo-album (divided in three parts) of my two-week stay there, as well as the outline of a visit to some of its scientific landmarks.

During that course of study, dedicated to Shakespeare, I also went on an excursion to Stratford-upon-Avon, and visited his birthplace and his tomb.

Scientific Cambridge

Since Isaac Newton, Cambridge’s famous scientists have brought many discoveries to the world. Last July, during my two-week programme at Cambridge, I also explored the scientific side of this temple… Continue reading Scientific Cambridge

Illustration on top of this page: Bee borders, Botanic Garden, Cambridge, July 2024 (own photo)