Inside England - Volume 1
Summer 2004
There are many ways to experience a country. You can pay someone to haul you around in boats and buses and point you at things they think are worth seeing, or you can do it on your own. The obvious attractions can be found in tour books, where the number of pages dedicated to a particular offering could indicate its desirability (or importance). Here I describe blending, a process of experiencing subtle and delightful offerings of a culture, many of which would be impractical, if not impossible, to include in tourguides. Even so, as I describe specific experiences that I found extremely enjoyable and/or interesting, this is not recommendation to repeat exactly what I did, which is probably impossible anyway. This is a recommendation to try a process that will allow you to discover and enjoy your own experiences. Opportunities are limitless and everywhere.
Blending is an extension of the WWT, DoWhaLDo (Do What Locals Do) principle. Vacations are for relaxing, extreme pleasure, enlightenment, and for revival, although maybe not all in the same trip. Visit the standard tourist attractions. Squirm shoulder to shoulder through millions of natives, beggars, and tourists to see the Taj Mahals of the world, but don't wait until you have seen everything you are supposed to see before experiencing things that a tourist is not supposed to see. The places one rarely hears about, places that are rarely seen by tourists, are just as delightful and almost certainly more relaxing. Look for them and enjoy them. They are everywhere. The absence of tourists is one of the reasons why they are so special.
Like most countries, England has many wonderful sights. A lady seated in behind us at the theater told her friend about a trip she had just completed to England. "How long were you there?" her friend asked.
"Oh, well, we were there for 10 days." was her proud reply, imagining 10 days in one country is a lot for an American. What did you see during your visit?" was the next question.
"We saw everything except Stonehenge," was the reply.
I would guess that most Americans, even those who have been to England more than once, have little idea how much England has to offer the adventuresome traveler. And I am sure that this statement applies to almost any country. I visited England many times before finally discovering what are, for me, the most enjoyable experiences the country offers. They include such entities as: Public Footpaths, Open Gardens, Cathedrals, Churches, Festivals, Canals, Morris Dancers, Marketplaces, Stately homes, Villages, ruins, and Scarecrow Festivals.
People develop and invent unique pastimes to entertain themselves, some related to the history, religion, geography, and climate, and some with no obvious origin. Therefore, they are usually unique to one place, one of a kind, and not exactly what one could see anywhere else. Experiences designed by and usually available only to the residents can be enjoyed by the adventure seeking tourist who has extra time to explore and who knows the process. Bound up in such experiences are the culture as well as the environment; they are the very heart of a society.
A short cut in the process lies in meeting, making friends with, or being lucky enough to have relatives in other countries, and then joining in with them. Except for the obvious problem in timing, one can visit friends and relatives and simply go along with them. Another way is to take up residence for a few months, although most people cannot afford the time or expense until they approach retirement. Many home swapping programs exist that make this possible. Building friendships in foreign countries and maintaining these over many years is yet another. Lacking these short cuts, local libraries, newspapers, and the Internet are alternatives. Once the process begins, you will find yourself continually stumbling onto interesting attractions.
Bed and Breakfasts (B&Bs)
One of the best ways to visit villages and even large cities is to use the ubiquitous Bed and Breakfasts (B&Bs), which are especially good in England. They cost less and are often better than even the finest hotels, and they are everywhere. One method, although a bit risky, is to start looking for B&B signs when you arrive in a place you would like to stay. Even though I have never met disaster with this procedure, I admit being anxious a few times.
The Internet makes the process more plannable, since many B&Bs are now listed and make reservations by Internet. One can rent a room or even an entire house just about anywhere in England. The people are friendly, and best of all, the locals always have suggestions for taking in the special local attractions. Take advantage of the fact that people who run the B&Bs love to help you enjoy yourself with a personal touch. It is their profession and they like to feel they are providing a good service. If you cannot stay with a friend or relative, a B&B is the next best thing, and sometimes even better.
Pauline and I are extremely fortunate in that our British friends often invite us to spend an evening with them in their homes when we are in their neighborhood (as we do if they visit Bedfordshire or California). This provides an immediate resource of local information. Local events include antique and art shows, open gardens, Morris Dancers, air shows, glow worm hunts, music festivals, and so on. We even went to a Scarecrow Contest where the residents of a village compete to design and display in their yards the best scarecrow. Seriously, this could catch on.
Public Footpaths
The Public Footpath is a wonderful concept in England, which the British take so much for granted that they rarely even brag about them. Even tour books pay little attention to them. No such thing exists in the United States, so we have no concept of the meaning of the ubiquitous, wooden "Public Footpath" signs. In the USA we have great nature trails, regional and National Hiking trails, and parks, but nothing resembling a Public Footpath.
One reason for this is that we don't have villages in the same sense as England. England is crisscrossed by many thousands of miles of well-marked Public Footpaths that connect many thousands of tiny villages sprinkled across the country.
One can walk from one village to any other over these paths, most of which have existed for hundreds of years and which farmers are required by law to maintain. All fences are equipped with gates and stiles, and footbridges cross the rivers and streams. The designs of these structures are as varied as one can imagine and some have their own trademarks. Some of the bridges are an experience to cross. If you have your lady with you, don’t forget to take advantage of the "kissing" gates. Trap her in there and don’t let her pass without paying the price.
Kissing Gate on a Public Footpath-Trap your lady and extract the toll.
One could never run out of interesting footpaths that lead through tiny villages, woods, streams, past colorful pubs, ancient churches, thatched roof homes, windmills, canals, and historical sites. One is never far from such a path anywhere in England.
One hundred meters from our Flitwick home a public footpath passes through the Two Moors National Trust Reserve to the villages of Greenfield (one mile) and on to Flitton (another half mile) and beyond. The path follows the River Flit, which is lined by comfrey, foxgloves, the ever-present stinging nettles, and dozens of other wildflowers. Along the way one passes a few pubs, thatched roof houses, a mausoleum, a medieval church, and Pussy Pond (Don’t ask me why they call it Pussy Pond). In August you can stop along the way and pick and eat plump blackberries so prolific that they literally weigh down the vines.
Flitwick Moor Public Footpath-I painted this scene.
Blackberries in Flitwick Moor-Eat them right off the vine, but not down lower than a dog can pee.
Flitton-Along the Two Moors Public Footpath. Notice the thatched roof. I am standing by the White Hart Pub and the Flitton Church and Mausoleum.
Watch out, however, for the stinging nettles. This plant is unlike anything we have in America. All you have to do is touch it and a crystal of formic acid attaches to your skin and burns like hell. I once dropped a blackberry into a patch of nettles. That is the last time I will ever attempt to recover a dropped blackberry. Nettles are, strangely enough, good to eat, if you pick them with gloves and cook the hell out of them. As you would guess, every year there are stinging nettles eating contests in which contestants eat these things raw.
Keep a sharp lookout and you may see a montjac, a small version of a deer about the size of a big dog.
A few miles south of Flitwick is the village of Sharpenhoe. Towering above are the Sharpenhoe Clappers, named after the French for rabbit warren. This public footpath provides a great vantage point to look over Bedfordshire. From this trail one could observe a crop circle that had magically appeared in a wheat field below.
Jimbo and Jim Walking the Sharpenhoe Clappers
A few years ago a public footpath was opened that follows Hadrian's Wall from coast to coast, about 70 miles. You can walk for days along the ruins of a 2000-year-old wall and occasionally pass forts and other more complex structures from the Roman era. You also pass other villages, churches, bridges and beautiful scenery.
A coastal footpath follows the coast for hundreds of miles, and almost any section of it provides walkers with magnificent views. Along the Devon and Cornwall coasts are some of the most stunning views in England. Around Tintagel is one of my favorites. Such walks pass windmills ranging from the modern to the medieval.
Whether passing from one village to the next, through the moors, dales, and forests, the public footpaths are one of the most amazing offerings of England free for all to enjoy. One does not need to walk for many miles in any single outing. Thousands of one or two hour loop walks provide a delightful array of sights. In 2004 a new law, the CROW or Citizen Rights of Way, was passed giving people even more access to lands, not necessarily limited to the public footpaths. Land Barons and large land owners fought this in the courts but ultimately lost. One notable loser was Madonna, the singer, who did not want her privacy invaded.
Local libraries and tourist offices usually have maps or books that identify and recommend the most colorful public footpaths. The Internet is a good resource if you can get past the marketing traps. However, nothing beats the advice of a local walker.
The British Canal System
Another British phenomenon is the system of picturesque man made canals, which crisscross the country, punctuated with thousands of manually operated locks. Originally built during the industrial revolution for transportation of cargo, the canals are now maintained largely for pleasure. In England one is never far from a canal, and a public footpath accompanies most of the canals. Canals and public footpaths are two major, unique features of England that are rarely a part of the typical tourist itinerary and that are delightful to experience.
Heading into the lock-Two boats at a time in this one.
Passing through the locks-It is all done by hand.
The canals support an entire community of long boat owners passing back and forth through hundreds of locks. Watching the boats go through the locks, or better yet, assisting with the lock gates and watching tons of water raise or lower a boat 5 to 10 feet to the next level is great fun. And of course, the ultimate is to make a journey on one of the long boats.
Lichfield and Ticknall
Pauline and I have enjoyed some events so much that we return each year to repeat the experience. One such event is the Lichfield Music Festival, which takes place in July. Our friends John and Patti, who live in nearby Ticknall, introduced us to this festival. It takes place in the Lichfield Cathedral and also surrounding churches. For an entire week each year, small symphony orchestras and chamber music groups put on a variety of shows. What a wonderful way to experience music, in a medieval cathedral; the acoustics are amazing. During the intermission, members of the various organizations serve drinks in tents on the cathedral lawn. Concomitant with the music festival is an art festival, put on by local artists, also in the cathedral.
Some of these occasions feature well-known musicians and actors. For example in one evening event, Sir Alan Bates, a famous English actor, read a Tolstoy story to a background of music.
John and Patti always enhance our experience with the local flavor. They share with us not only their home and friends but also their talents, and canal long boat, on which John graciously hosts trips and meals. It’s fun to watch other boats working their way through the locks, but doing it yourself is the ultimate. The scenery along the canals is also interesting, and one can quickly feel the camaraderie of the long boat community. For some reason the boats tend to bunch up around the pubs.
