When I think of England, I have the following scene in my mind. A middle-aged man stands on the edge of a wood, walking stick in hand. He looks out before him. Ahead lies a vale, rolling farmland rising into rugged hills. Birds sing and dance on a clear, spring morning. The walker takes a deep breath, filling his lungs with the fresh air. With renewed resolve, he plunges into the countryside.
Walking in England is one of my favourite things to do. I live near the border with Scotland. There are many beautiful places to explore. Within a twenty-minute stroll are weather-worn cliffs looking out across the North Sea, home to a colony of razorbills and guillemots. In land one can find rich greenery along the River Tweed, a home to a variety of creatures. To the south lie the hills, the remains of iron age forts found upon their summits. The variety is punctuated by a consistent temperate climate and modest undulations.
England has mountains, but they are small compared to the Alps or Himalayas. In general, the landscape is gentle. Though it rains a lot, the weather is also ideal: not too hot, not too cold. The pale light contributes to the quiet, melancholic beauty of ancient woods and light green fields marked by crumbling walls from a bygone age.
Britain is a garden. Old byways and long-established tracks mark the paths generations of walkers have taken through forest and fen, field and coastline. Apart from a few places, there are no wild animals who can cause serious harm. The most danger comes from domesticated cows, who can be easily avoided. The wilds have been tamed, mastered by well-kept hedgerows.
One can stroll through this pleasant land without a care. Alone or with others, walking is a chance to escape the busy greyness of modern work and urban life. It is a chance to be surrounded by Life, whether in plant, bird or bee. Such is rejuvenating. It reconnects us to the ground beneath our feet, dirty hands and knees a sign of a walker who has become more fully acquainted with England. It encourages us to focus on something other than ourselves, to the creatures whose lives we but see for a moment, before leaving to their affairs once again.
This is tied to one of the most thrilling aspects of a country walk: exploration. Out on the moor, there is no one to tell you what to do, which way to go or how to go about it. You can map out your course or pick a direction on the fly. Either way, you can encounter new places.
In fact, you can find places hidden away, locations that you would only find if you went looking for them. This was brought home to me as I travelled with my father along the banks of the Tweed. As we descended down the wooded bank, we arrived at the shell of an old fisherman’s house. The roof was gone, but the walls were still intact. The remnants of a former life could still be seen, slowly rotting away as the waters of the river flooded the domain. Many of us will have similar memories of finding forgotten places of great beauty and significance.
It is no wonder that men like Wordsworth and Coleridge derived much of their poetic inspiration from their walks in the Lake District. Of all of England, that region may be the most suitable and delightful to walk in. There is a seamless blending of the countryside and human habitation. Buildings are made from the stone quarried from local hills, their designs aptly fitting their surroundings. When I was in Coniston last year, close to the home of John Ruskin, I felt noticeably better, like I was whole in body and mind. One could spend a lifetime walking in that region.
The Lord of the Rings captures well the spirit of the English rambler. The story begins in the Shire, a pleasant land filled with green hills and luscious fields, merry woods and wide valleys. Hobbits like Bilbo Baggins can walk free from danger, exploring their safe and gentle home to their heart’s content. I sometimes wonder if part of the success of Tolkien’s works is due to the fact it so powerfully captures the feeling of walking in England and tells a tale of heroes trying to defend that experience from the clutches of tyrannical dark lords.
More recently, the Youtuber GeoWizard has tapped into this spirit. His rise to prominence came through his straight-line missions. In these videos he would attempt to walk across an entire country in a completely straight line, with a deviation width of 50 metres. This meant that he had to go through several places many would walk around, such as thorn filled woods, private farmland and back gardens. While the thrill of avoiding capture is exciting, the real strength of his videos is slightly different. GeoWizard has to go through places no-one else will ever see. He explores the British countryside and shows us its character and charm, in all of its quiet gentleness and comic absurdity. Through him, the viewer can vicariously enjoy the experience of walking through England, albeit in an extreme form.
When friends from foreign countries come to visit, my first thought is to take them on a walk in the countryside. Though there is much more to this wonderful nation, I believe you encounter something essential and fundamental about England when you ramble through its rural areas. You encounter the old magic of England.
Nathan Hood has a YouTube channel, Nathan C. J. Hood where you can watch his content. You can also find him on X, Nathan Hood.
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