Matters of the heart
Many people have an almost mythic idea of rural England – and such visions are often deployed in debates about national identity. But what is typical English countryside?
We decided to investigate the geographic heart of the country – Warwickshire – to explore its villages, castles and river valleys, steeped in Shakespearean lore and historical tales, see page 18. In reality, the modern county is full of surprises and reveals that England’s – and Britain’s – countryside is so much more varied in landscape, character and atmosphere than the tired stereotypes suggest. The trick is to get out there and see it for yourself.
I am increasingly angry about litter. Recently, I took a walk in Hampshire to discover the real Watership Down. It was a wildlife-filled adventure and you can hear all about it in the first of our new season of podcasts, at acast.com/ bbccountryfilemagazine. But when I reached the Down itself, I found lots of cans, crisp packets and plastic bottles. People had visited and enjoyed the place, then simply dumped their rubbish (I picked it all up). So this month we look at the problem of litter and what we can all do to help; page 46.
Spring is almost upon us – heralded in so many places by raucous rook colonies in full flow. Read Tim Dee’s wonderful eulogy to the rook on page 58 and you’ll never overlook these spirits of early spring again. And as the days slowly get warmer, anticipate joyful woodland walks with our beautiful guide on page 30.