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Search - The Rough Guide to England

The Rough Guide to England
Author: Robert Andrews, Jules Brown, Phil Lee, Rob Humphreys

INTRODUCTION Like an ageing cabaret star shuffling onto the stage, England really needs no introduction. When even the world’s most remote communities are on first-name terms with its footballers, princes, pop stars and prime ministers, it’s clear that everyone knows something about this crowded island nation, perched on the western ... more »fringe of Europe. Visitors can pick their favourite slice of "Englishness" and indulge themselves in a country with a notorious taste for nostalgia. The tales of King Arthur; the works of Shakespeare; the exploits of Drake; the intellect of Johnson; the invention of Brunel; the leadership of Churchill; the cult of Diana – all are endlessly recycled in England, providing a cultural backdrop to an unparalleled range of historic buildings, sites and monuments. Of course, this isn’t the whole story of England, or anything like it. For every tourist who wants to stand outside the gates of Buckingham Palace or visit Stratford-upon-Avon, there’s another who makes a beeline for the latest Tracey Emin show or the contemporary cityscape of downtown Manchester. The difficulty is in saying which is the truer image of a country which flaunts proudly its many contradictions. Contemporary England is at the same time a deeply conservative place with a richly multi-ethnic culture. Famously, fish and chips has given way to chicken tikka masala as the country’s favourite dish, and while the nation tends to distrust all things European, the English also increasingly embrace a continental lifestyle. Enjoy a fried English breakfast or a Devonshire cream tea by all means, but notice the locals at the next-door café-bar tucking into a croissant and a cappuccino. Ask an English person to define their country in terms of what’s worth seeing and you’re most likely to have your attention drawn to the country’s golden rural past. The classic images are found in every brochure – the village green, the duckpond, the country lane and the farmyard. And it’s true that it’s impossible to overstate the bucolic attractions of various English regions, from Cornwall to the Lake District, or the delights they provide – from walkers’ trails and prehistoric stone circles to traditional pubs and obscure festivals. But despite celebrating their rural heritage, the modern-day English have an ambivalent attitude towards "the country". Farming today forms only a tiny proportion of the national income and there’s a real dislocation between the urban population and the small rural communities badly hit by the current crisis in English farming. So perhaps the heart of England is found in its towns and cities instead? The shift towards urban living and working has not been reversed since the Industrial Revolution, and industry – and the Empire it inspired – has provided a framework for much of what’s on show. Virtually every English town bears a mark of former wealth and power, whether it be a magnificent Gothic cathedral financed from a monarch’s treasury, a parish church funded by the tycoons of the medieval wool trade, or a triumphalist civic building raised on the back of the slave and sugar trade. In the south of England you’ll find old dockyards from which the navy patrolled the oceans, while in the north there are mills that employed entire town populations. England’s museums and galleries – several of them ranking among the world’s finest – are full of treasures trawled from its imperial conquests. And in their grandiose stuccoed terraces and wide esplanades the old resorts bear testimony to the heyday of the English holiday towns, as fashionable once as any European spa. In short, England isn’t a simple destination, but rather a deeply engrained series of influences which ripple out into the world. Much of western history and culture is contained within its very fabric. Its inventions and creative momentum, from the Industrial Revolution to Cool Britannia, continue to inspire; while its idiosyncrasies and prejudices leave their mark across the English-speaking world. And the only certainty for visitors is that, however long you spend in the country and however much you see, it still won’t be enough to understand England. After all, the English have lived here all their lives and they still can’t agree whether the milk goes in before or after the tea.

ISBN-13: 9781858288758
ISBN-10: 1858288754
Publication Date: 4/22/2002
Pages: 1,192
Rating:

0 stars, based on 0 rating

Publisher: Rough Guides Limited
Book Type: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

Genres:

Travel >> Europe >> Great Britain >> England >> General
Travel >> Europe >> Great Britain >> General
Travel >> Guidebook Series >> Rough Guide

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