Heart of England – Shakespeare Country

HEART OF ENGLAND INTRODUCTION
Heart of England is the land of Shakespeare Country and the heart of this ‘scepter’d isle.’ To the west are the sumptuous, lonely, Welsh border hills and the mighty Severn Valley and the south is also roughly bounded by a river – the river Thames. The north of the region is the Cheshire Plain and the transitional area of the Peak District. The eastern boundary is, however, less tangible but for our purpose approximately follows the eastern edge of the counties of Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Buckinghamshire. No great mountains but delicious, intimate, hills and vales; no great rivers – other than at the region’s boundaries – instead, delectable, smaller streams on whose banks the people have settled for thousands of years; no great wilderness, but tempting oases of tranquillity and peace; no desperate crowding and hustling, but rather a quiet determination. And amongst it all are great industries and great highways which are the lifeblood of the nation.

HISTORY & HERITAGE
Everywhere one looks there are reminders of a long and often glorious history. There are battlefields, like Bosworth Field, on which the very course of English history has floundered and changed for ever. There are incredible castles, the former homes of such powerful families, as at Warwick, who could take on the title of ‘kingmaker’. The Sheriff of Nottingham and his castle are real enough, but Robin Hood remains an enigma. Some towns, like Chester, have their origins steeped in Roman times – some are based on settlements so old it is impossible to say. The great kingdom of Mercia has come and gone leaving a rich heritage and a great many artifacts as at Repton, the former capital. The Normans built towns and castles which can be seen throughout the region, especially towards the Welsh border. The vast conurbation of the West Midlands is, however, largely a product of the Industrial Revolution which had its birthplace firmly anchored here. This revolution not only changed the face of Britain but the entire world and much still remains to be explored and admired.

CUSTOMS & CULTURE
Where to start? ‘All the world’s a stage’ wrote the greatest ever poet, William Shakespeare, who was born at Stratford-upon Avon. In which case, here, in the Heart of England , is a cultural microcosm of that stage. Some of the greatest exponents of their art who ever lived were born in this region. John Masefield, A.E. Housman and Edward Elgar, for instance, were all born in the same county of Worcester and Hereford. Wedgwood, Darwin, and Johnson were all born in close proximity in the Shropshire/Staffordshire area. Herschel, Milton and Thomas Gray (Gray’s Elegy) are all closely associated with Buckinghamshire and so on. Great cathedrals literally litter the place, probably the best being Lichfield, or perhaps Worcester, or Coventry, Chester, Gloucester – whatever, they are all brilliant. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is one of the finest and everywhere there are theatres of great renown. And we haven’t yet mentioned the dreaming spires of Oxford and one of the finest Universities in the world, if not the finest.

LANDSCAPES & LANDFORMS
The scarp slope of the Cotswolds, bordering the Severn Valley, offers some of the great far-reaching views to be found anywhere in England. And the Malvern Hills a little way to the north offer no less! The countryside around the Ludlow, Church Stretton and Ironbridge area is unbelievably good and for any geologist just sheer heaven. Charnwood Forest is on the very edge of the Staffordshire coalfield and yet as peaceful and charming as can be. The southern Pennines give way to the Midland Plain not far south of the magical, and world famous Dovedale. Across the Trent flood plain rise the ancient stumps of a once mighty mountain range, now known as Charnwood Forest. The vale and scarp lands around Northampton are classic landforms in their own right, the Chiltern Hills an absolute delight, Sherwood and the Dukeries – marvellous. The region offers the stereotypic English landscape for real!

PLACES TO VISIT & EVENTS
Birmingham, it has to be said, has given itself up to the motor car, but, as England’s second city it is still well worth exploring. Known as England’s ‘Little Venice’, the canal heart of the city is being developed in a tremendous way. From here a web of canals, dug during the Industrial Revolution’, radiate to all parts of the region providing a wonderful way of exploring. The Potteries have a grim reputation but nevertheless are well worth visiting for the plethora of industrial museums and factory shops from where can be purchased some of the world’s finest china. To choose a list of places that show off this region and the diversity contained therein is impossible, but here goes. Oxford for magnificent architecture and tradition; Chester as a ‘living’ museum; Banbury as the quintessential market town; likewise Melton Mowbray and its pies; Blenheim Palace and Woburn to see how the ‘other half’ used to live; and Coventry to see English town planning at its best – and worst!

SPORTS & LEISURE
Whatever your taste, whatever it is that you want to do, can be catered for. Many of the counties offer first class cricket and the setting at Worcester is exceptionally beautiful. Test matches are played at Edgbaston (Birmingham) and Trent Bridge (Nottingham). World class football is available and some of the most famous clubs have grounds in the area. Championship standard indoor facilities can be found throughout and of the hundreds of golf courses, the Belfry Course is famous as a Ryder Cup venue, whilst Woburn and Oxford also offer championship golf. Rugby, as everyone knows, was ‘invented’ here and the Rugby Union version is played at the highest possible level at Leicester, Gloucester and Northampton. There is pony trekking in the Forest of Dean, caving in Derbyshire, dry-ski slopes near all the major population centres, sub-aqua clubs in most cities and and so much more.