Top 10 Literary Landscapes
25 January marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet. To celebrate we’ve raided Britain’s rich library to bring you 10 top literary landscapes that shaped our most famous authors and their immortal works.
William Wordsworth – Lake District
Ensconced in the inspiring landscape of the Lake District, William Wordsworth produced some of the most memorable poetry in the English language. Visit his two Lake District homes, Dove Cottage (www.wordsworth.org.uk/) and Rydal Mount (www.rydalmount.co.uk/) to see the scenery that moved him. If you want to see ‘a host of golden daffodils’, be sure to come in March.
Beatrix Potter – Lake District
Our second Lake District luminary, Beatrix Potter, was passionate about the natural world and her Lake District home. You can visit her charming cottage Hill Top (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-hilltop) which is full of her personal effects and watercolours as well as information about her beguiling stories. Out in the garden it’s not hard to imagine Peter Rabbit scampering among the flowers, fruit and vegetables that still grow today.
The Brontës – The Pennines
The short, tragic and unhappy lives of Charlotte Brontë and her literary siblings, Emily and Anne produced some of the best-loved and popular classics ever written. The parsonage in the pretty village of Haworth (www.haworthvillage.co.uk/), West Yorkshire where they lived with their father is now a museum and is exactly how the family left it. It’s a short distance from the wild Pennine (www.bronte-country.com/pennine-way.html) moors described in classics like Wuthering Heights.
Thomas Hardy – Dorset
The rural county of Dorset (www.visitdorset.info) is where Hardy spent most of his life. Visit Hardy’s picture-perfect cottage where he wrote Under the Greenwood Tree and Far from the Madding Crowd and the town of Dorchester, thinly disguised as Casterbridge in the Mayor of Casterbridge.
Robert Burns – Alloway, Ayrshire
Scotland's most celebrated bard Robert Burns is renowned the world over. Author of poems such as Auld Lang Syne and Tam O' Shanter, Burns was born in Alloway now the centre of the Burns National Heritage (www.nts.org.uk/Burns/) Park. Visit Alloway to see the world’s most significant Burn’s collection.
Dylan Thomas – Swansea and around
This charismatic poet, playwright and short-story writer left a prodigious body of work notable for its brilliant imagery, much inspired by the land- and seascapes of his native South Wales. He idealized natural energy, and the lilting rhythms of waves sweeping the Welsh coast floods his language. Head to Swansea and follow trails to the landmarks of his youth. The Dylan Thomas Centre (www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1629) has a permanent exhibition on the author.
William Shakespeare – Stratford-upon-Avon
The world's most performed playwright enriched Western culture with new words and dazzling imagery as no author before or since. From knockabout comedy to searing tragedy, he plumbed the landscapes of the human soul. Visit historic Stratford-upon-Avon (www.visitstratforduponavon.co.uk/) to see 5 houses associated with William Shakespeare including Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. You can also see his grave with its mysterious curse.
James Herriot – Yorkshire
In his charming novels, James Herriot captures the beauty of North Yorkshire, the joys and sorrows of its inhabitants, and the richly rewarding experiences of a country vet. Thirsk lies at the centre of what is today known as 'Herriot Country', with the Yorkshire Dales National Park to the west and the North York Moors National Park to the east. Number 23 Kirkgate, Thirsk, now houses the World of James Herriot Museum (www.worldofjamesherriot.org/) in tribute to the author.
Dr Johnson – London
The great poet, editor and lexicographer compiled the first comprehensive English dictionary at 17 Gough Square, London, his home from 1748-1759. Samuel Johnson's House (www.drjohnsonshouse.org/) is one of the few residential houses of its age still surviving in the City of London. The house contains panelled rooms, a pine staircase, and a collection of period furniture, prints and portraits.