Literary landscapes: Retracing the steps of British poets.

Story by Ellen Hargreaves | Contributing Writer

From a special moment with friends to an everyday view with a new perspective, inspiration comes in all ways and forms. With a rich heritage of authors and poets, there is no shortage of stories drawn from life and landscapes in the U.K. So why not take a journey and see where some of Britain’s most celebrated writers formed their ideas?

Who knows, you might even find some inspiration of your own along the way…

“To the Lighthouse”

Start the adventure in St. Ives, at the south-western tip of England and take a trip to the Godrevy Lighthouse, where Virginia Wolfe based her 1927 Modernist novel, “To the Lighthouse.” From her summer home, the Talland House, you can journey along the St. Ives Bay, retracing the author’s own steps. A National Trust site with a network of clifftop paths to wander, waves crash in the background and the rugged Cornish coast stretches out behind you. It’s not hard to imagine Virginia Wolfe making the same walk, working out her, familiar family issues, eyes fixed on the 19th lighthouse which forms the focal point to one of her most famous works.

“This above all: to thine own self be true”

Poetry and Shakespeare will always be intertwined, and what better place to understand Britain’s most celebrated poet than in his birthplace. With a brief jaunt north, you land in Stratford-upon-Avon, in the heart of the beautiful English Cotswolds. On Henley Street, you will find the Bard’s childhood home, which you can enter for a small fee, although if you plan ahead and look online for a Shakespeare’s Birthplace Museum Voucher, you can save a little more on your trip. This rambling Tudor property is picturesque in itself and inside, you can see collections from Shakespeare’s early life and even here some of his own work performed by professional actors in the grounds. Like the great poet once said, “I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.”

“I found the poems in the field, and only wrote them down”

Wander a bit further west and you’ll find the home of one of Britain’s most interesting poets, John Clare, in Helpston, Northamptonshire. Few poets are as intrinsically tied to their birthplace as Clare. So much was his hometown’s influence that he often incorporated regional dialect into his poems. Visit the John Clare Cottage for information on his works and exhibits on rural 19th century life or, if you’re especially ambitious, take the John Clare walk. This is where Clare escaped from an asylum in Essex and walked the 150 plus kilometers back to Northamptonshire, all in the search of his childhood sweetheart.

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream”

A ferry ride away from the mainland U.K., the Mountains of Mourne lie in the south-east portion of Northern Ireland. These beautiful mountains were the inspiration for C.S. Lewis’ famous Narnia series for children. Take a walk, hire a mountain bike, scramble up a waterfall or just sit and gaze on the vast rocky scenery of Ring of Gullion, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. No wonder Lewis once said, “I have seen landscapes…which, under a particular light, make me feel at any moment a giant might raise his head over the next ridge.”

There are so many literary adventures to go on throughout the British Isles, so many truly unique landscapes waiting to inspire. Grab a pen and notebook and go explore. See the world through a new perspective. Talk to a stranger. Experience what your favorite author experienced. Who knows, the next great piece of literature might be dormant inside you, just waiting for the spark to ignite the imagination.

Image credits (used under creative commons license):

Godrevy Lighthouse 2 by Tim Green
Shakespeare’s Birthplace by MichelleWalz
John Clare’s birthplace, Helpston, Peterborough by Rodney Burton
Im wide awake its morning by Ryan Mcdonald