THE nearest neighbours are a mile away on a back road, the nearest village shop three miles. A nuthatch, woodpecker and goldfinch are wing-elbowing at the seed table with up to 20 other species, only yards from the door. This is naturalist Richard Williamson’s daily life, deep in ancient woodland near Chichester, West Sussex. He and his wife, Anne, have quietly revelled in cottage detachment for 50 years, with or without the usual facilities. Being at the heart of Nature is what life is about for these octogenarians, with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony joyfully resounding as a motif.
The key year was 1943, when eight-year-old Richard received a copy of his father Henry’s book, Tarka the Otter—‘a battered copy that thrilled me by its construction and rhythm, plus the drama and detail of things I was already absorbing on our war-time Norfolk farm at Stiffkey’. It might not be unusual for a child to be profoundly affected by their parent, but to share it with the world is less common. ‘That book has changed more than just my life,’ he reflects. ‘Ted Hughes said in his memorial address on Father’s death, in 1977, that Henry was “an essential, precious and crucial part of my life, creating a genuine poetic mythology in the tradition of Tolstoy… an imaginative vision, intensely controlled at every point by imaginative laws, and it does the real work of poetry”.
Denne historien er fra August 12, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra August 12, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
