If there is one thing for which the UK is justifiably famous, it’s the cultural and literary tradition that has been a part of the area’s history for centuries. This is, after all, the country that gave the world Shakespeare and Dickens among others. So when it comes to travelling around the UK, there are few better inspirations to have in mind than this literary prestige. Below, we’re going to look at some of the great creations to have been born in this country, and where to go if you want to immerse yourself in their lore
The Lake District: Wordsworth and Potter (not that one)
One of Britain’s most famous poems – titled Daffodils by many, but I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by its author – was inspired by the incredible scenery of the Lake District. William Wordsworth grew up here, and the classic for which he is so readily remembered was inspired by a walk he took with his sister (Dorothy, herself also a poet) around Glencoyne Bay in the area. The Lake District was also an important inspiration to Beatrix Potter, whose creations included Peter Rabbit and Miss Tiggywinkle. The Lake District has that impact on people; it makes them want to wax lyrical.
Potter’s life’s work is paid handsome tribute by The World of Beatrix Potter, located in Ambleside, a beautifully bucolic small town in Westmorland. To immerse yourself in the surroundings that inspired these greats, settling into one of the Ambleside hotels is a great place to start. It can then be your base for many literature-centred day trips.
London: Potter (yes, that one!)
The most enduring literary creation of the last 50 years in the UK has without a doubt been the boy wizard, Harry Potter. And while JK Rowling brought Potter to life while living in Edinburgh, the best Potterverse attractions can be found in London. Most importantly, a trip to King’s Cross will allow you to have your picture taken at Platform 9¾, while you can head to Leadenhall Market to find the shop that was used as the Leaky Cauldron in the movies. You can also cross the Millennium Bridge on foot, although given that it was destroyed by Death Eaters in Half-Blood Prince, you might be tentative about stepping on it.
Bath: A Jane Austen fan’s paradise
Few authors have commanded as much attention with as small a back catalogue as Jane Austen, but quality very much trumps quantity in regard to her oeuvre. Bath is well worth visiting for its striking Georgian architecture and stunning panoramas anyway, but keen readers will definitely appreciate the chance to visit the spots named in such classics as Pride and Prejudice. Austen spent much of her life in Bath, and though history is divided on whether she loved the town itself (having been uprooted from her childhood home to live there), it was certainly an inspiration for her literary works.
There are many, many more settings in Britain for lovers of literature, from Whitby where Bram Stoker took so much of his inspiration in writing Dracula to the Swansea coast on which Dylan Thomas drew for his muse; the three above are simply three of the best.
This is a collaboration post