Looking back over the making of the British landscape

I am currently reading a fascinating book called “The making of the British landscape” by Nicholas Crane, which kicks off way back in the Ice Age and runs through right up until the present day.

I have learnt so much by reading this book. For instance, take the reign of king Ine - the king of Wessex between 689 – 726 AD. His kingdom actually covered a lot more than the Wessex we know today, in fact most of southern England came under his influence.

At this time, small, informal congregations of people, who felt that their food security could be increased by sharing and managing an acknowledged neighbourhood area, started to work together, encouraged by the king. Clusters of farmsteads decided to manage common crops, woodland, hire oxen, avoid local conflict between each other and collectively pay church dues and so on.

Now, those of you have read my Blog for a period of time, will know that I was actively involved in helping to get farmers to work together across a landscape, so as to collectively try to improve their soil, water and wildlife.

Farmers have embraced this idea and it has really taken off across England, with well over a hundred “farmer clusters” now in existence, all working together and funded to do so by Government.

We all thought that we were clever to do this - forging a new way ahead. Little did we know that this brilliant idea of ours was common practise around 700 AD!!

Two more little snippets from this book that I would like to share with you. 

John Leland, (1503 - 1552) who has often been described as "the father of English local history and bibliography", wrote about a little place called Bremischam in the Midlands. “A good market towne, with many smithes that make knives and all maner of cuttynge tooles, as well as a greate many naylors”. 

He judged that most of Bremischam’s economy was based on smiths. He concluded that Bremischam was doing well; small and beautiful.

Bremischal would become Birmingham. 

Birmingham today has a population of 1.2 million!

By 1550, London had reached a population of 75,000. 

Set against European cities, London was not numerically remarkable. Naples was nearly three times larger at 212,000, Venice had a population of 158,000 and Paris 130,000. The world’s biggest city at the time, Beijing, had already passed the half-million milestone.

By 1600, London was some thirteen times bigger than Britain's next largest city, Norwich. 

One of the most desirable places to live near London was a riverside village called Chelshithe, which was close to roman roads heading west and very convenient for access into London. Thomas More built himself a red brick house here, with bays, a porch and flanking casement windows, set in a 14-hectare (35 acre) estate with access to the river.

It was a good address. There were views across the water to the woods and fields of Battersey and from a rise in his garden, More could see the distant roofs of London and St.Pauls. It was also positioned upwind of the city and so Chelshithe was famed for its clear airs.

Imagine if you still owned a 14-hectare estate in Chelsea today!

I am only two thirds of the way through this book, so I will probably share some more great snippets with you over the next week or so.