BBC Countryfile – February 2022
English | 110 pages | pdf | 103.68 MB
Welcome at BBC Countryfile Magazine February 2022 issue
Did you know that the island of Britain was founded by giants, colonised by Trojans and warred over by dragons? This I discovered when talking with historian Amy Jeffs recently about her book Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain.
We were walking in the Somerset Levels, recording a Plodcast (our countryside podcast), and I learned that, until relatively modern times, most people genuinely believed
outlandish tales of how these lands came to be shaped and peopled.
It’s a fascinating insight into how our medieval forebears made sense of the land, its wildlife and their own place in it. Thrillingly, Amy reveals that no matter how fantastical the story, there are often real places associated with each myth that anyone can visit (page 32), filled with the atmosphere of these enduring legends, including the extraordinary wild places of Shetland (page 18). Pure magic in the countryside.
February is an ideal time to explore places that swirl with history, as stark winter landscapes can imbue a hilltop ruin or a misty lake with power and romance. But sometimes that romance comes from a source altogether more modern, though no less delightful. On magazine page 73, we explore a broad range of landscapes renowned as the setting for classic romantic film scenes. My enduring favourite is the under-appreciated I Know Where I’m Going! (page 86).
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