According to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, four fifths of the UK population now live in urban areas (here).

Looking across the Vale of York to theYorkshire Dales courtesy of DocsPics

For most of us, the rural landscape that surrounds the settlements in which we live and work is something to be enjoyed during moments of leisure. We do not depend on it either for sustenance or income, but value it as a place for relaxation, exercise and enjoyment.

The fields, woods and moorland that form by far the largest part of the British landscape still have a significant role in the national economy, but this is no longer an essential element of our prosperity or an essential means of feeding the population. Tourism rather than agriculture is becoming the main business of the countryside. A vast network of country lanes and footpaths provide access to even the most remote areas for anyone who wishes to reach them and the desire to enjoy the beauty, peace and tranquillity that they may offer. This is of unquestionable value to the life and spiritual well being of our crowded homeland, but it is no longer a vital means of sustaining life. In a sense, and for the vast majority, the countryside, and enjoyment of all that it has to offer, is becoming little more than a lifestyle option, to be enjoyed or ignored at will.

Here is a story that throws a very different light on the role of the countryside in our recent past, and illustrates the way that attitudes have changed within living memory. Continue reading »