London’s green side might surprise you. On a warm and sunny Spring day this week, I headed out across Greenwich Park. My mission was to acquire a pile of baked goods from Gail’s (most excellent!) bakery in Blackheath. What I found, in addition to the goodies, was a reconnection with nature and a feeling of renewal.
A hike from West Greenwich to Blackheath and back can be designed as a circuit, avoiding traffic and maximising the green vibe. When it comes to population, London is a high density city, with roughly 2.5 times the population per square kilometre of a city like Los Angeles or New York. But, careful land-use planning and protection of green space have paid off.
Most urban denizens in London don’t have to go far to find London’s green side. An ample supply of parks across the city, a green belt around it, and protection for notable trees combine to deliver open space as a counterpoint to the intense urbanisation in some areas.
Why not come along to enjoy the greenery with me? Follow my hike with this handy step-by-step slide show, linked below. (If you don’t see the slideshow, click hereto get back to the original page.)
At Uffington, in a corner of Oxfordshire, is a gigantic white chalk horse that was etched in the landscape sometime around 500BC. It spans an area of about 110 meters across. And, thanks to the care of many generations, the Uffington White Horse has survived the ebb and flow of several eras and peoples.
At the time of its creation, the area around the white horse was occupied by the Atrebates. They were a tribe of Britons, a Celtic people and they may have created this work of art. But, the reverence for horses is prehistoric, certainly dating back before 3000BC. Horses featured prominently in the cultures of early peoples such as the Yamnaya and Sintashta in the eastern reaches of Europe and in Central Asia. This is also the region from which some of the early Germanic tribes may have originated.
In time, the Celtic tribes in the area of Oxfordshire and Berkshire fell under Roman rule. The Romans’ polytheism managed to easily accommodate the local Briton reverence for the Uffington White Horse. The locals continued to maintain it during the Roman occupation from 43AD to the 400s AD.
Saxons, Angles and Britons had faith in trees and horses
The germanic Saxons and Angles launched their gradual conquest of southern England starting in the 400s AD. The Saxons arrived at Ebbsfleet in Kent, reputedly led by Hengist and Horsa, names meaning stallion and horse. They brought with them a similar reverence for the horse and also for trees. This included a sacred myth of a divinity, Irmisul, a tree that held up the sky. Likewise, Danish invaders in East England revered a giant mythological ash tree. Known as Yggdrasil, their religious leaders claimed that it “grows from the underworld and supports the sky”. Such ideas found fertile ground in England, where the Celts had long revered trees. The word “druid” may even be interpreted to mean “oak men”.
Already in Roman times, Christians had arrived in England. Yet, the Christian faith did not take hold widely in an exclusive manner. Even after the Emperor Constantine legalised the faith in 313AD, Romans only gradually accepted it. But Roman rule did not uniformly blanket and transform England. And with the departure of the Roman legions in 410AD, locals broadly continued to practice pagan beliefs well into the first centuries of Anglo-Saxon or, in some areas, Danish rule. The specifics of the theology varied across England. But, often their faith blended a reverence for horses (including in burials), the sun, and trees. Scholars can trace some of these features back to Nordic and Central Asian cultural roots.
Christians and sacred trees
In 597AD, Pope Gregory sent Augustine to England as his missionary. His objective was to re-establish the primacy of Christianity, as its practice had diminished on the isle of Great Britain. We have documentation in the form of a letter from Pope Gregory suggesting use of diplomacy and toleration of pre-existing traditions. The pope advised that “the temples of the idols in that country should on no account be destroyed”, but rather Christianised. Gradually, Saxon leaders came around and embraced the new faith, though the population continued to practice mixed beliefs. The White Horse of Uffington was maintained.
In the 700s AD, Charlemagne waged war on the Saxon homeland in what is now Germany. He destroyed their sacred trees and pagan ways. However, the now dominant Saxons in England (somewhat counterintuitively meaning “land of the Angles”) continued to show reverence for horses and trees as evidenced in more recent times by archeological discovery of their grave goods. In the upper Thames area, the Saxons viewed the site around the White Horse of Uffington as a prime burial site, underscoring the continued deep respect for the horse.
Thus, as I set up my tree (and my yule horse) this holiday season, I had an eye on my family roots (so to speak). The tree provides a link for me to some of those who have come before, be they Saxons, Angles, Danes or Celts.
Sources (and great references for further reading):
A graphical presentation of air traffic data reveals the extent of the dramatic 2020 Heathrow downturn. We live directly under a main landing corridor for Heathrow Airport. So, this directly affects our quality of life. To take a closer look at the data, I decided to make a chart in festive holiday colours (as one does). Passenger traffic is down to 1/7 of previous levels. Cargo still lags, though it has had a substantial rebound in recent months. For this I am thankful, because I need my organic Peruvian blueberries, right?
In any event, with the decline in air traffic I have been sleeping better. The lockdown has provided me with more time to ponder the joys of my little garden. Alas, this calm is also a reflection of severe economic and social disruption due to COVID-19. And, on the horizon in the new year is the end of the transitional phase of Brexit. This entails a further potential for disruption to trade with the EU. There has been progress in the EU-UK negotiations to soften the blow. Economists and business leaders are making the case for a liberal arrangement. Alas, UK politics being as they are, there remains a risk of a no deal Brexit for EU-UK trade.
A balanced Brexit outcome will provide the UK with continued openness to commerce on a preferential basis with its closest trading partner. This is clearly in the economic interest of the EU and the UK. Combined with a successful roll out of a COVID-19 vaccine, we may come closer to realisation of the full potential of this post-Brexit trade relationship. And, considering where I live, I hope that much of this commerce is via rail and sea!
On the occasion of President Trump’s Pennsylvania Rally in 2020
The great new Bruce Springsteen-Don Wilson video delivers the right music for the moment. A clear and moving picture of the situation in the USA, illustrated using the case of Pennsylvania. Check it out, here, and scroll down slightly to see the video.
A church visit becomes the Great Belvedere Renewable-Power Circular Hike
This is the story of my Great Belvedere Renewable-Power Circular Hike. The hike emerged spontaneously on a brilliant, gusty day in September 2020. It started out as a quest to chase up reports of a few surviving fragments of Lesnes Abbey. As I set out, a storm was brewing on the horizon. And so, with a bit of trepidation, I exited from Belvedere National Rail station in search of the church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist in Erith, England.
The trail took me through Frank’s Park, which is a 17 hectare oasis of old woodland and a grass field (1 hectare = 2.47 acres). The local government acquired these lands through the generosity of an industrialist (Frank Beadle) in 1920. The church is just a few blocks further, across a highway pedestrian overpass. From St John’s, my hike morphed into a wonderful unplanned wander along the River Thames. I ventured past renewable power plants and through patches set aside for nature to have its way.
Connecting with St John the Baptist
I arrived at St John’s just prior to a mid-week service. The church warden nonetheless kindly took the time to show me the highlights. I had read that the church incorporated some materials from the destroyed Lesnes Abbey. Perhaps the locals brought some items in by cart back in the day (ca 1526AD), adding other bits after more recent excavations at the Abbey. In the bell tower at St John’s, the church warden pointed out several stone covers from Lesnes Abbey sarcophagi. In the vestry, there are two sections of tiles from the abbey floors.
The Normans initiated construction of the St John the Baptist church in the 1100s. And, some old French inscriptions are still visible. They built on the site of an older Saxon church. The new structure was expanded later in the middle ages and again in the 1800s. It incorporates some older materials including Roman tiles. Some observers hypothesise there may be additional materials from the abbey may be incorporated, as well. Sadly, most of the medieval stained glass windows at St John’s were blown out during WWII bombings. The churchyard is a jumble of destroyed and maintained graves in an ancient setting.
Having been spiritually renewed by my stop at the church, I headed out to the River Thames. Stepping up onto the river wall, one emerges onto a great open space of river and marshlands. It is wonderful to experience. So, I decided to carry on, making a dash on the path upstream. I aimed to beat the approaching storm. What I found was amazing. A cluster of renewable-energy installations and a nature reserve that attest to a great act on the part of policy makers.
A place to recharge my batteries
Like many folks trapped at home during the pandemic, I craved this exposure to open spaces and nature. It provided inspiration for an extended walk. As a threaded my way on an elevated path through disused docks, grain elevators and mudflats, a seal bobbed in the river along the riverbank. A shag flew past. The Rainham Marsh preserve of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) provided a big swath of green on the other side of the Thames, as did the London landfill.
But an impressive feat of engineering awaited me at Crossness. The first bit sighted is a huge dock where barges of shipping containers arrive with London’s trash. A crane winches them up and trucks carry them over to a generating plant that burns the contents cleanly (as far as I could tell) in order to provide electrical power. A bit further down is a massive waste water treatment facility that processes sewage equivalent in volume to 20 Olympic pools every hour. The composted sludge fuels a separate power plant. From what I could see, it also burned cleanly. Meanwhile, four massive wind turbines churn to produce further renewable power. Some of this wind energy serves to power the Ford diesel engine factory across the River Thames.
Crossness Nature Reserve
On the south side of the river, nestled between the power plants, is the Crossness nature reserve. The nature reserve includes an old pumping station from 1865. In the Victorian era struggle to eradicate cholera, this served to manage sewage and excess water in the marshes. Part of the reserve is highly protected, but other parts are open to hikers. Along the Thames just outside of the reserve, I think I saw a hen harrier (female) and shelducks. Inside, I saw moorhens, herons, little egrets, and others darting among the reeds along the margins of the ponds. There were some wonderful cob horses in the paddocks that the path crosses.
It must be a challenge to maintain the reserve in the face of pressures from the surrounding industry and suburbia. Reports indicate that they have struggled a bit with stolen materials, vandalism, and litter. My hat is off to Thames Water, the owner and manager of the reserve. A team of local volunteers supports their good work: The Friends of Crossness Nature Reserve provide extra TLC in maintaining, monitoring and protecting the wildlife habitat.
From Crossness Nature Reserve, it was just a short hop back to Belvedere National Rail Station. And, thus ended my Great Belvedere Renewable-Power Circular Hike.
A hike from Belvedere National Rail station to Erith, on to Crossness with three types of renewable power generation (sludge, trash and wind), through the Crossness nature reserve, and back to the station.
The Great Belvedere Renewable-Power Circular Hike in pictures
On Abbey Road (literally) Lesnes Abbey and neighbouring Abbey Woods provide a welcome breath of fresh air and greenery. Modern-day London denizens suffering from lock-down fatigue can head out on Abbey Road to seek out such pleasures. But, the roots … Continue reading →
Ever since we moved to Europe in 1992, I have loved the blackbirds (cousins of the American robin). They are jet black with golden bills and are quite dignified. At the end of the day they usually sit on the top branch of a tree or TV antenna or roof crest and sing their hearts out. Their song is perhaps a little forlorn, coming as a solo as the dusk settles. But, it is also warm and true. This is the very short story of an especially loud blackbird.
Le merle noir
In our first apartment, just outside of Paris, I loved to sit on our little balcony on the building’s inner courtyard and enjoy the evening calm. This was generally accompanied by the song of the resident blackbird (le merle noir). The French composer Olivier Messiaen wrote a chamber music piece for flute and piano based on this song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwDmDTjrBNA).
London chanter
Now we are resident in London’s Royal Borough of Greenwich. Here, two days ago at the end of a walk, I was heading back home. Coming through a very tiny park of trees known as Catherine Grove, I spied a loud blackbird hidden in amongst the branches.
He was there across the street singing with all the power and style that he could muster. Though filled with enthusiasm, he hadn’t figured out that the best effect is to do so from on high. He’ll learn.
In the meantime, I was grateful for this contribution from nature to helping the neighbourhood manage the stress of these crazy days. — at Greenwich, April 2020.
Ah, summer in England. The political turbulence of recent months, or rather years, has added to the stress of daily life here in London. Your intrepid blogger has been unable to nurture Q4TK recently, as had been the case in the past. But, this is certainly not due to inactivity on the part of your webmaster. Quite the opposite! The turmoil in the international trading system has pushed his working hours up into new heights. Yet, as the pressure builds, he has found solace in nature. That is, he has had the opportunity to head out into England’s “green & pleasant land”, as William Blake called it in the poem Jerusalem.
The rain and fertility of this place provide welcome opportunities for nature to break through in its struggle with human economic development. Summertime walks in the countryside or a city garden in turn offer us a chance to reconnect with the natural world. Even urban denizens such as Dr D! And, being open to such moments can have a calming effect. They can deliver an opportunity to restore and re-centre one’s soul. When your blogger takes time to appreciate the lambs on “England’s pleasant pastures seen”, well it reminds him of the privilege it is to be here.
Even in this space and time, there are blessings to be found all around us in summertime England. Your Q4TK webmaster has added this little gallery with this in mind. His goal is to share with you a few such moments from his summer in England. (If you subscribe to my email feed, you will need to click the column title above to display the gallery.)
[flagallery gid=32 name=’England in Summertime’ skin=amron]
It is nearly the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI, which ended on 11/11/1918 at 11:00. And a brand-new film has just been released: They Shall Not Grow Old. Directed by Peter Jackson, the film uses original film from the war recovered and colorised. Its sound track draws on period music and recordings made by historians after the war in conversation with WWI veterans. It is a technological marvel and an incredibly compelling story. IMDB has given the film a rating of 8.9/10, which is extraordinary. Check out the trailer here!
I have just had the most amazing experience at a special showing of the film, here in Greenwich (London). This was to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI. The theatre was packed and once the film started you could hear a pin drop. The film really brings you into the scene, with all of the horror, fear, laughter, and terrible conditions. It is stunning. And, after it ended, there was silence as folks stayed until the end of the credits. Some 700,000 UK soldiers died (a kill rate of more than 1 in 10). Another 200,000 died from other parts of the British empire. Of course, this was a just a small fraction of the 19 million who died overall in WWI across Europe.
An interesting footnote is just how many of the British veterans had fond memories of the Germans captured. They got along well. In the insanity of the war, front line soldiers on both sides could not understand why they were fighting each other. Perhaps some other true enemy, but why the Brits and Germans with their shared history?
Every year, I buy a poppy from the UK veterans association in November. It is a way to honour of those who have died and the other UK veterans who have often fought alongside us Americans (e.g., in Iraq and Afghanistan). I certainly felt solidarity with folks in the theatre today.
European disunion
The film definitely registered with the audience. One of the sad points of Brexit is that — outside of Scotland, London and Northern Ireland — many folks in UK seem to have forgotten why the EU was founded. This was, in part, to prevent such tragedies as WWI and WWII from happening again in Europe. Depending on the poll and the day, perhaps 50% of Brits still want to go it alone. Though, admittedly, an increasing share are having doubts.
From my childhood, I have known folks who were alive at the time of WWI and heard their stories. During holiday visits, my grandfather would tell me stories from his time during the war in the US merchant marine traversing the North Atlantic. My wife’s great aunt Coressa impressed me with her memories of the local support in North Carolina for Woodrow Wilson during the war and his peace efforts afterwards. Mom’s uncle Joe died in France during WWI, a point that was still hard for the older generation to discuss when I was a kid. I have been to Belleau Wood in France, where the freshly arrived Americans scrambled in 1918 to plug a hole in the front line and stop the German assault on Paris. There are still bomb craters and twisted metal to be seen there.
From various conversations, first hand observations, and histories and economic studies, it seems clear that Europe is better off united than it was when it was divided.
Oh crumb, it is the weekend and Dr D done sprung a pop quiz on us:
1. Who knows where this text is from?
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
2. Bonus question: Who was the lead author?
3. Extra bonus question: Do you think it is true?
(Answers are in the replies/comments, below)
Dr D. (Photo Credit: E. Lippoldt)
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