England revisited

By Lee Hyon-soo

On our previous trips to the United Kingdom we ― my wife and I ― visited virtually all points of interest in London which attract foreign tourists. We ventured out of the city this time around to see more of England.

Our first stop was Oxford, situated about 50 miles northwest of London. In the "City of Dreaming Spires" we wandered down its ancient streets and visited famous colleges. The 38 colleges that make up the University of Oxford were founded independently over a span of seven centuries. It was interesting to note that each college has distinct origin and character, and is equipped with its own residence and courtyard. Not only did we find the remarkable history of Oxford to be overwhelming, but we were also awestricken by the antiquated buildings in which Britain's great minds were nurtured.

From Oxford we made our way north to Stratford-upon-Avon, lying at the very heart of England and so unmistakably English in character. Stratford-upon-Avon is a small town where Shakespeare, the greatest dramatic genius of the English-speaking peoples, was born and died (By the way, 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of his death). The house in which the poet was born and spent his early years is a half-timbered building of a type common in Elizabethan Stratford. In Shakespeare's time it consisted of two separate parts ― the family home and an adjoining shop used by his father, a glover and wool dealer. Although the house has undergone some restoration, its essential features remain unchanged.

Just a mile to the west of Stratford-upon-Avon lies Shottery, the village where Anne Hathaway's cottage is located. It was the home of Shakespeare's wife before her marriage. Apart from its romantic association as the scene of Shakespeare's youthful courtship, Anne Hathaway's cottage is a property of outstanding architecture and picturesque appeal. Originally a farmhouse, it is an old thatched cottage which remains unchanged since Anne's time.

Our final destination was Haworth (pronounced “How-worth”), a small village in Northern England. Here in this remote and barren setting lived the famous Bronte sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne. Of the three, Emily is my favorite. She was extremely withdrawn and given to solitude. She poured the secret thoughts of her tormented soul into the only novel she wrote ― “Wuthering Heights.” It is an intensely passionate yet unhappy love story that has captivated so many young men and women since its publication in 1847. Nothing better reveals Catherine’s unrestrained love for Heathcliff than her own impassioned utterance: "My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath ― a source of little visible delight, but necessary. He's always, always in my mind ― not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being." It is incredible that such fiery words were penned by a painfully shy woman who died at the age of 30.

Emily’s two sisters, Charlotte and Anne, also distinguished themselves by writing “Jane Eyre” and “Agnes Grey” respectively. The house in which the Bronte sisters grew up and went on to compose their famous novels is now called Bronte Parsonage Museum. It contains first editions, manuscripts, some of the clothes the sisters wore and some of the furniture they used, including a rosewood desk at which Emily wrote Wuthering Heights. We were told by the curator that, after Stratford-upon-Avon, Haworth is England's most visited literary shrine.

On our way back to London we stopped in many places to visit historic sites and to take in the beautiful scenery of the English countryside. After a leisurely tour of England, we returned home to Canada with a sense of contentment.

The writer is a retired international banker, residing in Toronto, Canada. His other writings are posted on https://blog.daum.net/tom―hslee.