English Pastoral Beauty. The inspiration for Blake, Hardy and Vaughan Williams
June 1, 2026
There is a sacred spot on a sacred landscape, in a sacred country called England. My birthplace, where I was raised, nurtured and inspired by her geology, literature, music and creative mythology.
To William Blake, the poet, England was Albion. To Thomas Hardy, Dorset was the home of heroines - from Bathsheba Everdene to Tess of the D’urbervilles. To Vaughan Williams, the Lark Ascending was the music of a Malvern morning in Spring. This cultural heritage is in my blood. Such riches to have been gifted. I’ve carried these treasures with me to France and Portugal, where I share them with various global pilgrims.
My precious son and his family, now live in Somerset. Near an old church on the Saint Michael ley line. Ley lines have been an interest of mine for some decades, and the Saint Michael ley line is worth exploring. These sites of deep meaning, offer us refuge and sustenance in a world gone mad. They nourish our soul like spring water. For they are the source we seek. To refresh ourselves from the grind and the dust of our daily lives.
Whilst walking through Peckham Rye in London, William Blake had a vision of angels. He was met with skepticism, in a world where the rational held sway. More than ever, for those of us who know that creative imagination is not madness, and divine providence is a truth, sacred spots are beacons of hope.
If and when I return to England, it will be mission work to restore her beauty. To renew the very soil I tasted in childhood. So that other children can grow glorious from her deep riches. This is my prayer today. A prayer for those lambs God seeks to protect,
and raise up in their glorious innocence.
Julia - a pilgrim in Portugal.
