Saturday 27 March 2010

Sheep May Safely Graze


At a time when meat production has reached industrial levels of output, it is hard to remember how - in the 18th century - the image of sheep grazing beneath the Ha-Ha of an English country house evoked such a deep sense of peace, prosperity and social harmony, that music was especially composed about it, mutton was consumed in preference to spring lamb, and the white doves which we now regard as typifying the biblical notion of peace, were eaten for dinner in large numbers by all members of society.

Of course, it was the wool which was so highly prized by the 18th century gentleman farmer, and many country estates were founded on the huge profits made by it's production. There are many Cotswold village churchyards which contain tombstones shaped like wool-sacks - not very subtle clues as to how the deceased made his money.

Most - if not all - of the period country houses had a Ha-Ha, so that the inhabitants could stand at the huge windows, glass in hand, and look out over a vast swathe of pasture being quietly grazed by the docile creatures. This was THE upper-class rural idyl, and for many of them, it was a picture of heaven on earth, right in their own backyard.

There were two ways to get rich quick - if you had the resources - in those days. Slavery (and the plantations that required the trade) and Wool. The pacific imagery of sheep would have doubtless made English gentleman farmers sleep a little easier at night.

12 comments:

  1. It was those huge, multi-national pharmacutical companies which put paid to this particular rural idyl and the Irish linen trade, when they came up with something called Nylon...

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  2. I've never looked at a lamb and thought, "I want to eat that." I just get the whole peaceful imagery thing and hear Debussy in my head. Have you ever seen any chocolate sheep? I would eat those.

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  3. In about 1875, a distant relative of mine, along with George 111, was involved in the improvement of the English sheep flock; and therefore of the quality of English wool. He secretly imported Murinos from France and Spain.

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  4. Funnily enough, Her Indoors and I were in a country park, looking at sheep, and she said, "I feel really guilty about saying this, but they are making me hungry." If you knew her, you would know that this was very unlike her! Can we keep chocolate out of it for little while? OK, I know it works for Janna, but it doesn't work for me - even at Easter. Click on the red word, and you'll get Bach in your head, Amy.

    It could have gone 2 ways for your relative, Cro. Sounds like he managed to avoid the gallows.

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  5. Certainly in both France and Spain.

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  6. I have to google HA HA - sounds like something I would like to have at my home?

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  7. If you had got a Ha-Ha, you would never have lost your goat, Heather. It's a ditch (or more precisely a different level) which runs around the farthest perimeter of the grass, so that it keeps the animals away from the front of your house, but looks (if you have bad eyesight) as though there is no fence, making the concept of Naturalism, just a bit more believable - no joke.

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  8. I had to google a Ha-Ha to see what on earth it was...

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  9. Sorry - I thought the non Brits may have to Google it. But am I really sorry? Do I look sorry?

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  10. My comment above should (of course) have read 1775.

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  11. I thought we we had made it up with France and Spain by 1875, but my history is a bit shakey, so I assumed that you meant that!

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