Study on the Sustainable Development of Rural Landscape in the UK: Take the Cotswolds as an Example

Rongxing XIE, Haoming ZHOU

1. School of Art and Design, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan 650224, China；2. Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Abstract With the acceleration of globalization and urbanization, rural areas in China, particularly traditional villages have been faced with various problems and the development bottleneck. On the contrary, rural areas in the UK are well-known for picturesque scenery and outstanding characteristics, and able to maintain the sustainable vitality and charm in economy and culture, rural areas in the UK make successful examples for the global rural construction and development. This paper took Cotswolds in the UK for example, analyzed the maintenance and continuation of traditional rural landscapes in the UK from the perspectives of natural scenery, overall layout, folk dwellings, yard plants and so on. On the other hand, the paper explored the all-around sustainable development of rural landscapes in the UK from the perspectives of internal drives such as intangible cultural confidence, production mode, economic foundation and environmental protection. The study tried to provide references for the sustainable development of rural landscapes in China.

Key words Rural landscape, UK, Sustainable development, Cotswolds

1 Introduction

Against the background of globalization and urbanization, China has devoted great efforts in promoting rural revitalization, construction of beautiful countryside, and protection of traditional villages, rural areas in China, traditional villages in particular, have witnessed the fastest development as well as serious problems such as loss of characteristic cultures, homogeneity of landscape styles, destruction of ecological environment, and poor infrastructure. Wu Liangyong put forward that cultural globalization has split human and traditional regional spaces, and fading of regional cultures, standardized and commercialized production and design has degraded the characteristics of landscapes, buildings and cities, which contributed to the cultural homogeneity and crisis of losing characteristics[1].

Problems of countryside, particularly traditional villages in China, have reflected the conflicts between traditional material conditions and demands of modern life, between economic benefits and cultural protection, between protection and development of village resources. Construction and development of the countryside has been in a dilemma, while the continuous attempts and explorations of government have not been effective. There are successful models in rural construction, such as Japan and UK. Countryside in both countries has experienced the process of development, destruction, recover, renovation, protection and upgrade, the different point is their countryside has turned out characteristic landscape styles through the long-term practices and development, and rural economy has realized the diversified development, and finally the all-around sustainable development, from which a lot of experience can be learned.

The peculiar picturesque rural landscapes is the most outstanding card of British landscapes, and also the example for global rural construction and development. Former Prime Minister of the UK Stanley Baldwin once said that Britain was countryside, and countryside was Britain. The British writer David Matless mentioned inLandscapeandEnglishnessthat real Britain could only be found in the countryside, and countryside was undoubtedly the soul and remarkable representative of British landscapes. In fact, British countryside was the most ideal and wanted living place for many people. The author once went to Cardiff University for academic visit in 2019, and during the visit went to Cotswolds rural areas and other countryside for field investigation, and was deeply impressed by local rural landscapes, and the sustainable economic vitality and cultural charm.

Cotswolds area is located in southwest Britain, once developed rapidly in the Middle Ages with the fast growth of wool industry. This area is famous as the typical British countryside for its ancient, serene and picturesque scenery, as well as well-maintained traditional architecture and landscapes. In 1996, it was announced as the "Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty" (AONB), and became well-known as "Top Three Beautiful Countryside in the World" together with Provence in France and Tuscany Region in Italy. Cotswolds is the typical and most outstanding representative of British countryside.

This paper took Cotswolds countryside for an example to analyse the the internal drives for the sustainable development of British rural landscapes, such as tangible ones like landscape images and intangible ones like cultural confidence, production mode, environmental protection and so on, in order to provide references for the development of rural countryside in China.

2 Maintenance and continuation of traditional British rural landscapes

Picturesque rural landscapes in the UK has outstanding characteristics as the perfect match of tradition and modernity. Most villages in Cotswolds region have been well maintained with their traditional natural scenery, overall layout, folk dwellings and courtyard landscapes. These symbolic landscape elements together constitute into a gorgeous image of idyllic scenery, outstanding for naturalness, ecology, elegance, leisure and fragrance.

2.1 Natural sceneryBritish countryside is mostly flat, villages are surrounded by farms, all the sky, white clouds, grasslands, wild flowers, cattle and sheep, wooden fences make the most pretty idyllic landscapes.

The unique farm landscapes in the UK could be traced to the enclosure movement. From the 14thand 15thcentury, the newly-emerging bourgeoisie and new noble possessed farmers’ land and public-owned land violently, the farmers were deprived of the land use right and ownership, the original right of cultivating land and raising livestock was limited or canceled. These enclosed their violently-possessed farmland, turned them into the private-owned pastures and farms. Enclosure movement divided countryside in the UK into similar big pastures and farms enclosed by hedgerows, fences, stone walls, ditches, and these pastures and farms have been well maintained to the modern days, and become symbolic landscapes of British countryside, as well the base map and background of the overall rural landscapes.

2.2 Overall layoutMost villages in Cotswolds are surrounded by farms, with a stream flowing across it and many stone bridges stretching over the stream. Folk dwellings are distributed along roads, churches, traditional markets, water mills are important landscape nodes of the villages.

From the 12thand 13thcentury, wool industry developed fast, and it was well known that the best wool of Europe was in Britain, and the most wool of Britain was in Cotswolds. Cotswolds then became a crucial wool trade area of Britain, villages in the neighborhood became rich, and the rich wool merchants built a lot of castles, churches and farms in this region. More buildings were constructed along the roads, and wool markets grew as well as the villages, some typical townships begun to form. Countryside in Cotswolds has still maintained the overall village layout of the Middle Ages, which has grown naturally and been well developed on the basis of original ones.

2.3 Folk dwellingsStone buildings that can be seen everywhere in Cotswolds were mostly built around the 15thcentury, those stone buildings with peaked roof, stone tiles, small attic windows, and particular Cotswold stones are the most remarkable landscape element in countryside of Cotswolds, and the most outstanding feature. Those primitive and natural traditional stone buildings tell the visitors about the long history and past glory of the villages. There are also many newly-built folk dwellings in the villages, mostly made of local stones or materials with similar colors, shapes, textures of local stones, they are also designed into traditional architectural styles as the best continuation of traditional folk dwellings.

In addition to folk dwellings, public buildings in local countryside are also essential, the most typical ones are church, city hall, water mill and so on. These public buildings have been constructed along with the social needs, made of stones and showing similarities with folk dwellings, the combinations were well coordinated and had their own characteristics, so they are important and symbolic landscape nodes in the villages.

2.4 Courtyard plantsCourtyard plants are inevitable elements in rural landscapes of Cotswolds. Gorgeous flowering plants, irregular shrubs, regular green hedgerows, winding vines, potted landscapes in spectacular shapes greatly enriched the courtyard landscapes. Local people seemingly are all talented in landscaping, the delicate courtyard plant landscapes show the locals’ love for horticulture, beauty and exquisite life.

2.5 OthersThere are many symbolic landscape elements and nodes in Cotswolds countryside in addition to natural scenery, overall layout, folk dwellings and courtyard plants, such as Cotswold wall, monuments, stone bridges, ancient treesetc., they are also concentrated reflection and continuation of the local rural landscapes.

3 Internal drives for the sustainable development of British rural landscapes

3.1 Sustainability of culture——cultural confidenceCulture is the soul and foundation of a country, a region and a nation, material landscapes are only the external forms, prosperity of rural landscapes, sustainable development of the landscapes require the high cultural confidence. Cultural confidence is not a simple slogan, but a kind of cultural identity and pride inside people’s heart[2].

Many British people, they have sincere cultural identity and confidence for the countryside, they are longing for buying or building a house in the countryside, and living there. Thus, traditional historical buildings have been well maintained in local villages, even the new buildings have been constructed into the traditional forms in spite of the higher cost, because they have a high degree of recognition of their own culture, these new buildings are continuation and development of the traditional buildings, which contributes to the sustainable development spontaneously.

British people have inherited their rural culture very well, and their cultural confidence has influenced the whole world. Whether people visited British countryside or not, they are all longing for it, that is the appeal and charm of cultural confidence.

3.2 Sustainability of function——production modeProduction mode is the concentrated reflection of rural functions, only the production mode keeps unchanged, the relevant landscapes will not fade away, and sustainable development of landscapes will be realized. Farmer in the UK and other developed countries is an occupation with higher income than the general working-class careers. Even if they get rich, the agricultural technology develops, the efficiency improves, the farmers are still raising cattle and sheep, so the production mode keeps unchanged, original functions of the British countryside are basically maintained, which ensures the continuation of the splendid farm landscapes in the UK.

3.3 Sustainability of economy——economic foundationThe vast countryside in the UK has a good economic foundation. According to 2007 British Wealth Survey, the income per household in Cotswolds was 60 800 GBP, and in fact, most of the countryside in the UK is well off. From the perspective of per household income, half of the rural households has an income level higher than the national average, even 30% of them is in the upper level of the list.

Rural economy in the UK depends mainly on raising sheep, cattle and horses, growing crops and relevant agricultural products; moreover, tourism industry in the last years has gradually become a crucial support for the local countryside. Cotswolds attracts nearly 38 million tourists each year, which makes the revenue above 130 million GBP, thus tourism industry has already been a pillar industry for the local area.

The figures proved that traditional agriculture and animal husbandry as well as the newly-emerging tourism industry were main economic sources for the British countryside, thus the latter has been able to maintain the sustainable economic development in the past years. In turn, the powerful economic foundation has provided better conditions for the conservation and development of traditional rural landscapes.

3.4 Sustainability of ecology——environmental conservationNatural environment is the main carrier of rural natural scenery, maintaining the sustainability of ecological environment is an inevitable part for the all-around sustainable development of rural areas.

First, Central government of the UK and relevant departments have always devoted greatly in the conservation of rural environment, and successively promulgated laws and regulations such asGreenBeltAct(1938),RuralWaterSupplyandWastewaterTreatmentAct(1944),UrbanandRuralPlanningAct(1947),NationalParkandAccesstoCountrysideAct(1949),WildlifeandCountrysideAct(1981),NationalParkConservationAct(1993). Second, NGOs and social organizations have also played an important role in protecting rural environment, for example, Council for the Preservation of Rural England, British Ecological Society, Wildlife Trust, Botanical Society, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and so on. Finally, local people have had strong consciousness of environmental protection, great passion for loving the nature and wildlife, and never littered randomly, and they have always been the main force in the conservation and development of rural environment and landscapes.

4 Conclusions and prospects

Industrial Revolution has made tremendous effect on British society, boosted economic development in an unprecedented way, but also led to various negative impacts, particularly, brought serious damages to rural landscapes and environment. The government noticed this problem from the second half of the 19thcentury, made efforts to protect and control rural landscapes and environment on the basis of ensuring rural economic development, and finally realized the perfect rural revitalization. Sustainable development of British countryside is undoubtedly a successful example for the global rural construction and development. Rural development in the UK took the protection and inheritance of culture as the premise, based on the maintenance of the excellent ecological environment, highlighted the landscape characteristics of countryside, so it finally realized the sustainable development of culture, function, economy and ecology.

Since the 1980s, China has experienced a series of negative impacts brought by the rapid urbanization and industrialization as the cost of fast economic growth. In the past decade, countryside in China has been provided with unprecedented opportunities and challenges along with the implementation of rural revitalization strategies, beautiful countryside construction, and conservation of traditional villages. The major issue for the countryside of China to be solved is how to maintain its features and excellent ecological environment and traditional culture as well as realize the all-around development of rural society and economy, to make the countryside an ideal place for living, relaxing and entertaining.

The United Kingdom and China shared similar experience in terms of rural development, the problems that China has been faced with in rural development were also the problems that the UK had encountered in the similar development stage. Therefore, learning from the UK experience in rural development helps China to solve the problems in its rural development. It is expected that this research will contribute to the future conservation and development of rural landscapes in China.