Borrowed Landscape.

 

I have been looking again at one of my treasured books, as one does, and one, furthermore and to my shame, that I have never properly read, cover to cover, though originally I had thoroughly enjoyed the album of stunning photographs within and read some of the masterful texts. The book is Secret Gardens of East Anglia by Barbara Segall with photographs by Marcus Harpur. As the cover proclaims, it is a private tour of 22 gardens in East Anglia conducted by Barbara and subsequently, photographed by Marcus. It presents a riveting wander through some exquisite landscapes with a variety of creative and artistic gardens, often conjured from lesser beginnings, and I am at last taking 

Elton Hall, Cambridgeshire

time to savour all of it.

The reason I mention Barbara’s book here is because I am gripped by her first sentence in the first entry in her book, introducing the extraordinary Barnards Farm, West Horndon, Essex. It reads, “Most of us have borrowed landscape.” And then comes the explanation, “We are usually pleased and quite smug if this includes a church steeple, say, or a magnificent oak or copper beech within sight, but beyond, the perimeter of our garden.” It struck me that I had never thought within that ‘borrowed landscape'

concept of the wonderful views from this

Bruggean apartment. It is a perfect phrase for the cornucopia of roofs, chimneys, spires, towers, ridges, tiles, Flemish gables which grace my view every day. Plus, of course, the many, many buildings,

One view from my terrace, featuring the steeple
of the Poortersloge and the Belfort..

hotels, houses plus apartments visible below the skyline. But it is the roof-scape of which I write! The view is wholly urban but because it is Bruges, the urban is extraordinary in its timeless, mediaeval, continuing beauty. Far and near, my borrowed landscape presents a perfect narrative in its portrayal of the Bruges story from the early sixteenth century roof of what was the mediaeval convent of the Zwartezusters, now part of AZ Sint Jan, the local hospital, with one beautiful roof ridge marked with alternating groups of yellow and green tiles, totally unseen from the ground, but proclaiming its singular and unexpected comeliness modestly to the sky. From the Zwartezusters’ roof, to the several church spires; a distant solitary cross on a high roof, set against the clouds; the historic tower of the Belfort, central in importance to the townspeople for over 500 years; the 15^th century spire of the Pootersloge with the nearby late 20^th century elegant golden quill curving atop the roof of the house of the American calligrapher; those brick loops crowning some chimney pots; for what purpose? To modify wind direction perhaps? Who knows? Utility would certainly have been the purpose for their original creation though now, it is for their beauty that they are admired!

The beautiful little tower beyond what was the
convent of the Zwartezusters,.now part of AZ St Jan.

And below this much-loved roof-scape, central in Woensdagmarkt below, stands the nineteenth century statue of Hans Memling, artist of the Flemish Primitive School, who lived (1465-1494) and painted for most of his life in Brugge and is still saluted as the greatest in the Flemish Primitive tradition with its seamless link to the rise of the Renaissance. And this is my borrowed landscape seen from one large sitting room, presenting a vista both intimate and expansive and giving a structural yet historical recital of the Bruges narrative and a whisper of the soul of the city.

There are other borrowed landscapes seen from bedroom and terrace; from the guest room, for instance, the horizon boasts the statuesque Baroque church, Sint Walberga, presently crowned with a modern crane. Within the same view, in the foreground, are the gabled roof steps of the pharmacy opposite in the narrow chasm of Genthof, with the splendidly ornate tower finishing with an elongated onion flourish. All beyond my rented perimeter but adding interest, variety and beauty to my view and to my life. A borrowed landscape always before me though when I gaze, I tend to claim it for mine!

The beautiful Hans Memling statue.

I 

View over the Genthof pharmacy with Sint
Walberga on the horizon and the builders' crane beyond.