Literature
The village of Overton is a good starting point to tour the area
In search of Bigwig and friends.. In the latest in her series of literary excursions in these islands, Lorna Hogg pinpoints the locations for the inspiration of the modern children’s classic Watership Down by Douglas Adams Richard Adams’ life was largely lived in one beautiful rural area of England – the Hampshire Downs.
If you like children’s stories with elements of allegory and fantasy, from such authors as C.S. Lewis and Tolkein - you’ll enjoy stories from Richard Adams as much as your grandchilden will. Created by a loving father, to keep his children amused during car journies, the book has gone on to entertain succeeding international generations. Richard Adams’ life was largely lived in one beautiful rural area of England – the Hampshire Downs. He was born a doctor’s son, on 9th May 1920, in Wash Common, near Newbury, and grew up in the village, near to Whitchurch, in Hampshire. He enjoyed the beauty of the Downs, or hills, in all seasons. He was familiar with their ancient forests, with kites and kestrels flying overhead, the wildflower meadows, and trails, the gallops for racehorse training - and of course, the rabbits. 28 Senior Times l March - April 2021 l www.seniortimes.ie
After school, Adams went to Worcester College in Oxford to read modern history. However, he was called up in 1940, and joined the Royal Army Service Corp. He served with the Airborne Company in Palestine, Europe and the Far East. Those who served with him stayed in his mind, and later inspired some scenes and characters in Watership Down, including Bigwig. On leaving the army in 1946, Adams returned to college and then settled down to a quiet life in Whitchurch. He married Elizabeth, daughter of an RAF Squadron-Leader, and worked as a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, but doing some writing in his spare time. The family was joined by daughters Juliet and Rosamond. It is now the stuff of legend that Adams made up a series of fantasy animal tales to keep them amused on car journies – and it was his daughters who insisted that he write them down. They also overruled the original death of rabbit Bigwig. The stories, which became Watership Down, were set in the surrounding area, telling of the struggles and challenges of a band of rabbits, who had human virtues such as courage and loyalty. It tells of circumstances all too familiar to-day – a peaceful rabbit warren is under threat from a housing development, and the story is the struggle of the rabbits to to find a new home. They come across human dangers, such as poisoned fields, but also aggressive rabbits. The struggle is intense, but eventually, the rabbits find a new home. It has been suggested that the story is an allegory, of man’s indifference to nature. It has also been compared to Greek mythology, and some reviewers have seen religious symbolism. One of its strengths is Adams’ skill with anthromorphology. He gives the animals some human abilities – they can speak and rationalise, but retain their natural charceristics, and his lack of sentimentality about them sets the book apart.
