Elizabethtown College English Department

One of the most memorable student presentations I have ever heard was given atop Glastonbury Tor in Somerset, England.  My class sat in the grass in the shadow of St. Michael’s Tower munching on crunchy snacks called flapjacks while a student explained the literary significance of the region—the legendary Avalon—to the famous Arthurian legend.

It takes persistence to hike the 513 feet to summit the Tor.  We made the climb in May 2019 during an Elizabethtown College faculty-led study abroad course.  During this fourteen-day trip, I had the opportunity to take a wonderful group of Elizabethtown College students and alumni to the United Kingdom for walking tours of literary sites including Jane Austen’s Bath and Shakespeare’s hometown of Stratford-on-Avon.

Our tour started in Oxford, a town known for its impressive architecture and its connection to numerous British authors.  Students marveled at the small door through which a young Alice Liddell would have walked to access Christ Church Cathedral and the working space of Professor Charles Dodgson, better known now as Lewis Carroll.  We also viewed stairwells and cloisters used in the filming of the Harry Potter movies and ate a meal at the Eagle and Child.

During their free day in Oxford, students planned self-directed learning experiences.  Some toured the Oxford Castle while others traveled to nearby Blenheim Palace.  When we met up the next day, we all had stories to share.

The course, titled Western Literary Culture, comes in several different sections.  Some professors who teach it focus on the delights of Shakespeare, and others focus on poetry.  In this study-abroad version, we explored the economics and regional idiosyncrasies that contributed to some of the most famous British texts

The course does not contribute to English major requirements, but it does fulfill the Western Cultural Heritage requirement of E-town’s Core.  Our class contained both majors and non-majors, plus four graduates who could not pass up the chance to see the locations tied to the literature they love.

In addition to the walking and literary experiences, we also enjoyed several food tours.  We ate award-winning fish and chips in London and traditional Somerset cheddar cheese in Wells.

After a tour of the ancient Roman Baths, we took afternoon tea in the Pump Room, the same space in which Jane Austen met acquaintances in the early nineteenth century.  Two of her novels includes scenes of taking the waters and socializing in the Pump Room, a fact we pondered as we tried the scones, salmon mousse, and tomato sandwiches.

Other day trips included the Warner Brothers Studio Tour in Leavesden, north of London.  According to the students, this may have been the most emotional day, especially seeing the Hogwarts diorama at the end of the tour.  We also made visits to Kensington Palace and Westminster Abbey, and we saw a hilarious show at the Globe Theatre.  Students pursued their own intellectual interests during free days in London and Bath.

Students responded on Instagram and through other reflections as they processed the course material.  As one student explained, “. I never thought I would ever have the opportunity to learn about and see so much history.”

Author Bio: Dr. Tara Moore hopes to lead another faculty-led course to the UK in May 2021.