Borders, identity, and the truth about Cornish independence, with Richard Collett

About this episode

Richard Collett discusses the significance of borders and identity in Britain with host James Fisher.

The River Tamar that forms the Devon-Cornwall border comes within four miles of making Cornwall an island. In and around the Scottish Borders, many people define themselves as Bordermen first, and Scottish or English second. And the the great medieval border created in the years of Danelaw both split Britain, and lives on today as one of the biggest roads in the country. These are just a few of the fascinating tales woven together by Richard Collett as he talks to James Fisher in this utterly fascinating episode of the Country Life Podcast. Yes, a border is a line on a map — but it's also a state of mind, with many of the lines that divide us, define us and even unite us taking on very different meanings depending on where you live. Richard Collett has spent years travelling Britain and talking to people throughout the land about our borders, where they come from, and what they mean — and the result is a fascinating book, Along the Borders: In search of what divides and unites the British Isles . Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Apple Podcasts Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Spotify Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Audible The book is published…

People in this episode

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Richard Collett

Topics covered

• borders
• identity
• Cornish independence
• Scottish Borders
• Danelaw
• cultural history

Keywords

• Cornish independence
• borders
• identity
• Scottish Borders
• Danelaw
• cultural history
• Richard Collett
• James Fisher

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Penguin

Books & works: Along the Borders: In search of what divides and unites the British Isles

Places: Cornwall, Devon, Scottish Borders, Britain

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