Blott on the Landscape

Blott on the Landscape is a novel written in 1975 by Tom Sharpe, which became a special 6-part television series, made by the BBC, in 1985.

The plot

The story centres around the (attempted) construction of a motorway (the M101 in the book and the M399 in the film) through the Cleane Gorge in rural Worfordshire (a ficticious gorge in a ficticious English county). At the heart of the gorge is Handyman Hall (again, ficticious), the residence of Sir Giles Lynchwood and his wife Lady Maud Lynchwood. Sir Giles is secretly in favour of the motorway as it will mean he will get a large compensation from the demolition of the hall, which he hates. Things are further complicated by the on-going marital problems between Sir Giles and Lady Maud.

Related Topics:
Motorway - Rural - Gorge - English - Marital

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Lady Maud's family has lived in the gorge for "over 500 years" (as she likes saying throughout) and she has no plans on leaving. She also wants children, something which Sir Giles hates the thought of. Her most trusted ally in the events that follow is her loyal gardener, Blott, a foreigner who came to England as a refugee after the Second World War. He is strongly patriotic towards his new home nation and to his rural surroundings. With his military training, and some leftovers of the war found beneath the hall, he gets to work against the construction of the motorway.

Related Topics:
Refugee - Second World War - Patriotic - Military

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Other major characters are the civil servants and other government figures, various folk from the nearby town and the elderly planning inspector, who acts more like a judge when presiding over the inquiry meetings. The story involves a riot, a demolition rampage and an attack by the SAS on Blott's home.

Related Topics:
Civil servant - Planning inspector - Judge - Riot - SAS

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