Between the world wars a group of British artists explored the downland of southern England, finding in the ancient landscapes of Sussex and Wessex inspiration for modern paintings. Eric Ravilious and fellow artists Peggy Angus and Tirzah Garwood, William Nicholson, and John and Paul Nash led the way, choosing not only to work but in some cases also to live among the chalk hills.

It was not only artists who were fascinated by the chalk hills. Between the wars around forty Iron Age hillforts were excavated by archaeologists as the nation was gripped by a mania for prehistory, a passion for the past fuelled by modern innovations. On the one hand aerial photography brought downland sites to life in a new way. On the other, motor cars and buses enabled people to explore the hills, guidebook in hand, box brownie at the ready. While archaeologists such as Mortimer Wheeler became celebrities, artists congregated in downland villages, lured by simple, cheap living and the freedom of the hills. Based on new, original research for my 2026 Holburne Museum (Bath) exhibition devoted to this fascinating subject, this lecture is wide-ranging and filled with beautiful works - some well-known, while others will be new discoveries...