Country diary: In poet John Clare’s garden, I contemplate my ancestor who lived here too | Nic Wilson

Helpston, Cambridgeshire: I picture Henry as a young lad, hiding in flowerbeds, chasing butterflies, learning to love nature If there’s one thing better than a gatekeeper butterfly , it’s wild marjoram playing host to a flurry of gatekeepers. Almost impossible to count for all the rising, flutte...

Source: [Guardian International](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/29/country-diary-in-poet-john-clares-garden-i-contemplate-my-ancestor-who-lived-here-too)