The culture of England is sometimes difficult to separate clearly from the culture of the United Kingdom, so influential has English culture been on the cultures of the British Isles and, on the other hand, given the extent to which other cultures have influenced life in England.

Art

English art is a term referring to a body of art originating from England. Nikolaus Pevsner attempted a definition in his 1956 book The Englishness of English Art.

It has developed over several centuries to current movements, such as Brit art, and encompasses all forms - painting, sculpture and performance art.

Notable English artists presently working range from Lucian Freud and Damien Hirst.

Oil painting came comparatively late to England. Hans Holbein, an imported talent, is generally credited with founding an English school of portrait painting. The rich ecclesiastical decoration of English churches was, in great measure, lost during the iconoclasm of the Reformation.

And although Charles I of England built up a great royal collection of art, the disposal of these treasures during the English Commonwealth and the subsequent democratisation of society meant that the patronage of the state never formed great palace collections such as seen in other European states.

It is often considered that English landscape painting typifies English art, mirroring as it does the development of the country house and its landscaping.

Cuisine

England being the first industrialised country in the world, urbanised workers were in many cases cut off from regional food traditions. Some consider that English cuisine has consequently suffered from a widespread image of blandness and lack of distinctiveness. The openness of English diners to exotic dishes has also meant that English cooking does not enjoy as high a profile as other nations’ culinary traditions. More recently, a new style of cooking called Modern British has emerged that combines traditional British ingredients with foreign culinary influences.

The Full English breakfast remains an enduring tradition for many, despite the increasing popularity of the continental-style breakfast, or no breakfast at all, for busy workers. Tea and beer are typical drinks. Cider is produced in the West Country, and the south of England has seen the reintroduction of vineyards producing high quality white wine on a comparatively small scale.

England produces a range of cheeses in various regions, including:

Stilton cheese
Wensleydale cheese
Lancashire cheese
Dorset Blue Vinney cheese
Cheshire cheese
Double Gloucester cheese

Other foods associated with England include:

Sunday roast
Lancashire Hotpot
Cornish pasty
Fish and chips (and mushy peas)
Clotted cream from Devon and Cornwall
Stargazy pie from Cornwall
Yorkshire pudding
Sausage and mash
Bakewell tart
Eccles cake
Cumberland sausage
British Curries
Balti
Chicken Tikka Masala
Other typical British dishes

Folklore

English folklore is the folk tradition which has evolved in England over a number of centuries. Some English legends can be traced back to their roots, even as far as before the Roman invasion of Britain, while the origin of others is fairly uncertain or disputed. England abounds with folklore, in all forms, from such obvious manifestations as the traditional semi-mystical Arthurian legends and semi-historical Robin Hood tales, to contemporary urban myths and facets of cryptozoology such as the Beast of Bodmin Moor.

Morris dance and related practices such as the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance preserve old English folk traditions, as do Mummers Plays. The utopian vision of a traditional England is sometimes referred to as Merry England.

English mythology is no longer widely believed. Whereas some folklore legends were formerly believed nationally across the whole of England, most can generally be divided into regional areas of England.

Heritage

Stonehenge holds an iconic place in the culture of England. Other built structures like cathedrals and parish churches are associated with a sense of Englishness. The English country house and the lifestyle associated for centuries with an elite minority now forms an interest among many people in England as typified by visits to properties managed by English Heritage or the National Trust.

Landscape gardening as developed by Capability Brown set an international trend for the English garden. Gardening and visiting gardens are also a facet of the culture of England for many people.
Historic houses in England
English Heritage Properties in England
List of National Trust properties in England

Literature

The term English literature refers to literature written in the English language, or literature composed in English by writers who are not necessarily from England. Writers noted for expressing Englishness, or associated particularly with regions of England, include William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy (Wessex), A. E. Housman (Shropshire), Rupert Brooke, Jane Austen, Arnold Bennett and the Lake Poets (Lake District).

But Joseph Conrad was Polish, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Edgar Allan Poe was American, Salman Rushdie is Indian: all have enriched English literature.
List of English novelists
Anglo-Saxon literature
Elizabethan theatre
Big six in the romantic literature of England

Music

England has a long and rich musical history. The United Kingdom has, like most European countries, undergone a roots revival in the last half of the 20th century. English music has been an instrumental and leading part of this phenomenon, which peaked at the end of the 1960s and into the 1970s.

The achievements of the Anglican choral tradition following on from 16th century composers such as Thomas Tallis, John Taverner and William Byrd have tended to overshadow instrumental composition. The semi-operatic innovations of Henry Purcell did not lead to a native operatic tradition, but George Frederick Handel found important royal patrons and enthusiastic public support in England. The rapturous receptions afforded by audiences to visiting musical celebrities such as Haydn often contrasted with the lack of recognition for home-grown talent. However, the emergence of figures such as Edward Elgar and Arthur Sullivan in the 19th century showed a new vitality in English music. Ralph Vaughn Williams and others collected English folk tunes and adapted them to the concert hall. Cecil Sharp was a leading figure in the English folk revival.

Finally, a new beat out of Liverpool emerged in 1962. The Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, became the world’s most popular musicians of all time. The “Fab Four” opened the doors for British acts such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, Queen and Led Zeppelin to the globe.

Some of the leading contemporary artists include Kaiser Chiefs, Robbie Williams and Coldplay.

Religion

The Church of England functions as the established church in England. Other churches which have started in England include the Methodist church, the Quakers and the Salvation Army.

Sport and leisure

Cricket and football are generally considered the national games. However Rugby becomes increasingly popular and currently is more popular than its rival cricket.
Football in England
Cricket in England
Rugby in England