Were Victorians patriotic and proud of their English heritage?

Question

as Victorian tourists defaced much of medieval Kenilworth Castle by chiselling their names into the historical stones, while visiting it only because it was made fashionable at the time by Thomas Hardy

Answer 1

Now we preserve this graffiti as being of historic interest.

At Kenilworth the owners deliberately hacked the ruins around for a more

'picturesque' effect, the worst kind of cultural vandalism, as it became a 

popular tourist destination.

Answer 2

Certainly the British in earlier times were very proud of Britain,not just England,with justified cause as the Americans or French are today. Since the war, its been fashionable to pull down our dear land by Liberals. There are louts in every age though and it would have been those who defaced the castle walls ?

Answer 3

The vast majority toiled to make ends meet.  Not a happy time for almost everybody. 

Answer 4

Before the Victorians and since then people have left their mark on the walls of many places.