“God made a beauteous garden
With lovely flowers strown,
But one straight, narrow pathway
That was not overgrown.
And to this beauteous garden
Lancelot “Capability” Brown
and The English Landscape
By Joshua James Barkley
April 27, 2012
Horticulture 306 Term Paper
Lancelot “Capability” Brown and
The English Landscape
By Joshua James Barkley
INTRODUCTION
Overview of the Garden… (pg. 2)
History of the Garden …(pg. 2)
ENGLAND
Overview of England…(pg. 3)
A History of England…(pg. 4)
THE EARLY ENGLSIH GARDEN
William Kent…(pg. 5)
Accomplishments of William Kent…(pg. 6)
Features of the Landscape Garden…(pg. 6)
LANCELOT BROWN
The Beginning of Lancelot Brown…(pg. 7)
LANCELOT’S WORKS
Overview…(pg. 9)
Hampton Court…(pg. 10)
Chatsworth Garden…(pg. 11)
Blenheim Palace…(pg. 12)
Stowe…(pg. 13)
The Later Years…(pg. 14)
CONCLUSION
Final Thoughts…(pg. 15)
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INTRODUCTION
OVERVIEW OF THE GARDEN
Gardens for centuries have revealed the precious relationship between culture and
nature. Poets and artists would interpret nature’s secrets through various works that have riveted
our society for centuries. Today, one can stroll through museums and be entranced in the garden
paintings of Claude Lorrain or you could engage in one of Shakespeare’s plays and be entranced
with various garden scenes and romance. Throughout history gardens have been a way for the
creativity of man to be explored and strengthened. People have retreated to gardens looking for a
release from the city and to enjoy nature’s splendor. Today we can trace our garden heritage to
that of cultures of the past, one in particular the English garden. Notorious for the movement
away from the formal symmetrical garden established by the French, the English Garden has
borrowed various elements to create an open more natural environment. The ideals that
developed over time allowed Lancelot Brown, landscape architect and designer, to establish a
well renowned career in the English landscape.
HISTORY OF THE GARDEN
The garden has a rich and colorful history. One can argue that the garden’s true identity
can be identified with the creation of man in the Garden of Eden. Almost all are familiar with the
story of Adam and Eve and their introduction to sin in one of the most beautiful settings
imaginable to mankind, the Garden of Eden. In ancient Egypt, Landscape Architecture
developed from the designs of oasis along the Nile river valley, allowing rulers to acquire exotic
plants for the pleasure of their viewing and provide comfort and in some instances for food
production. During the renaissance period in Italy came the age of the villa garden. Often these
gardens would capture views usually providing a high vantage point viewing out to the country
side. Elaborate fountains and abundance of stone features decorated these gardens. Often these
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gardens were placed in the estates of the wealthy and powerful. In 1600’s France, the wealthy
and powerful owned large landscapes incorporating pools of water, strolling grounds of turf and
great scenery often involving the view of a wooded area. Often parties and battle reenactments
would be held on the grounds providing a source of enjoyment for those who would come to
view the grounds. If one would observe the history of the garden one could easily see a
reoccurring pattern between the wealthy and the garden. However, today any person can go to
central park and be drawn in by the urban oasis within the city, or to the islands within a city in
the Chicago Botanical Gardens and be entranced with the various themes of gardening among
the islands. Through history we can see the private garden make the transition to the public
garden in the English landscape. It was the great success of previous gardens and traditions that
helped pave the way for great English landscapers, like Lancelot Brown, to help develop one of
the world’s greatest landscape nations in England and in turn change the landscape of the world.
In covering the life and achievements of Lancelot Brown as well as the features that were
established before him one can see the growth of the grand English Landscape.
ENGLAND
OVERVIEW OF ENGLAND
England contains rolling hills and lowlands with lakes and swamps. It is separated by the
continent of Europe by the English Channel. Due to the oceans effect on air, temperature and
moisture, England enjoys a moderate climate where they will rarely experience extreme cases in
heat or cold. These characteristics have made England a pallet for landscape innovators such as
Lancelot Brown to establish a grand impact upon the landscape and the world. However,
Lancelot Brown’s tremendous success would not have been possible if it had not been for those
who practiced the art of landscape architecture and design before him.
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A HISTORY OF ENGLAND
A tremendous and polarizing figure in England’s
History was King Henry the VIII, who was the first of the
Tudor kings. Prior to his rule, the country had been
devastated by war and epidemics. Law and order were
absent at best and the nation was lost without direction.
“Henry brought peace and prosperity back to England and
it was by his rule that England was able to prosper well
into the sixteenth century” (Siciliano 173).
Over the years in England, gardens were walled
Figure 1: King Henry VIII
and enclosed leaving its riches solely to the owner. Kitchen gardens and small pavilions were
enclosed and offered a sense of privacy and useful plants for culinary purposes. As time would
move on it would not be uncommon for garden owners to establish a small hill in their garden to
allow vision over the walls. However, the greatest change did not necessarily occur until the
relationship between Britain and Italy strengthened. Garden innovators advanced the garden to
open its doors and tear down the walls, bringing in ideas around the world to create more
elaborate gardens. Ideas were brought back to England from all over the world as architects,
designers and land owners traveled between nations, taking in the exotic scenery and unique
plantings and various architectural features. Countries like France and Italy greatly contributed to
the ideas of Landscape Architects in England to design these new elaborate places with rolling
lawns, extended water features and signature art pieces and sculptures within the garden. To
have a garden was to have good taste and to have good taste was important to anyone who
wanted to elevate themselves in societal ranks. Those who wanted to have these grand gardens
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had to branch out to find these elaborate designers. Designers such as Lancelot Brown and
William Kent were two of greatest in their profession in the landscape design of the English
Landscape. William Kent came before Lancelot Brown and in a way paved the way for Lancelot
Brown to become one of the greatest landscape architects in England’s history.
THE EARLY ENGLISH GARDEN
WILLIAM KENT
“William Kent (1685 – 1748) was one of the
first to make the leap to show that all of nature was a
garden and the pursuit of culture and knowledge was
not only popular but fashionable” (Mayer 17). This
today would be the sales pitch to get people to
improve their estate and in turn improve the garden.
“The development of the English garden was
governed by far-reaching interests in society, politics
and philosophy” (Mayer 18). Ideas would be
exchanged on where people had been. It soon became
Figure 2: William Kent
a must for successful designers to travel or work in different countries with different garden
cultures. William Kent spent nine years training in Italy and several months in Paris, before
returning to England rejuvenated with new techniques and ideas. In his travels he visited the
Swiss Alps, Florence, Rome, Venice and numerous archeological sites in Europe. The idea of
traveling to these distinguished countries constituted “the grand tour.” This tour not only
provided ideas but helped to educate and enlighten people on various cultures, thus strengthening
the communities they resided in. These tours also helped to encourage commerce and economic
growth in communities.
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF WILLIAM KENT
Similarities between Kent and Brown are much acclaimed and are of no coincidence.
Lancelot Brown was educated in the ways of William Kent, and one may say that he was quite
inspired by Kent’s techniques. Kent, as well as Brown, would “clean up” a landscape by
removing crowded plant materials and clipping and framing views off into the distance. In fact,
Kent had done so well in this aspect that it was thought that your landscape had no taste unless
William Kent had came to renovate the property. Years later it would be the same view except
with Lancelot Brown. You can get an idea of Kent’s framing the landscape by viewing his first
commission which was at Stowe where he helped frame the view of the temple of Venus in
1731. Kent would go onto various other projects that included the revamping of circuit walks
and lake views. It was William Kent who helped start the movement of these vast nature
landscapes with the idea to make it appear that it had never been touched by man and it was on
these principles that allowed Lancelot Brown to continue and perfect on the English Landscape.
FEATURES OF THE LANDSCAPE GARDEN
Though Lancelot Brown could be credited with a number of landscape features, one has
to remember that the movement he was traveling on was being practiced prior to his start as
Architect and Designer. We discussed William Kent’s effect on the landscape and as a source of
inspiration but some may dismiss other contributions to the English garden and its features
brought about by other countries practices and designers. Garden Features such as pavilions, or
boulders were actually perfected by the Chinese and Japanese Gardens. Huts were practically a
must in Chinese Gardens offering a destination and a place to relax and enjoy the gardens.
Various rock features with the hint of moss or crushed stone walkways were of tremendous value
to the Chinese and Japanese gardens. Fountains in Italy were perfected and used by the French
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in their vast Landscapes. These features would often depict a story for one to view and offered a
chance to enhance the experience in the landscape with the soothing sounds of trickling water or
reflecting views in the water. Henry Hoar, a landscape architect, had developed a grand
affection for the use of grottos in the landscape. Grottos were cave-like dwellings that were
usually situated near water and sometimes contained a statue within. These were introduced in
the renaissance period and used later in the French landscape. It is important to note that ideas
were brought from around the world by the travels of landowners and designers and through
their travels allowed the English landscape to mature in its own right. Landscaper, Lancelot
“Capability” Brown, would utilize the ideas brought from around the world to help establish
himself as arguably one of the greatest landscape visionaries of all time.
LANCELOT BROWN
THE BEGINNING OF LANCELOT BROWN
Lancelot Brown was born in 1761 in the
Northumberland hamlet of Kirkharle. He came from a farming
family and was the fourth of five children. Brown assisted his
family on the land before attending the school of Cambo near
Wallington. Brown attended school there until he went to be
the apprentice of a local landowner, Sir William Lorain, at the
age of sixteen. Lorain would train Lancelot on a modest estate
teaching him valuable skills and knowledge of the landscape.
Figure 3: Lancelot Brown
However, it is not thought that Brown really did anything
extravagant to the property in his apprenticeship other than to provide maintenance and assist
Lorain in various chores. However this should not take away from the fact that it was here,
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where Lancelot nurtured his love for the landscape and began to mold his ideas that would serve
him well for future endeavors.
In 1739 Brown decided to engage in traveling south to a property of Wotton which was
owned by Sir Richard Grenville. This meeting was of the most importance to Brown’s career as
it would pave the introduction to Lord Cobham, owner of Stowe Park in Buckinghamshire. It
would be here, where he would have the opportunity of working with William Kent and John
Vanbrugh . After a year working the property he became under-gardener at Stowe. It did not
take Brown’s employers long to recognize his talents and as such was promoted quite quickly
through the ranks all the way to the post of Head Gardener. He would often accompany visiting
tourists through the garden providing opinions and knowledge on various features. Even in
Brown’s early career he exhibited a drive and passion for his work.
While employed at Stowe, Brown was offered a commission to improve the estate of a
neighboring Landowner, the Duke of Grafton. This opportunity would allow Brown to freely
practice the skills that would make him famous in his career. The site was a park surrounded by a
wooded area which offered a sense of peace and privacy. He would establish groves of trees and
small pools of water in attempting to capture the “natural essence” of the landscape and allowing
the viewer to engage the plantings in the landscape. He would later take on other neighborhood
projects often times handling more than one site. Even though Lancelot was a busy man with all
of his commissions he was still able to find his significant other as he married Bridget Wayet on
November 22nd, 1744. They were married at the St. Mary’s Church at Stowe which still stands
today in the park. During Lancelot’s commission at Stowe he and his wife would have four
children: Bridget, Lancelot Junior, William and John.
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Lancelot Brown set out with his family in 1751 to begin his own private landscape
practice. His first commission in his new practice was the Croom property which was owned by
Lord Coventry. Here he had to be the engineer, the landscape architect and the designer. The
property had drainage issues causing marsh like conditions in some parts of the property. He
hired a fair number of people to help with the extravagant site. Brown and his crew tore down
the foundation, dug culvers to help improve the drainage and helped to redirect the water of the
two interconnecting rivers on the property. All in all, Brown and his workers were able to
resurrect the property and today it is used as a school. Brown’s self confidence in his ideas was
extremely crucial to his success and allowed others to buy into his projects with confidence. As
the years moved on in his practice Lancelot’s reputation grew. “He was even given a nickname
of “Capability” because of the quick, imaginative and practical assessment he made of the
capabilities of a property’s improvements” (Clifford 13). Clients who conversed with Brown on
their landscape soon came to find that with some calculations and a little deliberation they would
find a suitable scheme to fit their site. Water manipulation played a vital role in Lancelot’s
career. He thrived in creating great tranquil lakes and converting small brooks into wide rivers.
Being that there were a fair number of wetlands in England he had no problem in keeping busy
and providing for his family.
LANCELOT’S WORKS
OVERVIEW
Lancelot Brown was known to have had a hand in many famous gardens and landscapes
in his lifetime. His connections with the sites allowed him to interact with clients to improve
their landscape in a new and unique fashion. His style of being able to create landscapes that
looked so natural that it appeared man had never interfered was a fine imprint upon this new
fashion. Some of the landscapes that he was commissioned for in his journey as landscape
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architect included Hampton Court, Chatsworth, Blenheim Palace and Stowe. In focusing on
these four landscapes one should gain a wider understanding of Lancelot’s creative intellect and
personality through the climax of his career.
HAMPTON COURT
Hampton Court was one of
the first great royal palaces and
gardens of King Henry VIII. “It
was developed as a symbol of the
new monarchy’s power and prestige
and established a precedent for the
future building of royal estates
across England” (Siciliano 189).
Figure 4: Privy Garden of Hampton Court
When viewing this garden one can compare and contrast techniques of gardening in varying
cultures. Some gardens are enclosed, such as the privy garden which resembles the garden of
renaissance England, while some gardens resemble those of French style like the fountain garden
which is aligned with alles of trees and pools of water. Hampton Court allows one to be
completely overjoyed with fascinating garden styles and varying techniques, perhaps a reason
why after being offered the post as Royal gardener, Lancelot could not refuse. One of his
greatest contributions to the garden was the Great Grape Vine in 1768, which is still alive today
and can be viewed by the public. Remarkably Lancelot did not feel compelled to add the natural
landscape look as he had done with previous landscape commissions, perhaps realizing that some
things just cannot be changed because of their existing uniqueness and importance to the
country.
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CHATSOWRTH GARDEN
The Garden of Chatsworth is
the product of five centuries of
English garden making. “Its gardens
embody a rich history involving
owners, gardeners and architects
who have contributed to the estate in
some way or another” (Siciliano
227). “Chatsworth is approximately
Figure 5: The Cascades Of Chatsworth Garden
105 acres and is surrounded by 1000 acres of parkland. Both the house and garden is a product of
multiple layers of history, a hybrid of various styles dictated by changes in taste and economy”
(Siciliano 227). Special features of the garden include the Cascade, which if a fantastic fountain
with running water that is ran through the park. Other features include the lawn spaces, the ring
pond and the Emperor and Seahorse Fountain. Chatsworth was left essentially unchanged for
about 60 years until the 4th Duke of Devonshire, William Cavendish, employed Lancelot Brown
to do work upon the garden. Brown had deliberately removed most of the original garden that
was left by the 1st Duke, however sparing the Cascade elements. “Lancelot laid out a new park
drive along the estate’s western boundary, which was perhaps one of his greatest contributions as
it offers a variety of pleasing views of the landscape along its winding length” (Siciliano 229).
Lancelot Brown’s main movement of the garden was to shift it from a formal interpretation of
garden design to a more natural style. Originally in the garden were terraces bordering the house.
Brown removed the terraces replacing them with a rolling prairie of lawn, dotted with clumps of
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trees that established a foreground view to the wooded hillside. To this day the changes that
were implemented by Brown can be viewed.
BLENHEIM PALACE
Another landscape
garden that Lancelot Brown
was commissioned for was
Blenheim Palace. Blenheim
Palace is in the quiet town of
Woodstock which is a few
miles north of Oxford. This
home is known to have one
Figure 6: The Lake at Blenheim Palace
of the finest views in all of
England and contains great history as it has been the home of one of the most prime families in
England, the Churchill family. As you would approach the entrance you would be treated with a
framed view to the vast green park with a grand lake in the distance. There is a Roman style
bridge that spans the lake with its arches majestically being reflected in the water. Other features
of the garden include the Grand Avenue and the temples of Diana and Flora. Of course the
landscape is complimentary to the great Blenheim Palace which was designed by Sir John
Vanbrugh. Lancelot Brown was requested to visit the property in 1762 which was at the peak of
his career. “Brown’s greatest contribution to Blenheim was his transformation of the park into a
united composition” (Siciliano 237). Brown’s work blended the existing site elements into a
seamless composition of individual features once again providing the natural look that he had
perfected on so many properties. Brown improved the sight lines and established fashionable
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vantage points for one to view the property. He carefully planted trees and shrubs around the site
in arranged clumps and woodlands making sure not to detract the view from the main landscape.
The great lake was probably the most significant of the improvements to the site as it was the
largest body of water that Brown had ever created. He even modified the grade along the lake to
create a more tantalizing view of the existing bridge. Through Brown’s engineering and keen eye
for detail he elevated the park to a whole new level of composition for all to enjoy.
STOWE
As previously described Lancelot Brown had a unique attachment to Stowe, not just
professionally but personally as well. It was one of his first superior jobs and he even married
his wife and raised his children
in Stowe. “Of all the Gardens of
England, Stowe in
Buckinghamshire is the best
known and most frequently
visited” (Siciliano 207).
Writers, poets and garden
historians have described it
Figure 7: View From The Octagon Lake At Stowe
throughout its 300 year history as an extraordinary work of art and nature combined. Today,
Stowe covers nearly 400 acres. Some of the features of the garden include the temple of the
British Worthies which was designed by William Kent, The Palladian Bridge, the gothic and
queen’s temple, and the Octagon Lake. Lancelot Brown was of course a key asset in the garden
design as he was appointed head gardener in 1751. “His main focus was to naturalize any of the
remaining formal vocabulary in the garden, which included softening the outline of the existing
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Octagon Lake” (Siciliano 214). Other changes included moving the Lake Pavilions farther apart
to open up the south vista and constructing the Corinthian Arch as a point of focus for the distant
horizon. The figure viewed above shows Lancelot’s work in modifying the lake and surrounding
trees to embrace the building in the background.
THE LATER YEARS
In the later part of Brown’s career came criticism in the form of literature. A printing
called A Dissertation on Oriental Gardening was written by Brown’s rival Sir William
Chambers. “Brown was accused of having a poverty of imagination as Chambers found it
unreasonable to make way for some grass and weeds” (Clifford 33). That man should be working
towards controlling nature not allowing nature to control man’s approach to design. This of
course drew some attention to Brown but of course in Brown’s life there was no room to
comment on such complaints of his work. Clearly the book would not affect his business and it
didn’t, however, one can’t help but feel for Lancelot.
During the middle of the 1770’s commissions continued to pour in for Brown. Despite
the political unrest in the country people still felt the need to seek out Brown to improve their
landscape. It was also during this time that Brown increased his journeys in the country and
abroad bringing back fresh ideas to his clients to add on to his capability pose. When the decade
of the 1780’s hit, even with Brown’s increasing age the journeys continued and Brown refused to
retire. While returning back to visit his daughter Bridget from a brief visit in Suffuolk, Brown
suffered a heart attack and died. In his life it was estimated that he was responsible for some 170
gardens surrounding the finest country in Great Britain. So numerous are his designs, and so
widespread was his influence, that it is almost harder to find a prominent country house that did
not have a garden designed by Lancelot brown. It was under Lancelot Brown that the English
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garden/landscape became a place for rolling greens with bands of trees planted with the upmost
care and instilled beauty. His reputation today in England is known by many residents and his
story and achievements shared with many landscape architecture students looking to have the
influence that he had on the landscape.
CONCLUSION
FINAL THOUGHTS
Today, little actually remains of Lancelot Brown’s original work. Along with the rest of
the world the British nation of garden lovers, industrialists and farmers inevitably destroyed the
work through agricultural practices and construction. Yet there are those times we can
experience the joy and honor of discovering Brown’s achievements. Some of his ideas have been
recreated in his gardens and various art works. You may come across that very bridge at Stowe
and feel what he felt staring at the lovely English garden scene, its reflection in the water. Or you
may see that magnificent lake at Blenheim in the fall time with all the trees in color and feel
peace and serenity. Today England’s gardens are visited by a grand number of tourists and locals
looking to capture the magic and feel the peace and serenity of nature. Lancelot Brown helped to
open those feelings and in return we are rewarded with vast arrays of beauty where man can
enjoy nature and nature can flourish in all its glory.
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