“God made a beauteous garden With lovely flowers strown,

But one straight, narrow pathway That was not overgrown.

And to this beauteous garden

By Joshua James Barkley

April 27, 2012

Horticulture 306 Term Paper

Lancelot “Capability” Brown

and The English Landscape

1

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

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

Figure 1: King Henry VIII

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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

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.

Figure 2: William Kent

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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.

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,

Figure 3: Lancelot Brown

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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).

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.

Figure 4: Privy Garden of Hampton Court

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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

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

Figure 5: The Cascades Of Chatsworth Garden

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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

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

Figure 6: The Lake at Blenheim Palace

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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

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

Figure 7: View From The Octagon Lake At Stowe

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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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