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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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landscape gardening
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The creation of a pleasing domestic landscape, around a palace or house, dates back thousands of years to the earliest potentates in the middle and far east. It was not until the 18C that the British made a distinctive contribution. At the start of that century English noblemen were following the portentously formal style which derived from *Versailles, with straight walks and rectangular beds. Various influences caused the break. A greater informality in English life led to a wish that gardens should themselves be informal, places of surprise and delight.
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Meanwhile those returning from the *Grand Tour had acquired a taste for the paintings of *Claude Lorrain (1600–82), who although French had spent his life working in Rome. They brought home his pictures (there are more in Britain than in any other country) and they set about recreating in real life his ideal landscapes of woods and water and classical temples. The designer who best achieved this was William *Kent, who was much involved with the garden at *Stowe. Another superb example in this style is *Stourhead.
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Later in the century another fashion followed – that of the *picturesque, in which nature could fend for herself without the help of architecture. The leading designer now was Capability *Brown, whose innovations were developed and modified by Humphry *Repton. During the 19C the emphasis turned away from the broader landscape, concentrating more on the garden and on the creative mingling of flowers and trees. Early advocates of this change were John and Jane *Loudon. A certain wildness and a natural feel to a garden has remained the chief theme of leading designers, such as Gertrude *Jekyll, up to the present day.
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