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    Celebrating 300 years of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown's landscape designs (1716-1783)

    To celebrate Capability Brown and his influence on the 18th Century British landscape we are working with our partners to bring together in one place Capability Brown related publications, announcements, events and other materials associated with the upcoming Capability Brown Festival in 2016. 1

    We are in the process of building a complete catalogue in our database of the sites associated with Capability Brown.

    Watch our Latest News for updates on the most recent additions.

    Volunteers!

    We need your help!

    If you would like to contribute research or historic images, maps or plans of Capability Brown sites, please contact us.

    You can use our Research Recording Form to organise your research, ready for submission to the database.

    Research Recording Form

    Did you know?

    You can use the Search box at the top of this page to retrieve a list of all of our database records associated with Capability Brown (use Capability Brown as the search term).

    We have a brief biography of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown on the Parks & Gardens UK database which includes a list of the nearly 300 landscapes that have been attributed to him.

    Landscape of the month

    Capability Brown worked on many different types of landscapes as well as buildings. His level of involvement differed depending on where he was. We will be highlighting a different Capability Brown landscape each month.

    A new house was constructed at Navestock in the early-18th century, a 'mansion house' being noted in 1717. The mansion was a nine bay brick building, two storeys high above a half basement, with a three bay single storey extension at each end with a balustraded parapet. A park had been formed around the new house by 1726. Lancelot Brown was commissioned to improve the landscape shortly after the death of the second earl in 1763. The adjacent manor of Bois Hall was acquired to allow the enlargement of the park. Further changes included the construction of the lake, a highway diversion, the removal of the avenue and the reorganisation of the pleasure ground.

    The landscape this month is Navestock, Essex


    More than a century after its abandonment, many of the features of the park and pleasure grounds can still be identified. The area of the pleasure grounds, its sunken fence and walled vegetable garden remains unaltered, though now very overgrown in parts. The park is under arable cultivation but the majority of the peripheral woodland has survived.

    Archive of previous landscapes feature

    Articles

    Learn more about Lancelot 'Capability' Brown from the experts.

    Celebrating Many Shades of Capability Brown in Buckinghamshire,Claire de Carle MA, Buckinghamshire Gardens Trust

    An Extraordinary Order: The Little Temple at Temple Newsam, Michael Devenish

    Golden Moments of Landscape Sheffie Shields, with kind permission from Lincolnshire Life magazine

    Restoring and managing Kirkharle: a perpective from owner John Anderson

    Capability Brown's Wimbledon Park, in His Day and Ours, Tony Matthews and Dr Dave Dawson

    Capability Brown's Wimbledon Park a History, Dave Dawson

    Restoring Capability Brown's vision at Burghley, Dr Paul Stamper, Historic England (formerly English Heritage)

    Lancelot Brown, Lessons from Home 1716-39, Jane Brown

    'A Most Pleasing Serenity': The Aesthetics of Lancelot Brown, Dr Laura C Mayer

    Tong Castle: A Shropshire Brown Commission, Dr Paul Stamper, Historic England (formerly English Heritage)

    Re-viewing the Landscape of Compton Verney, Gary Webb, Head Gardener at Compton Verney

    A fairy circle... thanks to 'Capability' Brown, Steffie Shields, Chairman, Association of Gardens Trusts

    Capability Brown’s Drawings: A Reference Catalogue of Drawings by Brown or his Office (c.1740s–83), Dr Sarah Rutherford and Ceryl Evans, consultants with Steffie Shields MBE

    What is Capability Brown’s legacy at Mount Clare?, Tony Matthews, London Parks & Gardens Trust

    Looking for Mr Brown, Steffie Shields, Chairman, Association of Gardens Trusts

    Interactive Map of Brown sites

    Featuring over 250 Capability Brown attributed sites across the UK. The map unites geography, history, landscape and the legacy of Capability Brown through its visual mapping of Capability Brown’s work. Each site is represented by a pin on the map. When a pin is clicked on, it displays the site name, the location, the type (public, private, restricted access or independent site), and links to the site’s website and the Parks & Gardens UK record.

    View map

    News and Events

    Throughout 2016, events, exhibitions, lectures and visits took place all around the country that focus on Lancelot 'Capability' Brown and his influence on the British landscape. We are updating our News & Events page regularly to provide information about events across multiple organisations and areas. Please be sure to check regularly for events of interest near you. Other useful websites with information about news and events include:

    300 Years of Capability Brown
    The Gardens Trust
    Historic England
    Visit Britain
    Historic Houses Association
    National Gardens Scheme
    National Trust
    Royal Horticultural Society
    The Landscape Institute