Tag Archives: William Kent

Queen Caroline & her Hermitage

Posted on 09/01/2016 by The Gardens Trust

In the 1720s and 1730s the gardens at Richmond Lodge (now part of Kew Gardens)were the “special domain” and “spiritual oasis” of a remarkable and underestimated woman who created a carefully staged landscape that was renowned throughout the country and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged alexander pope, Charles Bridgeman, Hermitage, kensington, kew, Lord Burlington, Queen Caroline, Stowe, William Kent | 1 Comment

The Golden Bough

Posted on 19/12/2015 by The Gardens Trust

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Mistletoe would it? So this is the first of a couple of posts about this mystical plant and the traditions surrounding it which are, according to Richard Mabey, ” amongst Northern Europe’s last surviving remnants … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Claude Lorraine, Druids, Hypnerotomachi, James Frazer, John Evelyn, mistletoe, Philip Miller, sacred groves, Stephen Switzer, Stowe, Stukeley, Virgil, William Kent | Leave a comment

Sir John Soane and gardens … continued

Posted on 19/09/2014 by The Gardens Trust

In a recent post I looked at Pitzhanger, the country retreat of Sir John Soane. But Soane was interested in gardens at several other levels. Firstly he designed garden buildings, publishing a series of ideas and plans for seats, temples, tea … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Charles Bridgeman, Claremont, George London, Hampton Court, Hawksmoor, Henry Wise, James Gibbs, Kedleston, Lumley Castle, Pitzhanger, Robert Adam, Talman, William Kent, Windsor | Leave a comment

Garden Menageries 2: Chiswick House

Posted on 22/08/2014 by The Gardens Trust

One of the important historic gardens in the world is at Chiswick House, Lord Burlington’s Palladian country retreat in west London. But while the house and grounds are extremely well-known I suspect most people still don’t know about the menagerie that was … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged elephants, English Heritage, giraffes, Lord Burlington, William Kent | Leave a comment

The First Post: Stowe

Posted on 31/12/2013 by The Gardens Trust

When we started planning this blog we thought what better way to start than by suggesting a winter walk through one of our great historic gardens and landscapes. Unfortunately the weather probably stopped most of us being able to do … Continue reading →