Capability Brown: The Shakespeare of Gardening

August 9, 2019

A list of all the National Trust Gardens that had significant work done by Brown

Capability Brown was the most talented and prolific of the artists who created the thousands of English Landscape Gardens—gardens on a scale that seem natural and irregular. This is a great accolade considering that the English Landscape Garden is one of the greatest contributions Britain has made to the visual arts worldwide. Brown’s artistry often goes unnoticed as it blends so subtly into the landscape and its impact has been mostly overlooked. He is associated with more than 250 sites covering 200 square miles in total.

With Brown as its chief exponent, the influence of the English Landscape Garden became ubiquitous, stretching out over Europe to Russia, India, the United States and beyond. As Horace Walpole, Georgian writer, arbiter of taste and son of the first prime minister, put it, “We have the true model of gardening to the world. Let other countries mimic our taste.”

Brown was Britain’s ambassador extraordinaire, even though he never left Britain. In a nutshell, his fame rests on the simplicity of his artistic formula and its innate appeal, the enormous number of commissions he undertook and his memorable nickname.

Reprinted with permission from Capability Brown and His Landscape Gardens.

Selected Properties

Croome Court, Worcestershire

The Palladian mansion and St Mary’s Church at Croome, Worcestershire. ©National Trust Images/James Dobson

Stourhead, Wiltshire

The Pantheon seen from across the lake in the winter at Stourhead, Wiltshire. When it first opened in 1740 Stourhead was described as ‘a living work of art’. ©National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

Stowe, Buckinghamshire

The East Lake Pavilion at Stowe, Buckinghamshire. Stowe is an 18th century landscaped garden, and includes more than 40 historic temples and monuments. ©National Trust Images/Andrew Butler