Ahead of the 300th anniversary of Brown in 2016,
we were delighted to host John Phibbs at Scampston last week. John is a
renowned garden historian and author with more than 30 years’ experience of
planning and management of historic landscapes.
He has set up the Capability Brown 1716–2016 Partnership
with twenty organisations, to celebrate the life and achievements of Britain’s
greatest landscape gardener, and to spread greater understanding and enjoyment
of his work and influence.
John gave a group of volunteers from Scampston and nearby
Brown sites, a thorough and fascinating explanation of Brown’s influence on the
landscape and the prevailing features of this which can still be seen at
Scampston. John shared with us his code
for ‘reading the landscape’, giving the group the confidence to tell Scampston’s
visitors about Brown’s work.
The morning started with an introduction from John, and an
insight into his wider work across Capability Brown’s extensive portfolio of
parks across the UK. He discussed the context of Brown’s work, and the
inferences that must be made from the evidence available. The volunteers were
shown the original plan of Scampston and the additions Brown made to this.
The group was then given a guided tour of the house and
given the background of W.H St Quintin Bart, 5th Baronet who commissioned
Capability Brown to re-design the Parkland at Scampston. The group was also
able to admire the view from the bedroom windows. John explained the various
challenges that Brown faced at Scampston due to the unsymmetrical nature of the
Parkland.
A delicious lunch was followed by an afternoon exploring the
parkland at Scampston. The Palladian Bridge, the planting, the lake and the
earthwork, were all shown as examples of Brown’s approach to design, and his
playful attempts to address dissymmetry of the park at Scampston.
The group were kindly invited to Deer Park House, originally
a folly on the horizon viewed from Scampston Hall, which Brown incorporated
into his design of the park, creating vistas which centred on the building. The
House is now a private residence.
It was a fascinating day and a real insight into the work of
Capability Brown.
2016 will see an exciting programme of events at Scampston
focused on Brown’s landscapes. Do keep checking the website for more information
www.scampston.co.uk/events.
If you are interested in volunteering at Scampston do get in
touch with Emma at
hlo@scampston.co.uk
