This introductory Garden History day course with Laura Mayer provides an overview of the eighteenth-century landscape garden, one of Britain's greatest cultural exports. By focusing on the work of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown and his Regency successor, Humphry Repton, the course charts the rise and fall of the idealised English parkscape.
Competing ideas in garden design were then, as they are today, shaped by changes in prevailing fashion, economic pressures and even political discourse. We shall therefore consider how a revolutionary shift in landscaping style - driven by Brown and his contemporaries - overthrew the formal, geometric gardens of centuries past, in favour of the natural, and eventually the wild.
Our home for the day will be the wonderful Holbrook Manor, a graceful Georgian house set in the peaceful Somerset countryside near Wincanton. Effortlessly combining heritage, comfort, and tranquillity, you’ll immediately feel at home. With a 2-course lunch included and refreshments at breaktimes prepared using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, we’ve certainly got your appetite for both delicious food and learning covered!
-
Laura Mayer is an independent lecturer, writer and researcher. She has an MA in Garden History and a PhD in eighteenth-century patronage, both from the University of Bristol. Originally an Art Historian with a side of Spanish, she accidentally fell into garden history whilst working at the Alhambra in Granada. Laura has published extensively – particularly on Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and Humphry Repton – as well as on the historic gardens of Cambridgeshire.
Click here to find out more about Laura Mayer and her other available courses -
Nestled in the Somerset countryside near Wincanton, Holbrook Manor is a charming Georgian house offering comfort, calm, and character — ideal for residential courses and retreats. With its elegant rooms and home-cooked meals, it’s the perfect place to learn, relax, and recharge.
The venue has plenty of free parking and the course rooms are all accessible.
-
Pen & paper if you wish to take notes, and an open mind!
