He had a major influence on Victorian landscape gardens, which exhibited his distinct style, even after his death in 1783. His fame was so great that a celebration of the 300th anniversary of his birth, held in 2016, saw more than 500 special events being held across Great Britain.
Photo Credit: Peter K Burian
Early years
Although the exact date of his birth is unknown, historians generally agree he was born in 1716, as a record of his baptism confirms the date as 30th August 1716. He was the fifth child of his land agent father and chambermaid mother and was born in Kirkharle, Northumberland.
He attended a village school in Cambo until the age of 16, at which point he took employment as the head gardener's apprentice in the kitchen garden of Kirkharle Hall (home of Sir William Loraine) - a position he held until he was 23. His mother Ursula had been in domestic service at Kirkharle Hall and his father was employed by Sir William too.
After leaving Kirkharle Hall, he pursued a career as a gardener. He started out at Wotton Underwood House, Buckinghamshire (home of Sir Richard Grenville), in 1739. In 1741, he moved on to Lord Cobham's home in Stowe, Buckinghamshire, where he was employed as an under-gardener.
He trained under renowned landscape gardener William Kent, who had designed a new style of English landscape garden. By the age of 26, Brown had been promoted to head gardener at Stowe, where he remained until 1750.
Grecian Valley
One of his most famous designs was the Stowe Gardens' Grecian Valley, which is now owned by the National Trust and open to visitors. It was previously farmland outside the garden area, containing only a pond, but in 1746, Brown transferred a large amount of earth to the site.
He totally transformed the area by building a Grecian Temple and planting up the area with elm and lime trees, transported from other parts of the estate on a tree carriage - a means of transport invented by Brown while working at Stowe. Other plants, such as smaller trees, were bought from nurseries.
In 1770, long after Brown had left Stowe, the Grecian Valley began to mature. Writing in a publication called The Survey, Thomas Whatley described its "lovely woods and groves", with the open spaces containing detached trees.
Descending down the valley, the trees were denser, clustering into groups at the bottom of the route and multiplying into "larger plantations", containing several varieties of tree. It was said to be a "masterpiece" of design, creating an idealised natural landscape in the "manner of landscape painters".
Freelance designer
By 1751, Brown's work was well-known enough to enable him to take on freelance commissions and he was much sought-after by the aristocracy. One of his clients was the 1st Earl of Warwick, who commissioned Brown to redesign the 64 acres of landscape gardens at Warwick Castle.
This was the designer's first castle commission as an independent freelancer, and the end result won him national recognition. Every lawn, tree and shrub was carefully planted to look natural. In reality, every aspect of the grounds, including the gradient of the lawns spanning from the castle down to the river, is man-made.
There have been a few changes since Brown’s time, but the gardens' overall layout remains the same. The grounds are maintained by Warwick Castle's grounds and gardens team and they remain a popular visitor attraction today.
Following Brown's work at Warwick Castle, his place as England's top landscape architect was assured. He was responsible for the design of more than 170 parks and gardens belonging to the top country estates in Britain. He could command £500 for one commission, which equates to around £51,000 today.
His work still exists at many of England's top stately homes and country houses, including Croome Court in Worcestershire, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, Harewood House near Leeds, Appuldurcombe House on the Isle of Wight, Milton Abbey in Dorset and many more.
Walled gardens
A popular aspect of 18th-century landscape design was the "walled garden", such as the one described in Frances Hodgson Burnett's famous 1911 novel, The Secret Garden, in which a little girl discovers a hidden garden and nurtures it back to its former glory.
The garden in the novel was said to be based on the eight-acre walled garden at Brocklesby Park estate, in Lincolnshire, which was built by Brown in the 18th century. Walled gardens were an important part of English life in the 18th and 19th centuries, as they enabled the often huge households of the day to grow their own fruit and vegetables to feed everyone.
They also made it possible to grow certain fruit and veg all year round, as they were sheltered from the elements. Walled gardens were popular until the time of World War II, as greenhouses helped to mature the fruit, providing a good crop, whatever the weather.
Garden storage
For gardening enthusiasts of all different capabilities, Solent Plastics’ range of storage boxes will keep your gardening tools and equipment clean and dry, and for larger garden equipment, the Titan 300-litre outside storage box is the ideal solution.
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Please browse our website for more ideas, or contact us for assistance.