Neighbours of the more famous Lord Burlington: The walled gardens of Sir Stephen Fox (1627-1716) and Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington (1674-1743) at Chiswick.
The gardens of the Earl of Burlington are among the most famous in the country but what do we know of the relatively unknown gardens which lay next door, and which were later acquired, adapted and incorporated into the present gardens?
They were in the form of a series of walled enclosures, some of which survive. They were used for entertainment and pleasure but were also productive. Sir Stephen and Lady Fox had a very large conservatory where they kept bay trees and tuberoses and citrus plants in the winter. There was a terrace and a formal garden with a 'grove walk' and wilderness beyond and a section with angled walls for growing fruit. Lord Wilmington was also enthusiastic about fruit and built up an enormous collection of over 400 varieties of all kinds of fruit trees. He was also a knowledgeable collector of exotic plants and kept a separate house especially for his pineapples, and another for plants needing protection He and his gardener, Lewis Kennedy, recorded these collections in several detailed lists.
Much new information has recently come to light on their history from the archives of Chatsworth House and elsewhere and will be the subject of this talk.
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This ticket is for the ONSITE talk at Cowcross Street, price £16.50. You may also pay by card on the day. Doors open 5.30, join us for a glass of wine (included in the ticket price). Talk starts 6.00 pm.
[Gardens Trust members may use their promo code for an additional 10% discount.]
This talk will be recorded, and a link will be sent afterwards, available for a week.
Due to a recent Apple decision to charge a 30% fee for paid online events unfortunately you may no longer be able to purchase this ticket from the Eventbrite iOS app. Please use a web browser on desktop or mobile to purchase or follow the link here.
This talk will also be held online via Zoom and you can purchase the ticket, price £5 here
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There will also be a linked visit to Chiswick House Gardens on Tuesday 13 June, tickets available separately here (limited availability.
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Dr Sally Jeffery is an architectural and garden historian. She helped to set up a Masters’ degree in garden history at Birkbeck (University of London) and then lectured on the MA Garden and Landscape History at the Institute of Historical Research of the University of London. She is a Trustee of The Gardens Trust and enjoys researching the history of gardens large and small, particularly those of the 17th and 18th centuries.
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Image: detail, Old Burlington House and Sir Stephen Fox's, Kip & Knyff, 1707. ©Chiswick Local Studies Collection
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