“London town gardens have long been sites of unbridled personal fantasy. Whilst many Londoners have historically exercised constraint in the decoration of the interiors of their dwellings, they have felt less compelled to the abide by the prevailing tenets of taste within the walls of their kerchief-sized town gardens. In my talk I propose to examine the delightfully idiosyncratic efforts of three c18th metropolitan gardening eccentrics – the bibliophile and Keeper of Manuscripts at the British Museum, Francis Douce; the antiquary and sometimes druid, the Reverend William Stukeley; and the especially curious and imaginative anatomist Dr Joshua Brookes.”
Todd Longstaffe-Gowan is a landscape architect, historian, author and collector with an international design practice based in London. He is Gardens Adviser to Historic Royal Palaces, Landscape Adviser to the Crown Estate Paving Commission in Regent’s Park, and founding member and President of the London Parks and Gardens Trust. He is the author of several books, including The London Town Garden 1700-1840 (Yale UP).
Todd is speaking on Sunday 8th July at our Literary Festival. Find out more and book now.