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The 18th Century

Monty Don explores the evolution of the British garden. Monty arrives in the 18th century, an age that gave rise to the landscape garden.

On his journey through four hundred years of Britain's garden history, Monty Don arrives in the 18th century, an age that gave rise to the landscape garden, created on a scale that had never been seen before. Using Lancelot 'Capability' Brown's first commission - Croome Court in Worcestershire - as his base, Monty sets out to investigate what inspired and influenced this gardening revolution.

Along the way, he visits the landscape garden of Rousham, designed by the maverick William Kent, and Stanage Park, designed by the marketing genius Humphrey Repton. Monty discovers how these great landscapes were created, from revealing the Georgian clay recipe that revolutionised garden sculpture to discovering the secrets of mowing with a scythe. He also sees how the present Duke of Devonshire is cutting down trees to restore his park to its 18th-century design.

59 minutes

Clip

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Monty Don
Director Chris Mitchell
Producer Chris Mitchell
Executive Producer Alexandra Henderson
Production Company Lion Television

Broadcasts

Monty on Desert Island Discs

Monty on Desert Island Discs

From 2006: Monty is a castaway on Radio 4's flagship show talking to Sue Lawley.