Lancelot
Brown was born in a family of moderate
circumstances in North England. After a education at
Cambo School, he became a gardener to Sir William
Loraine who owned a well-landscaped estate. He became
proficient in the art of gardening and then moved to
Walton near London. Shortly he became head gardener at
Stowe, one of the most famous gardens in his time. He
also worked on other gardens including Warwicke
Castle. He moved to London in 1751 and shortly became
known as "capability" Brown because as a landscape
gardener he saw capabilities for improvement in every
garden.
Hadfield states, "Brown was essentially a practical
man with an eye for a certain type of landscape."
After riding around an estate for a few hours, he
would have visualized not how his standardized
landscape could be imposed upon the existing scene but
how it could be done at the least expense.
Brown is criticized for the destruction that he
wrought before he created: for the avenues felled and
the handiwork of his predecessors which he
obliterated.
He was definitely connected with more than 150
estates and he at least was a consultant with the
owner of many others. Undoubtedly many beautiful
formal gardens were done away with in order to conform
with what he called their "capabilities."
