2016 is the 300th anniversary of the birth of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and events will be taking place throughout the year to celebrate England’s greatest gardener.

'Capability' Brown designed the gardens at Highclere Castle.

‘Capability’ Brown's landscapes are famous for their natural looking hills, curving lakes, flowing rivers and majestic trees, and have influenced gardeners all over the world. Many of England’s finest stately homes have gardens designed by Brown, including Blenheim Palace, Chatsworth, Highclere Castle (of Downton Abbey fame), Burghley, Alnwick Castle and Compton Verney.

Lancelot Brown was born in August 1716, in the village of Kirkharle in Northumberland, and learnt his craft as a gardener's boy at the local country house, Kirkharle Hall. By the time he was 26, Brown had risen to be head gardener at Stowe in Buckinghamshire, where he was responsible for one of England’s most magnificent landscape gardens. While at Stowe, Brown started to take on other commissions and his style quickly rose in popularity with the owners of other country house estates.

Transforming landscapes using a new natural style, now considered quintessentially English, Brown replaced stiff formality with wide open expanses, views and vistas and introduced his signature contouring hills, serpentine lakes and strategically-placed specimen trees.

Brown earned the nickname of 'Capability' as he told clients that he could see the capabilities for improvement in their gardens and landscapes, and he is associated with as many as 260 sites across England and Wales, many of which can still be seen today. By the time he died in 1783, thousands of gardens had been landscaped according to his principles and his influence had spread across Europe to Russia and, through Thomas Jefferson, to the United States.

Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, said: “We’re looking forward to celebrating the work of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in 2016, the 300th anniversary of his birth. No trip to England is complete without a visit to one of Brown’s magnificent landscape gardens, and we will be including many of his masterpieces in our tours this year.”

A nationwide ‘Capability’ Brown festival is taking place in 2016, with the opportunity to visit over 150 Brown gardens and landscapes in England, including some not usually open to visitors. At 13 major gardens, including Blenheim Palace, Chatsworth and Croome, visitors will be able to see specially-created ‘Capability’ Brown exhibitions.

To find out more about the festival visit www.capabilitybrown.org, or contact Janet Redler Travel & Tourism if you would like us to put together a tailor made tour of Capability Brown gardens for you. A sample tour of ‘Capability’ Brown sites is available on the ‘Garden tours’ page of our website.