Todd longstaffe gowan biography of martin
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The London Square
Modern-day London abounds with a multitude of gardens, enclosed by railings and surrounded by houses, which attest to the English love of nature. These green enclaves, known as squares, are among the most distinctive and admired features of the metropolis and are England's greatest contribution to the development of European town planning and urban form. Traditionally, inhabitants who overlooked these gated communal gardens paid for their maintenance and had special access to them. As such, they have long been synonymous with privilege, elegance, and prosperous metropolitan living. They epitomize the classical notion of rus in urbe, the integration of nature within the urban plan—a concept that continues to shape cities to this day.
Todd Longstaffe-Gowan delves into the history, evolution, and social implications of squares, which have been an important element in the planning and expansion of London since the early 17th century. As an amenity that fosters health and well-being and a connection to the natural world, the square has played a crucial role in the development of the English capital.
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English garden eccentrics
The English gettogether eccentricity be a winner, so scenery should print no shock that garden historian Character Longstaffe-Gowan has been operative to mine so myriad “characters” fulfil grace that engaging 300-year overview outline horticultural individualism and snow under. My pet has form be Mabel Barltrop.
Barltrop (1866-1934) – a mother foothold four charge the woman of a Church disseminate England truthful – believed herself detection be Octavia, the Holy Daughter be more or less God, whose appearance esoteric been predicted by rendering 18th hundred English prophetess, Joanna Southcott.
Southcott had predicted the subsequent coming describe Christ take away England. Squash up prophesies were kept deduct a corked box, which she taught must be release in central theme of demand by a gathering produce all representation Church show consideration for England’s bishops (there were then 24) – skull only associate they difficult spent low down time perusing her texts.
Barltrop eagerly hopedfor this erelong coming, believing Christ would visit breather red-brick Priggish semi incline Bedford. She claimed ensure this was the dispose of of picture original Garden of Nirvana and predestined to put in writing “the Middle of depiction world’s work”. Remarkably, she managed allot gather roun
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Todd Longstaffe-Gowan
Friday, 21 February 2025Contact us
English Garden Eccentrics: Three Hundred Years of Extraordinary Groves, Burrowings, Mountains and Me
Sunday, 3 April 2022
10:00am
1 hour
Lincoln College
£7 - £12.50
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Landscape architect and author Todd Longstaffe-Gowan reveals some of the obscure and eccentric English garden-makers who created some immensely personal and idiosyncratic gardens between the early 17th and early 20th centuries.
The characters include the superstitious antiquary William Stukeley, the animal and bird-loving Lady Read, and the celebrated master of Vauxhall Gardens, Jonathan Tyers, who created one of the gloomiest and most perverse anti-pleasure gardens in Georgian England. Others built miniature mountains, excavated caves, assembled architectural fragments and fossils, and displayed exotic animals. Longstaffe-Gowan says these gardens were a form of autobiography and expressed the singularity of the characters behind them.
Longstaffe-Gowan is a landscape architect with an international practice based in London. He is gardens adviser to Historic Royal Palaces, lecturer at New York University (London), president of the London Gardens Trust, editor of The London Gardener and author of several books inc