Charles Bridgeman (1690-1738) was an English garden designer in the onset of the naturalistic landscape style. Although he was a key figure in the transition of English garden design from the Anglo-Dutch formality of patterned parterres and avenues to a freer style that incorporated formal, structural and wilderness elements, Bridgeman is a somewhat obscure entity in the history of landscape architecture, his reputation eclipsed by those of his successors, William Kent [1] and Lancelot “Capability” Brown [2] (Jellicoe, et. al., 1986, p.72). Events Giovanni Domenico Cassini observes differential rotation within Jupiters atmosphere. ... Events February 4 - Court Jew Joseph Suss Oppenheimer is executed in Württenberg April 15 - Premiere in London of Serse, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel. ... A parterre is a formal garden construction on a level surface consisting of planting beds, edged in stone or tightly clipped hedging and gravel paths arranged to form a pleasing pattern. ... William Kent (born in Bridlington, Yorkshire, c. ... Lancelot Brown (1716 – 6 February 1783), more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape gardener. ...

Little is recorded of the early life of Charles Bridgeman. He was born in 1690 and raised in modest circumstances. His father was a gardener who is reported to have worked at Wimpole in Cambridge for the Earl of Oxford. The younger Bridgeman entered the landscaping profession by working for the Brompton Park Nursery. By 1714 he had begun working with Henry Wise, [3] with whom he later shared the title of Chief Gardener for the royal gardens (Strong, 1992, 39). Bridgeman married Sarah Mist in 1717 [4]. Earl of Oxford - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Henry Wise (1653 - 1738) was an English gardener and landscape architect apprenticed to George London at Brompton Nursery. ...

An early proponent of a less-structured garden design, Bridgeman was a pioneer in the landscaping trend that spread throughout much of Europe in the 18th century and came to be known as the jardin anglais [5] [6] (Jellicoe, et. al., 1986, p. 72). A contemporary of Bridgeman’s, Horace Walpole Horace Walpole, describing his colleague’s design style in his essay On Modern Gardening, wrote: ‘though he still adhered much to strait walks with high clipt hedges, they were only his great lines; the rest he diversified by wilderness, and with loose groves of oak, though still within surrounding hedges’ (Amherst, 1896, p. 249). Bridgeman’s approach to landscaping can be summarized in three terms: formal, transitional and progressive. His landscapes displayed formal elements such as parterres [7], avenues, geometrically shaped lakes and pools, and kitchen gardens. Transitional elements in his designs included lawns, amphitheatres, garden buildings and statues, winding paths through wooded areas to viewing points and the use of ha-has [8] - features are some of the progressive ideas he helped bring into favor (Jellicoe, 1986, p. 72). The term English garden or English park is used in many languages to refer to the style of informal landscape gardening which was popular in the United Kingdom from the mid 18th century to the early 19th century, and is particularly associated with Capability Brown. ... Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, more commonly known as Horace Walpole, (September 24, 1717 – March 2, 1797), was a politician, writer and forerunner of the Gothic revival. ... Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, more commonly known as Horace Walpole, (September 24, 1717 – March 2, 1797), was a politician, writer and forerunner of the Gothic revival. ... A parterre is a formal garden construction on a level surface consisting of planting beds, edged in stone or tightly clipped hedging and gravel paths arranged to form a pleasing pattern. ... Categories: Stub ...

Bridgeman made a name for himself among the artisans of the day with his often-dramatic redesigns of the estate gardens belonging to wealthy English nobles. He laid out the extravagant garden of Lord Cobham, which compiled temples, pillars, finely carved stone statues, summer houses, and a miniature replica of an Egyptian pyramid (Amherst, 1896, p.251). Bridgeman participated in the design of a garden at Rousham House [9] in Oxfordshire that included cascades, fountains, square pools, an outdoor theatre, and a wilderness area that could be viewed from a vantage point within the main garden. Mavis and Lambert (1990, p. 156) wrote of this garden: “at Rousham the views out into the countryside are as important as those in the garden.” Other estate gardens Bridgeman had a hand in planning include Claremont [10] [11] [12], Cliveden [13], Chiswick House [14], Richmond [15], Wimpole Hall [16] and, perhaps most his most renowned work, Stowe [17] [18] [19]. English essayist and poet Alexander Pope [20] wrote of Bridgeman’s creations at Stowe as being the "work to wonder at" (Batey, et. al., 1990, p. 168). Rousham House is a Jacobean style country house in Oxfordshire, England. ... Claremont Landscape Garden, just outside Esher, United Kingdom, is one of the earliest surviving gardens of its kind - still featuring its original 18th century layout. ... Cliveden is a mansion in Berkshire (though until the county borders changed in 1974 it was in Buckinghamshire) with an intriguing history. ... Chiswick House Chiswick House is a Palladian villa in Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London W4, England. ... Stowe is the name of several places in the United Kingdom: Stowe, Buckinghamshire Stowe, Gloucestershire Stowe, Herefordshire Stowe, Northamptonshire Stowe, Shropshire Stowe, Staffordshire and in Canada: Stowe, Alberta and also in the United States of America: Stowe, Pennsylvania Stowe, Vermont These should not be confused with several places called Stow... Alexander Pope, an English poet best known for his Essay on Criticism and Rape of the Lock Pope, circa 1727. ...

However, Bridgeman perhaps remains best known for his tenure as Royal Gardener for Queen Anne and Prince George of Denmark. He was promoted to this position, which he held for ten years, upon the retirement of his mentor, Henry Wise. As Royal Gardener, Bridgeman tended – and in many cases, redesigned – the royal gardens at Windsor, Kensington Palace [21], Hampton Court, St. James's Park and Hyde Park [22]. Windsor (IPA: usually , but also ) is a suburban town and tourist destination in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, South East England. ... The south facade of the main block of Kensington Palace, seen through Jean Tijous wrought iron gates. ... The clock tower straddles the entrance between the inner and outer courts Hampton Court Palace is a former royal place on the north bank of the River Thames in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames about 12 miles (19 km) southwest and upstream of Central London, nowadays open to... St. ... The Serpentine, viewed from the eastern end. ...

External links

• Charles Bridgeman *Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Charles Bridgeman
• Complete list of places associated with Charles Bridgeman
• Charles Bridgeman - a Gardens Guide biography

References:

• Amherst, Alicia. (1896). A History of Gardening in England. London: Bernard Quaritch.
• Batey, Mavis, David Lambert. (1990). The English Garden Tour. London: John Murray Ltd.
• Jellicoe, Sir Geoffrey, Susan Jellicoe, Patrick Goode and Michael Lancaster. (1986). The Oxford Companion to Gardens. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Strong, Roy. (1992). Royal Gardens. New York: Pocket Books.
• Willis, Peter. (1977; rev. 2002) Charles Bridgemean and the English landscape Garden[23].