English Garden, The. Part 1: A Tapestry of Herbs and Roses (To 1660)

Synopsis

The story of great gardens in England and Wales from Roman times to the 1980s. This programme opens with Sir John Gielgud in the Jubilee Gardens, London, remarking that the English garden often reflected the times in which it was created and that it is diffcult to imagine now how the gardens were once the envy of the world. His comments are followed by a montage of gardens dating back to 1200AD and aerial shots of the White Horse of Uddington, one of the earliest forms of decorating the English landscape. Takes the story from Roman times to 1660, when the accession of Charles II gave new life to English gardening after the Civil War, with monastic herb gardens (and the appearance of the first botanical paintings and the first gardening book) to the late medieval knot gardens. Mazes and topiary became popular during this period which saw the rise of the great Renaissance garden.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Video; Videocassette. VHS. col. 26 min.

Year of production

1980

Availability

out of distribution

Uses

General audiences; landscape artists.*

Subjects

Architecture; Biology

Keywords

England; gardens; landscape design

Credits

Cast

John Gielgud

Production Company

Name

Thames Television

Distributor

Name

Granada Learning

Email

info@granada-learning.co.uk

Web

http://www.granada-learning.com External site opens in new window

Phone

0161-827 2927

Fax

0161-827 2966

Address

Customer Services
Granada Television
Quay Street
Manchester M60 9EA