GGLT undertakes research to improve understanding and awareness of the significance of Gloucestershire’s gardens and designed landscapes (both old and modern) and publishes articles in its annual journal The Wider View.
The research also informs GGLT’s comments on planning applications which potentially affect listed or other significant parks and gardens. Anyone who wants to know more or possibly join in the research work (either generally or in respect of an individual property) should contact Thoss Shearer or Gay Chamberlayne via [email protected].
We are also always interested if you have information about a property which you think we should be aware of.
Gardens and the Gentlemen Clothiers
Together with the Stroudwater Textile Trust, GGLT is currently undertaking a project looking at the houses, gardens and landscapes created by the county’s “Gentlemen Clothiers” during the 18th and 19th centuries. We envisage this will result in due course in a book and possibly a linked exhibition.
Sir Robert Atkyns, The Ancient and Present State of Glostershire
Gloucestershire is very lucky to have a visual record of many of its gardens from c1700 captured by Johannes Kip in this important volume.
Sir Robert Atkyns may not have been a keen gardener – the engraving of his house at Lower Swell does not suggest that he was – but he spent many hours during his life researching the history of his home county of Gloucester. In the late 17th century and early 18th century this involved examining archives scattered round London, principally in the Tower and Westminster Abbey Chapter House.
Tracing the ownership of Gloucestershire manors through recorded grants of land was an important interest for him, but he also examined national records of taxation and Gloucestershire’s own administrative records. His book was published in 1712, and was one of the first county histories. Many others followed.
He made a splendid contribution to the Gloucestershire story with sixty engravings, 56 of which are of larger houses, which he commissioned from Johannes Kip. They show the gardens around the houses and a great deal of the landscape as well, including of the county town, and can be quarried for all sorts of insights into the county at the beginning of the 18th century. The engravings were published in a convenient format by Hobnob Press and Gloucestershire Gardens and Landscape Trust in 2021 entitled ‘Johannes Kip The Gloucestershire Engravings’ edited by Anthea Jones.
Research News & Updates
