Renaissance Gardens in England

In England, the reaction to the Renaissance style of landscaping was a little different. There was great interest in the new style and its concepts, but there wasn’t the rush to replace existing gardens as elsewhere in Europe. Perhaps, as Penelope Hobhouse  (The Story of Gardens) points out, the practical English mind resisted all that pruning and maintenance!

Elements of Renaissance gardens were adopted, such as terraces, statuary, fountains, grottoes, and waterways. But these elements were used to summon the Italian idea, not replace the existing Tudor and Jacobean gardens. Italian ideas were integrated with the traditional medieval style, which continued on in England, with its heraldic symbols, viewing mounts, fountains, beds of scented flowers, and knot gardens. A few Renaissance and Baroque gardens were developed, adapted to the English climate and terrain, such as the renovation of Wilton House in 1631. Many of these gardens were destroyed during the English Civil War (1642 – 1651).

The formal French garden was introduced into Britain with the renovation of Hampton Court in 1689. The Renaissance influence is evident, but without the grand scale or sense of conquering nature. 



Hampton Court Palace - sunken garden with medieval and Renaissance influences.
Photo by Michal "Cronwood" Babilas.
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 Christopher Thacker (The History of Gardens) observes that in Britain during this time, a few independent minded gardeners on small estates were developing ideas that would change things in gardening. In future posts, we’ll learn more about the important Landscape Movement.