Ebook: The Arcadian friends : inventing the English landscape garden

Between 1715 and 1750 a group of politicians and poets, farmers and businessmen, heiresses and landowners began to experiment with the phenomenon that was to become the English landscape garden. Arguably the only truly British art form ever invented, these gardens were built to charm and delight, to shock and inspire all who visited. That these gardens - including Castle Howard, Stowe, Painshill and Rousham - are still so popular with visitors today is testament to the innovation and passion of this extraordinary group of eccentrics and visionaries. The Arcadian Friends takes a highly engaging and enlightening perspective on the politics and culture of England during the Enlightenment. At the same time it will be required reading for the legions of fans of the great gardens of England. Tim Richardson introduces us to a fascinating period of political and personal intrigue, where fantastic biblical landscapes competed for space with temples to sexual freedom; and where the installation of a water feature was a political act.