Humphry Repton

Humphry Repton (1752-1818) ambitiously styled himself Capability Brown's successor: the century's next great improver of landed property. With his rare combinations of skills - he was a talented topographical sketcher with an excellent knowledge of farming - over thirty years Repton amassed an incredible four hundred commissions, ingratiating himself with the aristocracy and raising the status of his adopted profession. His famous Red Books, illustrated to help clients visualize the potential of their estates, also did their part to encourage the appreciation of landscape aesthetics. With colourful illustrations and detailed site investigations, this book traces Repton's landscape designs from Picturesque wildernesses like Blaise Castle to the progressive Gardenesque style of Wanstead House in Greater London. It is both a perfect visitor's guide to the gardens and an introduction to the theory of Repton's work.

Laura Mayer holds a PhD on eighteenth-century architectural and landscape patronage from the University of Bristol. Her article on Capability Brown's transformation of Alnwick Castle won the Garden History Society essay prize in 2010 and she is working with Timothy Mowl on The Historic Gardens of England: Northumberland. She also wrote Capability Brown for Shire.