Overview: Until the early 20th century England’s countryside was shaped in large part by the great estates ranged around country houses. The course will take the great estates as a point of departure for a wider exploration of England’s historic landscapes and buildings including how the working countryside - fields, woods, meadows, and commons - was laid out and exploited. The central focus will be on the country houses themselves, and especially their parklands and designed landscapes – how they developed through time reflecting contemporary fashions in architecture and landscape design, as well as the aspirations and fortunes of their owners. We will look at how, in the 18th century, the classic Georgian country house set in a landscaped park in the style of ‘Capability’ Brown became almost ubiquitous. The 19th century saw a more eclectic range of styles – often flamboyant – in both houses and gardens. And then, in the early 20th century, came the quintessentially English houses designed by architects like Edwin Lutyens, in his case in partnership with Gertrude Jekyll, one of England’s best-loved garden designers. We will conclude by examining the reasons behind the decline of the country house, huge numbers of which have been lost over the past century. Two a week were being demolished in the 1950s.
Instructor: Dr. Paul Stamper has been employed in researching and managing England’s historic landscapes and buildings since 1981. For 20 years he was with English Heritage, the UK heritage service, and for the last five years he has been a freelance consultant working with the owners of UK historic landscapes and buildings, especially historic parks and gardens. He has published extensively on the history of the English landscape and is a Visiting Fellow at Leicester University’s Centre for English Local History. He has taught regularly on the English landscape at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Leicester and Bristol. Dr. Stamper was joint editor of the standard overview Medieval Rural Settlement (2012), and of the award-winning Legacies of the First World War (2018) in which he wrote on the impact of the war on the English countryside. Dr. Stamper lives in Northamptonshire, in the English midlands, a county which popular guidebooks call ‘the county of squires and spires’, reflecting its many fine medieval churches and great estates and country houses.
Eligibility: This course is appropriate for all those interested in landscape history, and the development of landscape architecture and design. Previous attendees have included non-specialists, students, educators and other professionals. The subject matter includes material of interest to artists, historians, educators, students and garden enthusiasts. The course will be limited to 12 participants. The course has been very well received. Comments from previous attendees include, “It was one of the best courses I’ve ever sat through. I would happily do it again,” and. “Paul, you managed to impart 1000+ years of history in four days with great knowledge, animation and humor.”
About OSGF: The Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) is an operating foundation based on the former estate of Paul and Rachel ‘Bunny’ Mellon, two of the major U.S. philanthropists of the second half of the twentieth century. OSGF is located in the northern Virginia Piedmont and Blue Ridge Mountains region (ca. one-hour drive from Washington, D.C.). Led by Sir Peter Crane, the Foundation’s inaugural President, OSGF supports fellowships and residencies for artists and scholars, offers short courses, and engages its multiple audiences, including its local community in practical horticulture, as well as land stewardship for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity. OSGF is rapidly becoming a new center of excellence and stimulation for all things botanical, from fundamental research in plant evolution, to horticulture and plant conservation, as well as the history and contemporary practice of plant, garden and landscape art.
Illustration Caption: An improved prospect to Leeds from Humphry Repton’s Red Book for Armley (1810) in the Library of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation.
Accommodation and Travel Information: Participants will be accommodated with all meals and private lodging on site at Oak Spring. Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel to the Washington, D.C. area. If flying, please book flights to Dulles International Airport. International applicants are welcome, but fluency in English is necessary. Closer to the start date, our Programs team will assist with coordinating travel arrangements to the Oak Spring Garden Foundation site, as necessary.
Dates and Duration: The course runs for four (4) days with participants arriving on Monday, June 9, 2025 and leaving on Friday, June 13, 2025. Participants should plan to arrive between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Monday, June 9, 2025.
Course Fee: $1250 is all-inclusive and covers full tuition, lodging on-site for four nights in our comfortable suites, and all meals on-site (from dinner on Monday through breakfast on Friday). A limited number of full or partial Fee Waivers are available for this course.
Selection Process: Applications will be reviewed by Dr. Paul Stamper and OSGF staff.
Application Deadline: Applications are due Monday, March 3, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST. The Oak Spring Garden Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. Decisions are made on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, or any other non-merit factor.