Category Archives: Uncategorized

I wrote a few months ago about William Gilpin who was  in the words of the  Monthly Review in  April 1799, “the venerable founder and master of the picturesque school.” The problem was that while his travel writings and books … Continue reading →

Apologies the formatting of this post seems to have gone a bit haywire! A few days ago I was in Suffolk for a short holiday. It was cold, wet and windy but one day  we braved the weather and walked … Continue reading →

These days there’s only one famous Mrs Richmond – my friend the media star Advolly – but I hate to tell her she has, or at least had, a rival! Who was this other Mrs Richmond ?       … Continue reading →

A little way along the Thames from Marble Hill which I wrote about last week is  perhaps the most important of those 18th century riverside sites:  the last remaining part of the villa, grotto and garden built on the banks … Continue reading →

A few days ago I visited two Georgian gardens on the banks of the Thames. One of them was Marble Hill, and  the other Pope’s Grotto which I’ll write about next week. Marble Hill  is the last complete survivor of … Continue reading →