People: Capability Brown

Capability Brown was the leader of the landscape school of gardening on the grand scale, and his advice was sought in the 1780 by Thomas Heron the then owner of Chilham Castle. Brown’s theory was to design a garden with effects by bringing the countryside as close to the house as possibly by planting groups of trees in the middle and far distance to produce a natural look. This was achieved at Chilham and there are now magnificent views of the park and the hills the other side of the Stour valley. Brown also built the ha-ha to keep the animals out of the garden but look as though they had access right to the front door. Sadly, Brown destroyed almost all the terraced gardens.