Walks with Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown around Wimpole Hall

Explore the famous designed landscape around Wimpole Hall on these two walks by Cambridgeshire Gardens Trust

Many well-known landscape designers worked at Wimpole before and after Lancelot Brown including Charles Bridgeman, Robert Greening and Humphry Repton

Capability Brown, Garden History, Landscape Design, Walks

English Landscape Garden

Georgian

Cambridgeshire

18th Century

A History of Wimpole

Many well-known landscape designers worked at Wimpole before and after Lancelot Brown. Charles Bridgeman and Robert Greening preceded Brown, who started work at Wimpole in 1767 - one of more than 250 countrywide commissions. Later designers included William Emes and Humphry Repton.

Brown had worked for Jemima, Marchioness Grey and Philip Yorke when they lived at Wrest Park, Bedfordshire, so it was natural that when Philip became the 2nd Earl of Hardwicke and inherited Wimpole in 1764 they should ask his advice. In September 1767 Jemima recorded Lancelot Brown’s enthusiastic vision of Wimpole’s “capabilities”:-

‘we tread Enchanted Ground…Mr. Brown has been leading me such a Fairy Circle and his Magic Wand has raised such landscapes to the Eye…’

…but she did complain he made her feet sore!

The result of this enchantment was the joining of two medieval fish ponds to form a serpentine lake. A new eastern lake was created so as to resemble a broad river. The Chinese bridge which hides the weir was probably designed by Henry Flitcroft rather than Brown.

Land to the north was formed into a single ‘expanse’ and enclosed by a perimeter belt, using some of the 6,300 trees that Brown planted. Through this a carriage drive passed, allowing changing views of the distant house with the lake in the foreground. Philip also realised his father’s vision of a Gothic ruin, which Sanderson Miller had designed in 1751, and this Brown placed as an eye-catcher on top of Johnson’s Hill. Jemima remarked:-

“The Tower is better for being raised, but the additions Mr Brown has quite changed from our plan, though he undertook to follow it and said he liked it. That is, he has ‘Unpicturesqued’ it by making it a mere continuous solid object, instead of a Broken one.”

The Gothic folly would have been a destination for guests to visit and from its prospect room the setting of the house above the lake could be appreciated. From the house the folly was framed by clumps of trees remaining after Brown had removed most of the formal Northern Avenue. This is illustrated overleaf by Brown’s survey of the Wimpole Estate and his plan, both dated 1767.

To the west more land was enclosed and clumps of trees planted. Bridgeman’s Southern Avenue was left intact and
Greening’s Northern Garden, which had swept away the formal parterres, was not altered. Much of Brown’s legacy at Wimpole survives and what is seen ‘on the ground’ today is a mixture of garden design influences and stewardship spanning three centuries.

1. Wimpole framed by remains of North Avenue

2. Brownian Trees

3. The Chinese Bridge

6. The Gothic Folly, restored in 2015

7. Carriage Drive

The Walks

These two walks include paved and grass sections and moderately steep gradients so stout footwear is recommended. The woodland carriage walk can sometimes be wet. There are gates and narrow bridges to negotiate, but no stiles.

Walk 1

(yellow) 1½ miles (2.5 km); 1 hour

Start from the Ticket Office along the gravel path past the front of the Hall. Pass through a metal gate and skirt round the perimeter of the garden into the parkland (10mins). Keep right, along the iron railings, and the remains of the North Avenue (1) will come into view. Walk to them and then down across the footbridge over the ditch and past the ‘Brown’ Trees (2) to the Chinese Bridge (3) over the Lake (4) (20mins). Across the Bridge turn right into the Parkland (5) and walk along the edge of the Lake with the Folly (6) on your left. There is an embankment and bridge with two gates at the eastern end of the lake. After the second gate, walk uphill across the park to the footbridge over the ditch
(15mins) and then retrace your steps.

Walk 2

(red) 2½ miles (4 km); 1-2 hours

From the car park, make your way past the front of Wimpole Hall. Pass through the metal gate and at the walled ha-ha turn left up the avenue of trees (10mins). At the top of the hill, turn right and follow the belts of trees down to the lake where a gate leads into the woods (8). Keep right (notice a hollow on the right where water for the lakes wells up through the chalk) and follow the ‘Brown’ Carriage Drive to an information board (7). There is a narrow footbridge out of the woodland into the field beneath the Folly (50mins). Follow the edge of the field ditch downhill to a gap in the hedgerow and a gate into the parkland.

Traverse up the hill towards the top and the newly restored Folly (6) (10mins). Continue downhill through the Parkland (5) towards the Lakes (4), across the Chinese Bridge (3) past the ‘Brown’ Trees (2). Proceed uphill across the park towards the Hall. There is a footbridge to cross the ditch, past the remains of the North Avenue (1). Veer right to skirt round the Gardens, through the metal gate and follow the edge of the gardens past the front of the Hall back to the car park.

Wimpole Walks Map

Brown's Wimpole survey and plan, 1767

The Life of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown

Capability Brown (1716 - 1783) was one of Britain's most famous landscape architects.

1716 – Born Kirkharle, Northumberland Baptised 30th August
1732 – Apprenticed to ’trade crafte or misterie of gardening’
1739 – Moved south to Stowe and then to Hammersmith to set up on his own
1744 – Married Bridget Wayet at Stowe
1758 – Started work at Wrest Park for the Marchioness Grey
1764 – Appointed Master Gardener at Hampton Court Palace
1767 – Created a 3-year plan of key tasks and was paid for work at Wimpole until 1772
1767 – Purchased Manor of Fenstanton & Hilton
1769 – Ordered over 6300 trees for Wimpole
1770 – Appointed High Sheriff of Huntingdon
1783 – Died 6th February. Buried in Fenstanton

This leaflet was first published in 2015 by Cambridgeshire Gardens Trust to celebrate the tercentenary of Lancelot Brown.

Other leaflets in the series describe Madingley Hall, The Backs in Cambridge and a walk around Fenstanton village and can be downloaded from their website here .

Walks with Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown around Wimpole Hall

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