A Comparative Study of Thomas Jefferson's Travels to England and Their Influences on Monticello

HonorsThesis Presentedto the Collegeof Agriculture and Life Sciences,Landscape Studies program areaof Cornell University In partial fulfillment of the Requirementsfor the ResearchHonors Program

By RobertMicsak May 2007 PeterTrowbridge

When a man has in his youth dreamed of a house, and has diligently clung to the realizationof it, has lived in that housenearly every one of all his subsequentfifty-six years, and dies there one of the immortals of his country and one of the political philosophersof all time, and the nation, grateful for what he has done there, makes his home a patriotic shrine,the history of such a houseis largely the history of the life of the man who lived there.The story of the one is so bound up in the story of the other that the two are one. It is so with Jeffersonand Monticello.

-Jefferson and Monticello PAUL WILSTACH1

Wilstach,Paul. Jeffersonand Monticello. GardenCity, NY: Doubleday,Doran and Company,1928. (pg.l)

IV 1. Acknolwedgement 11. DlustrationsCited iii. Abstract IV. ImageAnalysis Key

J. Introduction

England TravelsApril 2 to 14, 1786:

Chiswick, HamptonCourt, Twickenham

III. Esther-Place,Claremont, Paynshill (Painshill), Wobum

IV. Caversham,Wotton, Stowe

v. Leasowes, Hagley, Blenheim & Palace

VI. Enfield Chase,Moor Park, and Kew

Conclusion

Bibliography I would like to acknowledgeand thank PeterTrowbridge, my advisor and mentor, for all of his help on this project. Without his depth of knowledge and guidancethe project would have never been possible. I would also like to thank the teachersof the Cornell University LandscapeArchitecture Department becausewithout their inspiration and teachingI would not have had the passionor the determinationto follow through with a project of this magnitude. I would also like to extend thanks to my family for their support throughout my college career, as well as, the numerousrevisions my mother madeto this document,the guidanceof my father, and the so called 'moral support' from my youngestbrother. I would like to thank my friends Tyler Jacobs,and Brady Rice for listening to my constantbabble about the project, and my girlfriend, Elyse Winer, who gaveme continuousencouragement and mental supportwhile in the depthsof this paper.

V1 Dedicatedin Loving Memory of, Penny Micsak 6/20/98-1/26/06

vii Fig. A. Baron, RobertC. The GardenAnd Farm Books Of ThomasJefferson. Golden,Colorado:

1987. Fulcrum, Inc.

Fig. 1. http://en.wikipedia.orgiwiki/Chiswick **Please Note: The map found in this websitewas usedthroughtout the first 3 Chapters. So, when a www.wikipedia.comis listed it is the map from this website. Fig. 2. www.local.live.com(Search England)

Fig. 3. www.wikipedia.com(Search Chiswick and Monticello Images)

Fig.4. www.local.live.com

Fig. 5. www.local.live.com

Fig.6. www.wikipedia.com (Search Chiswick and Monticello Images)

Fig. 7 www.wikipedia.com (Search Chiswick)

Fig.8. William L. Beiswanger,and Daniel P. Jordan. Monticello In MeasuredDrawinQ:s. Washington,

Vlll D.C.: ArchetypePress, 1998. The Historic AmericanBuildings Survey/HistoricAmerican

EngineeringRecord, National Park Service,

Fig. 9. www.wikipedia.com

Fig. 10. www.local.live.com

Fig. 11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Twickenham.png

Fig. 12. Willson, Anthony Beckles. GardenHistorv. Vol. 26. No.1. Summer:1998. (Pg. 34)

Fig. 13. www.gardenvisit.com/gipope.htm

Fig. 14. Wilson, 37

Fig. 15. www.wikipedia.com

Fig. 16. www.local.live.com(Search England)

Fig. 17. www.locallive.com

Fig. 18. www.local.live.com

Fig. 19. www.local.live.com

Fig. 20. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/lmage:HamptonCourtGardens2.jpg

Fig. 21. http:ffen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:HamptonCourtGardens3.jpg

Fig. 22. REMOVED

Fig. 23. www.wikipedia.com

Fig. 24. www.local.live.com

Fig. 25. Willis, Peterand Hunt, JohnDixon The Geniusof the Place.the En2lish LandscaneGarden

1620- 1820. London, United Kingdom: Elek Boob LlD, 1975.(pg. 21-23)

Fig. 26. www.monticello.org/grove.html

Fig. 27. www.monticello.org/trees.html

Fig. 28. www.castle.uk.net!castle_lists_south/176/wayneflete.htm

Fig. 29. www.local.live.com

IX Fig. 30. www.wikipedia.com

Fig. 31. www.local.live.com

Fig. 32. www.georgianindex.net/Pm-Charlotte/claremont.htm

Fig. 33. www.nationaltrustorg.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-ciaremontlandscapegarden/

Fig. 34. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visitslw-findaplace/w-ciaremontlandscapegarden/

Fig. 35. www.nationaltrustorg.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-ciaremontlandscapegarden/

Fig. 36. http://www.bbc.co.uk/1egacies/heritage/england/teesside/images/article/teesside _articleOl_bodyO 1.jpg

Fig. 37. www.monticello.org

Fig. 38. www.local.live.com

Fig. 39. www.gardensvisit.com/t/c3s3.hbnl

Fig. 40. www.local.live.com

Fig. 41. www.local.live.com

Fig. 42. www.monticello.org/gardens/flowers/roundaboulhtml

Fig. 43. www.wikipedia.com

Fig. 45. www.painshill.co.uk/landscapes.asp

Fig. 46. http://cmsen.eghn.org/painshill-fotgalerie

Fig. 47. http://cmsen.eghn.org/painshill-fotgalerie

Fig. 48. http://cmsen.eghn.org/painshill-fotgalerie

Fig. 49. http://cmsen.eghn.org/painshill-fotgalerie

Fig. 50. http://cmsen.eghn.org/painshill-fotgalerie

Fig. 51. www.local.live.com

Fig. 52. www.wikipedia.com

Fig. 53. www.local.live.com

x Fig. 54. www.ahsoc.fsnet.co.uk/sgeocol.html

Fig. 55. www.local.live.com

Fig. 56. www.berkshirehistory.com/castles/caversham-park.html

Fig. 57. www.local.live.com

Fig. 58. www.local.live.com

Fig. 59. www.dukesotbuckingham.org/place/wotto.htm

Fig. 60. www.dukesotbuc1c:ingham.orgjplace/wotto.htm

Fig. 61. www.local.live.com

Fig. 62. www.local.live.com

Fig. 63. www.stoweschool.org/history/gardensyark

Fig. 64. www.http://ccgi.gmjpub.plus.com/viss/images/corinthianarchl.gif

Fig. 65. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visils/n-findap lace/w-stowegardens/w-stowegardens

photo-gallery.htm

Fig. 66. www.nationaltrost.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visils/n-findap lace/w-stowegardens/w-stowegardens

photo-gallery.htm

Fig. 67. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visil&fn-findaplace/w-stowegardens/w-stowegardens

photo-gallery .htm

Fig. 68. Adams,William Howard. Jefferson'sMonticello. New York, NY: Abbeville Press,1983.

Fig. 69. West, Gilbert. Stowe.the Gardensof the Ri2ht HonourableRichard Lord Viscount Cobham.

London: T. Wright for Lawton Gilliver, 1732.

Fig. 70. www.local.live.com

Fig. 71. www.local.live.com

Fig. 72. www.gardenvisitcom/g/leas.htm

Fig. 73. www.gardenvisitcom/g/leas.htm

Xl Fig. 74. www.local.live.com

Fig. 75. www.local.live.com

Fig. 76. http://koti.welho.com/rhurmall/linnat2004/bagley.jpg

Fig. 77. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.venezia.net/imageslvenice- v

ille/villa -piovene.jpg&imgrefurl=http:/ /www. venezia.netlvenezia/ville-venete/ville-

agno. htm&h= 22 9 &w= 3OO&SZ= 27 &h1=en&start=9 &tbnid= KIfN g2qK6hdmmM : &tbnh=8 9 &tbnw

=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3DVillao/02BSchioo/026gbvo/03D2%26svnum%3D 10%26hl%3Den

Fig. 78. www.local.live.com

Fig. 79. www.local.live.com

Fig. 80. www.local.live.com

Fig. 81 . http://www.craft-shows.co.uk/shows/Oxfordshire_Craft_Show/venue/Blenheim_Palace/

Fig. 82. http://www.blenheimpalace.com/palacepg/thepaIac.htm

Fig. 83. http://www.blenheimpalace.com/palacepg/photolib.htm

Fig. 84. http://www.blenheimpalace.com/palacepg/photolib.htm

Fig. 85. www.wikipedia.com

Fig. 86. www.local.live.com

Fig. 87. http://en.wikipedia.orgiwiki/Enfield_Chase

Fig. 88. www.wikipedia.com

Fig. 89. www.local.1ive.com

Fig. 90. http://thinkconferences.co.uk/imagesivenuesimoor-park-mansion-Ol.jpg

Fig. 91. http://www.antiquemapsandprints.com/p-12409.jpg

Fig. 92. www.wikipedia.com

Fig. 93. www.local.live.com

Fig. 94. http://www.kew.org/places/kew/kewpalace.html

XlI Fig. 95. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Archimedes_screw

... X111 A Comparative Study of Thomas Jefferson's Travels to England and Their Influences on Monticello

Robert V. Micsak II

Under the Supervisionof PeterTrowbridge Departmentof LandscapeArchitecture

Monticello, locatedin the city of Charlottesville,Virginia, was the estatehome of the third Presidentof the United States,Thomas Jefferson. It is also said to be one of the finest surviving examp~esof the English Garden Landscapein America, while also establishingthe StandardAmerican landscapestyle. ThomasJ efIerson manipulated the landscapein conjunction with architectureyears before Frederick Law Olmsted coined

XlV the term landscapearchitect. Monticello was influenced in many different aspectsof architecture and landscapearchitecture from France, England, and Italy. A detailed analysis of his one-monthjourney throughout England reveals the influences of each estateon his classic English landscapegarden tour. In 1786, Thomas Jeffersonmade sixteenstops throughout the United Kingdom, and by tracing and analyzinghis steps,the thesis bridges the gap that exists regardingthe current verbal and visual analysisof the

English influence on Monticello. These stops included, Chiswick, Hampton Court,

Twickenham, Esher-Place,Claremont, Painshill, Lord Loughborough'sWoburn Farm,

Caversham,Wotton, Stowe, Leasowes,Hagley, Blenheim Palace,Enfield Chase,Moor

Park, and Kew. The exploration of eachpark, estate,or gardenusing satellite images, photographs,photographic manipulation, and literature searchesare used to reveal the visual similarities, differences,existing landscapeforms and influencesof English estates and gardensupon Monticello. Although there have been many articles, books, theses, and lectureswritten on the landscapeof Jefferson'sMonticello, combining thesewith the visual analysisperfonned in this thesis provides the readerwith a clearer understanding of the specific English influenceson Monticello.

xv IMAGE ANALYSIS KEY

NAMEOF SITE'

The graywill showan imageand there will be an analysisover- layedfor eachestate.

150YDS

XVI

~ Introduction

"No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparableto that of the garden...Butthough an old man, I am but a young gardener.,,2

2 Jefferson to Charles W. Peale, August 20, 1811. Lipscomb.

Andrew A BOOAlbert Ellery ~ ed. The Writin2S of Thomas Jefferson. Volume 13. Washington D.C.: Issued wxIer the auspices of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association of the United States, 1903.{J4. (p. 79) THESIS INTRODUCTION

To preface the introduction of the thesis requires a discussionof a trip I made before enteringuniversity. The interest for my thesis aroseon my travels with my father through Virginia with the final destinationof Thomas Jefferson'sMonticello. Having grown up in Colorado the opportunity to explore the great estatesand villas of the east was very limited.

My father was fonnally trained in the academicworld to be a landscapearchitect and, while I did not know it at the time, the professionseemed to suit me. However, it was not until I arrived at the beautiful grounds and the home of the fonner president

ThomasJefferson did the spark of interestto explore the field of landscapearchitecture occur. That visit to Charlottesville,Virginia had such greatinfluence on me that someof

2 my earliest and most primitive drawings in my portfolio for application to Cornell

University were based directly from my visual experienceand excitement during the visit. Not evenuntil late in my junior year did I realizethat writing a thesison Monticello would not only be extremelyinteresting, but scholasticallycome full circle to explorethe estatefrom a researchstandpoint with many more years of experienceand a landscape architectureeducation now behind me. My travels to Rome, Italy also directed the interestin my thesisbecause of the Italian architectureand landscapefonns that had such greatinfluence on ThomasJefferson while he traveledthrough the countryside.

It is at this point where I wish to explain in brief detail the focus and extentof this thesis so an understandingof the research emphasis,methods, and results can be explored. ThomasJefferson manipulated the landscapein conjunction with architecture yearsbefore FrederickLaw Olmstedcoined the teml landscapearchitecture. Monticello,

Jefferson'shome, is one of the greatestexamples of a classic English Landscapegarden in America. It also establishedthe standardAmerican landscapestyle. In 1786, Thomas

Jefferson made sixteen stops throughout the United Kingdom, and by tracing and analyzing his steps, the thesis bridges the gap that exists between current verbal and visual analysisof the English influence on Monticello. Thesestops included, Chiswick,

Hampton Court, Twickenham,Esher-Place, Claremont, Painshill, Lord Loughborough's

Wobum Farm, Caversham,Wotton, Stowe,Leasowes, Hagley, Blenheim Palace,Enfield

Chase,Moor Park, and Kew. The exploration of each park, estate,or garden using satelliteimages, photographs, photographic manipulation, and literature searchesare used to revealthe visual similarities,differences, existing landscapefomls and influencesupon

Monticello. Although there have beenmany articles,books, theses,and lectureswritten

3 on the landscapeof Jefferson's Monticello, combining these with the visual analysis perfonned in this thesis can provide the reader with a clearer understandingof the specificEnglish influenceson Monticello.

This becomes important because, according to Jefferson, he did not repeat descriptionsfrom the designbooks that he had read. One sourceof many of JefIerson's influence came from a book written by a man named Thomas Whatley entitled,

"Observationson Modern Gardening." The descriptionsin this book are denseand hard to understand.While abroad,Jefferson's traveling partner,John Adams,made notes that were mainly historical, but Jefferson'snotes directly related to his Monticello. Besides the notes,he sketchedfour imagesin the entire three weekshe was in England,and those threeweeks had the greatestinfluence on the future of the landscapeat Monticello.

The housewas built in 1780 when Jeffersonreturned to the states.Most of the landscapewas either to be built or re-built. As a result, his travels through the United

Kingdom had greatinfluence on the final designon Monticello.

With someof this researchI hope those who are as excited and amazedas I by

Monticello will find a greater satisfactionand understandingof that estate.I intend to reach an audience that is interested in Monticello, and classic American landscape architectureat a higher level of education in the design profession (architecture,art, landscapearchitecture), as well as, a generalaudience who wish to exploreMonticello or design from a simple visual standpoint. The thesis is intendedto educatean audience who may have an interest in understandingthe landscapeof Monticello, but cannot understandthe complex design vocabulary found in books similar to those written by

Thomas Whatley. However, with visual analysis perfOmled in this thesis one can

4 understandmore completelythe design and influencesthat shapedit. I hope that those who have a similar interest to explore one of the greatestEnglish influenced American landscapesof our time, and who wish to learn more about Monticello from a landscape architectureperspective, will find this thesisengaging.

All that said, there are still influencesthat are unclear and speculatedand maybe anotherstudent in the future can expandupon my explorations. There are also a few of the 1786 English villas or parks that are no longer in existencetoday. Many of the influencesfrom theseparks will not be known or cannotbe known. I am also curiousto know that even with all the books and websitesthat I have examinedif there may be someoneexploring the sametopic. It is my hope that the designhistory of Monticello might be re-written due to this uniqueresearch.

s Chiswick,

Twickenham,

HamptonCourt

On April 2, 1786, Thomas Jefferson and John Adam's travels through Englandto visit someof the greatestgardens of their time began. The initial stops his coach made were Chiswick, Twickenham, and Hampton Comt, which setson the North side of the Thamesand Wobum Old Fann on the southside.3

6 CHISWI CK Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London W4, England

Fig. 1. (Above)~ed mapoftbe Londonto show Fig. 2. (Above) Map of United Kingdom to showJeffmon tI1ivelprogression Jefferson's mvel progression within the city. through the CountIy.

The first stop Jefferson made in his trip to England, while in Europe was

Chiswick, where he visited alone,without Adams.,4 Chiswick is situated in an extensive

district of West London with the southernborder running along the River Thames. The

name "Chiswick" is of Old English meaning "CheeseFann," and originates from the

riverside meadowsand famls that are thought to have supportedDuke Meadowsup until

the 18thcentury.

Chiswick Houseand Gardensis England's first and one of the finest examplesof

neo-Palladianarchitecture set in a beautiful 65-acreestate. Chiswick Houseand Gardens

are consideredto be the birthplace of the English landscapemovementS, The magnificent

villa, built by Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, who, a generationearlier, had been

the patron of the architectsWilliam Kent and Giacomo Leoni. The groundsinclude an

obelisk, temple, amphitheatre,cascade and wilderness,as well as a gatewayoriginally

4 Shackleford, Pi. 51 s hnp:llwww.chgtorg.uk

7 designedby Inigo Jones in 1621, but not erected until 1738. Jefferson owned many copies of

Lenoi's and Kent's work, and although the

Palladian style villa stimulated a rage during the

18thcentury, it was in many ways what potentially

CHtSWlCK~ HOUSE influenced the design for Monticello. "Jefferson considered that its octagonal dome had an 'ill effect both within and without.. .and Kent's garden villa showed 'too much artifice,' that one of its two

obelisks was 'of very ill effect,' and that the other MAMF\UItD 'in the middle of a pond' was 'useless",6 Although

Jeffersonnever realized the obelisks and tempietto that he sketched,he did make the changesto the villa that can be seenin Monticello. Below showsa possible progression of Chiswick's villa that

~ morphedinto Jefferson'sMonticello (SeeFig. 3).

F1g. 3. Above is a Photoshop manipulation ofhow The Villa Capra"La Rotunda"near Vicenza Monticello could have derived from Cbiswick inspires the octagonaldomed Palladian villa at Chiswick. However, unlike Palladio's

Rotonda,which is symmetricalwith all facadesidentical, the Chiswick Househas three different elevations,not semetrical. Also, the Rotondahas a circular hall in the center under the dome whereasChiswick House has an octagonalcentral 'saloon.'? This is important because it may have also allowed Jefferson to break with the given

6 Shackleford, pg. 51 7 http://www.bluffton.cdu/-sullivanm/england/london/chiswick/burlington.htrnI

8 architectural style and design into a holistically new style. "In his rejection of the dominant English architecturalstyle there was an unacknowledgedeffort to discover a building style expressiveof the American experienceitself, a searchthat distinguishes Jefferson'scontribution to his country's architecture", 8

"In Palladio's villas, Jefferson found the Vincentine's ideas about domestic architecturethoroughly compatibleand adaptableto the self-sufficient agrarianlife of the

Virginia plantation".9 According to the generalizedguidelines of the English landscape gardening style elements as discussedin the siting of Monticello, one can see the contrast,surprise, and concealmentin the arrival to both estatesis very similar. Both homesare also set in a park, with the incorporationof the gardenwith the countryside, and have Palladianarchitectural interpretations on an idyllic landscape.And finally, they both have vast sweepsof lawn. Figures 4 and 5 reveal how Jeffersonsited Monticello similarly to Chiswick's Houseand differently.

8 Adams,William Howard. Jefferson'sMonticello. New York, NY: Abbeville Press, 1983.(pg. 23) 9 Adams,pg. 22

9 MONTICELLO

3880'35"N 788278'W 150 YDS

Fig. 4. Basic analysisof Monticello: Here you can seethe approach,axis, and orientation,as well as,the alleesof trees.

10 CHISWICK

51°29'1~ -0015'30.[ 150YDS

Fig. s. Analysis of Chiswick. Notice it's siting alongthe river, and its axial orientation.

11 MONTICELLO

CHISWICK HOME

Fig. 6. Analysis of the houseand the similarities betweenthe entrance,atrium, and backsideentrance.

12 Fig. 7 The floor plan for Chiswick to compare with that of Monticello's floor plan, below.

Fig. 8. The floor plan for Monticello

13 TWI CKENBAM Pope's Villa, 19 Cross Deep,Twickenham, London, TW14QG England

Fig. 9. (Above) Enlargedmap of the London to show Fig. 10. (Above) Map of United Kingdom to show Jeffmon travel Jefferson'stnlvel progressionwithin the city. progressionthrough the country.

The next stop for Jeffersonduring his time in Englandwas a visit to Alexander

Pope's villa and famous grotto in Twickenham. Twickenham is a suburb in London

Boroughof Richmondupon Thames,southwest of London. It is now most recognizedas

the homeof the TwickenhamStadimn - the headquartersof the Rugby Football Union.

Jefferson, who possessedmany copies of Alexander Pope's poems and

translations,was pleasedto have an opportunity to inspectthe poet's three-and-one-half- acreestate on the bank of the Thames.10 The memory of AlexanderPope endures both in

legendand in the printed record of his life and work as poet, letter writer, and satirist.I I

However,in physical tenns the only material record existing of his life today asidefrom

his writings is the grotto that he built in the cellars of his villa at Twickenharn,and

althoughthe villa no longer exists,the grotto can still be visited. AlexanderPope came

10Shackleford. pg. 51 11Willson, Anthony Beckles. GardenHistorv. Vol. 26. No.1. Summer:1998. (pg. 1:

14 to Twickenhamat age30, in the spring of 1719. He leasedsome riverside land ownedby the famousThomas Vernon of which he would begin the constructionof his villa. 12

Although it is believed that Jeffersontook very little influence from the Villa or

Gardenof the Popefor his own Monticello, and his visit was more for pleasure,Jefferson did study the works of CharlesBridgeman and William Kent. Both gentlemenhelped

AlexanderPope design his gardenswith elementsof an obelisk, a grotto, an orangery,a vinery, a kitchen garden,a wilderness,and a grove.13All theseelements are commonly seenthroughout many of the works of Bridgemanand Kent, and a few of which can be seenimitated at Monticello. Furthermore,around 1715 Popehad enjoyedthe patronage and, being a catholic, the protection of Richard Boyle, 3M Earl of Burlington, whose home Jeffersonhad just previously visited, Chiswick, which had been the prototype for Monticello.14 Thus, it is still important to explore some of the details of this villa in depththrough pictures, and surviving plans.

Fig. 11. Popeshouse at Twickenhamwith a view of the grotto

12 http://www.twickenham-museum.org.uk!detail.asp?ContentlD=19 13Shackleford, pg. 51 14Willson, pg. 32

15 The siting of the villa is important becausein lieu of building a house on the property of Richard Boyle, Popedesired to live in more rural surroundings,farther away from London. Here you can see the overlap with Monticello; however Pope sited his home directly adjacentto the river. And as we know, Jefferson'did not. Pope said in regardsto the siting of his home, "My Building rises high enoughto attract the eye and curiosity from the Passengerfrom the River, where,upon beholding a Mixture of Beauty and Ruin; he inquires what house is falling, or what Church is rising?"lS The lowest story of the villa was at the riverside garden,a full floor below the roadwaybehind. The gardensloped down to the river where there was a low embankmentat its edge and an extensioninto the water which actedas a landing point for visitors.16

Fig. 12. Reconstructedlayout of villa and tunnel relation to CrossDeep and adjoining properties. The inclined pathwayfrom the tunnel is parallel with the main axis of the garden

ISSherburn, George. The CorresDondenceof AlexanderPODe ll. Oxford: Clarendon,1956. (pg. 44) 16Sherburn, pg. 33

16 The biggest and only surviving elementof the Pope's villa is his famous grotto passageway.Pope selected an eccentricarrangement so that the transition from the house to its main gardenwas effectednot acrossa terracebut through this tunnel and grotto.

This tunnel bridged the design gap that was made by the highway, and served the function as a shortjourney enjoyedby visitors and an essentialintroduction to the garden itself, as well as introducing a fad and new design elementimitated by John Robartes, later 4thEarl of Radnor. Popesuffered the particular inconvenience:the proximity of the road to the river was an inherent disadvantage,and one disadvantagethat Jefferson seemedto bridge with Monticello. Regardless,Pope said in a letter to Edward Blount in 1725," I have put the last hand to my works.. .happily finishing the subterraneousWay and Grotto",18

Fig. 13. Picture of passagewayand Grotto

17 Sherburn,pg. 34 18http://www.twickenham-museumorg.uk/detail.asp?ContentID= 19

17 The villa was demolishedin 1808,and was replacedby a new houseand further fe-built in 1845; however, much of the Grotto survived and lies beneathvarious 20th century buildings owned by St. JamesIndependent School for Boys. The idea of the

life and developmentas a poet and designer.

Fig. 14. Original lobby at the entranceto the garden,at west end of tunnel, as surveyedin 1997

18 HAMPTON PalaceGarden, East Mosely, London, KT8 9AU, England

Fig. 15. (Above) Enlargedmap of the london to show Fig. 16. (Above) Map of United Kingdom to show Jeffel1OnmYel Jefferson'stravel progressionwithin the city. progressionthrough the country. Jefferson also went to Hampton Court Palaceto see the royal residencefrom

Henry VIII's reign to that of GeorgeIII. Hampton is a place in the London Borough of

Richmondupon Thames.The town is currently the hometo Richmond'sonly seniorlevel

Football side,Hampton and RichmondBorough F .C.

Similar to Chiswick and AlexanderPope's Villa the Palaceis situatedon the bank

of the River Thames. The Court was begunby Cardinal Wolsely in 1515 and given by

him to Henry VII in 1526. For nearly 200 years, Hampton Court was at the centre of court life, politics and nationalhistory.19 Henry vrn designedthe renaissancegarden

that was originally made at Hampton Court, in the 1530's. It was later convertedto a

baroquestyle gardenbetween 1660 and 1702. As a result, Jeffersonwas not interestedin

its Tudor quadrangles,and he did not admire the south wing the allees,the parterres,the

canals, the fountains, and the topiary, which were in the old-fashioned style of

Versailles.20

19http://www.hotels-iondon-hotel.com/hampton-court/

20 Shackleford, pg. 51

19 MONTICELLO

3S00'35-N 7so2TS'W 150YDS

Fig. 17. Basic analysisof Monticello: Here you can seethe approach,axis, and orientation,as well as,the alleesof trees.

20 HAMPTONCOURT PALACE

Northwest Orientation

51. 25'19.4~N O.22'O.16.W 150YDS

Fig. 18. An analysisof the HamptonCourt Palace.Here you can seethe classicformal style gardens.

21 .5 MILES

Fig. 19. A broaderview of HamptonCourt Palaceto give you a senseof its vast size and situationwith the contextof the town.

22 Fig. 20. Picturesof Traditional BaroqueStyle Gardens

Fig. 21. Picturesof more Traditional English Style Gardens,Similar to thoseseen at Monticello.

23 Esher Palace,

Claremont,

Painshill,

Lord Loughborough'sWoburn

III

After Jefferson made a satisfactory tour of the villas and landscapessouth of the Thames,Adams joined him in the lengthy and for all practical purposes,the serious start of the tour of stately homes and gardensin England.On April 4d1,1786 Thomas Jefferson and JohnAdams begana tour of the great triangle of the English Midlands, whosenorthern apexwas Binningham and whosewestern comer was Oxford.21

21 Shackleford,pg. 52

24 ESHER PALACE TQ 131-651 Pelhams Walk, Esher, Surrey, United Kingdom

~ r ~ ~ 'I ~

~ , - -. .-r .. . I .~~:~!!~~~.~

Fig. 23. (Above) Enlargedmap oftbe I.omon to show Jcff~ts F1g. 24. (Above) Map of United Kingdom to show Jefferson travel prograsion travel progressionwithin the city. through the country.

The journey beganwith a pair of rental horsesand a postilion. The team of horses

and men passedthrough Richmond, Cobham and Wey Bridge before reaching Esher

Place. Esheris a town in the Surreyborough of Elmbridge in South East Englandnear

the Mole River, and was originally commandeeredin the sixteenth century for Henry VIII of England as a hunting ground. 22Esher is a ~nfusing area,because there is an

Esher Place Mansion, but also, a Claremont Mansion, which will be discussedlater.

Both estatesare in the borough of Esher and the greater area of Surrey, England.

However,they are two separateentities.

The first stop Adams and Jeffersonmade was Esher Place. The Esher Place

Estate exchangedhands many times from the 1600's when Jefferson arrived there in

1786. Originally King Henry VIII establishedthe estate,then many more took it over

sequentiallyincluding King Edward IV, Queen Elizabeth I, Duke of Northumberland

22 hup;1len. wikipedia. Ofgiwiki/E5her

25 (protector of England), Richard Drake, Governor Sir Thomas Lynch of Jamaica,and

Prime Minister Henry Pelham,who ownedthe estatewhen Jeffersonvisited?

The houseand its park occupiedabout forty-five acresof hilly andbottom land of the ThamesValley. Jefferson'sdescription of how the houseis set is:

The housein a bottom near the river. On the other side the ground rises pretty much. The road by which we come to the houseforms a dividing line in the middle of the front. On the right are heights,rising one beyond & aboveanother; with clump of trees. On the farthesta temple. A hollow filled up with a clump of trees,the tallest in the bottom, so that the top is quite flat. On the left the groundsdescent. Clwnps of tress. The clumps on each hand balanced finely. A most lovely mixture of concave and Convex. The garden is of about 45. as.Besides the park which joins. Belongsto Lady FrancisPelham?4

Forty yearsbefore Jeffersonarrived at this estateand establishedthis description of it, William Kent was the inspiration and landscapearchitect, shortly followed by

Lancelot Brown. Kent's first commissionwas the Venus at Stowe in 1731.He also did the landscapefor Vanbrugh's temple and belvedere at Claremont (discussedin the previous chapter). In 1733, in Stowe, he built the Shell Bridge and had a hand in landscapingand planting the Elysian Fields, and he becameso famousthat he was asked by Frederick,Prince of Wales,to designa rotundafor Carlton in Pall Mall. Kent also did the landscapingfor Henry Pelham at Esher place. Esher Place became a remarkable move away from the still rather formal gardensof the Chiswick House, so that Sir

Robinson could write, "there is a new taste in gardeningjust arisen after Mr. Kent's

23http://www. waynefletetower .com/book.htm 24Willis, Peter, Hunt, John Dixon The Genius of the Place. the En2lish Landscane Garden 1620 - 1820. London, UDitedKingdom; ElekBoobLTD, 1975.(pg. 334)

26 Notion of gardening,viz. to lay them out, and work, without level or line." 2SAnd it is also suggestedthat Kent had had such a profound influence upon Lancelot "Capability"

Brown, who was at one point a head gardenerat Stowe, that Brown owed all his later successto the examplethat Kent had given him.

Fig. 25. An exampleof a WoodlandLandscape by William Kent Circa 1730

Brown had improved the groundsat Esher Place with trees planted in "clumps" that were classically 'Capability' Brown. Jeffersonthought that these "clumps" were a

"most lovely mixture of concaveand convex,,26

According to Thomas Whatley, '~e grove at Esher Place was planted by tlle samemasterly hand; but tlle necessityof accommodating tlle young plantation to some large trees which grew tllere before, has confinedits variety. The groupsare few and small; tllere was not room for larger or more: ... but the grove winds along the bank of a large river, on

2SQuest-Ritson, Charles. 11reEn~lish Garden.A Social Histo~. Jaffrey,New Hampshire:David R. Godine,2003. (pg. 125, 126) 26Shackleford, pg. 52

27 the side at the foot of a very suddenascent, the upper part of which is coveredwith Wood.,,27

Accordingly, Jeffersonmade these connections and designedclumps of treeswith groves properly at Monticello. And, in many ways, Whatley was describing what

Jeffersonwould make into the ideal American landscapewhere "gardensmay be made without expense.We have only to cut out the superabundantplants...and that under the constant,beaming, almost vertical sun of Virginia, shadeis our Elysium.,,28 Jefferson refined and perfectedWhatley's idea of confonning a plantation to the large trees that grew there before, and Jeffersonmade the existing forest cleared and thinned, so that young trees, shrubs, and herbaceousflowers planted, and vistas, glades, and thickets could suggestthe 'picturesquewood' that Jeffersonenvisioned.

In 1806, a few years after his return to the states,Jefferson drew a sketch of

Monticello Mountain and designatedeighteen acres on the northwestern side as the

"grove." Jeffersonintended for the grove to be trimmed high so as to give the appearance of open ground, and for it to be ornamentalforest and the woodland "broken by clumps of thicket, asthe open groundsof the English groundsare broken by clumpsof trees.,,29

Jeffersontook the clumps of treesthat he saw at EsherPlace and made it clumps of thickets and ornamental trees on his own land at Monticello (See Fig. 26, 27).

Whatley stated,"that clumps differ only in extent from a wood, if they are close; or from a grove; if they are open:they are small woods and small groves. ,,30

27 Whatley, Thomas. Observationson Modern Gardening.Reprint, London, EnglandfOf T. Payne,1770. (pg. 50) 28http://www.monticello.ofg/gardens!grounds/grove.html 29http://www.monticello.org/gardens!grounds/tree.html 30 Whatley,pg. 53

28 ~~~~-- ~- Fig. 26. Clump of Ornamentaltrees in Fig. 27. Clump of Ornamentaltrees Grove in the Spring. blooming Jefferson as the father of American forestry helped grandfather the ideal

AmericanLandscape that includedclumps of treesto breakopen ground.

The only remaining piece of Esther Place today is the Wayneflete's Tower (See

Fig. 28), and unfortunately the clumps of trees and grovesthat once existed have been takenover by suburbs. However,the orientationand placement by the Mole River can be seen(See Fig. 29).

Fig. 28. The only remnantof the EsherPlace Estate, The Wayneflete'sTower.

29 The existing Tower founded the brick Palace of Esher, and incorporated the

medieval stone fortified manor house. Much of the house was destroyedin the 17th

century, and in the 18thcentury Henry Pelham added a pair of wings and a porch integrating the tower into a Gothic mansion house.3 1

WAYNEFLETE'SroWER

51.22'4.6~ O.21'15.3TW 6OYOS

Fig. 29. Seein yellow the last remainingpiece of EsherPlace, the Wayneflete'sTower and its orientationand relationshipto the River Mole.

31 http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/176/wayneflete.htm

30 In conclusion,Thomas Jefferson's and John Adam's visit to Esher Place helped revolutionize the ideal American Landscapeand help develop Monticello's surrounding woods, groves,and clumps in conjunction with the landscape. Although there is almost nothing remaining of Pelham's Mansion, the location next to the river and classic perpendicular approach into the front entranceof the Tower reveals the differences betweenit and Monticello.

31 CLAREMONT KTtO 9JG Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey, United Kingdom

~~ ... - w L ~ ~

~ I ~\I "\. - ,. , . .. .~~::~~;~-=; F1.. 30. (Above) Enlarged map oCtile London to show leffcnon's F1g. 31. (Above) Map ofUnitcd Kingdom to show Jeft"eISOntravel prograsion travel progression within the city. through the countJy.

The next stop along the road was Claremont, also in Esher, Surrey England.

There are two piecesto Claremont,the gardenand the house. The ClaremontLandscape

Gardenis one of the earliestsurviving Gardensof its kind-still featuringits origina11Sth

century layout that was createdto compliment the Claremont House. When Jefferson

visited Claremontit was just on the tail end of being designedby three landscapistsin

succession,Charles Bridgeman, Lancelot "Capability" Brown, and William Kent.

However,Jefferson found the whole of the ClaremontEstate to be "nothing remarkable."

Many similarities existed betweenEsher and Claremont. This chapterwill explore

someof the first remarkablelandscape elements that were createdat Claremontand used

at Monticello.

The first houseon the Claremontestate was built in 1708by Sir John Vanbrugh

and he also built stables,walled gardens,and a White Cottage. This house was later

32 Shackleford,pg. 52

32 replacedby a Palladianmansion commissioned by Lord Clive to be built by "Capability"

Brown (SeeFig. 32). Work on the gardensof Claremontbegan in 1715and by 1727they were describedas "the noblestof any in Europe." 33

Fig. 32. The 18thCentury Palladian style House

Sir John Vanbrugh had the first hand at designing a piece of Claremont. He designedthe BelvedereTower (SeeFig. 33). The Tower is unusualin the fact that what appearto be windows are actuallybricks paintedblack and white. This revealsone of the first actsof really using architectureas a focal point of contrastin the landscape.

Fig. 33. View of the Belvedere built by Sir John Vanbrogh & from the first floor, views could be enjoyed of the whole garden & acrossmany miles of countryside.

33 www.georgianindex.net/Pm_Cbarlotte/Claremont.html

33 The first personafter Vanbrughto work on thesegardens was CharlesBridgeman, who had installed an amphitheatre(See Fig. 34) of turfed terracesand a bowling green.

Almost two generationslater Capability Brown completely reconstructedplantings with trees and many rhododendrons.Afterwards, William Kent enlargedBridgeman's Lake

(SeeFig. 35) and addeda cascade,a grotto, and a pavilion isle.

Fig. 35. View of Lake and Landscape Garden-The lake was originally designedby Bridgemanand later enlargedby William Kent Fig. 34. A turf amphitheatre& lake in the foreground. This is one of the many featuresat Claremontcreated by the some of the great names in landscapehistory, most notably CharlesBridgeman.

Many of these elementswere based upon the idea of using artistic illusion to improve upon natureespecially the lake.

Claremontis said to have beenthe birthplace of Bridgeman'sha-ha, and Brown's serpentinestyle path. Both of these can be seen in many instances at Monticello especiallythe serpentinestyle path.

34 Bridgeman'sha-ha was a moatlike fencewhich helpedcreate the illusion "that all nature was a garden.,,34Ha-ha walls typically fonned a boundary betweenthe estate's gardensand grounds. Thesewalls were constructedso as to be invisible from the house, ensuringa clear view acrossthe estate.The walls consistof a sunkenstone wall-its top level with the garden,with a deepditch on the far side: an effective barrier to livestock

(SeeFig.36.).35

Fig. 36. A picture of a typical Fig. 37. A picture of a ha-hawall at Monticello ha-hawall similar to diose seenat Claremont The ha-ha barriers at Monticello were slightly different than the ha-ha Jefferson had seenat Claremont. In 1814Jefferson noted that his slaves,Wonnley and Ned, were working on a "ha-ha!" a barrier intendedto keep grazing animalsoff of the West Lawn.

This ha-haat Monticello was a 500-yardtrench with excavateddirt moundedalong either side, and when covered with split railings, these trenches resembled modern cattle guards.36This showsa slight movementaway from the aestheticsof the ha-ha wall and more towardsthe functionality of the wall. Jefferson'shouse was situatedso high on the hill that he would not have seenthe ha-ha wall from where the housewas situated(See

Fig. 38.).

34Shackleford, pg. 52 35http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/heritage/england/teesside/article_l.shtml 36 http;//explofer.monticello.orgitext/index.php?sect=plantation&sub=buildings&lid:7 8

35 MONTICELLO

3S00'3SRN 7so2TS'W 150 YDS

Fig. 38. This imageshows where Jefferson's ha-ha wall (Orange)was locatedin order to keepanimals off the westernlawn (Green)

36 The next major design element that Jefferson used that was first seen at

Claremontin his Europeantravels was Lancelot's "Capability" Brown SerpentineWalk.

The SerpentineStyle will forever be associatedwith the name of Capability Brown.

There is approximatelyaccording to Dorothy Stroud, 211 designsfor English Parksthat are attributedto Brown, with a surprisingnumber remaining in good condition. The best of them are magnificent and will be further explored in the later chapterson Stowe and

BlenheimPark.

"Some of Browns designsare so 'natural' and 'English' that it is difficult to appreciatethem without surveyof the site as it was and a plan of the works executed by Brown. His lakes live in comfortable depressions,his woods clothe hills which would resist the plough and his greenpastures roll to the rhythm of the English Countryside..,,3?

The lack of documentationon so many sites with Brown's Serpentine makes Boxwood park a great example because its history and design is so documented.The serpentinestyle at Boxwood can be comparedand contrastedto the similarities and differencesof Monticello and the Claremont Estate. The plan and the estateof Boxwood survive in good condition (See Fig. 39).38 This original design by

Brown provides for the analysisof the serpentinestyle pathway systemat Claremontand how theseserpentine pathways were usedat of Monticello (CompareFig. 40 and Fig. 41)

37 http://gardenvisit.com/t/c3s3.html 38 http://gardenvisit.com/tlc3s3.htm1

37 - a- ~ ~ 1#00 ICOO,.,

Fig. 39. The serpentineplan at Boxwood Park

38 CLAREMONT HOUSE and GARDENS

NorthwestOrientation

51° 22'4.6-N oo21'15.3TW 100 YDS

Fig. 40. This imagereveals the plan similaritiesbetween Monticello and the Claremonthouse with the serpentinepath

39 MONTICELLO

J8°0'35"N 7so27S'W 300 YDS

Fig. 41. Serpentinestyle pathwaysat Monticello

40 This serpentinestyle path is the only path that was and is used at Monticello.

Important to compliment the serpentinestyle path were flowering plants that were a componentof the "une ferme omee." This term will be discussedlater in greaterdepth, but for now just know that it is flowers lining a walkway. Most walks were plantedwith broom, roses,lilac, columbine, peonies,and SweetWilliam. Jeffersonplanted his inner most serpentinestyle walk with flowers (SeeFig. 42).

Fig. 42. A serpentinepath lined with flowers at Monticello Jefferson'sserpentine walk and the accompanyingflower border were laid out in the spring of 1808. A sketchof his designalso included four large oval-shapedareas that were to be plantedwith flowering shrubs;however, these were neverinstalled. Jefferson, in 1812,needed a more systematicorganization of the border and so divided the bed into ten-foot sections,each compartment numbered and plantedwith a different flower. "The serpentinewinding, relaxed lines of the walkway reflect Jefferson's interest in the

41 infonnal style of landscapedesign, which were admired during his visit to the English gardens in 1786.,,39

The Claremont House today is owned by the National Trust and has begun restoration of the Claremont Landscape Garden and now displays successive contributions of Sir John Vanbrugh, Charles Bridgeman, William Ken and Capability

Brown. The serpentinestyle walk, the ha-ha wall, and the flower plantings of the 18th century gardenall had great influence on Jefferson'sMonticello, and can be first seenin his stop at ClaremontHouse and Gardens.

39 hnp://www.monticello.orgigardeD&ff1ower/roundaboUlhtml

42 PAINSHll..L KTIIIJE Portsmouth Road, Cobham, Surrey, United Kingdom

t~ ft9 -. 'f ~ ~~~ ~ ~ rt4

~

" " !-"'~~-; Fig. 43. (Above) Enlarged map of the London to show JeffaBOn's Ag. 44. (Above) Map ofUnitM Kingdom to show Jefferson travel progreasion myel progrtSSion within the city. through the country.

The two Americans next visited Painshill. Painshi11is located near Cobham,

SurreyEngland. It was developedby HonorableCharles Hamilton, 9thson and 14thchild

of the 6thEarl of Abercom. The houseand gardenare one of the finest examplesof an

18thcentury English landscapepark. Most of Hamilton's influence camefrom a "Grand

Tour" across Europe, where he studied painting, landscapesand architecture,very

similar to Jefferson. On Hamilton's travels to Franceand Italy he saw lavish cascades

and highly decorativegrottos, which made him realize his ambitions as an artist and a

gardener. It was the c.lassica1landscapesof Claude and Poussinthat, togetherwith the

wild and savagescenes of SalvatorRosa, were to inspire his work at Painshill Park.

By 1738, Hamilton began acquiring land at Cobham and funded his efforts

through money largely borrowed from his friends Henry Fox and Henry Hoare. He

acquireda crown leaseof 250 acresof land along the Mole River. It then becamethe

43 most celebratedgarden in England.40However, despite Hamilton's efforts in 1773, he was pressedby his friends for repaymentand had to sell Painshill Park to BenjaminBond

Hopkins. 41

In Observationson Modem Gardening,Thomas Whately gives many descriptions of Painshill and its alliance of park and garden. Jefferson sought to understandthis becausePainshill was among the first parks/gardento move away from the geometric formality of gardensdesign to a naturalpark and gardendesign.

Knowing that Painshill had been constructed and created from a sandy, commonplaceterrain, John Adams consideredit the "most striking piece of art" he had seen.42 However, Jeffersonthought that many of the pieceswere "incorrect" and out of place, and thought the grounds had an overabundanceof evergreenplanting. The one piece that Jeffersondid like was the BacchusDoric Temple (See Fig. 45). This liking could have beenbecause of Whatley's descriptionof it. Whatley said, "not far from the tower is a scenepolished to the highest degreeof improvement,in which standsa large

Doric building, called the Temple of Bacchus.,,43 It was a temple that had six Doric columns at either end and half columns at the sides. The entablaturescontained paper relief's depicting Silenus.There were also busts of Caesarthat Hamilton had bought in

Rome. A fin portico in the front, a rich alto relief in the pediment, and on each side a rangeof pilafters. However, the Temple no longer exists today. Jefferson,while he like the Temple, did not know what to think or say about the Gothic 'temple' situatedat the end ora lawn and facing allees. At the end of one was a copy of Giambolognatsstatue,

40Shackleford, pg. 52 41 http://www.painshill.co.uk/story.asp 42Shackleford, pg. 52 43Whatley, pg. 190

44 "The Rapeof the SabineWomen," and through the ogival archesof the temple there was

a splendid view of the lake (See Fig. 46).44 Whatley's description of the lake and

surroundingarea will give an idea of what Jeffersonmight have thought of the area.

Whatley said,

"the [Gothic building], commanded,on the very edge of a high keep, which rises immediately above a fine artificial lake in the bottom: the whole of the lake is never seenat once;but by its form, by the disposition of someinlands, and by the treesinland, and by the trees in them and on the banks,it alwaysseems to be larger than it is.. .,,45

Fig. 45. A painting of the Doric Temple

Fig. 46. Imagesfacing the Gothic Temple from the oppositeside of the lake

44 Shackleford,pg. 52 4S Whatley,pg. 187

45 Around the lake were locatedmany elements,including a Gothic ruin (See Fig.

47), a rustic mill (See Fig. 48), a cascade,and a grotto (See Fig. 49). Jeffersonhad consideredbuilding nearMonticello a folie in the form of a Gothic tower (SeeFig. 50).

Although the little summerhouse that Jeffersonlater built on his gardenwall has beenrecreated, "in brick with sashedwindows set in a round headedframes, akin to the arcadedloggias of the mansionhouse, its site and vista have somethingin commonwith the Gothic Temple at Painshill." 46

Fig. 48. Imageof Rustic Mill at Painshill

Fig. 47. Imageof Gothic Ruin at Painshill

Fig. 49 Imageof Grotto at Fig. SO. Imageof Gothic Painshill Tower at Painshill

46 Shackleford,pg. 52

46 PAINSHILL PARK and GARDENS No-AxialOrientation

51 ° 19'43.90-N Oo25'46.48-W 200 YDS

Fig. 51. Analysis and locationsof major elementswithin Painshil1:NOTE the differencein the walkwaysand pathwaysfrom Claremont

According to Whatley, "Both the park and the gardensat Painshil1thus mutually

contribute to the beauty of the several landscapes;yet they are absolutely distinct;

and...asa park, thereforea garden,agree in so many circwnstances,and may by the point of view be accommodated." 47

In conclusion, Painshill Park combinespark, garden and architectureand was

admiredby Jefferson.Although Jeffersondid not take very much directly from Painshill

his admirationfor it influenceshis future thinking.

47Whatley, pg. 184

47 LORD LOUGBBOROUGH's OLD FARM Addlestone, Surrey, United Kingdom

~~ tr " L -'(

~

., \ - ~"'~~~~~ Fig. 52. (Above) EnIaJgedmap of the London to showJeffenon's Ag. 53. (Above) Map of United Kingdom to show Jefferson mvel progression travel progressionwithin the city. through dte country.

Lord Loughborough'sOld Wobum (sometimescalled Woobum) Farm was a 135

acre estate(See Fig. 54) bought by Phillip Southcotein 1734 following his marriageto

the DowagerDuchess of Cleveland. The Burlington Set -Lord Burlington and William

Kent-advised on the landscaping. Although there is almost nothing left of this estate

now, Jeffersonwas so enamoredwith it and the praisethat ThomasWhatley gave it that

he visited it twice. The attraction.was not its buildings, but the combination of

ornamentaland functional landscapegardening into what the French called "une fenne

office "('decorative ranD'), whose objective was to "bring every rural circumstance

within the verge of a garden.,MMore literally, the fenne omCeis a wavy path of sand

and gravel borderedby a broadbelt of shrubsand flowers communicatedto meadowsand

arablefields. And, to enhancethe effect, there were little seats,alcoves, bridges and even

a menagerieof ordinary famlyard beastsand fowl.49The original tenn was inventedby

StephenSwitzer, and used by William Shenstone,and later explored and perfectedby

48 Whatley,pg. 177 .9 Shackleford, pg. 53

48 Philip Southcote.According to Whatley, "This idea has been partially executedvery often; but no where I believe, as at * Wobum Fann. The place containsa hundredfifty acres,of which near five and thirty are adornedto the highestdegree."

Southcotesintention was to integratefarming activity with the life of a gentleman: his house,his garden,his artistic endeavorsand the wider landscape.so However, his intention at Wobum was that there be more of a gardenand less of a farm. His results were supposedlyvery pretty, much visited, much talked about and very fashionable.

However, Woburn farm was far too expensiveto maintain to be considereda proper working fann. Fenne omee could never be a viable economic proposition becauseit neededtoo much input in the way of labor and ornamentfor it to be sustainable.This gave way to the discussionof sustainabilityand later Capability Brown strove to design gardens that not only gave aesthetic satisfaction but also to provide for sport and recreationand to producea net income.51

The only remaining structure is the existing entrancethat marks the entrance from the public road (SeeFig. 54).

50Quest-Ritson, pg. 129 51Quest-Ritson, pg. 131

49 Fig. 54. William Kent's entranceto the St. George's College,the old site ofWoburn Farm

Fig. 55. A view of Wobum Farm,painting attributed to Luke SuI/ivan,c. 1759

50 Jeffersonoften recalled Wobum Old Fann as the finest he ever had seenof its type, and he made such careful note of the tenant housesthat he must have examined everything in detail before tipping Lord Loughborough's servant half again what he tipped the servantsat Hampton Court and Chiswick. He found three teams of four personstended the farm, the pleasuregarden, and the kitchen garden. In conjunction with seeingthe designofWobum Farm, Jeffersonand Adam, both had an interestin the professionalseat of Loughborough. He was then a Lord Chief Justice of the Court of

CommonPleas and was soonto becomeLord Chancellor.52

In conclusion,although there are very few visual sourcesor surviving materials about Wobum Farm, from a brief discussionone can infer the design elementsthat had great influence on Jeffersonlike the flowers along the serpentinewalkway, which was also seenat Claremont.Jefferson also enjoyedthe idea about the integrationof farm and garden,as his Monticello was a working plantationand a garden.

52 Shackleford,pg. 54

51 Caversham,

Wotton,

Stowe

"Jefferson and Adams spent the night at Wey Bridge before re-crossingthe Thamesto Reading. They admired views toward Windsor through great, tree-lined avenues."S3On April 5 and 6 they drove through the villages of Wallingford and Thame to visit Caversham,Viscount Cobham's estatesat Wotton and Stowe before spendingthe night in the village of Buckingham.

53Shackleford, pg. 54 52 CA VERSHAM Caversham Park, Reading, RG4 STZ United Kingdom

throughthe country.

Before visiting the very famous Stowe and Wotton estatesJefferson briefly

visited CavershamEstates and Park. Cavershamis locatedin Reading,United Kingdom,

which is an urban areain the English county of Berkshire,but before 1911it was known

as Oxfordshire. It is eastof London and nearthe River Thamesbut not directly situated

alongthe river.

CavershamPark is a Victorian stately home with parkland in the suburb of

Caversham.Originally, CavershamManor was a fortified manor house/castlehome of

William Marshal,Earl of Pembrokeand Protectorof the Realm, and later of the Earls of

Warwick. QueenElizabeths I's treasurer,Sir FrancisKnollys, bought the estatein 1542

but was not able to take possessionfor over 40 years. It was at this time where he built

the first greatmansion there on higher ground. Later, the estatebecame the home of the

Earl of Craven,and during the civil war his absencein Europe along with his Royalist

payroll, led to its confiscationand the housewas used,for a time, as the luxurious prison

of King CharlesI. After the war, however,it wasin disrepairthat it waspulled down.

S3 There have been a number of subsequentmansions on the site, however the one that

Jeffersonwould seewas built in 1718 when Lord Cadoganbegan to rebuild the house.

Lord Cadogan was a good friend to Duke of Marlborough and tried to

Caversham'sgardens rival Blenheim Palace. The presentbuilding (SeeFigure 56) was

erectedafter a fire in 1926 and is currently home to the BBC World Monitoring Station,

as well as the homeof Radio Berkshire.

Fig. 56. Image of the Present Mansion in Cav~ham Paric. Here you can ~ the approach wh~ the house looks as though it is floating. Jefferson'sdescription ofCaversham was "that it was a 25 acregarden, 400 acre

park, a kitchen garden,a large lawn, separatedby a sunk fence from the garden,and a

straightbroad gravel walk passesbefore the front & parallel to it, terminatedon the right

by a Doric Temple,& openingat the other end on a fine prospect,where this straightline

has an ill effect. The lawn in front, which is pastureis well disposedwith clumps of

trees.,,54

Jefferson's analysis focusedmostly on the approachto Caversham. This was

mirrored from the description of the approach from Thomas Whatley's book.

introduction to Chapter XLV describes "approach" as the following; " Upon the

principlesregularity hasbeen required in the approach;and an additionalidea of a seatis

54Willis, Peter.Hunt, JohnDixon. The Geniusof the Place.the En2lish LandscaoeGarden. 1620 - 1820. London, United Kingdom: ElekBooks LTD, 1975.(pg. 334) 54 therebyextended to a distance;but that may be doneby other meansthan by an avenue;

a private road is easily known; .A mere line of perspectivebe the extent what it may,

will seldomcompensate for the lots of that spacewhich divides, and of the parts which it

conceals."SS

This description offers what Whatley thinks of the possibilities of a good

approach,and thus Jefferson's framework for a good approach.Whatley describesthe

approachto Cavershamas,

Though a mile in length, and not once in sight of the housetill close upon it, yet can never be mistakenfor any other way than it is; a passage through a park is not introduced with so much distinction, so precisely marked, or kept in such preservation... Crossing the whole breadth of a lovely valley; the road is conducted along the bottom, continually winding in natural easysweeps, and presentingat every bend somenew sceneto the view; at last it gently slantsup the side of a little rise to the mansion,where the eminencewhich seemedinconsiderable, is found to be a very elevatedsituation (SeeFig. 56), to which the approach, without once quitting the valley, had been insensibly ascendingall the way. In its progress,it never breaksthe scenesthrough which it passes; the plantations and the glades are continued without intemlption, quite acrossthe valley; the opposite sides have a relation to each other, not answering,not contracted,but connected.,,56

Whatley describesthe approach,which Jeffersondesired so much and strove to

achieve in his own approachat Monticello. See Figure 57 and the descriptions of

Whatley can be seen. Although it is modem day and the valley is not the sameas it was,

still the park, garden,natural sweeps,and the road canbe seen.

55Whatley, pg. 1~8-140 56Whatley, pg. 140 55 In conclusion,Caversham had the greatestinfluence on Jefferson'sidea of what

an ideal approachshould be. The way that the approachis perfectedwas admiredby

Jefferson and he imitated many of these qualities into this approach to his own home.

S1"2T14c.91~ O"S8'22.a.4-w 200 YDS Fig. 57. CavershamParlc aM Mansionfrom a sattelitemanipulated image. Notice the park, approach,and woodedalaS ~n'bed in Whatley's approachof Caversham.

56 WOTTON Wotton Estate, Wotton Underwood, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom

F1g.58. (Above) Map of United Kingdom to show Jeffersontravel ~ion through the country.

Wotton Underwoodis a village in Buckinghamshire,England. It is locatedin the

Aylesbury Vale about three and a half miles west of Waddesdonand about four miles

north of Long Crendon. The Aylsebury Vale is a large areaof flat land, and madeup of

clay that was formed at the end of the ice age. At this time the vast undergroundreserves

of water that madethe water table higher than in the averageVale which helps support

Wotton water features.57This is a key point becausewhen Jeffersonwas consideringhis

own troubles in securing adequatewater supply at Monticello, he must have envied

Wotton's lake, river, basin, andhigh water table, which he calculatedcomprised seventy-

two acresand produced "2000 braceof carp a year.,,58

The manor house in the village of Wotton Underwood is called Wotton House.

The work on the home began in 704 and was completedin 1714, before Jefferson

arrived,by Richard Grenville (1646-1719).It was a statementof the growing wealth and

ambitionsof the Grenvilles. The designerof Wotton is unkown, however,much of the

57http://en.wikipedia.ord/wiki/aylsebury_vale S8Shackleford, pg. 54 57 designis owed to John Sheffield's Buckinham House in London, built aroundthe same

time. The manor house was at that time the principle seat of the Grenville family, a

family which had been associatedwith Wotton since at least 1155,a notable memberof

whom was GeorgeGrenville. The housestill existsin full form, and is consideredone of

the finest examplesof Georgianarchitecture in the country (SeeFig. 59).

Fig. 59. (Above Left) EntIa1K:eto the Wotton House, and you can see the Fig. 60. (Above Right) Wotton Clock Lodge Georgian architecture

Jefferson'sstop at Wotton revealedhis disappointmentin the estate.He found it

"much neglected"with only two men detailed "to keepthe pleasuregrounds in order."s9

However,the river, the walks and the water were to be admired. According to Whatley,

water is key in the composition. "In the compositionof this scene,the river, both as part

itself, and as uniting the other parts, has a principal share... it is capableof the most

exquisite beauty in its form; and though not in space,may yet in disposition have

pretensionsto greatness...,,60Jefferson approximated the surfaceof the lake to be about

50 acres,the river about 5 acres,the basin 15 acres,the little river about 2 acres,for a

59Shackleford, pg. 54 60Whatley, pg. 82 58 total of 72 acresof water. The lake and great river are on a level and they fall into the

little river about 5 feet below. A walk goes round the whole estate, 3 miles in

circumferenceand containing about 300 acres, and sometimesit passesclose to the

water, sometimeso far off as to leaver larger pasturegrounds between the path and the

water (See Fig. 61). And as we know from previous chapters,the importance of

serpentinewalks, vs. straight walks, and how much value serpentinewalks add to the

strengthof the designof Wotton. On July 22, 1804after Jeffersonhad visited the estate,

a young diarist womenby the nameof ElizabethWynne took a walk aroundthe gardens

and had this commentregarding the 3-mile walk around the water: "I took the entire

round of the gardens,three miles and was much delighted with the walks, which are

much more naturalthan thoseat Stowe.,,61

Whatley states,

" If the water at Wotton were all exposed,a walk of neartwo miles along

the bankswould be of a tediouslength, from the want of thosechanges of scenewhich now supply through the whole extent is so large as to admit of a division into four principle parts, all of them great in stile and in dimensions.. .one is a reachof a river. . .the next seemsto havebeen once a formal basin...the river is the third greatestdivision of the water; a lake into which falls the fourth... However interrupted,however varied, they still appearto be parts of one whole, which has all intricacy of number, and the greatnessof unity; variety of a stream,and the quantity of a lake; the solemnityof a wood, and the animationof water. 62

The water, the walks and the estate, regardlessof the poor upkee,p hold a

similarity in design with that of Caversham.Caversham had a magnificent approach,

while Wotton has magnificent featuresof water, and the key piece, which had greatest

61www.dukesofbuckingham.org/places/wotton/wotton.htm 62Whatley, pg. 88 59 influence on Jefferson's landscapearchitectural design, was the two estatesdesigners' ability to tie all the intricacies and the differences together in a seamlessmanner of continuity. Jeffersonread Whatley, visited theseestates, and began to tie togetherall the piecesto createsimilar featuresand amazementon his own estatewith the sameunity.

60 Wotton Houseand Estate APPROACH

Fig. 61. This satellite image shows the water bodies am serpentine paths of Wotton. Pay particular attention to the sittlation of the house am how the views are framed.

61 STOWE Stowe LandscapeGardens, Bucldnghamshire MK18 SEH, United Kingdom

Fig. 62. (Above) Map of United Kingdom to show Jefferson travel progression through the country.

TO Thee,great Master of the vocal String, 0 Pope, of Stowe'sElyzian ScenesI sing: That Stowe,which better far thy Muse Divine Commandsto live in one distinguishedLine. Yet let not thy superiorSkill disdain The friendly Gift of this PoetickPlan. The samepresiding Mule alike inspires ThePlanter's Spirit andthe Poet's Fires, Alike, unlessthe Muse propitious smile, Vain is the Planter's, vain the Poet's Toil. ALL great,all perfectWorks from Geniusflow, The British Iliad hence,and hence the Grovesof Stowe.63

To prefacethe introduction of the famous Stowe LandscapeGardens, I will say

that this topic is far too vast and deepto cover in one chapterof this thesis. As you can

see from Figure 63 the elementsand buildings within Stowe are numerous.What this

chapter will strive to do is focus on key elements at Stowe that have influence on

Jefferson'sMonticello.

63West, Gilbert Stowe.the Gardensof the Ri2ht HonourableRichard Lord Viscount Cobham.London: T. Wright for Lawton Gilliver, 1732. 62 Current Garden & Park Buildings and Temples The Gardens The Park

Artificial Ruins Barracks Bell Gate Bourbon Tower Captain Grenville's Column Buckingham Lodges Chatham Urn Boycott Pavilions Chinese House Corinthian Arch Closet Entrance Gateway & Oxford Congreve Monument Lodge Cook Monument Home Farm Copper Bottom Cascade General Wolfe's Obelisk Dido's Cave Gothic Umbrello Doric Arch New Inn Farm East & West Lake Pavilions Oxford Bridge Fane of Pastoral Poetry Second Duke's Obelisk Gothic Cross Silverstone Lodges Gothic Temple Equestrian Statue of King Grotto George I Hermitage Stowe Castle Lamport Lodge Water Stratford Lodge Lord Cobham's Pillar Menagerie Palladian Bridge Pebble Alcove Queen Caroline's Statue Queen's Temple Rotondo St. Mary's Church Saxon Deities Seasons' Fountain Shell Bridge Temple of Ancient Virtue Temple of British Worthies Temple of Concord & Vidory Temple of Friendship Temple of Venus Former Garden & Park Buildings and Temples The Gardens The Park

Apollo & the Nine Muses DeerBam Cold Bath Chackmore Fountain Couch81's Obelisk Great Barn Egyptian Pyramid Kitchen Garden Gas Works Keeper's House Ice House Kennels Imperial Closet LuffieidLodges Nelson's Seat Polo Ground Nursery Garden Rifle Range Octagon Boat House Queen's Theatre Rustic or Wooden Bridge St. Augustine's Cave Shell & Pebble Rotondos Sleeping Parlour Statue of King George II Stone Bridge Sundial Parlour Temple of Bacchus Temple of Contemplation Temple of Modem Virtue Vicarage House & School House Witd1 House Wooden Bridge

Fig. 63. Thi5list mom WI the element5within Stowe~DPe 0AIdeD5and the differencebetween present and past

63 Stowe LandscapeGardens are located very near Wotton Estateand Gardensand they were, at many times, ownedby the sameGrenville fan1ily and the famousViscount

Cobham. Stowe was owned, enhancedand expandedunder the auspicesof one family for almost 300 years. Today, it reflects the work of two membersin particular, Lord

Cobham and his nephew, Earl Temple, also known as Richard Grenville, when the aristocraticdynasty was at the height of its power, wealth and influence.

The first personto leaseStowe was a man by the nameof PeterTemple, a sheep famler from Burton Dassetin Warwichshire,in 1571.John, Peter's son, inherited Stowe in 1578.The estatecontinued to thrive and he purchasedthe manor outright elevenyears later. The 4thBaronet, Viscount Cobham,inherited Stowein 1697at agetwenty-one. In his day he was one of the foremost generalsand Whig politicians. He is best known today for his major additionsand creationsin the Stowelandscape. With his marriageto

Anne Halsey he gained great wealth and could therefore afford extensivework on the estate,which beganin 1711 It was at this point that he createda large gardenstaff, and started adding pieces like avenues,parterres, canals, and large buildings. While Lord

Cobham was very hands-on and oversaw and designedmany of the elementsof the

Stowe landscape,the scale of his ideas and land becameso great that he called on the famous CharlesBridgeman, the royal gardener,and Sir John Vanbrugh, architect and close friend, to help realize and build his ideas and designs.By 1724 over twenty-eight acresand at leastten structureshad beencompleted.

Sir John Vanbrugh, the current royal gardenerat Stowe, died in 1726 and was replacedby JamesGibbs, and then Gibbs was replacedby William Kent who helped pioneermuch of Stoweand completesthe remainingwishes of Viscount Cobham.

Before Thomas Jefferson'svisit to Stowe LandscapeGardens the gardenswere passedon to RichardGrenville who later becameEarl Temple and succeededhis uncle in

64 1749. Earl Temple, in 1752,after the passingof his mother, was largely consideredthe

richestman in Englandand, like his uncle, spentmost of his wealth refining andmolding

the magnificent gardensand house. He continuedwork on the houseand gardenswith

the help of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown and Richard Woodwood up until 1775. He

finished both of the facadesof the house,which took eight years,and then five months later he died in 1776. This was the point of work at which Jeffersonvisited. 64

At Stowe the gardens,workforce, park, and manor were all extravagantand

immense. Fifteen men and eighteenboys maintainedits three hundred acresof walled

park, divided meadowsand woods by ha-has.(Note: Rememberfrom previous chapters

the differencebetween the commonha-ha and the ha-hadesigned at Monticello, because

the samedifference will be seenhere.)

The approachat Stowe was somewhatsimilar to the approachat Wotton. It was

not a straight approachand it went through many differents facets of the landscape.

After approachingthe mansionalong a mile-long avenue,you would reach a Corinthian

arched gateway sixty feet

high and sixty feet across

(See Fig. 64), which

Jeffersondisliked because,

the Corinthian Arch has a

very useless appearance,

inasmuch as it has no

pretension to any Fig. 64. The CorinthianArch as seenfrom the approachto Stowe

64

65 destination.Instead of being an object from the house,it is an obstacleto a very pleasing

distant prospecttthe Graecianvalley being clear of treestwhile the hill on each side is

coveredwith them, is much deepenedto appearance.',6SIt was a distractionbecause you

do not passthrough the arch on the approachand it clutters the view to the surrounding

landscape.

Jefferson'svisit to Stowe was at the tail end of all the major renovationsso, as a

result, many of the earlier modificationswere lost, including the Kentian invention of an

Egyptianpyramid~ two rotundas~and a grotto. Three templeswere left to embellishthe

park, a circular one dedicatedto Ancient Virtue (SeeFig. 65), and two rectangularones

dedicated to Venus (See Fig. 66) and to Concord and Victory (See Fig. 67).

Fig. 65. The Templeof Ancient Fig. 66. The Temple of Venusacross Fig. 67. The Templeof Concordand Virtue. This templehonoured fom from the Eleven-AcreLake. It dates Victory is the largestand grandestof greatGreek men, Socrates,Homer, from173l and marksthe start of the Templesat Stowe. It was Lycurgus,and Epaminondas. William Kent's work at Stowe. originally built in 1749. Representedthe virtues lacking in Lord Cobham'scontemporaries. Jeffersonnever erecteda temple of this scale at Monticello, but these temples

were very similar to many of the temples that he had seen in his previous travels

althoughthey differed vastly in scaleand quality. The houseitself has similarities in the

basicsof the building footprint and layout (SeeFig. 68 and 69).

65Willis and Hunt, pg. 335 66 Fig. 68. A plan of Monticello, and highlighted in orangehighlights the extendedarms and main body of the house.

Fig. 69. Seehighlighted in orangethe similar elementsof Stow that were highlighted in Fig. 68 in Jefferson'splan.

67 StoweLandscape Garden and Estate 51"2T14.91~ O"58'22.84-W

Fig. 70. Here you can seethe 400 plus acresof garden,house, and park. The estateis immensewith many different typesof paths roadways,lakes, garden, and hasa northwestorientation. Stowe's history is immense,and its culture is incredibly deep. The gardensand estatehave the largest concentrationsof historical buildings in the United Kingdom.

With its 400 acres of gardensand grounds it is an incredible estateto see and visit.

Jeffersonsaw the estateat the height of its times, and as a result had greatinfluence upon his thinking as a landscapearchitect. The house and estate have currently been transformedinto a schooland a global site of interest.

69 Leasowes,

Hagley Hall,

Blenheim Palace

Adams and Jeffersonspend the night at Binningham (Halesowen). They walked around the town and inspecteda "manufactory of paintings upon paper." There Jeffersonvisited a hairdresserand bought somebooks and a candlestickfor night readingin country inns. Following Whately's advice, he and Adams went to see Leasowes.The party then spent the night at Stourbridgebefore visiting Hagley Hall.65

65 Shackleford,pg. 56

71 LEASOWES Leasowes Park, Blowers Green Road, Halesowen, DY2 8UZ United Kingdom

FIg. 71. (Above) Map of United Kingdom to show Jeff~n travel prograsion through the country. Adams and Jefferson visited the famous estate of the English poet William

Shenstonewho had named his ISO-acrefarm after the nearby Anglo-Saxon village of

Halesowen.William Shenstonedeveloped his 57-hectarepark betweenthe yearsof 1743

and 1763 as a ferme ornee, and he was one of the earliest practitioners of landscape

gardening.His estateis one of the earliestEnglish landscapegardens, which becamethe

international rage of the second half of the eighteenth century. 66

William Shenstonewas born on November 13, 1714 and died on February 11,

He inherited the Leasowesestate, and retired there in 1745 to undertakewhat

proved the chief work of his life, which is to makehis property someof the finest in the

He embarked on elaborate schemesof landscapegardening, which gave the

Leasowescelebrity, but madeShenstone very poor in the process.

66Shackleford, pg. 56

72 The poet had been dead nearly twenty-threeyears by the time Jeffersonvisited, and the original house had been replacedby the new proprietor and he erecteda new house in the garden (See Fig. 72). Many of the landscapeelements that were there remained the same and, according to Whatley, was one of the finest examplesof a pastoralfann, and a ferme omee. As discussedbefore, a ferme ornee is an ornamental farm, and Whatley took it one step further to say the farm is a pastoralfarm. Herein lies the conflict of interest with this estate,because by the time Jeffersonhad arrived at the state it was no longer the ferme ornee of Shenstone'stime; however, when Whatley describedthe fann it was at the height of its ornamentalfann design.

Fig. 72. A view of the existing houseat Leasowes.

Jeffersonwas not overly impressedwith Leasowes.He stated:

150 acreswithin the walk, the waterssmall [SeeFig. 73]. This is not even an ornamentalfaml it is only a grazingfaml with a path round it. Here & there a seatof board,rarely any thing better.Architecture has contributed nothing. The obelisk is of brick. .. the 1st and 200cascades are beautiful.

The landscapeat N 18 and prospect32 are fine. The walk throughthe wood is umbrageousand pleasing.67

67 Willis and Hunt, pg. 336

73 Fig 73. A picture of the water, which Jeffersonlabeled as "small." Almost all that was still beautiful when Jeffersonarrived was the superbnatural setting on Mucklow Hill that provided a panoramic view of the Malvern Hills to the southand the Wrekin on the west. In addition to theseprospects, he also found the walk through the woods pleasing. All in all, Jeffersonfound as much to disappointhim as to please him.68

According to Whatley, and what Jeffersonhoped to view, was a revelation in the world of landscapedesign with the attempt to unite two objects so incompatible as ornamentand profit. Whatley stated;

In speculation it might have been expected that the spirit essays of improvementshould have been on a falm, to make it both advantageous and delight; but the face was otherwise;a small plot was appropriatedto please;the rest was preservedfor profit only; and this may, perhaps,have beena principal causeof the vicious tastewhich long prevailedin gardens. 69

68Shackleford, Pi. 56 69Whatley, pg. 161

74 LEASOWESPARK and ESTATE

52.26' 56.65-N r ]' 58.39"W ZOOYDS

Fig. 74. An aerial view at the existing Leasowessite. Very little remainsof die original estateas it is a golf course,and die estatewas scheduledfor major restoration2006.

It was this, an aesthetic,profitable gardenfonn that Shenstonesought to achieve in his gardenand landscape. Many people including, SamuelJohnson, described it as ,. the envy of the great,and the admirationof the skillful: a place to be visited by travelers, and copied by designers.,,7oThis pastoral farm, were it to be in better shapewhen

Jeffersonvisited, might have had great influence on Jefferson'sdesign. As of 2006, the

70 http://www.gardenvisit,com/g/lea3.htm

75 Leasowesis the subject of an extensiverestoration project, since it has been neglected since his death. The home itself is the site of the Clubhousefor the HalesowenGolf

Course(See Fig. 74).

In conclusion,Shenstone designed his gardenas carefully as a painter composing a picture, explainingthat "landskip should containvariety enoughto form a picture upon canvas;and this is no bad test, as I think the landskip painter is the gardener'sbest designer."Jefferson, while not liking the groundsthemselves, hired GeorgeParkyns, the landscapepainter, to help him with Monticello's grounds. In summingup his theoriesof design, Shenstonesaid: "Art, indeed, is often requisite to collect and epitomize the beautiesof nature, but should never be suffered to set his mark upon them: I mean in regardto those articles that are of nature's province: the shapingof ground,the planting of trees,and the dispositionof lakes and rivulets."?} While very little is left of Leasowes garden and park except for a golf course - it was such theories that Shenstonehad describedthat had so greatly influencedJefferson's great design at Monticello.

71Nichols, FrederickDoveton and Griswold, Ralph E. ThomasJefferson. Landscane Architect Charlottesville,V A: The University Pressof Virginia, 1978.(pg. 80)

76 HAGLEY HALL Hagley, Worcestershire, DY9 9LG, United Kingdom

Ag. 75. (Above) Map ofUniteAi Kingdom to sOOwJefferson travel progression through the country. After an evening spent in Stourbridge,the next visit Jeffersonand Adams made

was to Hagley Hall, the seat of Sir William Henry Lyttleton. Sir William had been

governor of South Carolina a generationearlier. Hagley Hall is in Worcestershire,a

county in the west midlands. The work of the mansionand most of the other buildings at

Hagley were the work of the Warwickshire gentleman-architectSanderson Miller, and

was one of the last great Palladianhouses to be built in England. The buildings and the

park are amongthe supremeachievements of the eighteenth-centuryEnglish architecture

and landscapegardening. And while Leasowesstarted the revolution, Hagley Hall and

the grounds perfected the English gardening style particularly under the direction of

GeorgeLyttleton, 1st Baron Lyttleton (1709- 1773).

72 http;ffen.wikipedia.org/wiki/hagley_hall

71 There has been a park at Hagley since the reign of Edward II, but the present outstandinglandscape was createdfrom about 1739 to 1764.73 So, unlike Jefferson's visit to Leasowes,many of the elementsseen by Jeffersoncan still be seentoday upon a visit to Hagley. Hagley Hall (See Fig. 76) was the purest example of Palladian architecturethat Jefferson ever saw. He had not seen a plan or picture of this house before going there,but he did own books that illustrated its prototypes,especially Andrea

Palladio'sdesign for the Villa Schio (SeeFig. 77).

Fig. 76. An imageof Hagley Hall. and its PalladianArchitecture

Fig. 77. Villa Schio.Note the similarities in the entrancestairs and window structure.

73 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/hagley_hall

78 The Villa Schio had only two towers to "nobilate" it, but Hagley Hall had four stubby ones (See Fig 78). The Italian villa's suite of three large principal apartmentsen suite, plus two staircasesand a stair chamberon the piano nobile, becamein Englanda gallery, sevenprincipal apartments,and two stairs and passagewayslighted by skylights. Both the Italian Villa and the English hall are set on generousbasements!4

Fig. 78. Notice the four towers,and the classicPalladian staircase entrance. Also notice the indirect approachto the house,a very classicEnglish landscapeapproach.

Jefferson's own descriptionsof Hagley Hall and all his visits to these estates, indicatehis interestin the practical as well as in the aesthetic.7S Of Hagley he said:

Onethousand acres: no distinction betweenpark & garden-Both blended,but more of the characterof garden. Either eight or nine laborers keepit in order. Betweentwo and threehundred deer in it, someof them

74Shackleford, pg. 57 75Nichols, pg. 82

79 red deer.They breedsometimes the fallow. This gardenoccupying a descendinghollow betweenthe Clent and Witchbury hills, with the spurs from thosehills, thereis no level in it for spaciouswater. There are, therefore,only somesmall ponds.From one of thesethere is a fine cascade;but it can only be occasionally,by openingthe sluice. This is a small, dark, deephollow, with recessesof stonein the bankson every side. In one of theseis a Venuspredique, turned half round as if inviting you with her into the recess. Thereis anothercascade seen from the portico on the bridge. The castleis triangular,with a round tower at each angle,one only entire; it seemsto be betweenforty and fifty feet high. The pondsyield a greatdeal of trout. The walks are scarcelygraveled. 76

SometimesJefferson's descriptions of English estatesmatched those of Whatley's and in this casethey did. Whatley used Hagley to reveal how to blend park and garden. Whatley states," The excellenciesboth of a park and of a garden are thus happily blended at Hagley where the scenesare equally elegant and noble."?? Hagleys Park boasted a grotto, Palladian bridge, sham castle, statue of Venus, and a great obelisk commemoratingLyttleton's patron, Frederick, Prince of Wales. The most interesting piece about Hagley is that it is situatedon a site similar to that of Monticello. The site commandedan almost 270- degree vista of higher mountains and the plains. While

Monticello is vastly different from the Palladian villa of Hagley; Jeffersonpraised its grounds, " the blending of sceneswas skillfully done as well as the location of the graveled walks along the contour lines." These walks became the prototype for

Monticello's roundabouts(See Fig. 79).

76Willis and Hunt, pg. 336 77Whatley, pg. 194

80 52' 25'27.49"" 1- TO.9rW 2OOYDS

Fig. 79. A basicanalysis of the stmctureof Hagley Estate,note the pathwaystructure and the distancefrom the lake.

81 In conclusion,Whatley says,"two charactersare intimately blended;the whole is one subject;it was a bold idea to conceivethat one to be capableof so much variety; it requiredthe most vigorous efforts of a fertile fancy to carry that idea into execution.,,78

Hagley had great influence on Jefferson,including the blending of the gardenand park, as well as the pathwaysthat are so skillfully located along the contour lines. He praised the grounds.

78Whatley, pg. 206

82 BLENHEIM PALACE Woodstock, Oxfordshire, DY9 9LG, United Kingdom

Fig.80. (Above) Map ofUnited Kingdom to show Jefferson travel progression through the country. After spendingnights at Worcesterand at Moreton, Jeffersonand Adams went to

Woodstock,where they slept after viewing Blenheim Palace. Jefferson,who did not like

Versailles becauseof its extravagant,grandiose, and sumptuouspalace, would certainly

have felt the sameway about the palace that Vanbrugh had built at Blenheim Palace.

Becauseof the mis-scale and complete difference from Monticello, the depth of this

section will not be the same as previous chapters.Abigail Adams, John Adam's wife,

describedthe Blenheim Palace,as "a week to view it and a volume to describeit." The

gardensand the estateare far too vast to describein a few short pages.79

The Palace,one of England's greatesthouses (See Fig. 81) was built between

1705and 1722. Its constructionwas originally intendedto be a gift to JohnChmchill, the

I st Duke of Marlborough,from a grateful nation in return for military triumph againstthe

79 Shackleford,pg. 58

83 French and Bavarians. However, it soon becamethe subject of "political infighting, which led to Marlborough's exile, the fall from power of his Duchess,and irreparable damageto the reputationof the architectSir JohnVanbrugh." 80

Fig. 81. Views of the Palace

Jeffersonnoted that of the estate'stwenty-five hundredacres, two hundredwere devotedto ornamentalgardens, twelve to kitchen gardens,thirty to park, one hundredand fifty to water, and the remainderto pasture,woods, and crop fields. While the Palaceand grounds are vast, with many different facets of landscapearchitecture and design, the piece to focus on accordingto ThomasWhatley is the riverbanks and lake. Capability

Brown had swept away the original parterresat Blenheim and moved fifty-foot trees in order to createa natural,English gardenin the 1750's. The most remarkablething he had done, however, was to raise the level of its lake, even though doing so flooded part of

Vanbrugh'slovely bridge (SeeFig. 82).

80 http://www.blenheimpalace.com/palacep'ifahistory.htm

84 Fig. 82. An imageof Vanbrugh's bridge. Notice how it was flooded by Capability Brown.

This bridge and the flooding was the focus ofWhatleys descriptionas the positive pieceof BlenheimPalace. Whatley writes:

In the front of Blenheim was a deepbroad valley. . .even a direct approach could not be made,without building a monstrousbridge over this cast hollow: but the forced communicationwas only a subjectof raillery, and the scenecontinued broken into two parts,absolutely distinct from each. other. This valley hasbeen lately flooded; it is not filled; the bottom only is coveredwith water; the sidesare still very high, but they are no longer the steepsof a chasm;they arethe bold shoresof a noble river. The same bridge is standingwithout alterationbut no extravaganceremains; the water gives it propriety. 81

The description by Whatley emphasizesthe period's direction away from the baroque and classical landscapeinto the NatwoalEnglish Landscape.In fact, Jefferson was so enchantedby the river, lake, and cascadethat he was not contentwith Whatley's printed description and wrote in his memorandwnbook that, "the water here is very beautiful andvery grand.The cascadefrom the lake is a fine one,,82(See Fig. 82).

81Whatley, pg. 78 82 Shackleford,pg. 58

85 Fig. 83. The cascadeswhich Jeffersonadmired

Jeffersonwhile he was fond of the lake (SeeFig. 84) and the water cascadesthere was very little else that he liked, and he made no comment about the interior of the palace.Jefferson must have envied the Duke's library of twenty-four thousandvolumes and his observatory,"whence the duke, an amateurastronomer, sent visual signalsto the

Fig. 84. A view of the lake and palace

83 Shackleford,pg. 59

86 Today the palace remains the home of the Dukes of Marlborough - the present

incumbent of the title being John George Vanderbilt Spencer-Churchill,11 th Duke of

Marlborough. The palace is open to the public, and contains tourist attraction in the grounds,but the atmosphereis still that of a large country house.

In conclusion,Jefferson was only fond of the lack and simplicity that it broughtto the palace.While he envied the wealth and the treasureswithin the palace itself, the designand architecturehad very little effect on Jefferson'sMonticello.

87 Enfield Chase,

Moor Park, Kew

After their adventuresnorthward in England,Jefferson and Adams cameback to London. After their return to the city of London, Jefferson alone visited Enfield Chase,and together they visited the nearby Moor Park, in Hertfordshire. Jefferson then made one last visit to London's southernperiphery to visit Kew.84

84 Shackleford, pg. 58

88 ENFIELD CHASE Enfield Chase,London, England

Fig. 85. (Above) Enlargedmap of the London to show Fig. 86. (Above) Map of United Kingdom to show JeffersontI1Ivel Jeff~on's travel progressionwithin the city. pro~sion throughthe country.

Enfield Chase is a remnant of what had been a royal hunting preserve and

woodland before the English Civil Wars on the northern periphery of London. In the

reign of Henry II, the parish of Edmontonand adjoining parisheswere, for the most part,

a forest which was then so extensivethat it reachedthe City of London about 12 miles

north. Enfield Chasewas part of this forest, which also belongedto the citizens of

London. By 1154what had beenknown asthe Park of Enfield or Enfield Wood had been

convertedinto a hunting ground, or chase85,The title of Enfield chasewas not known

until the early 14th century. For hundreds of years the chase was owned by the

Mandeville and then the de Bohun families. In a charter of 1166-89 the hamlet of

Southgate,sited around what is now the famous CharlesHolden Southgatetube station,

receivesa mention. By an act in 1777,the Enfield Chaseceased to exist as an entity just

nine yearsbefore Jeffersonvisited. The chasecovered an areaof 8,349 acres. Because

8S Shackleford,pg. ,58

89 of the act in 1777,the chasewas cut up and divided amongthe following authorities(See

Fig. 87).86

Fig. 87. Table of the Division of land of what usedto be the Enfield Chaseentity

Becauseof this division, very little remains as Jefferson saw it. One part had becomethe site of the Enfield GrammarSchool, whose master was said to havebeen the first to plant a cedarof Lebanonin England. In the mid-eighteenthcentury the Earl of

Chathampurchased and improved anotherportion with a garden of about sixty acres.

The pieceof Enfield Chasethat Jeffersondid visit is currently a golf course.

86 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enfield_Chase

90 What can be taken from Jefferson'sexperience is the short paragraphhe wrote about Enfield Chase. Jefferson stated:

One of the 4 lodges, garden is about 60 acres originally done by Lord Chatham, now in the tenure of Doctor Beaver, who married the daughter of Mr. Sharpe. The lease lately renewed not in good repair. The water very fine. Would admit of great improvement by extending walks and to the principle of water at the bottom of the lawn. R7

In conclusion, Enfield Chase as extrapolated from Jefferson's thoughts had very little influence upon him or his design for Monticello. The only piece that could have had influence on Jefferson is the situation of the Temple of Pan at the South Lodge.

According to Whatley this was one of the finest pieces at Enfield Chase; however, given

Jefferson's limited interest in Temples this site was of much less influence than those of the previouslyvisited sites.

87 Willis and Hunt, pg. 336

91 MOOR PARK Moor Park, Richmansworth, Hertfordshire WD3 lQN, London, United Kingdom

Fig. 88. (Above) En1aIgedmap of the London to show Fig. 89. (Above) Map of United Kingdom to show Jeffmon mvel Jeffmon's ~vel progressionwithin the city. progrt'.1sion through the CountIy.

Close to Enfield Chasewas Moor Park, a two-story mansion(See Fig. 90) where

Sir LawrenceDundsas had employed Robert Adam to improve in the 1760's. Curving

Colonnadeswere added,and they tenninatedin small, one-storypavilions (SeeFig. 91).

One of the pavilions housed an octagonaltearoom decoratedto give the illusion of a

tropical gardenwith palm tree columnsand fronds at the comers.88

Fig. 90. The Moor Park Mansionas it exists today, the clubhouseof a golf course

88 Shackleford,pg. 60

92 Fig. 91. The Moor Park Mansion as it existedwith RobertAdam's Colonnades.

One may infer that Jefferson'sreason for going to Moor Park was to inspectthe neoclassicalimprovements. However, he would not have known that the new owner,

ThomasBates Rous, was pulling down Adam's colonnades. The other inferencethat is possibleis that Jeffersonwent to Moor Park to evaluatethe estatesgrounds in light of the greatpraise set out in Whatley's book:

At Moor Park, on the back front of the house,is a lawn of about thirty

acres,absolutely flat; with falls below it on one hand, and heightsabove it

on the others.The rising ground is divided into three great parts, eachso

distinct and so different, as to have the effect of severalhills. That nearest

to the houseshelves gently under an open grove of noble trees... The next

is a large hill, pressingforward, and coveredwith wood from the top to the

bottom... The third is a bold steep,with a thicket falling down the steepest

93 part... They recedeone beyond another,and the outline waves agreeably

amongstthem. They do more than concealthe sharpensof the edge;they

convert a deformity into a beauty, and greatly contribute to the

embellishmentof this most lovely scene;a scene,however, in which the

flat is principal; and yet a more varied, a more beautiful landskip, can

hardly be desiredin a garden.89

Whatley greatly admiredhow such distinct and different fonns of land could be so smoothly molded together to fonn a cohesive,beautiful garden.However, Jefferson arriving a few yearslater, found the "Lawn about 30 acres,a piece of ground up the hill of 6 acres-a small lake--clumps of Spruce firs-surrounded by walks. Separately inclosed and destroying unity.,,90

While Whatley's descriptionswere elegantand beautiful, Jefferson'sdescriptions were not enthusiastic.He was not impressed. The only thing that Jeffersonadmired was the portico's four Corinthian columnsat the front and a broad terraceat the back.

In conclusion,Jefferson enjoyed visiting Moor Park and admiredpieces here and there,but in generalwas not impressed.As a result very little of the landscapeat Moor

Park translatedinto Jefferson'sown landscapeat Monticello.

89Whatley, pg. 5-6 90Willis and Hunt, pg. 336

94 KEW GARDENS The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, United Kingdom

Fig. 93. (Above) Map of United Kingdom to show Jefferson travel progression through the country.

Jefferson's last visit while in England was to London's southernperiphery on

April 14 to seethe famousRoyal Botanic Gardens,usually referredto as Kew Gardens.

A London Merchant built the palace,or Dutch House, in the 1630's (See Fig. 94). A century later, the royal family had commencedusing it as a country house. Once the residenceof Georgeill's older sons and their tutor it had becomeQueen Charlotte and

King George's favorite residence near London. The Queen herself had a lot of enthusiasmfor gardening,and as a result, the Kew gardenswere rich with many roses, carnations,pinks, and orange,lemon, and tea trees.91

Neither Jefferson nor Mr. Whatley had any comments on Kew, so the understanding of the influences of this enormous parkt gardent palace and conservatory is rather limited. Nevertheless, Jefferson did make a sketch and copied the mathematical formula of Kew's model of Archimedes screw for raising water.

91 Shackleford, pg. 60

95 This model for raising water is incredibly fascinatingand rather simple.

The water screw(aka Archimedesscrew) consists ora cylinder containingseveral continuoushelical walls that, when the entire cylinder is rotated on its longitudinal axis, scoopup water at the openlower end and dwnp it out at the upper end (SeeFig. 95).92

Fig. 94. Kew Palace,formerly known as the Dutch House

Fi2. 95. Archimedesscrew (Water screw)

92Dalley, Stephanie,and PeterOleson, John. Technologyand Culture. Chicago:Jan 2003. Vol. 44, lss. I pg. 1, 26pgs.(pg. 1)

96 Jeffersonnever seemedto put the water screw to use in America. Becauseof the high elevationof Monticello Mountain from the Rivanna it madeit nearly impossibleto usewater screwto raisewater to supportMonticello.93

In conclusion,Jefferson visited Kew Gardensfor his pleasurerather than for an in-depthlook at its designfor applicationat Monticello. Also, due to the sheersize of the gardensit is difficult to analyzeits design,layout, and its influenceson Monticello. Many books have been written about Kew and, notwithstandingits apparentlyinconsequential impact on Monticello, is worth visiting to seethe gardensin their fullest grandeur.

93 Shackleford,pg. 60

97 Jeffersonwas absentfrom his post in Paris for almost six weeksby the time he finished his travelsthrough Englandwhen it was time to return. Jeffersonagreed with his friend John Adams in that they had seen"Magnificence, Eleganceand Taste enough.,,94

On May 3, 1786 Thomas Jefferson and John Adams arrived in Paris, concluding the journey of a lifetime.

The last third of Jefferson's life was the period of his greatestachievement in landscapearchitecture, in no small way, due to his highly influential trips to England.Of the many~many studiesof Jefferson~slife~ none have examinedhis trips to Englandand its impact on his designof Monticello in a visual manner. From the generally east-west

94 Shackleford,pg. 61

98 orientation of the estates, to the indirect, cross-front entry drives, the serpentine walkways, the expanse of lawns from line-of-sights along the east-west axis,

Monticello's plan was, in so many ways, lifted from the English countryside. "In his life, as in his buildings and gardens,Jefferson's taste was marked by elegantrestraint. For him gardensshould be beautiful as well as useful, and one was not more important than the other',.9S

The analysis here, and the insight provides us with the English landscape influence on Jefferson'splan for his beloved Monticello, and is not the only significant impact arising from his time in England. Indeed, the knowledge and perspective that he gained while in England was brought home to America and became part of an entirely new and developing American landscape architecture style.

Monticello was acclaimed by many visitors, distinguished and common, who found the estate a remarkableand fascinating place, renowned for its innovative art, architecture, gardening and site planning. The intention of this thesis was to explore each great element of influence upon these features in a visual way that is easily discemable to the reader. It is with great hope that you found the thesis fascinating and that it sparked an interest that may lead to a great adventure one day to explore the many English estates and gardens and its incredible influence on Monticello and American landscape architecture.

95 Nichols, pg. 178

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