Showing signs of ageing

The Repton Oak in Attingham Park.

While this oak is called The Repton Oak, tree surveys show that the tree is about 650 years old, so was here centuries before Repton arrived at Attingham. You can imagine Repton standing by the oak, surveying the landscape and contemplating how the tree would fit into his design.

Humphry Repton (21 April 1752 – 24 March 1818) was the last great designer of the classic phase of the English landscape garden, often regarded as the successor to Capability Brown. His style is thought of as the precursor of the more intricate and eclectic styles of the 19th century.

Unlike Brown and other famous predecessors, he only worked as a designer, not the contractor for executing his designs, and therefore made much less money. Many of his famous sketches with folding sections survive; these gave "before and after" views for his clients. He appears to be the first person to describe himself (on his business card) as a landscape gardener.



Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humphry_Repton