THE LANDSCAPE GARDEN AT CHARLECOTE PARK, WARWICKSHIRE, 1747–68

The history of the landscape garden at Charlecote Park, near Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, has been the subject of much speculation. Several elements have been falsely attributed, while others have been ignored. New and overlooked evidence challenges long-standing assumptions of authenticity, especially when applied to the contributions of Lancelot Brown. Similarly, the exploration of Charlecote as one of Brown's early projects shows the park's importance in the germination of the Brownian landscape garden and suggests a missing link to Sanderson Miller. At Charlecote, and at the small number of contemporaneous projects, Brown honed his technical knowledge, tapped into existing partnerships and formed new associations. This paper explores the origins of what remains of the landscape garden at Charlecote today, providing an introduction to the landscape before Brown, the connection to Miller's milieu and the team that worked with Brown, and to the actual work that Brown undertook. The focus on Brown's involvement is further explored under four categories: the extant, the uncertain, the missing and the apocryphal.