Having revisited both Stowe Landscape Gardens and Stourhead this year, this title took my fancy with its promise of considered historical and artistic discussion together with decent photographs of the buildings described.
With 18 chapters for different garden structures (lodges, bridges, temples etc), each chapter then being broadly chronological, this book can at times feel rushed, but only because the author provides so many examples, neatly describing points of interest and with an illustration for about every three to five buildings described (usually at least one illustration per page). The author has a lovely dry sense of humour that enlivens the text, which might otherwise deteriorate to a list of examples in each section after an explanation of the structure considered. As someone who has been to a reasonable number of the properties detailed, this book is a beautiful reminder of those visits, an interesting if brief guide to Georgian architectural history and an appetiser for future exploration.
Recommended if this form of art brings you joy, but the book does assume an educated layman’s knowledge of architectural terms and history to fully appreciate the text. ( )