Wise was apprenticed to George London, together the two produced formal gardens at Hampton Court, Chelsea Hospital, Longleat, Chatsworth, Wimpole Hall and Castle Howard. None of their complete designs remain intact, but you can see their work in historic paintings and plans.
At Clandon, the lime walk remains an original feature of the London and Wise gardens. Twenty six lime trees form a walkway stretching up to the church. The limes are not the original trees but they can be seen on many historic records. London and Wise also created the man-made slope to the south of the house. Three hundred years ago this south terrace gave views down onto the bowling lawn, now the parterre, and out over a formal garden.
The rest of the remaining London and Wise landscape is beyond our ownership. To the south, towards the Epsom Road, is a double avenue of limes and a small man-made hill designed to allow views of the gardens. South west of the house was a wilderness, a term used for an area of garden used to walk and find privacy. North of the house was another processional route, an enclosed deer park and a key shaped canal.
Lancelot Capability Brown
Born in 1715, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was the leading figure of the English landscape movement, his designs dominated the style. Brown’s talent for landscapes was drawn from his work as a kitchen gardener, his travels through Europe and his work for designer William Kent. In 1751 he set up his own business and in the next three decades Brown was responsible for 110 landscapes including Stowe, Cliveden and Claremont. He became known as ‘Capability’ Brown for his ability to see potential in landscapes that would take decades to mature.