Brown and Green
It is easy to admire the 18th century landscapes of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown – even regarded as ‘nature perfected’ by some. He dispensed with the previously popular ideas of design formality, creating gardenless gardens intended to blend seamlessly into the surrounding countryside. Vistas of wide open undulating green grass, unconstrained by hedge, fence or a wall, evoking some imagined Arcadian idyll from long long ago…and of course also allowing the owners to pretend they owned the land as far as the eye could see! Clumps of trees here and mounds there, helped to effortlessly guide the eye to desired focal points. Water often played a part too. Rivers were diverted to form lakes where none had existed before. Existing valleys were filled and new ones created. So convincing are Brown’s designs that it is now impossible to imagine that anything else could have existed before his interventions. The great landowners loved the new style and it seems the popular Mr Brown may have relandscaped about 170 estates, as well as creating one for himself. Of course at the time, the ‘masses’ were excluded from enjoying these new inventions, just as they were excluded (except as servants) from enjoying the fine architecture of the beautiful mansion houses that were the centre-pieces of each one.
Popular though he was, the records show that Brown was not above criticism. His designs were considered repetitive by some – always combining the same elements of rolling grassland, mounds, trees and water. He was also criticised for his wilful destruction of what actually existed – both the natural landscape and the formal estate gardens of the time. One critic even wrote that he wanted to die before Brown - to get to heaven before Brown arrived to give it a make-over! Perhaps, with hindsight, some of these comments now seem a bit churlish. What Brown did was strip away one ‘artificial’ form of landscape, replacing it with the latest fashion of the time. If he were here now, I imagine that he might say that his gardens needed 50 to 100 years simply to bed in. The criticisms of the time were in effect no different to criticising a half-built house. And also, I would add, is there a corner of the UK that has not been transformed by us over the last 2,000 years? There are virtually no natural landscapes in the UK. Brown’s landscapes can now be seen at their best, forming some of our great parklands. They are also evolving to become homes for real biodiversity and they are generally open to all of us – the ‘masses’. We are all finally benefitting.
It was actually the design of golf courses that brought to my mind the works of Brown and his contemporaries. Aren’t they rather similar in many ways?
I am very lucky to have two very beautiful courses within easy walking distance. They are of completely different characters, but by their nature, they are akin to Brown’s vision, as are most golf courses – vast green landscapes running off into the distance, without hedge, fence or wall etc - designed for pleasure. But unlike Brown’s efforts, often hidden behind estate boundaries and originally planned for the enjoyment of the landed gentry only, golf courses can be seen by all and enjoyed by anyone who can afford the green-fees and wants to give the game a go. For those who do try, the reward is that they too can stroll across acres of undulating green sward, just like the landed gentry of yesteryear. Today, golf courses may be seen as our new great egalitarian landscaped estates – ‘nature perfected’ – but for everyone!
Separating Macduff where I live, from nearby Banff, is the River Deveron with its wide sandy estuary. A 200 year old stone-arched bridge runs east / west linking the two towns. As well as linking the towns, the bridge also divides the sandy beach to the north side from the Duff House Royal Golf Course to the south, which stretches majestically along the banks of the Deveron as far as the eye can see.
Seen from the golf course, this bridge plays its part as an architectural ‘set piece’ in the landscape, not dissimilar to the 5 arched Palladian bridge on the artificial lake at Stourhead in Wiltshire, although the Deveron bridge is not an architectural folly. Interestingly, this course was designed by non-other than Dr Alastair Mackenzie, who also designed the ‘Old Course’ at St Andrews and the ‘Augusta National’ in Georgia – heritage indeed! Trees dot the immaculate fairways running along-side the Deveron towards the distant hills that provide the backdrop and that also contain the sweep of this great fishing river. This beautiful golf course has all the elements of a ‘Brownian’ landscape and provides a spectacular backdrop for everyone crossing the Deveron Bridge.
To the east side of Macduff, running along the clifftops, is the Royal Tarlair Golf Course – almost 100 years old. This course is equally beautiful and of the two, even more dramatic, as the green fairway grass runs all the way to the cliff edge. This location is perhaps akin to the original golf ‘links courses’, where the game began. It was originally played on the uncultivated infertile ‘links’ lands between the sea and the arable land. In those days, the greens were the small areas of turf that grew amongst the marram grass, Sea Buckthorn and other seaside wild plants. Walking Tarlair, it is still possible to see areas where the bedrock emerges through the sometimes shallow turf – too shallow for a farmer’s plough – but suitable for golf.
Looking out from the Royal Tarlair clubhouse, the eye is led along the sharp cliff edge which disappears out-of-site down to the sea. And down there, the waves have cut the rocks into jagged teeth - stacks and spires that can be seen running on into the misty distance, stirring the imagination. The sea can be very moody, from flat calm to uncompromising and hostile all in one day. It pays to check the weather forecast before setting off! By contrast the manmade rolling green grass fits the ground like a comfortable blanket that has been gently laid over an unmade bed. The tension between the rough sea and the neatly-cut grassy fairways feels both enthralling and liberating in the gusty winds … with seabirds soaring and crying overhead; hollows filled with impenetrable gorse and many wildflowers too; clumps of hardy wild roses (Rosa rugosa) used to define the distant fairways in lieu of trees (too windy) … and of course those wonderful surreal greens … unlikely patches of perfectly smooth lawn, where the game is normally won or lost. The green of the famous par 3 hole 13, called ‘The Clivet’, is actually perched atop one of the rocky promontories with cliffs on 3 sides … an unforgettable test of golfing nerves!
And, if you are really lucky, you may even catch sight of the dolphins that call this part of the Aberdeenshire coast their home, or perhaps a passing oil tanker!
Who would have thought that golf – such a very simply game, would transform landscapes the world over! For me, it is not the game itself but the opportunity to gently stroll through those surreal green landscapes and the peace of mind this can create, that is the attraction of golf. It’s a game and a kind of therapy! Being out there, surrounded by the colour ‘green’, make us feel good, just as the act of being out in our gardens can also make us feel good. It is why actors have ‘green rooms’. Although SeeHow is a tool for garden colour planning - showing when plants are in flower, it is easy to forget that plants are mostly green - foliage and structure. This is why SeeHow shows the whole life-cycle of each plant. Green may be the most important colour of all! I like to think Brown instinctively understood these psychological benefits. His work wasn’t only about aggrandisement. Had he been around at the advent of golf, I think he would have also embraced golf course design. And what would he have made of the opportunity to create a cliff-top course at Tarlair, in Macduff? Would he have regarded the rocky landscape as having ‘capability’ – almost certainly!
Hole 13 ‘The Clivet’ - cliffs on 3 sides!
The above Text and all Photographs are copyright of Wincenty (Wicek) Sosna. Please contact SeeHow for permission to reproduce in any way, in part or as the complete text.