A STUDY IN GARDEN EXCESS
By all accounts, Englishman Charles Talbot had a winning ticket in the lottery of life. Upon the death of his childless uncle, George Talbot, in 1787, Charles inherited an impressive title–Earl of Shrewsbury–plus an even more impressive estate of about 600 acres and a large amount of money. Between 1814 and 1827, he used that land and money to create one of the most unusual and eccentric gardens of his time. His contemporary, garden expert J.C. Loudon, went so far as to describe the landscape as “The work of a morbid imagination joined to the command of unlimited resources.”
I have been studying the lives and work of various eccentric gardeners in an effort to make my own garden more interesting. While I probably don’t have Charles Talbot’s “morbid imagination,” and I certainly don’t have his “unlimited resources,” I find it inspiring to read about his garden vision.
When Charles Talbot and his wife moved to Alton Towers, the family home, in 1814, they began creating a garden from acreage that had previously been farmland. The Earl had a lot to work with, as the property contained steep hills and a valley with the River Churnet running through it. Before getting started, he consulted a number of landscape designers, among them the same J.C. Loudon who later made rather severe criticisms of the end result. “Though he consulted almost every artist, ourselves among the number,” noted Loudon, “he seems only have done so for the purpose of avoiding whatever an artist might recommend.” It is not hard to detect the faint odor of sour grapes in that characterization.
Garden historians describe the Earl’s creation as “gardenesque,” which means it was a mixed bag of smaller gardens and buildings that represented a variety of different styles and historical periods. Modern gardeners, who separate their landscapes into themed “rooms,” are direct horticultural descendents of Earl Charles.
The Earl’s favorite garden feature was a tall, tiered “Prospect Tower” made of stone and cast iron, with the prominent features picked out in gold leaf. Architecturally it looked like a Gothic rendition of a Chinese pagoda and commanded an excellent view of the river valley. The Earl was so fond of this structure that he commissioned the creation of a miniature version for the front hall of his house.
The three-storey “Pagoda Fountain” was another structure in the Asian mode. It was also made of cast iron and set in a small pond. Ornamental bells were reportedly suspended from its roofs.
There were plants in abundance. The Earl installed at least 3,000 trees on the property and built large conservatories for tender plants. Not content with the simple grandeur of his conservatories, the Earl also built a Greek temple near them. Separate gardens in the Dutch and Italian styles, as well as a rock garden, were laid out and planted.
In his living compendium of national garden styles and buildings, the Earl did not ignore features that were native to the British Isles. One of his garden accents was reportedly “a two-tiered megalithic structure inspired by Stonehenge.” Another was a replica of a rustic cottage, which was home to a blind Welsh harp player.
The estate was crowded with wonders, with Loudon described, as follows:
“The remainder of the valley, “¦displays such a labyrinth of terraces, curious architectural walls, trellis-work, arbours, vases, statues, stone stairs, wooden stairs, turf stairs, pavements, gravel and grass walks, ornamental buildings, bridges, fountains, caves, flower-baskets, waterfalls, rocks, cottages, shrubs, beds of flowers, trees, etc., that it is utterly impossible for words to give any idea of the effect.”
It is very fitting that after the Earl’s death, his nephew and heir, the sixteenth Earl Shrewsbury, constructed the Choragic Monument to honor him. It is a replica of the Greek Choragic Monument by Lysicrates, which was built in 334 B.C. in Athens. The original monument honors the god Bacchus, patron of fun and pleasure. The Alton monument honors the spirit of pleasure and theatricality that is abundant in Earl Charles’ creation. The monument originally stood in front of the Prospect Tower, but was later moved closer to the estate’s entrance so that the view from the tower would not be obscured.
It is perhaps fitting that since 1980, Britain’s largest amusement park has developed around the ruins of the Alton Tower house and gardens. Giant roller coasters and other attractions have replaced the peace and quiet that the fifteenth Earl and his descendents cherished. Much of the gardens survive, though some of the buildings have been adapted for modern use. It is highly likely that the revenue from the theme park is footing the bills for the garden’s maintenance and upkeep.
What is the lesson of the Alton Towers garden? I think it is about injecting something singular–plant, ornament or structure–into your garden, no matter how big or small it is. You don’t have to be as rich as the Earl of Shrewsbury to create a highly personal landscape.