ENGLISH LANDSCAPES and ITS INFLUENCE IN INDIA

ENGLISH LANDSCAPES:

ENGLAND WAS THE LAND OF SOFT UNDULATIONS, LUSH MEADOWS , GREEN GRASS AND LUXURIENT TREES.
BEFORE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY, THE ENGLISH DIDN’T HAVE A NATIONAL STYLE OF GARDENING. ENGLISH GARDENS TENDEND TO FOLLOW FRENCH & DUTCH FASHIONS.DURING THE LATTER HALF OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY,ENGLISH LANDSCAPE GARDENS WERE FORMAL AS ALMOST ALL EUROPEANGARDENS.
THE DESIRE FOR MORE “NATURAL” GARDENS WAS EXPRESSED BY WRITERS BEFORE IT WAS ATTEMPTED BY GARDEN DESIGNERS.
THE VISUAL LOOK OF THE ENGLISH GARDENS WAS MAINLY INSPIRED BY EUROPEAN LANDSCAPE PAINTINGS.
THE ENGLISH LANDSCAPE STYLE WAS DOINATED BY THREE DESIGNERS: WILLIAM KENT, LANCELOT BROWN & HUMPHREY REPTON.



SALIENT FEATURES OF ENGLISH LANDSCAPES:
GRAND AVENUES
THE PRINCIPAL PATHS WERE BROAD AND STRAIGHT,BUT BETWEEN THE PRINCIPAL WALKS WERE NARROW PATHS WINDING THROUGH THE WOODS IN A MORE “NATURAL” MANNER.
USE OF CASCADES &FOUNTAINS.
ENGLISH LANDSCAPES WERE PICTURESQUE & FULL OF CONFOUNDS AND SURPRISES.
USE OF LAWN.

HA-HA FENCE:
FENCE:WHICH MADE POSSIBLE TO SEE THAT ALL THE NATURE WAS A GARDEN.
-THIS FENCE LEAPING WAS A DRY DITCH WITH A RETAINING WALL ON THE SIDE OF THE GARDEN THAT ONE WANTS TO KEEP GRAZING ANIMALS OUT OF.
-THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DITCH GENTLY SLOPES DOWN TO THE BASE OF THE WALL,WHICH IS ALL ENOUGH TO KEEP MOST ANIMALS FROM JUMPING TO THE TOP.
-FROM A DISTANCE,A HA-HA IS ALMOST INVISIBLE,CREATING AN UNBROKEN VISTA FROM THE HOUSE WITH NO DIVISION BETWEEN THE LAWN & SURROUNDING MEADOWS.

HEAVILY PLANTED HILLSIDES TO INCREASE THE SENSE OF ENCLOSURE & REMOTENESS.
PLANTATION OF TREES IN GROUPS OR CLUMPS.
PRINCIPAL TREES PLANTED WERE-OAK, ELMS, BEECHES, ASH & LIMES, SCOTS PINES & LARCHES BEING USED SPARINGLY TO GIVE VARIETY OF TONE.

Eg.THE GARDENS OF STOWE,BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE EARLY ENGLISH LANDSCAPE
GARDENS WAS AT STOWE WHERE WILLIAM KENT’S IDEAS WERE IMPLEMENTED.
THE DISTANCE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH IS NEARLY THREE MILES.
THE INNER PARK IS ENCOMPASSED BY A FORMAL FRAME OF TREES & THE FIRST HA-HA FENCE.THE OUTER PARK ATTUNED TO HUNTING AND RIDING,& HAS A BAROQUE IMMENSITY OF SCALE.
THE CENTRAL AVENUE CREATES PICTORIAL SPACE WHEN SEEN FROM THE HOUSE.



INFLUENCE IN INDIA:
DURING THE BRITISH PERIOD IN INDIA,THEY DESIGNED DIFFERENT BUILDINGS SUCH AS GOVT. HOUSES,BUNGLOWS OR VILLAS,RECREATIONAL CLUBS,CITY LANDSCAPES etc.
THE GARDENS AROUND THESE SHOW USE OF TYPICAL ENGLISH GARDEN ELEMENTS.
ALSO,THE EXISTING GARDENS IN INDIA SHOW THE INFLUENCE OF ENGLISH GARDENS IN IT.
FOLLOWING ARE THE EXAMPLES:
-CITY OF NEW DELHI,DESIGNED BY LUTYENS.
-VICEROY GARDEN,DELHI
-TOMB GARDENS

CITY OF NEW DELHI,BY LUTYENS:

NEW DELHI WAS LAID OUT ON THE GARDEN CITY PATTERN IN 1912 BY EDWIN LUTYENS.
LUTYENS’ PLAN WAS TO LANDSCAPE A VAST EXPANCE JOINING THE RIVER YAMUNA & THE ARAVALI RIDGE.
NEW DELHI WAS LAID ON THE GEOMETRIC PATTERN OVER A TRIANGULAR BASE.
LUTYENS VISUALISED THAT THE CENTRAL VISTA WOULD HAVE A GRAND VISION,HILIGHTING THE SUPREMACY OF THE BRITISH RULE.THUS,VICEROY’S PALACE ON THE RAISINA HILL WITH THE TWO SECRETARIET BUILDINGS ON EITHER SIDE OF IT OCCUPED THE HIGHEST LAND OF THE HILL &WOULD DOMINATE THE SKYLINE OF NEW DELHI.
THE MAIN FEATURE OF NEW DELHI IS THE BROAD PROCESSIONAL AVENUE ie RAJPATH.


THE GENERAL STREET PATTERN IS DIAGONAL TO THE MAIN AXIS


VICEROY’S GARDEN,NEW DELHI:


THE MAIN FEATURES OF VICEROY’S GARDEN ARE:
INTRODUCTION OF LAWN
USE OF FOUNTAINS IN CORTYARDS,EVEN ON THE ROOF.
GRAND AVENUES
STRAIGHT & BROAD PATH WAYS
32 BROAD STEPS LEADING UP TO THE PORTICO IS LIKE ARRIVING AT THE STEPS OF ST.PETER’S.
VERANDAS.

VICEROY’S GARDEN


SUMMARY:
THE MAIN INFUENCE OF ENGLISH LANDSCAPES IN INDIA WAS ‘THE INTRODUCTION OF LAWN’,WHICH WAS USED MAINLY FOR TEA PARTIES IN ENGLAND.
THE GRAND AVENUES
STRAIGHT&BROAD PATHWAYS
USE OF FOUNTAINS etc.