The first biography of the 18th-century landscape gardener, Uvedale Price, showing the key interconnections between his roles as landowner, art collector, forester, landscaper, connoisseur and scholar. Uvedale Price achieved most fame as the author of the influential Essay on the Picturesque of 1794 in which he argued that the work of the greatest landscape artists, such as Salvator Rosa, Rubens and Claude, should be usedas models for the "improvement of real landscape". His attack on the smooth certainties of Capability Brown sparked off a public controversy, drawing in Richard Payne Knight and Humphry Repton, which became a cause celebre. This is the first biography of Uvedale Price, bringing out his contradictory and elusive character and revealing an astonishing cast of friends and acquaintances, including Gainsborough, Voltaire, William Wordsworth and ElizabethBarrett Browning. The book shows how he developed his ideas through practical experimentation on his own land and buildings and provides an understanding of the context of Price's practices and theories and the key interconnections between his roles as landowner, art collector, forester, landscaper, connoisseur and scholar. CHARLES WATKINS is Professor of Rural Geography, University of Nottingham; BEN COWELL is Assistant Director, External Affairs, National Trust.

The first biography of the 18th-century landscape gardener, Uvedale Price, showing the key interconnections between his roles as landowner, art collector, forester, landscaper, connoisseur and scholar. Uvedale Price achieved most fame as the author of the influential Essay on the Picturesque of 1794 in which he argued that the work of the greatest landscape artists, such as Salvator Rosa, Rubens and Claude, should be usedas models for the "improvement of real landscape". His attack on the smooth certainties of Capability Brown sparked off a public controversy, drawing in Richard Payne Knight and Humphry Repton, which became a cause célèbre. This is the first biography of Uvedale Price, bringing out his contradictory and elusive character and revealing an astonishing cast of friends and acquaintances, including Gainsborough, Voltaire, William Wordsworth and ElizabethBarrett Browning. The book shows how he developed his ideas through practical experimentation on his own land and buildings and provides an understanding of the context of Price's practices and theories and the key interconnections between his roles as landowner, art collector, forester, landscaper, connoisseur and scholar. Charles Watkins is Professor of Rural Geography, University of Nottingham; Ben Cowell is Regional Director - East of England, National Trust.

Originally constructed in the late 16th century for the notorious Bess of Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury, Hardwick Hall is now among the National Trust's greatest architectural landmarks, with much of its original interior and ornamentation still intact. This splendid publication is the definitive source of scholarship on the remarkably well-preserved exemplar of late-Elizabethan style. Composed of extensive research and newly commissioned photography, this beautifully illustrated book traces the history of the house and its inhabitants through the centuries, showcasing a remarkable collection of portraiture, tapestries, furniture, and gardens, and providing readers with a genuine sense of the house's environment. Published in association with the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

A hymn to the British landscape. From the dramatic hills of the Lake District to the beaches and covers of Cornwall, this richly illustrated book brings together new perspectives on the places that have inspired artists, writers and film-makers and shaped the nation's identity. The third in the bestselling series of Houses of the National Trust and Gardens of the National Trust, this is a richly illustrated book providing new perspectives on the British landscape. From the dramatic hills of the Lake District to the mysterious fens of eastern England and the beaches and coves of Cornwall, landscapes provide the settings for our daily lives, as well as an important part of our identity. The inspiration for artists, writers and film-makers, our landscapes are cultural, man-made creations far more than we may be aware. But how much do we know about how these landscapes came into being? How were different sorts of landscapes valued in the past? And how can landscapes today and in the future best adapt to the ever-changing world in which we live? Chapters include The Art of Landscape, Ancient Places, Homes and Gardens, Lost in the Woods, Open Country and Shifting Shores. Landscapes of the National Trust will appeal to all those who care about the past, present and future of the British landscape and is superbly illustrated throughout with stunning photographs.

Ben Cowell traces the rise of heritage consciousness over the last 300 years, from its origins in the writings of the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century antiquarians to the founding of the first heritage organizations in the nineteenth century and on to the present day.