About

Ornamental oasis. Mental asylum. Much-loved public park. For nearly three hundred years, Chiswick House and Gardens have had a varied and sometimes surprising existence. Largely the creation of the 18th-century aristocrat Lord Burlington, Chiswick is also a place of great significance in garden history. It was here that Lord Burlington pioneered a more natural style of gardening that was to spread worldwide. It became of one of Britain’s greatest contributions to European art: the English landscape garden. Today that garden has been restored, with more than 1600 new trees and shrubs planted, original walkways cleared and vistas newly opened. On this trail, you’ll explore the gardens by searching out the Picture in the Landscape easels, which show historic images of the gardens at different points in its history. Ten writers have used these images as inspiration for poems, short plays, and sketches. Five of the writers are winners of the Chiswick Gardens audio trail competition, held in 2010. The other five are a mixture of established and emerging writers, including Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion.