Lost Gardens of London pays tribute to the evanescence of London’s vast and varied garden legacy. Todd Longstaffe-Gowan explores gardens that range in date from the sixteenth to the twenty-first century, and from the capital’s humble allotments and gardens behind terraced houses to defunct squares, amateur botanical gardens and aviaries, princely pleasure grounds, royal-palace gardens, artists’ gardens and private menageries – gardens that either no longer exist or are unrecognisable today. 

Our fascination with lost gardens is often fuelled by our interest in reconstructing worlds that supply us with a powerful means of making sense of the past, and a way of reading history.  In this beautiful and evocative book, illustrated with a variety of images including watercolours, coloured engravings and photographs, Longstaffe-Gowan reminds us of what a precious asset gardened green space is, and how it has contributed over the centuries to the quality of life and well-being of generations of inhabitants of the Metropolis.

 

Author: Todd Longstaffe-Gowan