What is a Pleasure Ground?

A pleasure ground is, effectively, what the words themselves say - ground that gives human pleasure. There are plenty of places that give enjoyment, but true pleasure grounds, in the context of the English garden, are highly contrived gardens that seek to emulate nature. 

Pleasure grounds are, of course, highly artificial and they became an essential part of the surroundings of an English country house in the latter eighteenth century.

One of Weston Park's pleasure grounds is to the west of the house, intended for afternoon walks

This is known as the Shrewsbury Walk, and it encompasses a serpentine walk which leads between trees - including Brown's favourite cedar of lebanons - at a high level to take advantage of views to the Shropshire Hills

It's easy to feel at one with nature on this walk, at any time of year, since the ha-ha - or sunk fence - that Capability Brown specified, allows unbroken views across the deer park

The Weston Park Foundation - the independent charity that now owns Weston Park - is committed to conserving the pleasure grounds and new trees are constantly being planted to maintain Capability Brown's original vision

On the other side of the House, Capability Brown conceived a pleasure ground that enjoys the very best of morning light and which gives pleasure at all times of the day

Pleasure grounds were the original sensory gardens, providing interest for all of the five human senses. Temple Wood provides all of these stimulations, just as its eighteenth century designer intended

Whatever the season and whatever the time of day, a pleasure ground has things in it that can be enjoyed. The touch of bark and stone, the visual engagement caused by the play of light...

James Paine's Roman Bridge, crossing Temple Pool shows how in light or shade, the garden always offers variety, with the sparkle of water adding life

Wandering through Temple Wood there are not only flowering and scented shrubs to add interest, but also garden ornaments like this handsome sundial

Not only does the sundial serve a purpose, but it adds classically inspired ornament to contrast against the green of the shrubs

This sundial is not made of stone, as visitors might expect, but - in fact - a twice-fired ceramic called Coade stone that was made by an eighteenth century female entrepreneur, Eleanor Coade

Capability Brown planned every aspect of the pleasure grounds to maximise the engagement that it gave to visitors. Paths lead visitors to strategic points, passed certain deliciously scented or unusual plants or to fine views. Perhaps a wayside seat will make them pause

The form of the paths was also intended to heighten anticipation. A straight path would make the journey's end obvious, whilst a turn of the path adds mystery and interest...

Light moves around a garden during the day and so the placing of trees and shrubs in a pleasure garden is vital. Seasonality is also important and so in May the pleasure grounds are filled with the scent and colour of bluebells 

Massed flowers of bluebells, and other plants at other times of the year, changes the perspective of the garden for visitors

The cascade at the end of Temple Pool adds not only animation, from the movement of the water, but also sound. The gentle noise that the fall of the water makes, coupled with bird song, adds to the joy of the pleasure garden

The water in the garden is also a microcosm of life, providing not only a habitat for fish and waterfowl but also important invertebrates

The Temple of Diana has the highest UK heritage status and is listed Grade I by Historic England. It enjoys superb views back to the mansion and is, itself, an eye-catcher from the main house as this 1790s print shows

The Temple was designed for Sir Henry and Lady Bridgeman in the 1760s by the architect James Paine. Sir Henry was so proud of the building that he had a watercolour of it hanging in his dressing room whilst diaries show that it was much used by the family and their guests

At the same time that he was building the Temple, James Paine was also designing this Chapel at Gibside in County Durham. It has a number of similarities with the designs for the Temple

At Gibside, Paine did use the tall drum to support the dome and the building also employs decorative details such as urns that he had also intended for the Temple of Diana at Weston Park

James Paine planned the building in meticulous detail as this sectional drawing shows. The orangery is on the left and circular tea room - with bedroom above - on the right

The Temple of Diana's interior is extremely rich. Here James Paine shows the detail of the plasterwork that he wanted in the orangery. Remember, this is just a garden building - not the mansion!

Having the opportunity to pause for refreshment would have enabled the visitors to converse....

...and for dogs to receive tit-bits....

In the case of the Temple's Circular Tea Room, a cup of tea there would also have enabled the visitor to admire Lady Bridgeman's menagerie of exotic birds that were kept in netted enclosures at the north of the Temple... 

....or for the birds to admire the visitors

The Pink Cottage is in its own secluded garden - a perfectly private spot - and visitors to it would have sensed its remoteness in comparison to the Temple which is visible from the main House. The rustic veranda gives the building shade

Large clumps of ferns grow in the garden and there is also an extensive rockery - quite a contrast from the other methods of planting elsewhere in the pleasure grounds

The deeper woodland setting of the Pink Cottage was intended to evoke different emotions than the more open areas of the pleasure grounds. It was also a garden reference to art works such as this painting by Jacob van Ruisdael - a painter much admired by English Georgian society

The effects of light, shade and texture in Ruisdael's work are evoked by the feel of the Weston Park pleasure ground near the Pink Cottage

By way of contrast, at the edges of the pleasure ground, the sunk fence allows uninterrupted views across the park to the Knoll Tower. This viewing tower - although built in the Victorian age - is much in the manner of Georgian follies intended to be seen from pleasure grounds

Seeing the Tower might inspire a walk across the thousand acres of Capability Brown's parkland to see the view from the top of the Tower. The Tower is now a holiday let with lucky guests able to enjoy the fabulous views from the upper levels across Shropshire and Staffordshire