A Special Sort Of Gardener
Among all the rich carving on the staircase at Hatfield House it would be easy to overlook this particular example. The man in the extravagant pantaloons and impractical hat is John Tradescant the Elder, who was Robert Cecil's gardener at Hatfield in the early seventeenth century. He became one of the first "plant-hunters", that varied and eccentric band of Englishmen who travelled abroad in search of plants to enrich the gardens of their masters.
He went on to create other gardens, finishing up as the Keeper of his Majesty's Gardens, Vines and Silkworms. In between times he voyaged to Archangel in Arctic Russia and on campaigns against Barbary pirates. Obviously he was rather more than a humble gardener and his close friendship with the scheming Robert Cecil suggests he may have used his post as gardener as a cover for other dealings.
As if this wasn't enough, he also found time to amass a collection of curiosities which became Britain's first museum. The collection is now housed in Oxford's Ashmolean Museum. You can also see the tools of his trade illustrated on the stairs at Hatfield.
Hidden Masterpiece?
Just inside Cambridge University's Downing Site are these two cast-iron feet set in the pavement. It is called "Earthbound" and is the work of the sculptor Anthony Gormley. Allegedly it is a life-size statue of a man buried upside down with only the soles of his feet showing. What do you make of that?
Craft Barn
While at Thriplow Daffodil Weekend I went into the craft barn where many artsy-crafty items were being sold. But I wonder how many looked about them to view the craftsmanship which fashioned this ancient barn.
Austin A35
Also at Thriplow was this fine little car dating from the 1950s. What makes it special to me is that it's the same model and even the same colour as my Dad's first car when he learned to drive at the rather advanced age of 45. I checked the registration but it wasn't dear old TUL277.
Rotten Bricklaying
A lesson in how not to lay bricks! Hatfield House was largely constructed of bricks salvaged from the earlier palace which stood on the site. Maybe this nearby dwelling was made from leftovers from that project.
Double Parking - Cambridge Style
No further comment necessary !
Take care.
Love that old brick work, and the upside down statue!
ReplyDeleteI didn't notice the craft fair happenings at Thriplow until I read your comment underneath as I just saw the timbers and frame of the barn!! I love the brickwork, to me that's not a 'how not to lay bricks' but more 'ooh look at the interesting brickwork!' I really like it!
ReplyDeleteHey, I like the brick work. I agree on the craftsmanship of that old barn. And I'll take the car.
ReplyDeleteI like the blue Austin 35, blue is my favorite color. Your father must have drove his dream with that car. I admire that exquisitely beautiful work of bricklayer and the contrasting but harmonious white window on the brick wall.
ReplyDeleteYoko
A splendid post John. A lot of subjects here, the old carvings, the brickwork, the Austin, and would love to know the story of the statue's feet. Very enjoyable, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI love details like the carvings. Interesting guy, that gardener. The brick building, with all the bricks willy nilly, and the soles of the feet sculpture are really fun finds. What a challenge it would be to build with bricks that way.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great knack for not only spotting but photographing the quirky things around. I hope those people in the barn appreciated their surroundings. I love the stories about John Tradescant and the early plant hunters. We had an old Austin when I was a child in the 50s too but ours was black:)
ReplyDeleteTradescantia is a plant with a small, kind of inconspicuous flower. Now I know who must have discovered it.
ReplyDeleteLOVE that brickwork. Maybe not what I would want on my own place. Maybe on a nearby street, so I could walk past and admire it.
Tradescantia is named in honour of Tradescant and his son John Tradescant the Younger who carried on his father's work and visited Virginia and other places in search of new species.
DeleteThe feet are a bit spooky
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I read a couple of books about the plant explorer John Tradescant - fascinating! I hope he didn't forage or garden in those pantaloons, though. He looks uncomfortable to me.
ReplyDeleteHa! I smiled when I saw the way those bricks were placed. It's dizzying. ;)
Such strange ideas people have--planting a sculpture upside down? Makes me want to dig it up! And those bricks--it looks like rubble-building, using up whatever is on hand. But I like it, actually, such unexpected randomness which is totally unexpected in brickwork.
ReplyDeleteI'd like someone to dig it up too, Sue, just to make sure there really is a statue down there and nit just a pair of feet.
DeleteLove the idea of 'plant hunters' John.. and I know that they did that way back then. The Earthbound sculpture is amazing, good thing he was dead, what a head rush that would have been :) Double parked.. that's funny :)
ReplyDelete