A NATIONAL Trust site near Worcester is encouraging families to get their hands dirty to celebrate the life and work of the parklands famous landscape designer.
Croome is inviting youngsters to grab a spade and take part in its new outdoor installation ‘Brown at Work’, where they can create their own landscape to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the birth of the famous Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.
Although it looks natural, the parkland is completely man-made and now visitors have the opportunity to experience how it feels to shift soil and shape land, on the same site where Mr Brown worked his magic for the 6th Earl of Coventry in the 18th century.
The project, funded by Trust New Art, is a collaboration between artist Kathrin Böhm and a team of Croome volunteers and gives children the chance to be creative by digging up land to make their own hills and river beds.
Katherine Alker, Croome’s garden and park manager said: “I hope Brown at Work helps people understand that Croome is not a natural landscape. Even the river is man-made and was dug by hand more than 250 years ago.
“Mr Brown carefully placed trees and buildings in very specific locations to conceal and reveal certain views in his design, building hills in some areas and flattening other areas.”
Kiki Claxton, Croome’s creative programmes co-ordinator said: “This has been a fantastic collaborative process between staff, volunteers and artist Kathrin Böhm.
“This is a very different experience for our visitors to engage with and a great way to learn about the impact Mr Brown had on Croome’s landscape.”
The Brown at Work attraction will be open until Sunday, August 21.
Croome’s park and lakeside are open from 10am to 5.30pm and Croome Court is open from 11am to 4.30pm every day.
Call the National Trust site on 01905 371006 or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/croome for more information.
