Thursday, May 27, 12:00 noon – The Duchess of Rutland: Belvoir Castle and ‘Capability’ Brown, Online
The Garden Club of the Back Bay is pleased to announce its live virtual May program, welcoming the Duchess of Rutland speaking on Belvoir Castle and ‘Capability Brown’ – Discovering a Lost Landscape. The program will take place on Zoom on Thursday, May 27 at noon.
Belvoir Castle (pronounced “Beaver”) is the most fabulous fairy-tale castle in England. From its high hill it broods over immense tracts of Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. It is one of the great treasure houses of the country and its chatelaine for the new millennium is Emma, 11th Duchess of Rutland. Since taking charge of the estate she has shaken off the dust-sheets and brought back to life a castle that had slept since the 2nd World War.
As a 21st century duchess, Emma’s role is very different from that of her forebears. How do you maintain for the future a 1000 year old estate with huge overheads? An estate with 16,000 acres of tenanted farms, 400 properties, 50 employees, a thriving local community and a castle with 2.5 acres of roof? Seeking advice from the legendary Duchess of Devonshire, she was shocked to learn that, when it comes to Dukedoms, it is the women who earn the money and the men who spend it!
In her book, Belvoir Castle and Capability Brown – discovering a lost landscape the Duchess tells the story of her discovery of plans for the park, drawn up in 1780 by the great landscape designer Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, but then shelved and left forgotten. Her predecessor, Elizabeth, the 5th Duchess (known as the ‘Builder’) had started to implement these plans and now, over 200 years later, Emma is bringing them to fruition.
Please RSVP by May 21st to Jackie Blombach by clicking here: jdb.lily@comcast.net. The program is free for Garden Club of the Back Bay members. Non-members may register online for $10 by clicking HERE.
A ZOOM link will be sent a few days before the program. PLEASE NOTE: This program will not be recorded.
