Four linked sessions will explore the wealth of resources available for researching the history of a garden or designed landscape. Commencing with an overview of what makes a historic garden, and why research is so valuable (and enjoyable!), we will go on to investigate a wide range of documentary and cartographic sources from the 16^th to the 21^st centuries, highlighting their potentials and avoiding their pitfalls, sifting estate plans and tithe maps, from romantic depictions and sales catalogue wishful thinking!   We will also explore the potential of surviving materials such as veteran trees, earthworks, and even below-ground archaeology and how these can be integrated into your research. Many of the sources we will cover are readily available on-line and you can continue your research between sessions or after the course is complete. Ideal for anyone with an interest in gardens, history or landscape.

The price is for all four sessions which cannot be booked individually.

Twigs Way is a garden historian, writer and researcher. She is fascinated by the past and intrigued by the role of flowers, gardens and landscape in art and culture of all kinds. Her talks and books reflect that endless curiosity, with themes of symbolism and meaning, class and gender, art and literature, and her desire to follow unknown paths towards the unexpected. From gnomes in Neasden to hollyhocks from the Holy Land, every plant has a tale to tell, every garden a past. Twigs is an accredited Arts Society lecturer and her history of the Chrysanthemum in art and culture was published by Reaktion in 2020. She is currently working on the equally golden daffodil.