Celebration of the Life and Work of Sir John Vanbrugh

This year marks the 300th anniversary of the death of Sir John Vanbrugh who died on the 26 March 1726. Today known principally as a playwright and an architect, he was also a London trader, merchant in India, soldier and theatre impresario. He was the designer of some of the most important country houses and landscapes that survive in England, including Castle Howard, Blenheim Palace and Seaton Delaval. None of these sites are in Surrey, but we do have one site that is associated with Vanbrugh. In 1709 he built a small house for himself at Chargate,  near Esher and began laying out the grounds. Five years later he sold it to Thomas Pelham–Holles, Earl of Clare (later Duke of Newcastle) who renamed the property Claremont and employed Vanbrugh to enlarge the house.

The Surrey Gardens Trust has planned a morning at Claremont Fan Court School consisting of refreshments on arrival, lectures about Vanbrugh and his time at Claremont, and the subsequent development of the site. There will be a rarely available opportunity to view some of the rooms in the Grade I listed mansion (built in 1769 for Lord Clive and designed by Lancelot Brown and Henry Holland) and a walk to part of the grounds to see what remains of Vanbrugh’s work there. The tour will culminate at the Grade II* Belvedere, designed by Vanbrugh. Unfortunately we won’t be allowed inside the Belvedere as it contains roosting bats. Attendees will then have an opportunity to visit Claremont Landscape Garden, (free to National Trust members), where limited refreshments are available.