LETTER : High art in landscape design

Hal M. Oggridge
Sunday 14 September 1997 23:02 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Sir: Parts of our landscape are works of high art, including many of our urban parks (report, 4 September; letter, 11 September). For instance, the carefully designed Royal Parks of central London made their contribution to the emotional force of the Princess of Wales's funeral procession. The cortege, following William III's route from Kensington Palace to Whitehall, passed successively along landscapes composed by Bridgeman (c1726-37), Decimus Burton (1823-29), Sir Aston Webb (1905), Mollett (1660), John Nash (1827) and finally to Whitehall through William Kent's Horse Guards arch (1740).

The Lottery's contribution to the creation and conservation of fine landscapes deserves acknowledgement, for support is being given to several examples of the art of landscape design. However, landscape is an area which particularly highlights a weakness in the Lottery's terms of reference. Support for the upkeep of worthwhile creations and activities is not eligible for grant. Because the art of landscape design is concerned with human creativity through the agency of the living surface of the planet, finance for continuing upkeep is as important to quality as imaginative opening initiatives.

HAL MOGGRIDGE

Chairman

The Landscape Foundation

London EC1

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in