Petworth Park and Pleasure Grounds offer a wealth of possibilities for short strolls, a long walk with, or without, the dog or just a promenade around the the gardens. Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown (1716-17830, the renowned landscape designer of the 18th century whose 300th anniversary happens to be this year, transformed the 700 acre estate at Petworth into the one we see, and can walk in, today. As we stepped out from the small formal area behind the house into the larger, grander landscape Diana exclaimed with delight that it was like stepping into Brown’s landscape.
Walking into the Landscape
At first she was frustrated that people were strolling across her photos or picnicking just at the spot where she wished to take a picture of the house but we soon realised that, of course, this was just how it was in Turner’s day. Diana really wanted to see the deer but the hummocks (which I tried to convince her were deer at rest) were just hummocks of grass in the distant landscape.
The Long Front of Petworth House
Petworth from the Upper Pond
The Upper Pond
The Dog of Alcibiades in The Upper Pond
Tempting Paths to Longer Walks
Thank you, Diana, for your company and enthusiasm. I suppose I’ll just have to bring Oliver with me next time ;-).
miladysboudoir 
Lovely to see your glowing pictures of our beautiful day, Barbara! Petworth’s grounds had so many beautiful views, it was like dissolving Constable or Turner landscapes, never to be forgotten. Since coming home I have been caught up with jet lag and a family epidemic of dental surgery so am a bit behind on my own blogging, but will get there…to share my own visual memories of delight. Thank you, again and again, for making this possible! And make do with Oliver until I return for a rendezous on Box Hill!
Thank you for your company and serenading, Diana! What a lovely day and happy memories of the house and grounds. For anyone else catching up here this link will take you to Diana’s many-pictured report
http://lightbrightandsparkling.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/paean-to-petworth-post-4.html