Loudon, John Claudius (1783-1843, Great Britain)

John Claudius Loudon was a prolific writer on gardens and architecture in the early nineteenth century, and his works were hugely influential on these subjects at the time. Country Life described Loudon as an “eminent Victorian” stating that he “personified that moral force, thoroughness and desire to fill every moment with useful productivity that seem to us the hallmark of the 19th-century man of distinction”. Yet his name is little known today, even within those professions. However, the more I find out about Loudon, the more intrigued I become by the man, both professionally and personally.

John Claudius Loudon

Loudon was born at Cambuslang in southern Scotland, not far from where I find myself now living. Like me, he was a farmer’s son, my birthplace being the Hunter Valley in Australia. For whatever reason, we were both destined not to continue in the family farming tradition, but to work with the land in other ways.

Loudon studied botany, biology and agriculture at the University of Edinburgh, and in his early career described himself as a “landscape planner”, working on farm layouts during this period of dramatic change in farming practices. In this, he was influenced by the works of Lord Kames, judge, writer, philosopher and “agricultural improver”, who began his pioneering agricultural pursuits at Kames House in the Scottish Borders during the late 1740’s.

Loudon left Scotland around 1803, travelling extensively in Europe, and intent on establishing himself in London. He developed the style of gardening known as “gardenesque”, earning himself the title “father of the English Garden”, with commissions including Harewood in Yorkshire and Ditchley in Oxfordshire. His most important landscape work is probably the Derby Arboretum, created in collaboration with industrialist Joseph Strutt, which was groundbreaking for its time and is the oldest surviving public park in the UK. His architectural output was much more limited, but his own house survives at Porchester Terrace in London, as does the burnt-out shell of Barnbarroch House in Dumfries where he designed alterations.

Postcard of Barnbarroch House showing its landscape setting

The ruins of Barnbarroch House today

However, it is Loudon’s writings rather than his commissions that were most influential during his time and which stand as his greatest legacy today. He published numerous books and magazines, with subjects including garden design and management, botany and plant names, buildings and their rapidly advancing technology. The series titled “Architectural Magazine and Journal of Improvement in Architecture, Building, and Furnishing” was the first of its kind. But for me, his most inspiring work is “An Encyclopaedia of Cottage, Farm and Villa Architecture”, a massive two-volume tome first published in 1834, exactly 180 years ago, and still in print today.

Titlepage of the Encyclopaedia

In the opening line of his Introduction, Loudon states: “The main objective of this Encyclopaedia of Cottage, Farm and Villa architecture, is to improve the dwellings of the great mass of society, in the temperate regions of both hemispheres; a secondary object is to create and diffuse among mankind, generally, a taste for architectural comforts and beauties.”

The line that first caught my eye was the reference to “the temperate regions of both hemispheres”. This no doubt reflected the colonial nature of the world in which Loudon lived. Indeed his ideas, if not his actual book, quite probably influenced my ancestors when they were establishing their pioneering farms in Australia during that period. For me, personally, this also reflected the world in which I have learnt and practiced my architectural trade, working and travelling in Britain, Europe, Australia and South Africa. So this line drew me in, made me ponder the full sentence more closely, and in doing so I started to realize how potent Loudon’s statement was about the real purpose of architecture.

To state that his intention was to “improve the dwellings of the great mass of society” is no small claim, but one which Loudon can be said to have followed through on. While the Encyclopaedia included schemes for large country houses, there was at least equal emphasise given to humble workers cottages, with detailed guidance on how to maximise their amenity. This included all the latest technological advances, with instructions provided in words and drawings for their construction. Whilst the specifics may seem antiquated and outdated, the principles remain very much valid today, as we wrestle with the issues of environmental sustainability and social equality.

Even that heroic claim was not enough for Loudon, adding to it his desire to “create and diffuse among mankind… a taste for architectural comforts and beauties”. In short, he proposed that architecture is not just about the practicalities of providing shelter, but should aspire to the higher ambition of creating places of beauty. Many would say this is an essential part of what it means to be a “civilised” society, and again this is equally valid today.

I may well write again about Loudon, particularly on how his ideas can be applied to sustainable development in our modern world, but hope this brief overview is sufficient to justify the recognition I think he deserves.