Capability Brown to get his hometown garden after 250 years

A quarter of a millennium ago, the greatest garden designer ever to grace the soil of the UK drew up plans to create a garden at Kirkharle – the place where he was born.

The plans lay undiscovered in a cabinet for more than 250 years until the owner of the land came across them.

Now, the plans of Lancelot Capability Brown are set to be put into action with up to 4,000 trees to be planted across 100 acres of the Northumberland estate.

Landowner John Anderson explained how the plans show the vision of the then 23-year-old landscape designer and also highlight his faith in nature.

"Brown was a great believer in highlighting nature as it is rather than as something artificial. He didnt believe in formal gardens," he told the Independent.

"He wanted to make something much more natural and part of the landscape – to create something pleasing to the eyes and exciting; to make people go round the corner to enjoy the view."

Capability Brown is responsible for some of the top gardens in the UK and once worked at the Royal Horticultural Societys Kew Gardens, which are celebrating their 250th anniversary this year.

Brown died in 1783 while in his late 60s.