A Bitter-Sweet Heritage? Sugar, Slavery and the 18th Century British Landscape.

Thu 6th Oct 2016 at 7.30 pm

This lecture is part of our ambitious Capability Brown Festival 2016 Audience Development Project and chosen to support Black History Month.
The Festival is managed by the Landscape Institute and is funded with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Victoria Perry is an architect, historian and associate with DIA Historic Building Consultancy (part of Donald Insall Associates) and also a teaching fellow at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, where she completed her RIBA award winning doctorate in 2010.  She has spoken extensively about her research on the links between the eighteenth century Caribbean and British architecture and landscape in Britain, the USA, the Caribbean and India.
This talk will give some historical context to Capability Brown’s landscape transformations by looking more closely at the economics of 18th century British landownership. Architect and historian Dr Victoria Perry will show how large profits from the eighteenth century Atlantic trade in plantation-grown products (such as sugar and tobacco) were used to fund the transformation of British farmland into ‘natural-style’ landscapes.
The talk will also examine how new plantation-generated wealth helped to transform once poor and remote areas of western Britain into fashionable tourist destinations including the Wye Valley, the Lake District, Snowdonia and the Scottish Highlands.
Victoria Perry works for the architects and historic building consultants Donald Insall Associates and teaches at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London where she completed her RIBA-award winning PhD in 2010.  She has spoken extensively about her research on the links between the eighteenth century Caribbean and British architecture and landscape in Britain, the USA , the Caribbean and India.

More Events in the East midlands Listings MORE

Leicester Friday 7th November 2025

Typically Tina

Tina Turner is one of the most enduring and iconic music legends of all time. With a career…

Leicester Tuesday 11 November

Black Heritage Voices 2025

Black Heritage Voices is a sector-focused conference bringing together professionals from across the heritage landscape who are working…

Leicester Friday 14 November

Emmanuel Sonubi: Life After Near Death

Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer nominee and Best Show nominee, Emmanuel Sonubi is back on tour after sold-out performances at the…

Nottingham Wednesday 17 December

The Hallé Christmas Concert

British baritone Rodney Earl Clarke, who captured every heart when he starred in the Hallé’s Christmas Concert a…