Henry Avray Tipping
Encyclopedia
Henry Avray Tipping was a French-born British
writer on country houses and gardens, and a garden designer
.
He was born in the Château de Ville-d'Avray
near Versailles
, while his parents were living in France before moving into Brasted Place
in Kent
, where he grew up. He was educated in France and Middlesex
before reading modern history at Christ Church, Oxford
. He worked briefly as a university lecturer before joining the staff of the Dictionary of National Biography
.
However, his main interest was gardening and garden design
, and he began writing articles for The Garden, a magazine founded by William Robinson
. After The Garden became absorbed by Country Life
in 1905, Tipping became its principal contributor. He was appointed as the magazine's Architectural Editor in 1907 and became recognised as one of the leading authorities on the history, architecture, furnishings and gardens of English houses.
He also worked as a garden designer in the Arts and Crafts
style, and was a friend of Gertrude Jekyll
and Harold Peto
. His garden design works include the walled garden designed for Arthur Lee
, its then owner, at Chequers
; and several in his adopted county of Monmouthshire
. These include Mathern Palace
, his home from 1894 to 1912; Mounton House
, which he had built in 1912; High Glanau Manor
, his country home towards the end of his life; and Wyndcliffe Court. His gardens were characterised by divided compartments with sculpted yew hedging, topiary birds and animals, long grass bowling greens, lush planting and wild areas.
His books included Grinling Gibbons
and the Woodwork of his Age (1914), The Story of the Royal Welch Fusiliers
(1915), English Gardens (1925), Old English Furniture (1928), English Homes (1929), and The Garden of Today (1933).
A book on Tipping's life, Edwardian Country Life: The Story of H. Avray Tipping by Helena Gerrish, the owner of High Glanau Manor, was published in 2011.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
writer on country houses and gardens, and a garden designer
Garden designer
The term garden designer can refer either to an amateur or a professional who designs the plan and features of gardens. Amateurs design their gardens for their own properties. Professionals, with experienced skills, design gardens that benefit clients...
.
He was born in the Château de Ville-d'Avray
Ville-d'Avray
Ville-d'Avray is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The commune is served by the Boulogne-Billancourt prefecture, of the Hauts-de-Seine department.-Transport:...
near Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
, while his parents were living in France before moving into Brasted Place
Brasted
Brasted is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. The parish is located to the west of Sevenoaks town. The parish includes the settlements of Brasted Chart and Toys Hill, and had a population of 1321 persons . The single slightly winding street of the village has a...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, where he grew up. He was educated in France and Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
before reading modern history at Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. He worked briefly as a university lecturer before joining the staff of the Dictionary of National Biography
Dictionary of National Biography
The Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
.
However, his main interest was gardening and garden design
Garden design
Garden design is the art and process of designing and creating plans for layout and planting of gardens and landscapes. Garden design may be done by the garden owner themselves, or by professionals of varying levels of experience and expertise...
, and he began writing articles for The Garden, a magazine founded by William Robinson
William Robinson (gardener)
William Robinson was an Irish practical gardener and journalist whose ideas about wild gardening spurred the movement that evolved into the English cottage garden, a parallel to the search for honest simplicity and vernacular style of the British Arts and Crafts movement...
. After The Garden became absorbed by Country Life
Country Life (magazine)
Country Life is a British weekly magazine, based in London at 110 Southwark Street, and owned by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.- Topics :The magazine covers the pleasures and joys of rural life, as well as the concerns of rural people...
in 1905, Tipping became its principal contributor. He was appointed as the magazine's Architectural Editor in 1907 and became recognised as one of the leading authorities on the history, architecture, furnishings and gardens of English houses.
He also worked as a garden designer in the Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
style, and was a friend of Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll was an influential British garden designer, writer, and artist. She created over 400 gardens in the UK, Europe and the USA and contributed over 1,000 articles to Country Life, The Garden and other magazines.-Early life:...
and Harold Peto
Harold Peto
Harold Ainsworth Peto was a British landscape architect and garden designer, who worked in Britain and in Provence, France.-Biography:...
. His garden design works include the walled garden designed for Arthur Lee
Arthur Lee, 1st Viscount Lee of Fareham
Arthur Hamilton Lee, 1st Viscount Lee of Fareham, GCB, GBE, GCSI, PC was a British soldier, diplomat, politician and patron of the arts. After military postings and an assignment to the British Embassy in Washington, he entered politics and served as Minster of Agriculture and Fisheries and First...
, its then owner, at Chequers
Chequers
Chequers, or Chequers Court, is a country house near Ellesborough, to the south of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, at the foot of the Chiltern Hills...
; and several in his adopted county of Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
. These include Mathern Palace
Mathern
Mathern is a historic village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, about 5 km south west of the town of Chepstow, close to the Severn estuary, the Bristol Channel and the M48 motorway. The village is designated as a Conservation Area...
, his home from 1894 to 1912; Mounton House
Mounton
Mounton is a hamlet in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, United Kingdom, located two miles west of Chepstow in a rural setting.The parish was originally part of the holdings of Chepstow Priory, with the name Monktown. It has a tiny parish church dedicated to St. Andoenus, which was almost wholly...
, which he had built in 1912; High Glanau Manor
Cwmcarvan
Cwmcarvan is a small rural village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It is located 4 miles south west of Monmouth and about 4 miles east of Raglan, off the old A40 road not far from Trellech.-Church of St. Catwg:...
, his country home towards the end of his life; and Wyndcliffe Court. His gardens were characterised by divided compartments with sculpted yew hedging, topiary birds and animals, long grass bowling greens, lush planting and wild areas.
His books included Grinling Gibbons
Grinling Gibbons
Grinling Gibbons was an English sculptor and wood carver known for his work in England, including St Paul's Cathedral, Blenheim Palace and Hampton Court Palace. He was born and educated in Holland where his father was a merchant...
and the Woodwork of his Age (1914), The Story of the Royal Welch Fusiliers
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
(1915), English Gardens (1925), Old English Furniture (1928), English Homes (1929), and The Garden of Today (1933).
A book on Tipping's life, Edwardian Country Life: The Story of H. Avray Tipping by Helena Gerrish, the owner of High Glanau Manor, was published in 2011.