TWO local sites with connections to Capability Brown have been awarded National Lottery grants to celebrate the landscape gardener’s tercentenary.

Kirkharle, the birthplace of Brown, and Bolam Lake which is thought to have been inspired by him, have both benefited from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Some 300 trees are to be planted in honour of Brown’s lost plans at Kirkharle.

This year marks the 300th year of the birth of Capability Brown and sites across England are getting ready to celebrate as part of the Capability Brown Festival.

Kirkharle is making its own mark in the celebrations thanks to a grant of £20,100 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Brown is known as both the grandfather of landscape architecture and the man who created the image of a quintessential English garden.

Born in Kirkharle in 1716 and baptised in St Wilfrid’s Church, Brown began his now legendary career as an apprentice gardener on the Kirkharle estate.

In 1770 Brown, by then a widely known and well-respected landscape gardener, returned to his home and left a sketch of his ideas for how a national park could be developed.

However, his ideas did not become a reality and the sketches were lost until 1980 when they were found in a nearby house.

This year the CB300 project, led by Kirkharle Creative, will enable the local community and schools to plant 300 trees to bring Brown’s vision to life.

Eighteenth century century picnics, poetry workshops, guided walks and talks, performances and other activities will take place over the summer.

Ivor Crowther, head of HLF North-East, said: “Without Capability Brown we wouldn’t have our image of the quintessential English garden and without National Lottery players we wouldn’t be able to spend this year celebrating in the place where Brown took his first steps to an incredible legacy. We’re delighted to support this project and look forward to what promises to be an exciting year.”

Two-hundred trees will be planted to celebrate 200 years of Bolam Lake – the most intact survivor of the rare landscapes designed by John Dobson and said to be inspired by Capability Brown.

Northumberland County Council has received £54,900 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to explore historical records of Bolam Lake, carry out vital planting and repairs and reach out to local schools and communities to celebrate the site’s bi-centenary.

Councillor Ian Swithenbank, cabinet member for local services at Northumberland County Council, said: “The grant will be of benefit to the park and its visitors for years to come.”