FOLAR
Friends of the Landscape Archive at Reading

Celebrating Hal Moggridge's Career In Landscape Architecture

A celebration of Hal Moggridge’s Career in Landscape Architecture

FOLAR wanted to understand what impact working with two founding members of the Institute has had on his own approach to landscape architecture, but also in the positions he took on with the LI and IFLA. He has developed a broad and deep knowledge on many aspects of landscape architecture. FOLAR wanted to learn more about some of his key interests and their practical applications that cover both his commissioned and voluntary work. Through a varied programme of speakers and topics we hoped to discover more about his work, ideas, principles, and also about him.

How can such a quiet and modest man achieve so much?

Colvin and Moggridge is now the UK’s oldest landscape practice. The archives of both Hal Moggridge and Brenda Colvin are safely housed at MERL, fully catalogued and open to all: https://merl.reading.ac.uk/collections/brenda-colvin.

One of the most valuable objectives with FOLAR’s celebrations on special lives is being able to discuss, ask questions, see projects and learn and also share so much more about different aspects of peoples’ life and work, rather than guessing or making assumptions.  We hope you will enjoy what you find here.

Hal Moggridge, OBE, is an architect, landscape architect, author, past president of the Landscape Institute (LI), twice winner of the LI gold medal, recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Victoria Medal of Honour. And, in September 2025, he was honoured with the IFLA (International Federation of Landscape Architects) President’s Award, given in recognition of his contribution for the advancement of the profession of landscape architecture through participation with IFLA.  

Continuing FOLAR’s special series celebrating the life and works of UK’s renowned landscape architects, Hal was an obvious choice. He has spent almost all of his working life in landscape architecture. Hal has spent his working life in landscape architecture. Throughout this time, he has shared his knowledge and wisdom guiding multiple landscape focused organisations and professional bodies at international, national, and local levels. Hal has long provided a compass of wisdom, generosity, and diplomacy. He sees landscapes not only as cultural treasures, but also tools for reconciliation and he embraces diversity as a strength. His courage, clarity, and humanistic vision continue to inspire. He continues working now as a consultant to his practice and advising on multiple committees, including FOLAR.  

We wanted to understand what impact working with two founding members of the Institute has had on his own approach to landscape architecture, but also in the positions he took on with the LI and IFLA.

9. The democratic art of landscape

About this video

Photographer, author and advisor to the Capability Brown Tercentenary Festival, Steffie Shields says that every time she visits Blenheim Park, she notices something new. Over the years through her research, she has learnt much from and about Capability Brown. His plan for Hainton, Lincolnshire, shows controlled views out through the boundary planting to various features, but also allows passers-by to have views into the park. 

She has learnt from Hal, how and why it is significant that so many heritage landscapes are open to all both now, and surprisingly, then. Hal pointed out how Brown designed the house at Croome so that it offered both the family and all their staff equally the best views of his landscape.  

Capability Brown’s proposal for St James’s Park was superseded by John Nash, before he had a chance to progress beyond groundworks.  A Gardens Trust sleuth found a newspaper cutting of 1770 stating that Brown’s principal intention was to give a full view of Whitehall to the Queen’s Palace and also of Westminster Abbey.  This is the same place where Hal opened up the view to Horse Guards. Was it a subliminal memory, the collective subconscious mind, or an instinct perhaps, that convinced Hal of this action, that none of the principal views be interrupted by trees?  You won’t get much more meaning from a landscape, says Steffie, than politics, religion and royalty - powerful views!

Her presentation includes beautiful photos of her own and by other leading photographers, many having been used in exhibitions to show the legacy of Brown’s work.  His work can be easily mistaken for nature. and at Blenheim, over time, Hal (and Ralph’s) tree planting will be mistaken for Brown’s.  But what matters is that the sense of place survives, and story of the design and the legacy of views endure, says Steffie, all thanks to their endeavours.

About this series

Hal Moggridge was an obvious choice to continue FOLAR’s special series celebrating the life and works of UK’s renowned landscape architects. He has spent almost all of his working life in landscape architecture. Throughout this time, he has shared his knowledge and wisdom guiding multiple landscape focused organisations and professional bodies at international, national, and local levels. Hal has long provided a compass of wisdom, generosity, and diplomacy. He sees landscapes not only as cultural treasures, but also tools for reconciliation and embraces diversity as a strength. His courage, clarity, and humanistic vision continue to inspire. He continues working now as a consultant to his practice and as a volunteer advising on multiple committees, including FOLAR. Through a varied programme of speakers and topics we hoped to discover more about his work, ideas, principles, and also about him. How can such a quiet and modest man achieve so much? One of the most valuable objectives with FOLAR’s celebrations on special lives is being able to discuss, ask questions, see projects and learn and also share so much more about different aspects of peoples’ life and work, rather than guessing or making assumptions.

The archives of both Hal Moggridge and Brenda Colvin are at MERL, fully catalogued and open to all by appointment: https://merl.reading.ac.uk/collections/brenda-colvin

The Landscape Institute collection at MERL: https://merl.reading.ac.uk/collections/landscape-institute/

More information about FOLAR, and joining us https://www.folar.uk/

Annabel DownsComment