The musings of Capability Brown

 I never found it very funny. Who in their right mind would devise such a thing? 

There I would be, in the innocence of my childhood years, in the grounds of some Country House whilst on a day trip with the family.  There was always plenty to see and enjoy amongst the opulence and splendour of some well-to-do persons’ home and grounds. I did not appreciate at that young age the merits of a collection of art or furnishings or the finer points or architectural period design.

What I did like, however, were the wide open spaces around these establishments. Understandably oblivious to most things and free to lark about I did not deserve to then come a cropper by falling over the edge of a lawn into an abysss, albeit usually soft and grassy below. 

As usual, my carefree wanderings led me to be a victim of the landscaped feature of a Ha-Ha. 

Yes, very funny, hilarious and no doubt that the first ever unfortunate soul to suffer the embarrassment of a tumble resolved the whole issue in the mind of its designer as to what to call it. They are quite a common sight on National Trust, English Heritage or Private Estates in the UK which suggests that they were once a sought after item for the discerning aristocrat or wealthy land owning businessman or industrialist. 

The concept is perhaps found in today's architecture and design of infinity swimming pools in that there is no differentiation between the surface of the water and the distant horizon. 

The traditional Ha-Ha has been around since at least the 17^th Century in France but not reaching England until late in the following century when it became part of the sales catalogue and portfolio of large scale Landscape Gardeners such as Bridgeman, Kent and Capability Brown. 

The actual concept is pretty simple in that it combined the criteria of keeping grazing livestock from accessing the more formal pleasure gardens of a Country House and yet did not throw up an intrusive obstacle which could infringe on the views from said property. 

"Let us in, it's friesian out here"

The other options were of course a conventional raised wall or metal stock fencing which had little scope for improvement of form over function. 

Going back further in time where there was a need to provide security against attack the role of the Ha Ha was performed by a Moat some of which were huge and cumbersome earthworks with the trench soil used to form a bank or in another defensive role. 

However, a typically sophisticated, genteel and extravagant clientele as emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries with no actual or perceived threat or peril to their existence will have been seduced by the idea of a feature with a bit of fun attached to it albeit likely to be at the expense of a servant, visitor or unsuspecting trespasser. 

Fast forward to the commercial value of the tourist industry to asset rich but cash poor Stately Homes of today and a good example of a Ha Ha can be a useful asset although there is certainly an increasing need for good safety notices and warnings over the risk of people falling over or down one. 

In my childhood there was a much more relaxed and common sense approach to Health and Safety and so my disturbingly regular accidents were in fact providing a service to prevent those from following in my misfortune. Ha Ha.