Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Thursday, 20 August 2026

Medieval Gardening


Recently I came upon a video from Medieval Way  based upon Jon Gardener’s 1440s The Feate of Gardening, the earliest surviving guide written in English to the practicalities of gardening.

Beyobd his text nothing else is known about Gardener. What can be gleaned from his poem can be seen summarised in Jon Gardener | Encyclopedia.com

JSTOR has a link, if you subscribe or have access, to an article from Garden History vol 13, pt 2, 1985 by the distinguished architectural historian John H. Harvey entitled ‘The First English Garden Book: Mayster Jon  Gardener’s Treatise and its Background’
  

Creating a medieval garden
1470-75
Bibliotèque de l’Arsenal

Image : Medieval Histories

 
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