Planning Medieval English Homes and Gardens: Andrew Borde's Practical Wisdom

Andrew Borde authored the first English-language guide to planning houses and grounds. While he occasionally inserted biblical quotations and classical references, his core advice was practical. Contemporaries Thomas Tusser ("A Hundredth Pointes of Good Husbandry") and Thomas Hill ("Profitable Arte of Gardening," "Gardener's Labyrinth") expanded on Tudor garden knowledge.

Site Selection Principles

Early writers emphasized:

• Pleasant prospects: "woods, waters, fields, dales, hills as the plain ground"
• Garden and orchard integral to house, located as near as possible
• Valley sites preferred over hilltops (like monastic precedents) for expansion room and cultivation advantages

Approach and Courtyards

Entry passed through one or more courtyards where peacocks served as watchbirds—"spying strangers... he fail not to cry out." Dovecotes were also considered essential: "A dove-house is also a necessary thing about a mansion place."

Evolution from Defense to Delight

Unlike castles chosen for defensibility, Tudor dwellings prioritized salubrious, pleasant settings protected from cold winds where gardens and orchards could flourish. This shift marked the transition from medieval fortification to Renaissance pleasure ground.

Borde's work captures the practical mindset shaping early English domestic landscapes—where utility, beauty, and status converged.