Jonathan Bate - The Garden: Our 4000 Year Quest for Paradise

Why gardens keep appearing in our idea of paradise

Jonathan Bate brings The Garden to Brimscombe Mill for a talk about the places where culture, spirituality and nature meet. His new book travels from Eden and Babylon to Versailles, Capability Brown and New York's High Line, exploring four thousand years of gardens and the meanings we give them.

Poetry, painting, philosophy and religion all enter the story, with Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Emily Dickinson among its writers. You do not need green fingers to follow Bate's exploration of why gardens matter to the stories we tell about beauty and belonging.

The Sanctuary Room has ramp access, with a disabled toilet and disabled parking at the front of the site. The historic warehouse has no central heating, so wear an extra layer for this November evening.

Ticketed. Standard, ticket-and-book and pay-what-you-can options are available.

Thursday 12 November 2026 · Sanctuary Room, Brimscombe Mill, Brimscombe, Gloucestershire GL5 2QN · Starts 7pm