Why did King Louis-Philippe order the creation of the Jardin anglais? The Jardin anglais in Saint-Germain-en-Laye stands as a testament to a king’s compromise. It all started in the 1840s with the arrival of the railway. The railway line from Paris to Saint-Germain-en-Laye was extended. A new train station was built near the Chateau-Vieux. This drastically altered the royal gardens. To accommodate the railway a large section of the forest and Le Nôtre’s Grand Parterre was cut through. This disrupted the perspective towards the Avenue des Loges. Louis-Philippe the garden’s owner authorized the work. To make up for the loss the king demanded a new garden. Three hectares of the royal forest would be transformed into a Jardin anglais. The railway company paid for the creation of this new romantic haven. The king personally oversaw its creation.
Alexandre Loaisel de Tréogate a Crown Buildings engineer designed the Jardin anglais. He followed the romantic style of landscape gardening. Some trees from the old royal forest remained. Other trees were cleared to create space for flowerbeds and groves. Serpentine paths invite a winding journey through various groves. The Jardin anglais offers intimate natural spaces. Perspectives reveal themselves gradually as you walk. The paths are deliberately designed to create a subtle play of sightlines. These sightlines are visible to the walker.
The Jardin anglais acts as a transition. It connects Le Nôtre’s formal garden to the forest. However the influence of the French formal garden is strong. Three straight paths extend from the avenues designed by Le Nôtre. Over time the garden’s appearance changed. This resulted in damage to the original visual design. Recent restoration works aim to recover this unique visual design. The Jardin anglais is a beautiful blend of nature and design. It is a place of quiet contemplation. It is a testament to a king’s attempt to balance progress with beauty. A walk through the Jardin anglais offers a glimpse into history. It reveals how a compromise resulted in a unique and beautiful garden.