A talk by Christine and Tony McAleavy.

Exploring the remarkable story of Batty Langley (1696-1751), author, garden designer, surveyor, architect, Freemason, teacher, businessman and inventor

In this talk, Christine and Tony McAleavy will tell the remarkable story of Batty Langley (1696-1751), whose innovative design for a garden building was used faithfully in the creation of the beautiful Gothick Lodge at Castletown.

Langley was an extraordinary, self-taught polymath who, from humble beginnings as a gardener’s son in Twickenham, went on to have a multifaceted career as a prolific author, garden designer, surveyor, architect, Freemason, teacher, businessman and inventor. The Lodge at Castletown is important as an example of the influence of Langley’s pioneering Gothick style. Chris and Tony will illustrate the talk with an extensive range of slides relating to Langley’s career, thereby shedding light on the scale of his achievements and influence.

The talk will draw upon the substantial research that Chris has undertaken into Langley’s career. Chris is a garden historian. Batty Langley was the focus for her master’s dissertation and she has published articles on Langley in the journals Garden History and The Georgian Group Journal. She recently completed her doctorate and her thesis investigated the horticultural works of the diarist, John Evelyn. Tony shares her enthusiasm for Langley. He is a historian who has published widely. His 2022 book, The Last Witch Craze, investigated the relationship between science and witchcraft in Restoration England.

The 2026 talks’ series at Castletown House is dedicated to the memory of the late Jeanne Meldon and is presented by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in association with The Castletown Foundation. Doors open at 3pm and the talk runs from 3.30pm to 4.30pm. Tickets are €5 .

www.castletown.ie

www.castletownfoundation.com

For further details contact Michelle Wyse at michelle.wyse@opw.ie

Description supplied by the event organiser.