The winner was Judith Preston for an essay on ‘Thomas Wright: A Polymath in Arcadia’, while Janet Davidson Carter and Helen Lawrence were both highly commended for their essays on Birkenhead Park and Thomas Archer respectively. All three are students on the MA Garden History course in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology.

The GHS Essay Prize is in its fifth year. Entrants to the competition submit an essay of 5,000-6,000 words on any subject of relevance to garden history. The prize consists of a cash sum of £250 plus free membership of the GHS for a year.

The GHS is the oldest society in the world dedicated to the conservation and study of historic designed gardens and landscapes. Last year’s prizewinner, another Bristol Garden History student, was Florence Clarke.