A NEW exhibition celebrating the 300th birthday of an historic landscape designer has opened at Croome Court, near Worcester.

The interactive display, which opened on Sunday, leads visitors through Lancelot 'Capability' Brown's work at the now National Trust-owned mansion.

Amy Forster-Smith, Croome’s house and visitor experience manager, said: "We've had another record breaking year at Croome so it's perfect to end it with this celebratory exhibition of Croome’s principal designer.

"It’s been a lot of hard work getting everything installed in such a tight time frame, but we've all enjoyed getting it ready. We’re also really proud to have so many precious paintings as part of the exhibition."

The exhibition, titled 'Capability Brown at Croome: A Creative Collaborative', tells the story of the estate’s transformation at the hands of the 6th Earl of Coventry and Capability Brown during the 18th Century.

Historic maps, archive material and interactive installations chronicle the development of Croome’s marshland called 'Seggy Mere' into a natural-looking English landscape.

Capability Brown - so named for stating his clients' estates had 'capabilities' - was commissioned in 1751 by the Earl who wanted his park and house to be modernised.

Visitors can follow this journey through the saloon and drawing room, before moulding their own landscape at the interactive sandbox.

Stepping under a sound dome, guests can listen to some of the plant and building materials from the 18th century.

A pair of paintings have returned to Croome after a 76-year absence to form part of the exhibition.

One painting is of 6th Earl of Coventry painted by Allan Ramsay in 1765, while the other is by Richard Wilson and is thought to be the first painting of a Brownian landscape.

A third painting, on loan from the National Portrait Gallery, is the most famous portrait of Capability Brown.

The exhibition runs until Sunday, January 8.

For more information call 01905 371006 or visit nationaltrust.org.uk/croome