Stephen Wass, Seventeenth-Century Water Gardens and the Birth of Modern Scientific Thought in Oxford: The Case of Hanwell Castle

Summary

In his New Atlantis (1626) Sir Francis Bacon argued that progress in natural philosophy required a group of people who shared an interest in scientific experimentation and a suitable meeting venue. Just over half a century later Robert Plot, in his Natural History of Oxfordshire (1677), identified activity in the mid seventeenth century at Sir Anthony Cope’s homes in Oxfordshire (at Hanwell near Banbury and Tangley in west Oxfordshire) as realisations of Bacon’s vision. Plot’s account of Hanwell has also been the principal inspiration for an archaeological project recently pursued by Stephen Wass to explore the development of the gardens known at Hanwell from the sixteenth century onwards, with a particular focus on Sir Anthony’s contribution. Wass’s new book integrates his findings into a broader history of the Cope family.

After considering the geology, topography and early history of the Hanwell area (chapter 1), Wass examines work carried out at Hanwell after William Cope bought the estate in 1498 (chapter 2). He was responsible for the construction of the castle and presumably for establishing an adjacent garden. During the sixteenth century the design of water gardens in England advanced from relatively simple layouts associated with castles and monasteries to constructions with more elaborate aesthetic ambitions. These are contrasted with the more formal styles which emerged in Italy at that time.

In the sixteenth century the Cope family enjoyed success and acquired an additional house at Tangley; in 1611 Sir Anthony Cope, the second of that name at Hanwell, purchased a baronetcy. At the beginning of chapter 3 Wass introduces numerical annotation to distinguish the Anthony Copes. While it is a good idea – the frequent recurrence of the same family name can be confusing – the provision of a family tree might have been more useful. The rest of this chapter considers numerous examples – sometimes almost overwhelming – of water gardens from this period, which are related to ideas in Bacon’s New Atlantis. This leads to a detailed discussion of the ‘Enstone Marvels’, Thomas Bushell’s collection of water-powered special effects on his small estate at Enstone (12 miles/6 km south-west of Hanwell), which introduces the contribution of engineering. The final example of water gardens refers to Wadham College in Oxford, an institution which reappears in later chapters.