Rousham, A Kentian masterpiece.

Rousham in Oxfordshire

Rousham is arguably the finest garden in England but undoubtedly William Kent’s finest work. William Kent (1685-1748) was called Cant before he changed his name; he thought Kent would sound better to the gentry. He took a garden that had originally been laid out by Charles Bridgeman (1690-1738) and completed in 1737 on more formal lines. Kent altered it, and now you will find it almost unchanged from Kent’s time. Horace Walpole wrote of Kent that ‘’He leaped the fence and saw that all nature was a garden’’. These are the most important and profound words ever put to paper on garden history.   

S. Harmer 2012

On the hill can be seen the ‘sham’ ruin. A single wall to make as though the garden and its architecture extend into the distance and to give a perception that the garden extends further than it actually does. These features are sometimes known as ‘eye catchers’ This is a perfect example of Kent’s work showing his ‘concealment of bounds’ and bringing the countryside and landscape into the garden. In the foreground the cottage has been altered on the right hand end to look like it could be an old fortified house. This was done to make the vista more interesting to the eye.

            S. Harmer 2012

The ha-ha plays an important part at Rousham by ‘concealing the bounds’. Between the long horn bull and Rousham house is the ha-ha. There have always been long horn cattle at Rousham.

Rousham is the perfect example of the Augustan style, the first period of the English landscape movement. The exponents of this style celebrated and strove to renew the past glories of ancient Rome. They also celebrated England’s peace and prosperity after the civil war. The Augustan landscape is categorised by classical architecture and sculpture as seen at Rousham.  Of course there were also voices raised against the formal gardens of England that preceded gardens such as Rousham. Raised against them for many reasons including social, economic and political. One of these voices belonged to Joseph Addison, writing in the Spectator in 1712 he stated, ‘Our British gardeners on the contrary, instead of humouring nature, love to deviate from it as much as possible. Our trees rise in cones, globes and pyramids. We see the marks of the scissors upon every plant and bush. I do not know whether I am singular in my opinion, but for my own part I would rather look upon a tree in all its luxuriance than when it is thus cut and trimmed into a mathematical figure’.

S. Harmer 2012

The stature is one of either two figures. Some say that it is Apollo while others that it is Hadrian’s lover Antinous. General Dormer was greatly interested in Antinous and he is the most likely candidate. The figure looks outwards away from the garden and down towards the River Cherwell. Again showing the garden is integrated into and moving out to the wider landscape.

S. Harmer 2011

The Praeneste is a seven arched structure which was Inspired by the temple complex of Palestrina near Rome. It was not placed to be seen until you were on the return leg of the journey around the garden, almost a ‘Grand Tour’ in miniature. Again the iconology is that of ancient Rome.

Iconography can confuse the interpretation of a garden and Rousham is no exception. The garden can be read on many levels. In its simplistic form Rousham pays homage to ancient Rome and the Imperial games. This can be seen for example in Sheermakers work depicting a mortally wounded gladiator, perpetually dying. The gladiator can be seen simply as what he is, a gladiator dying from his wounds inflicted by another in the games. Here we have the simple reference to ancient Rome. Others may argue that on another level  the gladiator represents General James Dormer who owned Rousham and commissioned Kent from 1738 until Dormers death in 1741. Dormer was wounded at the battle of Blenheim and the dying gladiator most likely is a reference to the general, himself severely wounded in battle and never recovering from his wounds.

S. Harmer 2011

The dying gladiator

The garden can also be seen as a representation of the Elysian Fields, the mythological resting place of the Roman soldier.  Elysia the place of peacefulness and calm which is supposedly the final home of the brave who died in battle. Again was Dormer creating his own Elysian fields? The Elysian Fields are portrayed in other gardens such as Stowe and Painshill Park. The garden at Rousham is believed to be Dormers own journey from life to death and from light into darkness. The garden indeed displays this when you move from areas of light into areas of heavy shade. We can also see a reference to Caesar with the sculpture depicting Pan and Venus. Caesar claimed descent from these mythological beings. 

 

S. Harmer 2012

The illustration shows the ‘rill’ and octagonal bathing pool. Kent canalised the water to form the rill. It has a fluid serpentine movement and winds its way through the understory planting of Laurel. Laurel is mainly used in English landscape gardens as a dense evergreen planting and kept at the height seen. The rill moves down to the Vale of Venus. At some point the rill was wider and deeper than it is now as there are firsthand accounts of fish swimming here.

Lastly what defines Rousham now is that it has not followed the National Trust philosophy of endless gift shops and cafes with hundreds of screaming children running around the gardens followed by worn out parents. Rousham remains as it has always been a sea of tranquillity with children under sixteen not permitted. How wonderful!

Rousham Gardens are open every day of the year from 10 am. Last admission is at 4.30 pm and the gardens close at dusk. Tickets for the garden are £5 per person.

http://www.rousham.org