From the Cursons to the present.

The Curson family acquires the land

The manor of Waterperry passes to the Curson family of Oxfordshire, who will hold it for nearly four centuries. The name derives from the Old English 'wæter' and the Norman family name 'Pirie', recorded in the Domesday Book survey of 1086.

Sir John Curson rebuilds the house

The present house is substantially rebuilt by Sir John Curson in the early eighteenth century. The south front, with its characteristic fenestration and entrance door, dates from this period. The kitchen garden and walled garden are also laid out at this time.

The Curson line ends

The last of the Curson line dies without a direct male heir. The estate passes through a succession of owners over the following century and a half, during which the house undergoes several alterations to the north wing and outbuildings.

Victorian additions

The house is extended to the north and the stable block is enlarged. The formal gardens to the east of the house are replanted in the Victorian manner, with geometric beds and a kitchen garden wall heightened to its present form.

Beatrix Havergal founds the Waterperry Horticultural School

Beatrix Havergal, horticulturalist and educator, acquires Waterperry and establishes a residential horticultural school for women, one of the first of its kind in England. Her school trains women gardeners to a professional standard over the following four decades. The walled kitchen garden, the alpine nursery, and the cut-flower borders are all developed under her direction.

“Miss Havergal was a remarkable teacher. She had an absolute conviction that women could and should be professional gardeners, at a time when that was far from the accepted view.”

A former student of the Waterperry Horticultural School

Wartime continuity

The school continues to operate throughout the Second World War, producing food as well as ornamental plants. The walled garden is given over in part to vegetable production. Several students remain at Waterperry as staff during and after the war years.

The School of Economic Science acquires Waterperry

On the retirement of Beatrix Havergal, the estate is purchased by the School of Economic Science (now the School of Philosophy and Economic Science). The house becomes the School's principal retreat centre. The horticultural tradition is continued: the gardens remain in active cultivation and are opened to the public through the adjacent Waterperry Gardens enterprise.

The retreat programme develops

A programme of residential retreats based on the School's philosophy curriculum is established at Waterperry. Students from the London school and regional branches attend weekend and week-long retreats throughout the year. The house is adapted for residential use, with additional bedrooms created in the upper floors and outbuildings.

The fresco programme begins

The School commissions a programme of contemporary frescoes for the principal staircase of the house. Working in the buon fresco technique (pigment applied directly to wet plaster), artists including Hamish Miller complete a sequence of paintings spanning three storeys. The frescoes remain one of the most unusual features of the house and are open to visitors on arranged tours.

Restoration work

Significant restoration work is undertaken on the south front, the roof, and the principal reception rooms. The kitchen garden wall is repointed. The walled garden continues to supply produce to the house kitchen.

An active house

Waterperry House remains in continuous use by the School. Residential retreats run throughout the year. The house is available for hire for appropriate events. The gardens, managed separately by the Waterperry Gardens charity, are open to the public. St Mary the Virgin church, on the estate, holds regular services.