Architecture, farming and attitudes to knowledge in England, 17th century

What is it about?

The article looks into Sir Roger Pratt as a case study to gain an insight into attitudes to knowledge in a variety of fields, from architecture to farming in the 17th century.

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Why is it important?

Sir Roger Pratt is well-known as an architect (the first to have been knighted for his services in this field), but nothing has been written on his activities as a gentleman farmer, which occupied most of his life. His unpublished diaries and notebooks have left fascinating traces of his way of 'rationalising' and approaching the management of his estate. It becomes apparent that his method derived from his interest in natural philosophy. He was a precursor in this field, where farming as an intellectual pursuit by gentlemen -aided by architects optimising the organisation of space- became widespread in the 18th century.