House of Cope

24/01/2026

Family history.

Holland House in Kensington was built in 1605 for the diplomat Sir Walter Cope, originally known as Cope Castle and set within a vast country estate.

It later passed to Henry Rich, Earl of Holland, and became a major social and political centre, especially under the Fox family as a famous meeting place for Whig society.

Writers and visitors linked to the house included Joseph Addison, Lord Byron, Charles Dickens, Sir Walter Scott and Benjamin Disraeli.

During the Blitz on 27 September 1940, the house was hit by dozens of incendiary bombs and left largely in ruins, though the library famously survived.

Now Grade I listed, only the east wing remains, with the gardens and ruins preserved within Holland Park under the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

03/08/2025

Matilda the Musical (2022) was filmed at Bramshill House. The movie is directed by Roald Dahl. The film is available on Netflix.

03/08/2025

Henry Cope, the Green Man of Brighton and a student at Lincoln's Inn. He was a descendant of the Cope Baronets, who resided at Bramshill House in Hampshire.

30/07/2025

"On a crisp spring evening in the latter half of the 18th century, Ranton Abbey House in Staffordshire, the stately home of the Cope family, stood illuminated against the dusky sky. The thick stone walls and imposing Georgian facade glowed with the flicker of countless candles, their light spilling from tall windows across the manicured lawns. Sir Jonathan Cope, distinguished landowner and baronet, had sent invitations far and wide for a grand ball celebrating his son’s coming of age - a tradition proudly upheld in the family whose fortunes and heritage stretched back centuries."

On a crisp spring evening in the latter half of the 18th century, Ranton Abbey House in Staffordshire, the stately home of the Cope family, stood illuminated against the dusky sky. The thick stone walls and imposing Georgian facade glowed with the flicker

28/07/2025

In the early 17th century, everyday life at Cope Castle - later known as Holland House - in Kensington, London, unfolded within the stately Jacobean mansion built by Sir Walter Cope around 1604–1605. The house stood proudly on a vast estate of about 500 acres, stretching over what is today Holland Park Avenue to almost Fulham Road. This grand estate was not just a residence but a centre of diplomacy and nobility, surrounded by gardens that featured exotic trees imported by the notable botanist John Tradescant the Younger.

In the early 17th century, everyday life at Cope Castle - later known as Holland House - in Kensington, London, unfolded within the stately Jacobean mansion built by Sir Walter Cope around 1604–1605. The house stood proudly on a vast estate of about 500 a

28/07/2025

"Long before its graceful silhouette winked in my camera lens, Holland House in Kensington, London, stood as a silent witness to centuries of transformation. Known originally as Cope Castle and raised in 1605, its walls resounded with laughter, whispered secrets, and stories left half-told by time. This storied manor has survived wars, fires, and the relentless march of progress."

Long before its graceful silhouette winked in my camera lens, Holland House in Kensington, London, stood as a silent witness to centuries of transformation. Known originally as Cope Castle and raised in 1605, its walls resounded with laughter, whispered s

28/07/2025

The Cope family’s status was mirrored in every aspect of the castle, from the generous tapestries in sunlit chambers to the careful placement of potted rosemary and lavender in the ornamental gardens.

16/04/2025

08/04/2025

On the morning of May 11, 1603, London was abuzz with anticipation. King James I, newly ascended to the throne of England, had chosen the historic Charterhouse as the venue for an important ceremony. This sprawling site, steeped in history as a former Carthusian monastery and later a Tudor mansion, had become a place of royal significance, hosting events such as Queen Elizabeth I's preparations for her coronation decades earlier. Now, it would witness another momentous occasion: the knighting of Sir William Cope, a rising figure in English politics.

On the morning of May 11, 1603, London was abuzz with anticipation. King James I, newly ascended to the throne of England, had chosen the historic Charterhouse as the venue for an important ceremony. This sprawling site, steeped in history as a former Car

08/04/2025

Sir William Cope, 2nd Baronet of Hanwell, was knighted by King James I at the London Charterhouse on 11 May 1603.

The Charterhouse

31/03/2025

Jonathan Cope (1664–1694), MP of Ranton Abbey, was an early owner. He inherited the estate and passed it to his son, Sir Jonathan Cope, 1st Baronet.

Sir Jonathan Cope, 1st Baronet (c. 1691–1765), succeeded his father in 1694 and managed the estate for much of the 18th century.

Later, the estate descended to Sir Jonathan Cope, 4th Baronet (c. 1758–1821), who sold it around 1819 to Thomas William Anson, 2nd Viscount Anson.

29/03/2025

Henry Cope by Edmund Scott (1758-1815), Brighton, 1806.

National Portrait Gallery, London.