The landscapes of Hertfordshire have been fruitful research topics for Anne Rowe, and this excellent volume, following on directly from Medieval Parks of Hertfordshire (2009), continues the tradition.

The book has three parts. The first gives an overview of the subject. Using extensive research to provide examples and case studies that are carefully integrated with summary data, Rowe covers such topics as the purpose of parks, their design, landscape features, ownership, management, and subsequent disparkment. Many Tudor parks had their origins in the medieval period, and Rowe notes that size was a major determinant in their survival, with examples over three hundred acres “almost all” continuing in use (9). However, she also identifies changes in the demographics of park ownership, reflecting changes in society at that time. For example, not surprisingly given the effects of the Reformation on land holdings, ecclesiastical ownership essentially disappears at the end of the 1530s. Many of these parks, and the manors in which they were located, were given to royal or government officials, and hence this category of owner increased markedly at this time (figures 3, 4). Another interesting development was the emergence of ownership by professional lawyers in the early seventeenth century. While two of the examples given by Rowe purchased estates that had probably already been disparked, one, Francis Bacon, inherited Gorhambury and restored and expanded the park there (15). Career ambitions that culminated in his becoming lord chancellor would only have been enhanced by possession of such a status symbol. Another interesting area of research is the proximity of newly created sixteenth-century parks to London (15–17). These were generally developed around the houses of the owners and again demonstrate changes in society, “reflecting the increased importance of the capital as the base for the royal court” (15).

Many of Hertfordshire's parks were owned by royalty, and many others were held by aristocrats and gentry who welcomed visits as a sign of royal favor. Working chronologically through the Tudor and Stuart monarchs, in the second section of the book Rowe examines the use of existing royal parks, new parks created by the monarchs, and any known time spent residing at manors in the county. This section sets the hunting and emparkment activities of these monarchs into the historical and political context of their reigns, highlighting the importance of these parks and manors as places of political intrigue, leisure, and, sometimes, refuge.

The third section of the book is an alphabetical gazetteer of individual parks. The entries in this remarkable section generally consist of two or more pages describing each example. Beginning with a useful summary of “headline” information, Rowe details the historical and cartographic evidence for each park, providing clear maps and in some cases aerial photographs of the locations. These entries supplied the core data so skillfully synthesized in the first section. Furthermore, they expand well beyond the bare historical facts and are packed full of fascinating insights into early modern society, including the evening “strolling” habits of Lord Aston at Standon in the 1660s (216), riots at Northaw in 1579 (178), and poaching at Hertingfordbury in 1564 (148).

The volume closes with a glossary that will be invaluable to those unfamiliar with often archaic woodland and hunting terminology. Along with an extensive bibliography, the book contains a detailed index that helpfully includes entries by topic, location, and personal name.

The study has remarkable depth and demonstrates Rowe's extensive knowledge of the county. Written in clear and engaging language, the volume also includes large numbers of high-quality, well-produced maps. Some of these are distribution maps across the county, while others provide information about the layout, place names, and features of individual parks and their place in the wider landscape. The only negative comment that can be made about this fine work is that its contents are undercut by the poor quality of the thin paper on which it is printed. It is partly transparent and prone to crumple while just turning the pages, meaning that pages might tear easily; that library copies of this valuable reference work might have a limited lifespan.

For those readers interested in the history of parks, hunting, and early modern landscapes, this volume will be an essential addition to their shelves. But it is more than that. Parks were status symbols, taking potentially valuable land and restricting access to it and to its resources. They marked the owner as a man of importance—and often of ambition. They were integral to the lifestyle of gentlemen, aristocrats, and royalty, and so for anyone studying the early modern period, this book will provide an invaluable insight into many aspects of that society.