320 
Motes on Spye Park and Bromham. 
By C. H. Taxzor, Esq. 
(Read before the Society at Devizes, September 9th, 1874.) 

PASN September 11th, 1868, I visited the old house of Spye 
Park, then in course of demolition. There was little in its 
. 
i 
appearance at first sight to make a visitor suppose that it could be 
of any antiquity ; and I do not think that many persons were aware 
then, or perhaps are aware now, that it was other than a modern 
erection. However, what I saw on that occasion left no doubt on 
my mind that this was the house which Evelyn visited and described, 
and an older building in reality than by simply reading Evelyn’s 
account we should have concluded. 
' Remains of two kinds came to light: first—the ancient features 
of the original building, which had long been concealed : secondly— 
ornate fragments of another building, no doubt Bromham Hall, 
which were found re-used as walling material in the walls of the 
more modern part of the house. 
Fortunately an old view of the front of the house towards the park 
is extant. It is dated May 1st, 1684,and was drawn by Thomas Ding- 
ley,’in his very interesting manuscript, in the possession of Sir Thomas 
Winnington, which has been published in fac-simile by the Camden 
Society under the title “ Dingley’s History from Marble.” This 
shows the house as it must have been in Evelyn’s time; and if it 
had been drawn for the express purpose of illustrating Evelyn’s 
description, it could not have agreed with it more exactly. 
Evelyn visited the house on the 19th of July, 1654. He says in 
1The paper contained a description of Brombam Church, the publication of ~ 
which is postponed. 
2 Dingley’s History from Marble, parti., p. xxxvii. My thanks are due to the 
Council of the Camden Society for permission to reproduce this sketch in the 
illustration, which is prefixed to this paper. 

