41 
from winds, but not so near as to prevent the sunshine—so that 
the result is that the Vineyard got the maximum of possible sun 
with the minimum of wind. The hill is a mountain limestone, 
and the soil seems to be shallow and stony. The terraces begin 
from the lowest level within a stone’s throw of a small brook that 
runs through the Valley. There are seven distinct terraces— 
divided from each other by walls a yard high, the distance from 
wall to wall being from 12 to 14 feet—the terraces vary in length 
according to the slope of the hiil, the longest being 320 yards. 
The walls are built of the mountain limestone of the hill. The 
spaces between the walls have not been levelled, but follow the 
natural slope of the hill. The site of the Vineyard is now chiefly 
covered with yew trees, and it was the opinion of Sir Joseph 
Hooker, who examined it a few years ago, that these yew trees 
were of comparatively recent growth, none of them probably 
more than 60 or 70 years old. With the exception of one tree 
growing near the brook I snould quite agree with this, and the 
fair presumption is that that to a great extent gives the date of the 
destruction of the Vineyard. But on this point Lord Ducie has 
kindly sent me the following particulars. Writing in September, 
1887, he says, ‘‘ My late agent, now living, a very old man, has. 
often told me that 50 years ago he remembered seeing a few wild 
Vines among the bushes in the Vineyard—and in January, 1882, 
~ calling upon William May, an old Cromhall Labourer, who had 
spoken to me of his recollections of the Vineyard—in answer to- 
my questions, and on my reminding him of his having told me how 
he had stolen grapes in the Vineyard as a child—they were even 
then, out of cultivation and growing wild—he said :— 
“TI do mind the Vines; they growed between the path and 
the brook—black ones. It were nigh about vower score year 
ago. I benow in the 88. My father telled me as how one year 
there were dree ’ogsheads of wine made there. W. May’s 
Memory was as sound as ever, and his faculties clear.” 
I have dwelt at some length on the Tortworth Vineyard, 
