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Scorsby Castle may be adduced as a second specimen of inharmonious 

 arrangement. Interesting from its great antiquity, and being, by the liberality 

 of the owner, thrown open to public resort, it is frequented by numberless 

 visiters, which, I trust, will be a sufficient apology for the following remarks, 

 illustrative of what I consider existing errors. Along the margin of the 

 grounds flows the river Eden, at one time winding silently and gracefully 

 along, at other times forcing its way in agitated torrents through a dell 

 bounded by precipitous banks, which are clothed with trees and bushes richly 

 fringing the margin of the passing stream, and producing most enchanting 

 scenery; but, when traversing these grounds, which are principally laid out 

 in the ancient style, that want of harmonious combination before noticed is at 

 once observable. Two or three points may be specified in illustration. 



In parts of these precipitous banks are caves and a boat-house, hewn out 

 of the solid rock. When these were projected, I dare say it was with the 

 idea, in some degree, of producing a natural effect ; but in carrying out this 

 idea, at considerable cost, the effect has been entirely lost. The caves, instead 

 of having a natural appearance, are rooms formed out of the solid rock, of 

 neatly tooled masonry both inside and out, and therefore utterly without their 

 natural characteristic rudeness; whilst the damp and gloom inside render 

 them useless as places of retirement, even under the most favourable circum- 

 stances. The boat-house is a double-roomed cell, in size about eighteen feet 

 by twenty, and about seven feet high, tooled out of the rock, several yards 

 above the level of, and at some distance from, the river; thus not only 

 occupying an unnatural position, but rendering the housing of the boats 

 a difficult as well as a tedious operation. The caves, if formed at all, ought 

 to have been of the most broken rocky character, rude as if untouched by 

 art ; while the boat-house should have been a neat rustic structure, close to 

 the waterside, spanning a small inlet of water, and having a landing place 

 with convenient steps. Such a structure, tastefully arranged, would have 

 added a pleasing feature to the scene. 



Again, in another part is seen a limited flat surface at the foot of a 

 steep bank, with a statue of Nelson in the middle of a small, round basin of 

 water, which is supplied from a moderately high and natural-looking rocky 

 yet scanty fall. Behind this, on the summit of the bank, is a small polished 

 structure in imitation of a Grecian temple, through which the water passes, 



