Peckforton. 145 



summits, and forests appear, and the shepherd is de- 

 lighted in his mind." * So that the utility of the grand 

 old place has not passed away, but only taken another 

 form ; instead of inspiring awe and terrors, it ministers 

 noble enjoyments. And perhaps it is well to think of the 

 days of ancient Beeston as we do of the " Drift period," 

 when floods surged hither and thither, yet in their sub- 

 sidence made the earth fit for fruit-bearing, and great 

 boulders were left on the plains to tell the story. 



When at Beeston, we visit, as a matter of course, 

 Peckforton, the residence of John Tollemache, Esq. 



This truly magnificent edifice restores, in the finest 

 possible manner, the irregular Norman style of archi- 

 tecture which prevailed in the time of Edward I. The 

 site is remarkably well chosen, being upon a hill which 

 commands views equally varied, extensive, and pictur- 

 esque, while the abundant trees give it a seclusion that 

 would seem hardly possible upon ground so elevated. 

 Occupying not less than 9000 square yards, and in 

 architectural proportions, costliness, and superb work- 

 manship, without a rival in this part of England, it 

 is not surprising that the erection of Peckforton should 

 have extended, as it did, over the greater portion of nine 

 years, that is to say, from 1842 to 1851. The material 

 employed was the red sandstone of the county, from 

 quarries about a mile to the west, and since no portion 

 of the walls is covered with paint or paper, the excellent 

 * "Iliad," viii., at the end. 



