278 A BOOK OF ENGLISH GARDENS 



book and finding a new chapter containing some- 

 thing of rare interest. Continuing down the grass 

 path that runs parallel with the Sunk Garden 

 (between the latter and the Wilderness), the Park 

 can be entered through handsome gates. 



The clumps of trees and gentle undulations which 

 characterise the Park impress upon the beholder 

 that " Capability " Brown, or some such hand, had 

 to do with its arrangement. Walpole in 1752 ex- 

 presses his views about the Park pretty freely 

 as indeed he does on any subject, but more 

 especially on Gardens : " From Sevenoaks we 

 went to Knole. The Park is sweet, much old 

 Beech and an immense Sycamore before the great 

 gate, that makes me more in love than ever with 

 Sycamores. A vista cut through the wood has a 

 delightful effect from the front, but there are 

 some trumpery fragments of Gardens that spoil 

 the view from the State apartments." Evidently 

 every one was impressed by these Beeches. 

 Daniel Defoe, in his tour through England, 

 notes them : "I saw Knole, the ancient and 

 magnificent seat of the Duke of Dorset. It is 

 situate in the middle of a very large Park 

 remarkable for its fine woods and spreading 

 Beeches." 



Two great features of the old Garden happily 

 remain its old Walls and green Pa|hs. The first 

 give a feeling of privacy and restfulness not to 



