GARDENS 

 OLD-&NEW 



A RI.US I.ench Court the garden asjxvt is generally of 

 the older time. The mossy terrace fk-.ked by the 

 sunlight through overhanging trees, the quaint 

 hedges clipped by the patient and judicious skill ot the 

 TV hand working in the restraint of art. and not 

 loping its extravagance and the ascending (lights ni the 

 ssive uppt-r terraces, are all cast in the mould ot a 

 former time. Yet there is subtle development in the character, 

 and the inclusion of many things that are new. It is tins 

 blending of the new with the old which is the chiefest 



A GKASi-COVERbD WALK. 



Rous LENCH COURT, 



WORCESTERSHIRE, . . 



THE SEAT OF 



REV. W. K. W. CHAFY, D.D. 



ili.irm i if some of our bullish houses and gardens, and 

 it is the inn- thing about tlu-m whuh lannot Ix- imitated, 

 or the making of our lawns IN given the heart- 

 breaking reupe. " I irst we mows them, and then we 

 mils them fur hundreds of ye.irs." so ot our houses it 

 may Iv said that first we build them in pleasant sur- 

 roundings, and then we develop them into perfection, or 

 rather leave them to develop themselves by slow pr 

 evolution. 



( >ur present garden is t mind in a somewhat remark- 



uhle part ot hngland. 



Clustered al-x.ul tin- List spurs 



ot the Clent Hills, just wl:< 



they die away into the Vale 

 if l:\esham. .i;< several old 

 villages, all distinguished by 



the generic name ot "I.elK'll." 



The most im|-x>rtant ot tl.. 

 st-qiu-sti-red pi. ues is Rons 

 I.eiuh. apparently known 

 In- fore the (.0 n^ues t is 

 " Hisiopslcii/." or Hish'ij -'s 

 I.eiuli, Iviausr it Ix longed to 

 the See of W.nn-sti-r, and 

 afterwards of I.eiuh Kadulphi. 

 It took its present name from 

 a family of great note which 

 lon^ owned it. 



Tile house js inn- "t tile 

 true dd English ihara^ter. 

 They would build in the old 

 times of stone, where stone 

 was not difficult to quarry ; 

 but in the forest lands, where 

 stout timber was easy in 

 the yetting, tin- knight or 

 squire would raise a wiirden 

 dwelling, with stories and 

 windows tr-at overhung, and 

 numerous picturesque ^al 

 Many such, like Rous l.enih 

 Court, are scattered through- 

 out the land ; but few I. 

 had its good fortune, for it 

 has descended through careful 

 hands, and certainly is now 

 in the possession of those 

 who know how to value it. 

 The family of ROHM- built the 

 prist-nt half-timbered IKKIS*-, 

 probably early in Tudor 

 limes, halfway up the slope. 

 There were ancient \ 

 there ..Iready ; but evidently 

 planting very vton began, and 

 it is delightful to find tlut 

 both house and garden are 



-erved with the -i 

 ancient days. Here, it 



'. Cromwell slept on the 

 night before the battle of 

 V\ -ter, tor the Rouses 

 were his ipporters 



