

MONTACUTE, 

 SOMERSET, . . 



x^. w -v o -v T r * A T THE SEAT OF ... 



OLD'&NLW Mr. W. R. PHEL1PS 



Nuiic rtitnr toomrlv. none 

 return tuo late. 1 ' 



SO reads the hospitable legend <>vi-r tin- principal portal of 

 Montacute a pl.u v gracious to enter, and that tempts 

 the visitor to linger long. Rarely may tin- radiant 

 summer awaken greater glories than in venerable 

 Montaaite. Where can spring he more delicious or 

 autumn more fruitful than here ? To sit with N> !< in hand in 

 that lovely garden-house is paradise indeed. Th.-iue to look 

 along that many-windowed facade, to conjure up vision- 

 put time>. while \\ itnessiny the stately pleasures of these who 

 dr*s not feel ravi-hed at the thought ? But failing the actual 

 presence of Montacute. these pictures .ire enough t Mi^^<->t its 

 charms. Here is a Somerset garden filled with the tv>t spirit 

 of its time, embodying all that is good in the character of the 

 old garden world, and a valuable examplar of the sunny glories 

 of the ancient pleasaunce to those who may have felt repelled 



by the formal severity sometimes .is--'., i.ited with the \tncrable 

 yew. Floral urace and garden t.uuv' .ire happily mated in 

 plant life and stoneat glorious M'Mit.uute. 



So many gardens in this volume .ire entered from the 

 houses thev adorn, that it may not Iv unsuitable to approach 

 Mctntacute Hmise Irom its surroundings, recmding the tact that 

 it lies some four miles only tmm the pleasant town ot Yeovil. 

 One very beautiful was- of reaching Montacute is through the 

 old village i-l Montacute this being the most beautiful, in.l 

 of all the four approaches. Leaving behind us quaint c--ti 

 and rustic adornments we reach tl: .ith side, 



embowered in rosi-s. ;ind giving a foretaste ol what is to come. 

 Once there grew hard by a glorious wistaria, which had 

 attached itself, with unfamiliar friendship, to a box tree, but a 

 gale swept by, and, as if envious t the delightful effect 

 produced by the lilac wistaria il-iwets thing in prolusion over 

 the dark green shrub, broke the quaint ass (> ciati m by swe p ng 

 it away. It is a delightful drive or walk from hence to 



THE ENTRANCE. 





