r 71 1 



LILLtSHALL, 

 SHROPSHIRE, 



GARDENS 

 OLD-&NEW 



The Duke of Sutherland. 



Till-. glorious distil, ts of middle Hngland. xvhich are rich 

 in country homes and monastic remains, luxe not 

 many places that can x u- xxith l.illeshall. There 

 are finer mansions, it is true, but xve haxe goodly 

 faction in the magnificent prospects, noble trees. 

 and glorious gardens of this Shr<>p>inre home. It is unnecessary 

 mpare it xx ith Trentham, the Duke of Sutherland'-, other 

 and still more stately atde not s,. iar ax\ay. There is this 

 distinction. however, to be observed between UK-MI that 

 Trentham lies losx in the valley, while l.illeshall is raised aloft 

 on the hill, and surxexs tri.m its terrace garden the lovely 

 country through main a lading mile, until, Iar on, the 

 mountains of Wales are lifted into x iexx . That is something, 

 indeed, to add to the delight of a garden foreground. Nearer 

 at hand, the mouldering xxalls of the Augustini.m AMvy ! 

 Lilleshail lie full in viexx , lending their antique cloistered calm. 

 A glorious feature, \xe say, is this tor hngland to N-stn\x . Times 

 have vastly changed since the Ahtt complained that the 



neighbouring W.ithng Street impoveiislu-d him In- bringm 

 many hungr\- mouths to his door. Wiien the Dissolution CMCd 

 his house o! its burden ol chants . .is nf the rexniurs th.it had 

 made Us Niunty lloxv, the pl.ue ,.nn.- t.i lames l.exes.m. l:>,|.. 

 and from him descended \ th< (i nx'ers. and s.i { the dtual 

 house of Sutherland. The old mansion of the Levesons has 

 gone, but the line modern structure, composite ,,i \.irnis 

 media-x'.il styles, xvith UN remarkable ai..i,lr.l t-irar. lias iisni 

 worthily in its stead. It carries xvith it the leatures of 

 appropriate garden architecture in terrace walls, stairxvays, and 



les. 



The spacious pleasure grounds, with xvluch xve are 

 concerne.1. \v.-re lai.l out wlu-o tlie h rase was built, that 

 is. about ISM. Including the comparatively small kitchen 

 garden, thev Co\vr ab,ut tA-e,itver.;ht acre-, and are the 

 foreground and ge.n of a great panorama. We experieii. < 

 ceitamlx a reminiscence ol I rentham as \\e survey trmn 

 the terra, e the rich ina/e of the great lloxver garden, 





THE APPLfc WALK Ok PIWX>LA. 





