f 21.', i 



ALTON TOWERS, 

 STAFFORDSHIRE, 



THE SEAT OF 



THE EARL OF 

 SHREWSBURY & TALBOT."' 



,GARDLNS 



OL D-&NEW 



'HE classic ;:ardens nl Alton 



To\\. rs deserve In IV 



nil 111 hi- r ed a mo ii;; the 

 most famous in tin- British Isles. 

 anil fortunately \ve are able to recount th.-jr history. It was 

 to Charles, lilteenth H.irl of Shrewsbury. th.it tin- lorin.iiion <>\ 

 tlii-iii was Jiu-. bnamocred <>\ ihe n.itni.il tvauties t the 

 Ctnintry. and tvinj ;ui .irdi-nt l-vi-r of tin- ^.irdon, lu- 

 Jtrtermiiu-J tn >urruunJ Ins 3h".lc uiih .1 Ji-li^htlul rr.ilin nl 

 trees .inJ ll .\\-i-rs. Tin- pn-siJinj; clur.ut. -riNtu's "I tin- h.irl's 

 creation, tr it \vas ivitlun^ i-lv, \\ru- J.is-k -r.ue anJ 

 luxuriant richness .inJ in OIK- p.nt of tlu- .irJcns is .1 

 circular trmplo in tlie st\ li- of tlu- laiiu-J m<iiuinicnt of tliv 

 choragus l.ysi.r.iti th.it t-xqiiMtr i-x.iinplr <-t tin- ( lnntlii.in 

 style I' ni;: known .IN tin- " l.anu -in ol I)i-nvi-.tlH'iu -, 11 \\hi.h 

 appiopnati-ly Iv.irs tin- invnption, " He rn.ido tin- J 

 smile," in allu-ion to tlv irealue work ol the harl, a buM 

 ot wh.-m it eiishtine>. 



and squirrels 

 ^r.l through the /i-.il 



We pass through nuiih 

 till v'eiu-rv Ivlore enleriii<> tllC 

 sp.Ki..iis ph .isure grounds, ilu- -He 

 i.t whiili, eaily in the vvntii'V, \\.is 

 a u .Ll \\.xKll.inJ, where i.il-hils 

 many in the liees ; hut all this .is 

 ul the nohle nwner. The scene lent ilsrll In the improvements 

 elti>ieJ hy Ins luii. I, an. I tile ^lul-ns aie n w a ma/e -it 

 Ivatitilul flower-gemmed lurl \\a ks threading a rotnantK 1 \ alii \ . 

 and from the temple allu.Kd {> we mnmand a superh view ..I 

 the e.\v)ui-ite s\ Ivan -veil . l-k I >\s aie these wa\s thrmi^li 

 rhoJoJendrun and a/ilea uro\-,-s, ulu-n tlie lealy huslu-s 

 with th ir multitudinous il.\\,is ar>- a snur.f ol tintailin^ 

 delight. Miles ot |ny drives thread th tvautilul pl.uc. and 

 attr.Kt h\ ri- is ,:i ,,i tl u - s,,n ; , n j veKetv turt with which 

 they are spi,-ad. 



Hut let u> now pursue the K-autilul path that inns d.>\\n 

 from tlie circular temple. On our way we pass tin- ari.iJeJ 





'LE kEFlGb" AM) UK- 



