3 



FROME. 



THE SCAT OF 



THE REV. W. A. DUCKWORTH 



CIG some two miles north nf tin- ancient tow .1 of Fiome. 

 in Somerset-hire, in the midst t,| a i.iir and truitiul 

 region of fcngland, lies tin- parish ot Urihardleigh. 

 much out of the beaten track, and content to jog along 

 with a quiet lilt- ! its own. A hundred si-ar- ago it 

 ! t-.ventv-eight inhabitants, aiu! now the 

 1 1- who dwell there do n.>t number more than about titty. 

 I park covers nearly the whole at.-a ot the parish, and IN 

 i [ leasant, picture*que, and well-wooded expanse, with a 

 us lake and ponds. Here, in ancient time*, spread the 

 xid, and the sylvan character still invests the land. 

 The river Frome runs on the south side, and with the w.-Js, 

 .itrr. meadows, and orchards completes the rustic charm. 



In Domesday the placs is spoken ot as Horcerlei. obviously 



the attempt of some Norman surveyor to render its name 



It fell into the capacious hands of tl e tamous 



Geoff. .. H shop of Coutances, but returned to the Cr \vn, 



and was held of the King in capite by the t.uiu \ ..i IA- 



Cultura, or Colthurst. and in the rei'^n of td-varJ I. \vas 



: t<- that c,t he . \\erlautld. The Roiiwys atterwar .Is 



held the place, the heiress of the last ot whom was loan, wile ol 



Henry Champiicys, whose descendant. Thomas Champp-\ >, 



was made a Baronet in the seventh year ot ( i<-.,r^e III. I 



Champneys remained in joss-Nsi<ni u| ( )rchardlei^h for about 



3OO years. Memorials of several of them are 1:1 the church, and 



a stone marks the site of the old mansion in w hicli they dwrlt. 



The present mans;on. a statel\ rd'lue m the hli/abethan 



style, was erected, in a more elevated siluati..n. l>y tl)e late 

 William Duckworth, hs^. | ln> gentleman, who was the son 

 ot deorye Duckworth, Esq., Of Musbur\ and ()\rr Daiwen. 

 Lancashire, bought the estate in |S^. and showed excellent 

 last,- m the ih.ir.Kter t Ins hi.use and i-munds. N,,t many 

 places in England have siuh a territorial situation, i 

 the parks that are pr.utically parish-s. and not many the 

 parishes whose inhabitants make so small a show at the polls. 

 Ther '!)! ad\ant.i^es and pleasures in siu h a state ot 



things. The r ot ( )rchardlcigh is in a position of 



paramiiunt authority and respect m his parish, being tin- 

 landowner, and thus truly the sq>nre o| tlu place, whkh t 

 but of a single farmer at the Long House harm n>med in 

 tlie county dire.toiy. I he late Mi. Duckworth recognised the 

 charms and attractions ot the country. 'I lu-re was a diver-n\ 

 of ground that promised many opportunities. His new mansion 

 Id be erected on the hill in a better situation than the old. 

 Krom this ele\ated point there were line views of distant 

 Country, including Clev Hill and the Wiltshire Downs, as well 

 .is a rich prospect ot the sylvan region around. The site 

 Jioseii was in the midst of the | ark of 800 acr<s, wherein 

 stand many tine elms and other patrician lorest tiees. Ruli 

 masvs of t..|i.ige should play a large p.ut in the lands, ajv. and 

 ther;- were aiuient giants ot the wood which should give both 

 shade and dignity. Then the position iho-,n had th 

 advantage that on every side there were slop.-s. and that thus 

 1-e.iutnul terraces might be formed. The de.livitu-s wen- 



P KIN<> A'.k'iss 1Mb 





