18f> 



GARDENS OLD AND JVE.'f. 



Cresley. The estate, it Is curious to know, was held in cjpite 

 by the singular tenure of rendering periodically one bow 

 \\ithout a string, one quiver of a material described as 

 " Tutesbir," and twelve arrows fledged and one unfledged. 



Camden says that Gresley Castle, where the Gre-leys 

 lived in those days, was a mere ruin in his time. To Williim 

 de Gresley succeeded Robert, ancestor of the Gresleys, 

 summoned to Parliament as barons of the realm by Edward 11. 

 Seated at Drakelowe were in succession William, son of 

 Robert, S ; r Geoffrey, Sir William, another Geoffrey, a Peter, 

 and still another Geoffrey. The eldest son of the latter was High 

 Sheriff of Staffordshire in the time of Edward III., but the present 

 family is descended from a younger son, Sir Nicholas, who 

 married the rich heiress of the Wa^teneys. In direct succession 

 followed Sir Thomas 

 and two Sir Johns, all 

 of them men of note 

 in the shire, which 

 they represented in 

 Parliament in the reigns 

 of Henry IV. and his 

 successors, and the 

 grandson of the last- 

 named was Sir George 

 Gresley, created a 

 Knight of the Bath at 

 the Coronation of Anne 

 Holeyn. Sir William 

 and Sir Thomas suc- 

 ceeded, of whom the 

 latter was at various 

 times High Sheriff, both 

 of Staffordshire and 

 Derbyshire. 



The Gresleys were 

 very prominent in 

 county business, and 

 Sir George was one 

 of the committee to 

 arrange the details and 

 the collection of the 

 Commonwealth 

 monthly assessment in 

 1644. This prominent 

 country gentleman, of 

 whom Glover says that 

 he was distinguished for 

 learning, was the first 

 baronet of the family, 

 being raised to the 

 dignity on Jure 291)1, 

 161 1, and his successor 

 in the title was Sir 

 Thomas Gresley, his 

 grandson, who died in 

 1699. It is from lhi< 

 gentleman that Sir 

 Robert G-esley is de- 

 scended, and he is the 

 eleventh baronet of 

 the line, being the only 

 son of the ti nth baronet, 

 who died in 1868, when his successor was but two years old. 

 Sir Robert married in 1893 Lady Frances, eldest daughter of 

 the eighth Duke of Marlborough, and is a Deputy- 1 ieu'.enant 

 and J.P. for his county. 



Drakelowe is approached by a magnificent avenue of old 

 trees one mile in length. The judicious hand of the planter 

 has done much for the place, and the foliage is everywhere 

 rich and beauti ul. The hall bears the aspect of Tudor or 

 Jacobean times, and its embattled walls, its twisted chimneys 

 and pinnacles, its noble oriels and bays, with their mullioned 

 windows and tracerk-s, art- extremely beautiful. Ivy luxuriantly 

 dothes the walls, especially on the jouth front. The painted 

 dining-room in the house deserves to be mentioned. It was a 

 singular tancy that made men wish, while in their own houses, 



.MODERN LEAD WORK. 



to seem to be out o f d:ors. H3re, in a recess, we look out, as 

 it we:'e, through a garden archway, with a railing, to a lake and 

 mountains, while ov;r-arching trses rise to Hi: ceiling, and on 

 the oth?r hand the lake extends and mountains r : se, while the 

 firei lace is like the mouth of some rugged cave, over which 

 a classic mask has been sculptured. The room is quite 

 characteristic, and, as a survival of an extinct taste, is 

 interesting. 



The gardens at Drakelowe are equally rich and beautiful, 

 and the chief charm of the place. They are specially note- 

 worthy as being a pleasaunce which has lately undergone 

 partial transformation. Under the skilful direction of the 

 eminent garden architect, Mr. Inigo Thomas, the ground on the 

 west side of the house has been excavated, and instead of the 



tame features of a 

 lawn and carriage drive 

 there are now fine 

 balustered terraces, 

 with double stairwiys, 

 leading down to the 

 water, on whose placid 

 surface the ancient 

 structure, with this ad- 

 mirable and appropriate 

 foreground character, is 

 reflected. One of our 

 pictures will show how 

 admirably successful is 

 the result. Turf walks 

 are a notable feature of 

 the garden. There is a 

 sense of enclosure by 

 banks of trees and 

 hedges which is grati- 

 fying. The circle 

 garden is very fine, and 

 beautiful; yet its 

 elements are simple. 

 In the midst is a 

 circular stone - edged 

 basin, with a mermaid 

 in lead throwing 

 up water from a shell, 

 and a fringe of verdure 

 encircles the water. 

 There is then a circular 

 gravel path, and an 

 outer ring of turf, 

 broken up by flower- 

 beds, full of gay and 

 fragrant blooms 

 throughout the year. 

 Outside, again, is 

 another gravel path, 

 and then there are 

 hedges and glorious 

 masses of trees. The 

 flower - bearing vases 

 and characteristic seats 

 are part of an 

 admirable arrangement, 

 which is particularly 

 satisfying to the eye. The same arrangement is carried out 

 where a smaller stone basin occupies the centre of a 

 beautiful garden, from which four gra*s walks diverge. Here 

 the hedges and the turf, with the great masses of trees, 

 have a most admirable effect. It will be seen from our 

 illustrations that the new terraces, the broad turf walks, 

 straight gravel paths, and a magnificent environment of trees 

 are the features of the place. The long b.ix garden is a 

 delightful resort, and has that characteristic sense of enclosure 

 which is essenti il in a good garden. The Drakelowe garden 

 is altogether charming and satisfactory, and it is pleasant 

 to add that it is kept in perfect condition, and throughout 

 the year is characterised by many successive beauties of the 

 season. 



