196 



GARDENS OLD AND NEW. 



THE SOUTH WALL OF THE MOAT. 



time of Charles II. Earlv in the eighteenth century it was 

 again sold, to John Moor, Esq. and afterwards to Robert Hart 

 Logan, Esq., High Sheriff of the County in 1828, and M.P. 

 for the Western Division. About the year 1838 the estate 

 passed once more by sale to the family of Starkie Bence, and 

 it is now the property of E. Starkie Bence, Esq., J.P., D.L. 



S nee its erection, more than three centuries ago, Time, 

 far from detracting from its beauties, has only added thereto, 

 by imparting to it the present lovely and mellow tones and 

 shades of colour, and rendering more venerable the fine trees 

 about it. The general features are well preserved. The plan 

 is that of the letter E, which was usual at the time, the great 

 hall being in the centre, and one of the two wings being devoted 

 to the offices. There is fine painted glass in the library, 

 including the arms of the Cloptons, Howards, Waldegraves, 

 De Veres, Tt ndrings, Myldes, and other families which 

 have been con- 

 nected with the 

 house. Ex- 

 ternally the 

 mansion is 

 almost in as fine 

 a condition as 

 when it was 

 built, and the 

 frontage presents 

 the peculiarities 

 and beauties of 

 the Elizabethan 

 style. A descrip- 

 tion of the place 

 in 1676 is of 

 interest. It de- 

 scribes Kentwell 

 as "a very fair 

 brick house, 

 with c w e I v e 

 wr.inscot rooms, 

 the park stored 

 with above 150 

 deer, a double 



GABLES AND TURRETS. 



dove-house, fish-ponds, and other conveniences, besides timber 

 in the ground and \voo.ls considerable." The old timber and 

 " bricknogged '' brew-house and offices, the bases of which are 

 washed by the moat, are as picturesque as well could be. 



Kentwell Hall is in every way a place well worthy of 

 being enshrined in the affections of East Anglians. It is a 

 style that has been perpetuated in many modern buildings, 

 ind which has the merits of dignity in character and of beauty 

 in detail. Places so constructed should naturally have about 

 them fine and spacious gardens. There is in their 

 neighbourhood ample scope and opportunity for gardening 

 in many styles. In the old times, doubtless, there would 

 have been walled or well -hedged enclosures, with 

 pk ached alleys and bowling greens ; but the pictures of 

 Kentwell will make it clear that another form may be 

 given to the surroundings of such houses, and certainly 



the house rises 

 charmingly from 

 its foreground of 

 well-kept grass, 

 moat, and ivied 

 garden walls, 

 and groups ad- 

 mirably with the 

 beautiful trees 

 that are its 

 neighbours. An 

 abundance of 

 flowers adds the 

 final charm, and 

 it is not sur- 

 prising that 

 those who live 

 there have come 

 to love the old 

 place, the very 

 brickwork, and 

 the weeds and 

 lichens which 

 have clung 

 to it. 



