230 



OLD AND 



of the family until after the Civil War. It stood in the miJst 

 of a fine woodland, and Pakington constructed a lake, probably 

 represented by the present sheet of water. His lake, 

 however, encroached upon the highway, and his right to divert 

 the road being questioned, lie very impetuously ordered his 

 embankments to be cut through, and his waters were dispersed 

 through the valley, probably to the dismay of those who had 

 opposed him. Sir John had married the daughter of Humphrey 

 Smith, the Queen's si kman, widow of Benedict Barnham, and 

 she had brought him a considerable estate, which enabled him 

 to retrieve his fortunes. 



The knight was succeeded by his son John, who was 

 created a baronet in 1620, and was M.P. for Aylesbury, in 



CENTRE OF ROSE GARDEN. 



which district the family had estates. He died as a young 

 man, and was succeeded by Sir John Pakington, the second 

 baronet, who suffered much in the Royal cause in the Civil 

 War, and to whom the present character of Westwood Park- 

 must be ascribed. 



The house at Hampton Lovett had suffered heavily in the 

 Civil War, and the cavalier baronet transferred his residence 

 to Westwocd. The King came to his assistance, and a grant 

 f ,4,000 was made to him under the name of " Edward 

 Gregory," as the King explained, lest the example should be 

 prejudicial. It \\as at this time that Westwood received the 

 four diagonal wings, which were built out from the original 

 structure, giving it a form that appears to be unique. The 



1Mb bXIT KKOM THE ROSE GARDEN. 



noble bay windows rising to the third storey, the quaint gables, 

 and the striking character of the diagonal wings all mark- 

 out Westwood Park as an extremely fine example of the 

 architecture of that time. 



What is specially worthy of note is that Westwood Park 

 does not stand alone. 'I here is the grand and characteristic 

 gate-house, which may go bade to the time of the first builder, 

 with its admirably picturesque gables, its arch, and the delight- 

 fully fantastic character of the lofty structure which supports 

 the cupola roof in the midst. At a little distance from 

 each wing, and lying in the diagonal direction from each 

 corner of the house, stood most picturesque garden-houses or 

 banqueting-rooms, of which two still remain, and are fine 



examples of garden architecture, their 



old brick walls, mullioned windows, 

 quaintly corbelled chimneys, and 

 picturesque tiled roofs giving them 

 a most attractive appearance. 



The site of the house upon an 

 eminence in a wooded country doubt- 

 less suggested the distribution of the 

 grounds, which are admirably illus- 

 trated in a bird's-eye view by Dr. 

 Nash. The private garden seems 

 to have been on the north-west, and 

 to have been divided by paths crossing 

 both ways, bordered by formal trees, 

 into four portions, though not of equai 

 si/e Opposite to each angle of the 

 house, and again opposite to each 

 front, a way was cut through the 

 wood, so that in each of these direc- 

 tions there was a vista and an avenue. 

 A large circular space was cleared of 

 timber round the house, and at some 

 little distance further away a circular 

 road intersected the avenues, so that 

 the wood was cut up into segments 



of sylvan rings. It is true that the arrangement was noi 

 carried to completion on one side of the house, where the 

 ground declined to the lake, and in this direction was a broader 

 outlook, which gave variety. This symmetrical plan of the 

 garden at Westwood deserves to be specially noted. With its 

 garden-houses and avenues the place had features that may be 

 said to have brought it into relation with the school \vhich we 

 associate with Le Notre. 



Sir John Pakington, the cavalier baronet, died in 1680, 

 and was succeeded by another Sir John, who spent a retired 

 life at We-hvood, and was reputed to be one of the fintst 

 Anglo-Saxon scholars of his time. He represented his county 

 in Parliament from 1685 to 1687 Dean Hickes was his 

 intimate trie'nd, and appears to have 

 written some of his learned works at 

 Westwood. His " Grammatica Anglo- 

 Saxonica" is dedicated to Sir John 

 Pakington, and the beauties of West- 

 wood and its gardens and park at the 

 time are set forth 



The student baronet was succeeded 

 by a worths- gentleman, another Sir 

 John Pakington, who lived until 1728, 

 and is supposed to have been the 

 original of the famous Sir Roger de 

 Coverley. It is true that Addison 

 disclaims having had any originals for 

 his characters, but, although Sir Roger 

 does not altogether answer to Sir John 

 in the circumstances of his life, there 

 are undoubtedly resemblances in tin- 

 two personalities, and again in 

 Coverley Hall and its surroundings, 

 as resembling Westwood Park, with a 

 ruined abbey near it, and its pleasant 

 walks "struck out of a wood in the 

 midst of which the house stands." 

 Addison 's baronet was a bachelor, but 



