350 LONDON PARKS & GARDENS 



fruit-trees, which rendered walking so agreeable that one 

 could never be tired." 



The garden of Bridgewater House was a little slice 

 taken off Green Park. On the advice of Fordyce, the 

 Crown in 1795 granted a lease, on certain' conditions, to 

 the Duke of Bridgewater and other proprietors near 

 their respective houses, on the ground that it would 

 improve rather than injure the Park. In 1850 the 

 question arose whether the plans Barry had just made 

 for the garden of Bridgewater House infringed the terms 

 of the lease, and Pennethorne, architect to the Office of 

 Works, had to report on the question. It being finally 

 settled that the proposed wall and terrace would not 

 hurt the Park, the alterations were allowed. 



Last, but by no means least, either in size or import- 

 ance, the gardens of Buckingham Palace must be glanced 

 at. The Palace is so modern, when compared with the 

 older Royal residences, that it is easy to forget the 

 history of the forty acres enclosed in the King's private 

 garden, yet they have much historical interest. In the 

 time of James I. a portion of the ground was covered 

 by a mulberry garden, which the King had planted, 

 in pursuance of his scheme to encourage the culture 

 of silkworms, in 1609. That year he spent £g2S ^^ 

 levelling the four acres of ground and building a wall 

 round it for the protection of the trees. A few years 

 later most of the enclosure became a tea-garden, while 

 part was occupied by Goring House. There are many 

 references to these famous tea-gardens, called the 

 *' Mulberry Garden," in plays and writings of the seven- 

 teenth century. Evelyn notes in his "Diary," on loth 

 April 1654 : " My Lady Gerrard treated us at Mulberry 

 Garden, now the only place of refreshment about the 



