Baguley Old Hall. 81 



finer. The gardens surrounding the hall are full of 

 curious trees, many of them remarkably good and shapely 

 specimens, especially an Arbor vitce, consisting of a tall 

 green pyramid, surrounded by minarets, like a spire 

 with pinnacles round the base, and exquisitely beautiful 

 when swayed slopingly by the wind. In 1858 there 

 sprang up in a piece of newly-turned land at the back 

 of the hall, many hundreds of the Rumex sangtiineiis , 

 its large oval light-green leaves traced and pencilled in 

 every direction with the richest crimson. The ordinary 

 green-juiced form of the plant is common enough, but 

 the crimson-juiced is one of the rarities of our Flora. 



Further again, for those who care for rural pleasures 

 and the legacies of the past, there is the interesting 

 district of Baguley and its old hall. Only one large 

 apartment of the latter remains, the greater portion of the 

 structure having, at some remote period, been destroyed 

 by fire; the buildings which surround and prop up the 

 ancient piece are comparatively new. Baguley Old Hall 

 is well worth a visit, and may be reached, if more con- 

 venient to excursionists, by way of Sale Moor station, 

 and a walk of two or three miles along the lanes. In 

 the interior, it will be observed that the doorways are 

 formed of oaken boughs that were curved at one 

 extremity, so that when sliced and reared on end, with 

 the curved portions directed one towards the other, they 

 would form arches. These arches are exceedingly 

 curious, and, along with the numerous armorial bearings, 

 form quite a noticeable feature of the place. A walk 

 G 





