Gardens of Herefordshire. 219 



niature cannon upon it, stretches along the south, or principal, 

 front, where, also, is the main entrance. The east front opens 

 upon a prettily undulated flower-garden, that, receding from 

 the house, loses itself among trees, through which a gravel walk 

 conducts to the kitchen-garden, and to another exceedingly lovely 

 spot devoted to flowers. This little flower-garden is nearly of 

 the form of a crescent, rising gently to join a grove that skirts 

 its convex side. The walk enters at the lower corner, and goes 

 quite round the plot, passing in its course two well-designed 

 rustic buildings, and also a fountain, decorated with rock-work, 

 which was so contrived as to deliver its water, at intervals of 

 about a minute, through a basin in its centre. The water sup- 

 plied by this fountain ran in a narrow channel across the turf: 

 now, however, the fountain no longer plays, and the stream it fed 

 is dry. I always considered this stream the most objectionable 

 feature in the plan; for, owing to its small size, which scarcely 

 exceeds the rut of a cart-wheel on a bad road, its effect is quite 

 puerile ; besides, the common ditch plants that line the sides of 

 the channel present too great a contrast to the smooth shaven 

 turf through which it passes, and to the artificially shaped beds, 

 once filled with gay exotics, that approach within a few yards of 

 the margin. 



At the top of another strip of flower-garden, in which the 

 ladies of the family recreate themselves by planting, &c., there 

 is a very fine specimen of the variegated-leaved elm. 



A good collection of dahlias is grown here in a small plot of 

 ground, enclosed by a tall hedge. The area is divided into a 

 series of narrow beds, which encircle a central clump, and are 

 separated by gravel walks with box edgings ; the dahlias are, 

 therefore, arranged in circles ; and, when judiciously ordered, 

 in regard to colour and height, a splendid effect is produced ; 

 every facility is, also, thus afforded for inspecting the individual 

 beauties of the sorts. Tall-growing varieties are planted in the 

 border next the hedge, the stems of which are trained to a 

 wooden frame, so as, in a great measure, to hide the hedge. 



Besides a number of common frames, the melon-ground con- 

 tains a pine-stove and a curious ridge-roofed melon-house : pines 

 are no longer grown, and the houses are fast going to ruin. 



The kitchen-garden lies well to the sun, and is capitally shel- 

 tered on all sides. Several hot-houses (which I did not enter) 

 occupy the usual situation, against the i)orth wall. One is a 

 peach-house, the lights of which, after the fruit is ripe, are trans- 

 ferred to a late vinery ; but this season the grapes are so very 

 late that they cannot possibly ripen. Some years ago, a plain 

 green-house formed part of this range ; it, however, has lately 

 been pulled down, and a singular abortion erected in the flower- 

 garden, so as to be seen from the mansion. The new house is 

 of Lilliputian dimensions ; and, in form, it somewhat resembles a 



