94 MINTERNE. 



According to an entry in the old journals the Minterne Estate in 

 1768 " was compact but naked, and the trees not thriving, the 

 house ill-contrived and ill situated." 



The Admiral, however, set to work immediately improving the 

 place hy planting about the house and on the downs. After the 

 first year or two the trees grew well. The alterations were in 

 general carried out with taste, with the exception of the buildings, 

 in the matter of architecture. The Admiral had some very 

 peculiar crotchets. Anything like an angle was to be avoided if 

 possible. His corners were all rounded off, as may still be seen in 

 the churchyard and in the farmyard wall at I^CAV Barn. 



The Admiral pulled down the stables and offices (which, by the 

 old plan, were on the south side of the house) and rebuilt them to 

 the west of it. He added to the house itself the greater part, if 

 not the whole, of the south front. 



He also built in 1801 the tower at the west end of the church. 



The alterations were all carried out under his own eye, and from 

 his own plans, by the village mason at that time, Dowdy by name, 

 which accounts for the Avails and workmanship being of the 

 roughest kind. 



In 1836 the greater part of the passage at the back of the 

 library was the store closet, lighted at each end by round Avindows, 

 like the port holes of a vessel. This Avas altered a year or tAvo 

 afterwards by the second Admiral Digby. What is noAv (1888) 

 the entrance passage, Avith the storeroom adjoining, Avas all part of 

 the housekeeper's room, and on entering the hall door you had to 

 pass straight on under the stairs through a dark arcliAvay into the 

 stone passage beyond. There Avas a passage at each end of the 

 library, both throAvn into the room in 1866. In 1860 Lord Digby 

 very much enlarged the house. 



Admiral the Hon. R. Digby Avas called the old Admiral to 

 distinguish him from his nepheAV, Admiral Sir Henry Digby. He 

 Avas the third son of EdAvard Digby and Charlotte Fox (daughter 

 of Sir Stephen Fox, and sister of the first Lord Ilchester and the 

 first Lord Holland). 



