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 by 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 Xew Barn. 



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

 old plan, wei , ^ "! of the house) and rebuilt them to 



the west of 

 not the who! 



He also bi 



The alteri 

 his own plai 

 which acco 

 roughest ki; - 



In 1836 

 library was 

 like the p 

 afterwards 



the entrance passage, AVII/H v.~ 'i 



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

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

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

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

 very much enlarged the house. 



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

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

 was the third son of Edward Digby and Charlotte Fox (daughter 

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

 first Lord Holland). 



