A HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX 



with geometric designs ; it is impossible to say of 

 what they consisted beyond the box edgings of 

 which William was so fond. Henry Wise and 

 George London, 60 who together superintended the 

 royal gardens during this reign, were answerable 

 for these improvements, and for the alteration of 

 the privy garden in 1700. The Mount was 

 levelled, and the ' lines of hornbeam, cypress, and 

 the flowering shrubs ' removed to the Wilderness." 

 The raising of the new terrace from the water 

 gallery to the bowling green was also continued, 

 from a design sent to the king at Loo, the terrace 

 being made almost entirely from the old bricks of 

 the original ' water gallery.' The bowling green 



been offensive to the sight. This Labrynth and 

 Wilderness is not only well-designed and com- 

 pletely finished, but is perfectly well-kept, and the 

 espaliers filled exactly, at bottom to the very 

 ground, and are led up to proportioned heights on 

 the top ; so that nothing of the kind can be more 

 beautiful.'" In one part the espaliers took a spiral 

 form, which was known as ' Troy Town.' The 

 Wilderness has been considerably altered even 

 during the last few years, and the stiff walks and 

 hedges admired by Defoe vanished long ago. The 

 ' Labrynth ' or maze alone remains as an amusing 

 memorial of the ingenuity of a past age. The 

 winding walks in the maze amount to nearly half 





HAMPTON COURT PALACE : THF LOWER ORANGERY 



had a little ' pavilion ' at each corner, of which 

 only one, much enlarged and altered, now re- 

 mains. 6 ' 



Another avenue of lime trees was planted in 

 the park beyond. On the north side of the 

 gardens the old orchard was converted into a 

 'Wilderness.' 53 Defoe says, 'it was very happily 

 cast into a Wilderness, with a Labrynth, and 

 Espaliers so high that they effectually take off all 

 that part of the old building, which would have 



a mile, though the space covered is barely a 

 quarter of an acre. 64 Switzer complained that it 

 had only four stops, though he had designed one 

 which should have had twenty.** 



The beautiful iron gates designed by Jean Tijou 

 and executed by Huntingdon Shaw, which have 

 now been replaced in their original position in the 

 south gardens near the river, were finished in this 

 reign. Huntingdon Shaw is buried in Hampton 

 Church, and there described as ' an artist in his 



M Diet. Ntt. Biog. ' Henry Wit*.' 

 Col. Treat. Bki. Ixii, not. 33, 



'"See Kip't 'Bird'i Eye View,' 



35- 



Law, op. cit. iii, 108. The pavilion 

 is now one of the private apartment!, 

 occupied by Mr. Ernest Law. 



u Col. Trioi. Bki. Ixixiv, no. 109. 



384 



64 Defoe, op. cit, i, 247. See plant 

 in Law, op. cit. iii, 75, 77. 

 * Arch, vii, 124. 

 M Ichnagraphia Ruitica, ii, 219-20. 



