290 Notes and Gleanings. 



view can be obtained, the country appears to be well wooded, or like a forest. 

 The house of Coombe Abbey stands in a park of about a thousand acres. The 

 site appears to have no particular advantages, or any especial beauty, unless it 

 be that produced by an extensive sheet of water that comes up directly under 

 the windows of the house on one side of it. This sheet of water is supplied by 

 a stream that runs through a ravine on a portion of the estate, and once filled 

 a moat that probably surrounded the abbey, but of which no trace remains. 

 Coombe Abbey was originally a monastery, that, when those institutions were 

 sequestered, was granted to an individual who at that time made such alterations 

 in it as were necessary to fit it for the use of a private family ; and from whom, by 

 descent or purchase, it has come into the possession of the present proprietor. It 

 is an extensive pile of buildings, that has undergone so many alterations and ad- 

 ditions since it was secularized, that but little remains of the original structure. 

 The house forms three sides of a square, with a court in the centre open to the 

 fi'ont. The front of the house is at the bottom of this court ; and, from each end, 

 wings project forward, forming the two sides of the court. One of these wings 

 has been entirely renewed ; a lofty ornamental stone structure taking the place 

 of the original, of which no part remains, except some Roman arches, that serve 

 as a foundation for the new building. On the opposite side of the court, part of 

 the ancient abbey yet remains, the rooms of which are still occupied by the 

 family when residing there. The cloisters, having their front filled with glass? 

 have been converted into an armory ; but to this wing some new rooms have been 

 added. At the bottom of the court, the front still presents some remains of the 

 old abbey ; and in the centre of it is the principal entrance. In the rear, a very 

 large addition, containing kitchens, servants' hall, rooms for the steward of 

 the estate, and other ofifices, has been made to the original building ; the whole 

 furnishing every convenience for the use of the family and its numerous suites 

 of attendants. Part of the alterations and additions that the abbey at one time 

 underwent were made under the direction of a man, who, for his supposed skill 

 and taste as an architect and landscape-gardener, was designated in his time as 

 Capability Brown. I am no judge of those arts ; but yet I cannot help- express- 

 ing a dou])t whether his work at Coombe Abbey tends to prove the justice of the 

 appellation. The house stands back about half a mile from the road, that passes 

 in front of it ; the approach being through an ornamented gateway. The land 

 in front of the house is entirely level, without any ornament, except some fine 

 oaks, some of them planted in groups, and others by the side of the avenue lead- 

 ing to the house. The part of the park appropriated to the pleasure-grounds is, 

 including the gardens, about forty acres. These grounds have been made per- 

 fectly level and smooth, and are covered with the soft, smooth turf, always kept 

 closely cut, that can hardly be found out of England or France. Some very fine 

 oaks are scattered about these grounds ; and wide gravelled walks lead through 

 them in different directions, entering or terminating in a belt of woods that sur- 

 round and form a fine background or framework to the gardens and pleasure- 

 grounds ; and beds of gay flowers, cut out of the turf, are scattered about in 

 appropriate places. In one part of the grounds was a rose-garden. Here a 

 circular bank, sloping up\\iards from the level ground, formed a natural amphi- 



