360 BRITISH ASSOCIATION AT NEWCASTLE. CHAP. XVII. 



eminence, about a mile to the north-east of the town of 

 Chesterfield. Green fields dotted with fine trees slope 

 away from the house in all directions. The surrounding 

 country is undulating and highly picturesque. North 

 and south the eye ranges over a vast extent of lovely 

 scenery ; and on the west, looking over the town of 

 Chesterfield, with its church and crooked spire, the 

 extensive range of the Derbyshire hills bounds the 

 distance. The Midland Railway skirts the western edge 

 of the park in a deep rock cutting, and the shrill whistle 

 of the locomotive sounds near at hand as the trains 

 speed past. The gardens and pleasure-grounds adjoining 

 the house were in a very neglected state when Mr. 

 Stephenson first went to Tapton ; and he promised 

 himself, when he had secured rest and leisure from 

 business, that he would put a new face upon both. The 

 first improvement he made was cutting a woodland 

 footpath up the hill-side, by which he at the same time 

 added a beautiful feature to the park, and secured a shorter 

 road to the Chesterfield station. But it was some years 

 before he found time to carry into effect his contemplated 

 improvements in the adjoining gardens and pleasure- 

 grounds. He had so long been accustomed to laborious 

 pursuits, and felt himself still so full of work, that he 

 could not at once settle down into the habit of quietly 

 enjoying the fruits of his industry. 



He had no difficulty in usefully employing his time. 

 Besides directing the mining operations at Claycross, 

 the establishment of the lime-kilns at Ambergate, and 

 the construction of the extensive railways still in pro- 

 gress, he occasionally paid visits to Newcastle, where 

 his locomotive manufactory was now in full work, 

 and the proprietors were reaping the advantages of 

 his early foresight in an abundant measure of pros- 

 perity. One of his most interesting visits to the place 

 was in 1838, on the occasion of the meeting of the 

 British Association there, when he acted as one of the 



