Bear Wood. 681 



ever before saw, either in London or the country ; unless we 

 except that of the new additions to the Duke of Devonshire's 

 mansion at Chatsworth. We by no means dislike the eleva- 

 tion of the house at Bear Wood, which may be characterised 

 as a cottage villa. There are a handsome porch for drivino- 

 under on the entrance front ; and a semicircular colonnade of 

 coupled square columns in the centre of the garden front, with 

 an elegant balcony over. Joined to this is a large conserv- 

 atory, forming a bend, in Mr. Nash's manner, and serving as 

 a passage to a billiard-room ; but, in consequence of the roof 

 of this conservatory being very high, and darkened with 

 the foliage of vines, the plants below do not thrive, and the 

 intention of this elegant appendage is in a great measure 

 defeated. On the entrance jfront of the house there are rather 

 too many walks and rides, parallel to each other, seen at 

 once : but this may be easily remedied, even if the house be 

 retained in its present situation ; and entirely avoided, if it 

 should be removed. The kitchen-garden appeared to us too 

 small, and its situation too low : the wall trees do not thrive ; 

 the peaches, in particular, being much infested with the 

 mildew, though the nectarines have escaped. We would 

 recommend the entire renewal of the trees on a border 

 18 in. deep, seldom to be stirred, and never cropped. The 

 place in general was in good order and keeping. It was 

 shown to us by the gardener, Mr. Howard; who, after ac- 

 companying us over all the walks about the lawn, rode with 

 us along the drives ; which display numerous fine old oaks 

 and beeches ; sometimes the one tree growing in such close 

 contact with the other as to give the appearance of their both 

 springing from the same root. In two or three instances 

 there is an oak squeezed in between two beeches, as if it had 

 been cleft-grafted. There are many thousands of young oaks, 

 of vigorous growth, all self-sown, and from 15 ft. to 30 ft. 

 high, coming up among ferns (Pteris aquilina), some of the 

 fronds of which are 6 ft. and some even 1 ft. high. The 

 islands, and the promontories and shores of the pieces of water, 

 are very judiciously planted : in general, artificial islands are 

 wholly covered with wood, and shores are either one mass of 

 plantation, or are left wholly bare ; but, here, trees and lawn 

 are interspersed as they ought to be. Near the house, and 

 in some other places, trees have been transplanted so as to 

 form small groups ; and the roots of these have been most 

 judiciously raised a little above the surface, so that each tree 

 rises, as it were, from a slight irregular protuberance ; than 

 which nothing gives a more natural appearance, since this 

 protuberance is invariably observed at the roots of trees 



