Benham House, Hampstead Park. 1 1 7 



Two of these flower-gardens have the beds surrounded, by 

 edgings of box, with gravel walks between, and open trelliswork 

 summer-houses in the centre ; and another has the beds on turf, 

 and contains an octagon tea-room, very tastefully designed, and 

 neatly finished and furnished. Under a wide-spreading common 

 sycamore, of which there are many fine specimens at this 

 place, projecting from a steep bank, there is a level semicir- 

 cular platform bounded by a parapet wall, the coping to which 

 is formed by a groove 6 in. wide and deep, on the top of the 

 wall, filled with soil, and planted with sedums, saxifrages, and 

 other rock and wall plants. The view over this parapet is to a 

 wild wooded glen, with a rising bank of natural wood beyond ; 

 altogether a romantic scene. There are several green-houses, 

 rather too green for our taste, because the woodwork is painted 

 of that colour ; but the plants within are excellently grown, 

 as are those in a small hot-house. There is a wall for accli- 

 matising tender plants, and for showy roses and climbers, on 

 which, among other fine things frequently before named, are 

 Biliardiera longiflora, which is found perfectly hardy, and is 

 now covered with its beautiful purple fruit. On the lawn in 

 front of the house are numerous beds, rustic boxes, and several 

 architectural ornaments, such as vases, &c. : but the latter, being 

 placed on the turf, without any mural connection with the house, 

 or any conspicuous architectural basement, are decidedly ob- 

 jectionable. Another garden contains a rustic arcade covered 

 with creepers, which is very fine ; and, in short, throughout the 

 place there may be seen almost all the usual garden ornaments 

 of the rustic and trellis kind. There is a boundary fence of 

 woodwork, sawn and turned by machinery impelled by a water 

 wheel ; and so great are the economy and expedition produced 

 by the employment of this power, that five men saw, plane, turn, 

 and put together, in one day, nine panels of fence, each 9 ft. 

 long, and 9| ft. high. There are numerous hybrid rhodo- 

 dendrons and azaleas, the types of most of which have been 

 originated by Mr. Gowen, in the gardens at Highclere, and 

 a variety of other articles and contrivances, of ingenuity and 

 interest, all of which are admirably managed by the gardener, 

 Mr. Dawkins. 



From the garden scenery on the declivity we went down to the 

 Vale of Kennet, in which, on the centre of a broad expanse of the 

 river, where the water is 14 ft. deep, is an octagon bathing hut 

 surrounded by a rustic veranda. This is connected with both 

 banks of the river by wooden bridges, from the ends of which 

 proceed gravel walks for fishing from. These lead to a fishing 

 house, and to stews, in which we were shown some remarkably 

 large trout, pike, and numerous eels; and chub, which is only 

 used here for feeding the other fish, though it is sometimes sold 



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