Highclere. 257 



and 24 ft. close to it. Another larger-stemmed tree, close to this, 

 is 13 ft. 8 in. in circumference, at 3 ft. from the ground. There is 

 a large ash, near these beeches, which is 13 ft. 8 in. close to the 

 ground ; and there is an ash in the park 16 ft. 8 in. in circum- 

 ference at 3 ft. from the ground. These large trees are supposed 

 to be aboriginal. 



" The summit of Beacon Hill is crowned with a very fine 

 British entrenchment. Several barrows at the foot of the hill 

 were opened some years ago, and found to contain burnt bones, 

 spear and arrow heads of bronze, and some small ornaments of 

 thin gold, which had obviously been used as a covering to a 

 nucleus long since decayed. The elevated barrows had con- 

 tained the bones of warriors; the smaller ones, which were only 

 slightly elevated above the surrounding ground, contained smaller 

 bones (apparently either those of females or young people), which 

 were unaccompanied by implements of war." 



After this slight outline of the leading features of Highclere, 

 it remains for us to give our general opinion of its beauties. 

 Taking it altogether, then, and considering it as a whole, and 

 with reference both to nature and art, we know of no inland 

 place to equal it. There are more striking portions of ground 

 at many places ; for example, the brow on which the house is 

 situated at Pain's Hill, with the river below : there are more 

 romantic situations, as at Hafod ; situations in which rocks and 

 a natural river have a prominent effect, as at Auchincruive ; or 

 rocks without a river, as at Hawkstone : there are more striking 

 situations by art, and where architecture is included: as in the 

 view of Blenheim, on entering the Woodstock gate ; or of the 

 enchanted valley, at Alton Towers : but, decidedly, in our 

 opinion, there is no place in England where so much dignity of 

 character, so much elegant variety, and so much cultivated 

 beauty, is preserved throughout a place of such great extent. We 

 set little value on the rhododendrons and other pleasure-ground 

 ornaments, compared with what we think of the style of planting 

 which has been everywhere adopted, of the formation of the 

 water, and of the distribution of the views of the house. The 

 ground floor of the house is not sufficiently raised ; and the 

 direction of the approach to it might be improved. There are 

 several minor points which may also admit of correction ; and 

 the woods, and plantations of American shrubs on the lawn, 

 like all others that are intended to continue to look well, will 

 require constant thinning : but all these things are as nothing 

 in the scale, when weighed against the natural beauty of the 

 grounds, and the judicious disposition of the woods, groups, 

 and scattered trees. We know no place in which the trees are 

 as well disposed over so great an extent of surface. Por- 

 tions of Pain's Hill, Caversham, Esher, and a few other places, 



