Langto7i House, Bryanston House, 333 



commodious gardener's house. The whole is kept in good 

 order b}'^ Mr. Cooper, who, with Mr. Humphrey of Oxford, was 

 one of the first members of the Clapton Nursery Book Society. 

 There is here a fine specimen of Lucorabe oak, and another of 

 the Fulham variety of the same tree ; the former is an erect 

 rigid-growing ti'ee, and the latter has graceful drooping branches. 

 We may notice here an error which we have found in several 

 other houses seen in our tour ; viz., that the entrance porch is at 

 one end, in consequence of which the whole of the lawn scenery 

 will be seen from the approach ; a result which, for reasons often 

 before stated, is any thing rather than desirable. In our opinion, 

 the house ought to have been placed on a platform at least 10 ft. 

 higher than it is, and the approach should have been from 

 behind. The largest and best field of Swedish turnips which 

 we have seen since we left London is on this estate ; they are on 

 the raised drill system, under Mr. Meikle, a Scotch bailiff. 

 Mr. Farquharson, we understand, farms several thousand acres, 

 and is so enthusiastically fond of the pursuit, that he attends the 

 markets himself. 



Blandford contains three nurseries, kept by Gill, Stead, and 

 Barnard, which we had not time to see, but of which we are 

 promised some account by Mr. Rogers, the very intelligent 

 gardener at Bryanston House. There is a handsome old Grecian 

 church, and some good tombstones in the churchyard; and 

 near are some houses with very remarkable brick chimney tops, 

 and, in particular, one behind the New Inn, the shafts of which 

 are ornamented with slender three-quarter columns, with capitals 

 of brick, of the same kind as that of the shaft. 



Bryanston House, J. Portman, Esq. — The house, like that 

 of Langton, is in a bottom, with the meadows of the Stour and 

 a fine reach of the river in front ; but it is placed much higher, 

 backed by steeper hills, and commands much bolder ground on 

 the opposite side of the river. Arrived at the house, and look- 

 ing from the windows, and afterwards walking along the grassy 

 terraces, this appears a truly noble place ; but, analysed, it has 

 the great and glaring faults of many places formed like it sixty 

 or seventy years ago. In the first place, the approach, which 

 need not have exceeded a furlong in length on a level, or gradual 

 ascent, is drawn out to upwards of a mile, by first ascending a 

 steep hill, immediately on entering by the lodge, and next de- 

 scending one still steeper, immediately before making a quick 

 turn round to the entrance front of the house. No approach 

 was ever worse contrived; and our impression is, that the sooner 

 a short and level one is made the better. The entrance of the 

 house is also the lawn front, so that the flower beds are obliged 

 to be placed in a walled garden by themselves. This walled 

 garden is replete with appropriate beauty, and in one part of it 



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