356 Redleaf, near Penshurst. 



founded in nature, it is not to be supposed 

 that Mr, Wells, after having improved the 

 general scenery of Redleaf, would rest 

 satisfied with admiring what he had done : 

 on the contrary, having improved the na- 

 tural beauties of the place, he immediately 

 set about adding to them the beauties of 

 art, by the formation of what may be 

 strictly called garden scenery. Now, the 

 great merit of Mr. Wells as an amateur 

 artist is, that, while he has heightened and 

 improved the natural beauties of Redleaf, 

 he has been constantly employed, for the 

 last thirty years, in creating artificial 

 beauties there, which do not, in the 

 slightest degree, interfere with the great 

 leading natural features of the place. There 

 are very few other proprietors who would 

 not, while improving such a place as Red- 

 leaf, have done violence to the natural 

 character of the place, by the evident in- 

 trusion of art. 



Mr. Wells has obviously been guided 

 by two principles ; viz., first, that, in the 

 views from the house, the natural charac- 

 ter and expression of the surrounding 

 country should be preserved; and, se- 

 condly, that all the garden scenes should 

 be kept subordinate, or as episodes to the 

 main features of the place. In order to 

 preserve the general character of the 

 country in the views from the house, it 

 was necessary that the same character 



General Plan of Redleaf, previous to Mr. Wells's Improvements. 



ab c Shows the direction of the valley in front of the house, 

 through which the river Eden winds from a, in the direction 

 of be. 



dd, A broad 'undulating valley, on the north-west side of the 

 house, which joins the valley on the south-west side of it. 



e e, &c. The highest part of the grounds. 



//, Road from Seven Oaks to Tunbridge Wells, by Redleaf. 



g, Cross country road from the Penshurst Road. 



h k, Ledge of sandstone rock, rising several feet above the sur- 

 face, 30 ft. or 40 ft. in width, and much weather-worn ; pre- 

 senting an appearance, at a distance, which reminds one of 

 the surface of some parts of the Giant's Causeway ; the rock 

 having separated into polygonal faces, with chasms .between, 

 indicated by strongly marked lines. 

 , Dwelling-house. j, Stable offices. A, Wood-shed. 



I, Kitchen-garden. m, Farm buildings. n, Timber-yard. 



o, Field barn and straw-yard. p, Cow-yard and shed. 



q, Corn field. r, Coppice-wood to be removed. 



s, Part of the river, afterwards widened. 



t, New bed for a portion of the river. 



u u, S;c. Corn fields to be laid down in grass, and the separating 

 hedges removed. 



v v, Farm road to be removed. w, Situation of Penshurst Park 



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