THE 



GARDENER'S MAGAZINE, 



AUGUST, 1840. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



Art. I. Notice of a Visit to Eyevoood and Presteign, By J. B. W. 



Eyewood, the seat of the Earl of Oxford, is about two miles 

 from the town of Kington, near the northern confines of Here- 

 fordshire. In the days of its splendour this must have been a 

 noble place, the house and every thing about it being on the 

 most extensive scale ; and at that time no expense was spared 

 in keeping it in the highest order : for a number of years, how- 

 ever, the place has been gradually going to decay, the flower- 

 garden having been planted with potatoes, the lawn turned into 

 a hay field, and the park applied solely to agricultural uses. Yet, 

 even now, there is an air of magnificence about it, which strikes 

 one most forcibly when viewing for the first time the ancient- 

 looking mansion, backed by a wooded hill, and surrounded by 

 an extensive park, through which an avenue leads up to the 

 boundary of the pleasure-ground, in the direction of the prin- 

 cipal front. This pleasure-ground contains many fine evergreens, 

 especially on the west side of the house, where they are massed 

 and intermixed with water in the most picturesque manner. At- 

 tached to a part of the building there is a plant-house in the old 

 style, from the front of which the water and trees above-men- 

 tioned have a beautiful appearance ; the park also is overlooked, 

 and several views of distant scenery obtained, from this and other 

 parts of the pleasure-ground. The flower-garden (now about 

 to be restored) was situated at one end of this green-house, and 

 formed a termination to the grounds in that direction. A walk 

 winding among shrubs and trees leads from the pleasure-ground 

 to the extensive kitchen-garden, which is excellently situated both 

 as to convenience and shelter, but, not having been regularly 

 worked for many years, it will require much additional labour to 

 bring it into a high state of cultivation. A long range of glass 

 occupies the back wall of one of the divisions of the kitchen- 

 garden. One of the houses is a late vinery ; two are appropriated 

 to pine plants, having vines trained to the rafters ; and two are 

 peach-houses, in which the trees are whitewashed with lime in 

 the manner of Mr. Paxton at Chatsworth, noticed in a previous 

 1840. August. c c 



