348 Notes on Gardens at Brighton, 



to which we allude are only temporary. We know not whether 

 the town of Brighton is rich or poor; if it be rich, we would 

 suggest the idea of clearing away all the houses round the 

 Pavilion, and presenting the cleared ground to the queen, so as 

 to enable Her Majesty to surround her residence with lawns and 

 trees, and an open iron railing ; and, to make this gift complete, 

 we would at the same time clear away some houses, so as to 

 admit a view of the sea from the principal rooms. Whether 

 the expense of these improvements would be compensated to 

 the town, by inducing the court to pay more frequent visits to 

 Brighton, is a point that can only be matter of conjecture. 



The Squares, or open spaces between the grounds of the 

 Pavilion and the Rose Hill Nursery, are varied only with one 

 or two clumps, unconnected among themselves or with any 

 thing around. There is not a walk in any of them in which 

 there is the slightest shade, which, in our opinion, is a very great 

 defect in all public gardens ; but it might be remedied by plant- 

 ing trees along one system of walks for summer use, and form- 

 ing open walks for use after rain and during winter. 



St. Peter's Church, a very handsome edifice by Mr. Barry, 

 has a considerable area round it, but it has not been used as a 

 place of interment ; because, from its low situation, it is supposed 

 that it might deteriorate the water which supplies the wells of the 

 town. This piece of ground is surrounded by a marginal 

 plantation, which has a very good effect ; and the interior, as it 

 is not to be used as a cemetery, might be diversified with flower- 

 ing shrubs and low trees, and with small circular beds of flowers 

 of different sizes grouped together, each bed planted with only 

 one kind of flower. Both trees and flowers we would have 

 named for the benefit of the young ; for we should not treat it 

 as a cemetery, but rather as a botanical pleasure-ground. 



St. Nicholas Church has lately had two or three acres of ground 

 added to it, which is laid out as a cemetery. This ground is 

 on the steep side of a hill, with a terrace along the upper boun- 

 dary, formed by a series of cells or catacombs, each of about the 

 size of a common coach-house, and with large boarded doors, 

 which rather remind us of the stable-yard than of the cemetery. 

 The doors are too large ; for though we speak of " the gates of 

 death," the entrance to the tomb is generally made narrow, 

 widest at bottom, and the door that closes it of stone or metal. 

 In our opinion it would be a great improvement to remove these 

 coach-house doors, and substitute others much narrower, and 

 formed of one slab of slate, or of Caithness flagstone. The trees 

 planted in this cemetery are horsechestnuts, limes, and other 

 unsuitable kinds, instead of Pyrus Ana., sea buckthorn, the 

 common elder, sycamore, the common and Irish yew, the ever- 

 green oak, the Swedish juniper, &c. The flower-beds neither 



