486 Notices of some Gardens and Country Seats 



house is most commodious and comfortable in every respect ; 

 and it is placed so as to overlook the garden, and to form a 

 handsome object in the landscape. In the pleasure-ground and 

 flower-garden we found a number of the newest species of 

 flowers, and many good shrubs. Garry a elliptica is thriving 

 beautifully, as are the mahonias and choice berberries. Here 

 are some masses of rock, well combined round basins of water, 

 or distributed on the lawn, along with plants of Acanthus mol- 

 lis, ferus, &c. In consequence of the hilly character of the 

 country, water can be commanded in every situation : and 

 hence there are cisterns, picturesque basins, and ponds, in 

 the kitchen-garden and ornamental scenery ; and small water- 

 wheels in different places for throwing water up to ponds on the 

 tops of the hills, to form drinking-places for the cattle, or to ir- 

 rigate the hill sides. In short, the management of water here 

 seems to be fully understood. 



We shall recur to Nettlecombe in a future Number, when we 

 shall have engravings prepared ; and we shall conclude our 

 present notice with the following recollections, and the dimen- 

 sions of trees furnished to us by Mr. Babbage. 



The park is divided by fences of strained wire, which are in- 

 conspicuous at a distance, and found cheaper than any other 

 fence whatever; they also enable the proprietor to graze the 

 park as conveniently as if it were in fields divided by hedges. 



The great novelty and charm of Nettlecombe are, that, the 

 house being situated in a bottom, the scenery on every side is 

 looked up to, instead of being looked over; the effect of which, 

 united with the immense masses of wood, is romantic in a very 

 high degree. Some of the valleys are so deep, that the sun 

 does not shine into them, for between two and three months 

 every winter. 



In consequence of the bold undulations and deep valleys, the 

 shadows produced by the varying position of the sun are con- 

 tinually changing; increasing in one place and diminishing in 

 another, so as to form a perpetual variety, greatly heightened 

 by the groups formed by the deer. 



The church and churchyard at Nettlecombe are close to the 

 house. The former is kept in excellent repair ; as are the family 

 monuments, some of which existed as far back as the time of 

 the crusades. The churchyard is a model of neatness. There 

 is a paved space, about 18 in. broad, and nearly on a level, all 

 round the walls of the church ; and beyond it there is a small 

 gutter which carries off all the rain water to one point ; thus 

 forming a proper architectural base to the building. The ground 

 is surrounded and intersected by gravel walks, and the graves 

 are so arranged that there are grass paths between them, by 

 walking on which every grave may be examined without step- 

 ping over any. By this means a higher character of sanctity is 



