in Somersetshire, Devonshire, and Part of Cornwall. 243 



pleasure. This broad valley joins a narrow one with lofty 

 banks covered with natural wood, the Avhole or any part of 

 which might also be flooded. Every natural feature here is on 

 a large scale, and the arts required are chiefly draining and plant- 

 ing, both of which, as far as they have been carried, evince 

 good judgement. The masses of trees in the park were pro- 

 jected by Mr. Gilpin, and are judiciously placed. Various 

 recent improvements have been devised by His Lordship and his 

 intelligent gardener Mr. Cato ; and we had the honour of 

 staking out an ajoproach above a mile in length. The house is 

 not large, but it is well arranged, and, as far as a stranger can 

 judge in a day or two, it cannot be better placed. In a shrub- 

 bery walk there is a living arbour, formed by Mr. Cato, of ash 

 trees, in the manner recommended in our Volume for 1841, 

 p. 312., which has succeeded admirably. The kitchen-garden 

 and nursery grounds here, as well as the pleasure-ground, are 

 kept in excellent order. The agriculture, like that of Devon- 

 shire generally, is very bad ; but Lord Clinton is using every 

 exertion to improve it, as hinted at in our Volume for 1842, 

 p. 658. Lord Clinton, who has resided some time in Scotland, 

 is well aware of the defects of the agriculture on his estate, but, 

 with true benevolence, is unwilling to change any of his tenants, 

 preferring to instruct them. For the latter pui"pose, he has 

 encouraged the formation of an agricultural society, of which he 

 is president ; and the papers read at the meetings, when con- 

 sidered worthy of publication, are printed at His Lordship's ex- 

 pense. His Lordship has also built a school and schoolmaster's 

 house, and is improving the labourers' cottages and the farm- 

 houses. In a word, he appears to be proceeding judiciously 

 with all the more important improvements of which Heanton 

 Satchville is susceptible. 



Stevenstone, near Torrington, Lord RoUe, is a very old place, 

 chiefly remarkable for very large trees, and for a boldly un- 

 dulated surface. It is capable of immense improvement, in con- 

 sequence of hollows that might be flooded with water, and 

 eminences that require planting. The house is very old, though 

 there is nothing worthy of notice in its architecture. It is low, 

 occupying three sides of a long narrow court : the connecting 

 side, or extreme end, containing the principal living-rooms ; one 

 side terminating in the oflfices and stables, and the other in the 

 family chapel. The library, as a protection from fire, forms a 

 detached building in the garden. There is a peculiarly quiet and 

 melancholy expression about this place, which we think we can 

 trace to its having little or no appearance of being inhabited, to 

 the prevalence of grass, and the absence of gravel walks, espe- 

 cially of winding ones, and to the park being, as fiir as we 

 remember, totally without young trees. Well-kept gravel 



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