214! Gardens of Herefordsh ire. 



brick, quadrangular, one of its spacious fronts facing each of the 

 cardinal points. It is a noble building; and, being situated on 

 the side of a hill of some magnitude, it commands extensive 

 views over a fertile and well cultivated country. The grounds 

 about the house are finely undulated, and the scenery park-like 

 and richly wooded : there are also several large sheets of water 

 near, some of which border the approach-road, which ascends 

 for nearly a mile from the village to the house. Pleasure-grounds 

 extend nearly all round the house ; the principal part, however, 

 is on the south and east fronts, where, also, the best views are 

 obtained. Among the trees on the lawn there are some large 

 robinias, several fine specimens of Liquidambar Styraciflua, two 

 very large trees of Liriodendron Tulipifera, and an immense 

 beech. One side of the lawn is fenced off for a flower-garden, 

 and contains some prettily shaped beds, and a great variety of 

 rustic baskets, filled with gay flowering plants. Most of these 

 tasteful ornaments were made by Mr. Mearns, who was gardener 

 at this place many years. 



The kitchen-garden is close to the mansion, but not visible 

 from it, being hid by the stables, and by the offices and servants' 

 apartments (which are detached from the house, and communi- 

 cate with it by an underground passage). Perhaps, a better site 

 might have been selected for the kitchen-garden, the surface of 

 which is much too steep for convenient working; nevertheless, 

 the soil seems good, and suitable for fruit trees, and I have seen, 

 in Mr. Mearns's time, some very superior productions from it. 

 The arrangement of its area is much after the usual fashion, ex- 

 cept that the melon-ground is not detached, as in most gardens, 

 but its unsightly dung-beds stand, in company with several paltry 

 little vine and pine-pits, in one of the most conspicuous parts of 

 the garden : there is, likewise, a small space devoted to flowers 

 by the side of the main walk that leads to the hot-houses. The 

 principal hot-houses stand against the north boundary wall. For- 

 merly, these consisted of a large green-house, a peach-house for 

 early forcing, and a vinery for late grapes ; lately, however, the 

 ugly old green-house has been taken down, and a spacious and 

 handsome new building erected in its stead, under the direction 

 of Mr. Crogan, the present gardener. So far as could be judged 

 from a brief inspection, this house is finished in the best style, 

 and it differs in one or two particulars from green-houses as 

 generally constructed. The shelves are of stone, and, being in- 

 tended for the support of large orange trees, they are made very 

 broad ; so that, in the front rows at least, smaller plants in pots 

 might be placed, so as to hide the tubs : a broad stone shelf, also, 

 passes along the front of the house, intended for the reception 

 of small plants, and to hide the heating apparatus. The house 

 is very wide in proportion to its length ; therefore, to prevent the 

 back from being unnecessarily high, the crown of the roof, sup- 



