November 7, 1872. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOETICULTURK AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



365 



ceedingly strong and robust grower, having a stout, succulent 

 stem from 7 to 8 feet high, with large, broad, pale green foliage, 

 generally simple, and bearing from fourteen to sixteen pods, 

 which are generally in pairs. The pods are very large, some- 

 times as much as 7 inches long, pale green, broad and some- 

 what irregular in form, much curved and pointed, containing 

 from seven to nine large peas of a pale green colour, and no 



particular flavour. The dry seed is flatfish and parti-coloured. 

 The seed was sown on the 23rd of February, and the first 

 flowers appeared on the 30th of May. The plants were in full 

 bloom on the 5th of June, the slats appeared on the 10th, and 

 the Peas were fit for use on the 26th of June. 



This wonderful variety was awarded a first-class certificate 

 by the Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society. 



STONELEIGH ABBEY, The Residence of Lord Leigh. 

 (Concluded from page 348 ) 



Stoneleigh Abbey was most anciently called Stoneley or 

 Stanley-in-Arden Priory, and was here established in 1154 by 

 Henry II. Its tenants were Cistercian Monks. The Priory 

 was suppressed in the year 1536, being the 27th of Henry VIII., 



and he granted it in fee three years after to his favourite. 

 Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. From him it passed to his 

 sons, who dying childless it was inherited by the Cavendishes, 

 by whom it was sold to Sir Eowland Hill and Sir; Thomas 



Stoneleigh Abbey. 



Leigh, London aldermen. On dividing their joint purchases 

 Stoneleigh was taken by the last-named, and, with other neigh- 

 bouring lands, was confirmed to him by patent in the fourth 

 year of Queen Elizabeth. Large and many were his and his 

 descendants' charities, fully set forth by Dugdale, and even an 

 epitaph on the monument of the Stoneleigh Abbey porter tells 

 the same, for it concludes with — 



" If markets rise, rail not against their rates, 

 The price is still the same at Stoneleigh gates." 



In previous centuries the lords of the manor may have 

 been charitable too, but at harvest time their inferior tenants 

 had rather a hard time of it, for so soon as the lord of the 

 manor gave them notice they were obliged to be reaping for 

 him from sunrise to sunset, " not sitting down to breakfast, 

 but each eating what he brought with him as they worked, 

 and after breakfast they might sit down once before dinner, 

 the lord finding them drink, but at noon they were to have 

 meat and drink provided by the lord, everyone having a little 

 wheat loaf, four eggs and pottage — namely, greweU without 

 flesh boiled in it." 



Much of the mansion erected soon after the dissolution of 

 the abbey remains, but the front and other chief portions of 

 the present residence are of freestone, erected about the year 

 1760 by Edward, Lord Leigh, the plans being furnished by 

 Mr. Smith, architect, Warwick. Other alterations and im- 



provements have been made subsequently, and of the ancient- 

 Cistercian Abbey, with the exception of the vaults, there are 

 but few remains. 



The Avon flows so near the mansion that the intervening 

 space is all required for a geometrical flower garden. At this 

 place I think the river has been somewhat widened, and 

 possibly dammed back, for a little lower down a waterfall is 

 formed ; but instead of being prominently brought into view^ 

 it is in a great measure concealed by an island of Ehododen- 

 drons in robust health, yet its murmuring is heard from the 

 principal walks, and it may be reached by pursuing a cir- 

 cuitous path. The whole place is lovely. The mansion oc- 

 cupies a slightly elevated position, having its carriage entrance 

 to the north ; an ornamental balustrading forms the boundary 

 between the park and the pleasure ground to the west ; while 

 to the south the river forms a natural and effective margin. 

 The kitchen garden is to the east of the mansion, but separated 

 from it by shrubs and trees, while to the south of the kitchen 

 garden are pleasure grounds extending considerably to the 

 eastward. Trees and shrubs, with well-kept walks, extend along 

 each side of the river much further than I had an opportunity 

 of seeing, but enough came under my notice to justify my 

 giving it the character of a very fine place. 



I was next introduced into a flower garden, which an ever- 



