of upwards of thirty acres, surrounded by a wall still perfect in many places. At the dissolution it 

 was valued at .£134. 3s. lid. The demesne was granted to John and George Mills, merchants, of 

 Southampton, by Henry VIII, and subsequently purchased by Lord Chief Justice Fleming, of Stoneham, 

 whose descendants still hold the estate. The Refectory alone is standing, and now used as a barn. 



Binstead House and grounds are delightfully situated about a mile to the westward of the fashionable 

 and flourishing town of Ryde. The House was accidentally destroyed by fire a few years ago, and has 

 since been rebuilt on a more extended and elegant plan by the present Lord Downes, who, a representative 

 of the ancient family of De Burgh, married the widow of the late John Willis Fleming, Esq., of 

 Stoneham, Hants, the owner of the property. The hill occupied by the House and grounds is clothed 

 with a fine old wood — the remnants of an ancient forest — that extends to the extreme edge of the shore. 

 It commands some extensive and beautiful views, having especially a picturesque foreground, including 

 Spithead, with its varying fleets, the fortifications and town of Portsmouth, the blue Solent and opposite 

 coast, and far away over the New Forest, sweeping round to the magnificent residence of her Majesty, 

 Osborne House, and the intervening woods, downs, creeks, and bays of the Island. The Gardens are of 

 a rich and diversified description, planned so as to show the natural advantages to perfection, and kept 

 up in a liberal and devoted spirit. The House stands on a rock, and on the same level are the 

 Parterre and Upper Garden, which were begun in 1845. In the centre of the Parterre is a large 

 raised basket, and flower-beds of various forms, the outer beds bordered by a walk coming square to the 

 edge. The design and arrangement of this beautiful spot is due to the skill of Lady Downes. On 

 the long terrace of this garden, opposite the House, a balustrade, surmounted by elegant vases, 

 containing a variety of flowers, protects visitors from the otherwise dangerous face of the rock, down 

 which leaps a murmuring cascade, flanked by two flights of steps (see Plate). These steps lead to 

 the Rose Garden, a delightful retreat, sheltered on one side by the rock, and from the sea-breeze by 

 lofty trees. The roses are trained over iron trellis-work, forming seats and bowers. Creepers and 

 flowers skirt the banks of a rustic lake occupied by a pretty fountain, and some beautiful shady walks, 

 extending upwards of a mile, lead gradually to the shore. Much art is displayed in the arrangement of 

 the different flowers and creepers about the base and other parts of the rock, which, from its rugged 

 and picturesque character, produces a very fine and striking effect. Various shrubs of excellent growth, 

 and well disposed, abound throughout the gardens, and, from the genial nature of the climate, 

 many plants luxuriate in the open air that in more northern districts require artificial heat to ensure 

 preservation. 



