CLAREMONT 



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delightful opportunity for rest. The terrace here commands 

 a most beautiful view of the lake below and its tree-clad 

 island surrounded by far-reaching woodlands, and beyond, 

 the Surrey hills between Dorking and Guildford. Around 

 the lake are paths and turfy glades, and everywhere are 

 tall and stately trees. At one point, on the west, there is a 

 boathouse ; at another an arbour, and below a little hill on 

 the south a grotto — no doubt designed by Brown or Kent — 

 is made in the soft sandstone which is there exposed. 



All through the pleasure grounds, with their most pleasing 

 mixture of wild woodland and open glades, the undergrowth 

 is for the most part azalea and rhododendron, in which here 

 and there are spaces left for cultivated little gardens. The 

 extent of the pleasure grounds is about thirty acres, and the 

 whole area is a remarkable instance of the interdependence of 

 nature and art. Nature formed the hills and valleys, supplied 

 the fertile soil ; art planted noble trees and beautiful shrubs, 

 and made more or less formal paths ; then nature again came 

 to her sister's aid, and by quiet work of many years has 

 removed all traces of artificiality, and given its present appear- 

 ance of exquisite wildness to this perfect specimen of the art 

 of landscape gardening. 



On the opposite or north-east side of the mansion, about 

 a furlong away from and below it, the gardens proper are 

 placed. They are formed on ground sloping gently to the 

 south-east, and cover about six acres, being approximately 

 230 yards long and half that amount wide. The area under 

 cultivation is considerably increased by orchards and plots 

 outside the walls which enclose the principal garden. These 

 beautiful old red-brick walls are a special feature at Claremont. 

 Judging from the style of buildings here and there incorporated 

 with them, from their appearance, thickness, height and 

 general design, they were probably erected by Vanbrugh at 

 the beginning of the eighteenth century. Their great age 

 is shown, too, by the size of several trained and climbing plants 

 which clothe them ; notably by one or two magnificent old 

 wistarias. Sheltered on all sides by walls and on the north 



