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ROYAL GARDENS 



these natural advantages it will be seen that when, from time 

 to time, parts of the park have been enclosed and added to 

 the garden, they have presented opportunities for very varied 

 treatment, and have especially encouraged the formation of 

 extraordinarily successful examples of wild, water and bog 

 gardening. 



About two years after Sandringham became the private 

 property of the Prince of Wales, his marriage took place. 

 This naturally involved a large increase in his establishment, 

 and the old house was found to be too small, and in other 

 ways unsuitable for a royal residence. It was, therefore, 

 taken down and the present mansion, from designs by Mr. 

 Humbert, was built. It was completed in 1870, but several 

 additions and alterations have been made since that time. 

 The style of architecture is Elizabethan, modified by modern 

 requirements. The general impression suggested is one of 

 stately splendour, combined with ornate, but in no sense 

 ostentatious, elegance. The mansion might be described as a 

 typical modern English country-house on a very large scale. 

 In its size and appointments it is so magnificent, its outline 

 is so varied by gables, steep roofs, cupolas and well-designed 

 chimneys, the newness of its appearance has been so altered 

 by time and by the growth of many creepers, that the effect 

 of the whole is thoroughly pleasing, and is equally admirable 

 both from the luxuriously comfortable and artistic points 

 of view. 



The main entrance to the pleasure grounds is from the 

 north, and is guarded by the famous ' Norwich ' gates, which 

 are superb examples of modern work in wrought iron. After 

 being shown at the great International Exhibition of 1862, 

 they were presented by the county to the Prince of Wales, 

 as a wedding present and as a mark of the pleasure his choosing 

 Norfolk for his private residence gave to its people. From 

 these splendid gates there used to be an avenue of limes all 

 the way to the house, but more than half the trees were 

 blown down some years ago. At the time this happened it 

 was considered a great misfortune, but it is probable that the 



