January 6, 1912 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



7 



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[IMlutn : M, >. King 



SOMERLEYTON HALL: WEST FRONT WITH FLOWER (iAIIDKX 



SOMERLEYTON 



HALL. 



AltlK)n(rli groat gai'dons are less niime- 

 vous in the, accoixling to Fuller, sweet 

 arul civi] (ountv" of SufFolk than in the 

 a^ijoining lands of the North Folk, there 

 are within its boundaries nianv of first-rate 

 nii]>ortanre, and chief among them by ooni- 

 '""on eons*^?it a ?e those of Somerleyton 

 Hall, the East Anglian seat of Sir Saville 



('ros,^Iev. Bart. 



Equally remarkable for 



vxtent and beauty they form a delightful 

 setting to the stately mansion which occu- 

 Jiies a prominent position in one of the 

 J'iglu\st. as. indeed, in one of the most 

 ciiarmuig parts of the Lothing district, 

 and afford many an object-lesson in garden 

 nianagement of immense value. 



Somerleyton Hall is situate about eight 

 miles to the west of Lowestoft, and may be 

 readily rerclu d from that town or from 

 Yarmouth, by the branch of the Great 

 Eastern Railway, which connects the>.' two 

 po])idar marine irsoi ts. In cnni:nen< inii 

 the jour ni'v to tlie Somerh^y toil Station at 

 larmoutli > not particularly impic^sed 

 by the scenery, for the <ountiv is lor a 

 short distance quite Hat wA several 

 waterways and a vegetation tbat indicates 

 a hbrral dogree of moisture in the soil. 

 »^nt as the train s]ieeds onward the grounfl 

 '■i^*'s rapidly, tlu^ uniform level gives wav 

 to pleasant umhilations. and the moisturc- 

 lovnig plants are replaced by arlH^rescent 



vegetation, and in tlieii- soas:!!i bv waving 

 lields of corn and by otbei- farm c'rops that 



flourish in the district. The hall is about 

 two miles from the station, and. as tliere 

 is a continuous rise throughout, the estati' 

 must occupy a consi<lerable ele\ at ion. 

 What the altitude is cannot iie stated Ironi 

 the information available at the time of 

 writing, but it is suffi<-ient t-o aiiord a 

 series of widely-extending views of sur- 

 passing beaiity from the mansi<m, tlie 

 gardens, and the higher ])art ot tbe ]>ark. 

 which has an area of upwar<ls of 3110 a< res. 

 and is finely wooded. The characteristic- 

 features of the scenery of Suffolk are 

 quaintly described by Reyce in his " Hre- 

 viaryV' of the county. whi<^h w|>s ])nb- 

 lished in 1618, and, quaint as the de- ri]*- 

 tion is, it gives an excelb'nt idea ot tlie 

 general aspect of the country at the pre- 

 sent day. ''This county," wiites Reyte. 



<leligh'ting in a continuall evenes aiid 

 ])laines, is voi<l of any great hills, hi'zh 

 niounta ins. or steepe rocks. N ot wit li- 

 st anding the which it is not always so low 

 or tlat, hut that it is sevtM'cd and d vided 

 with little hills easy for ascent and ])Ica- 

 sant rv\(Ms watering tbe low vallevs with 

 a most bea u1 ' f nl jirospect ." 



It nav lie ol' inter<vst to nvall i1k> fa:-t 

 thai Sonierlevion is of consKlerabb* liisToiii' 



'nteiest by mentioning that it was fi-oni an 

 ear lv period the principal seat of tin* Lords 

 of the Island of Lothingland. and that in 

 the cotirse of its history it was in the pos- 

 session of the Aliens.' Fitzi)sberts, Jemi- 



the 



In iIh' vear l^U the estate IxH-ame 

 tlie pro'perty of Sir Mori-en Vv\^>- 

 who greatly imi)rovfHl tlu^ gardens, chut 

 among the improvements hein- 

 erection f)f tlie niagniiirent w.ni< t ^ar- 

 d<Mi. which, having reganl to its area, 

 ele^^uice of ■ design, and suital)il:ty tor 

 th(^ euhivation of ])lant« from tem- 

 ])erate rcg nns. has probably no superior 

 i»i Ibis eountrv. and but few equals. The 

 inanMon. built frojn designs by dolni 

 Thr.ma-. an architect of distinction, and 

 the xulptor of the statue.s in the ])resent 

 Honses of l^uliament, is, as will be seen 

 irom a glan<e at the accompanying illus- 

 tration, of handsome elevation and occu- 

 pies a c<)-m7ianding position in the park. 

 On the southern si<le of tbe mansion is a 

 wMe *'X])anse ()f lawn that extends to the 

 fitu^ avenues of limes and elms which 

 stretch away into the far distance, and 

 form <Iistinct features of much interest. 

 On the west si<le. which we illustrate, is 

 the formal flower garden that carries 

 tbe ni 'nd back to the days of Nesfield, Avhen 

 closely-clipped box edgings and glistening 

 sv»ar entered so laniely into the com|X)si- 

 tion of flower garden schemes. On the 

 north side is the winter garden, and 

 ]:eyond are spacious lawns r'chly furnished 

 w th rhododendrons and other shrubs, re- 

 markable for the beauty of their flowers 

 or foliage, and specimen coniferous and 

 other trees. To the north-east are the 



^fll^iir ^fciiVJio, --- ^ ^ 



gans, and other East AnLrlian nntah litirs. maze. tli€> ppvn-^in. and the kitchen garden 



