Plate 44 is a view of the Italian garden, and it will be seen that the ground falls slightly towards 
the lake, and the garden has therefore been designed on two levels; the first level is about 200 feet 
square, and is divided from the second by a stone balustrade. In the centre is a circular plot 
with fountain and pond. A flight of circular steps leads to the second level, an oblong enclosure 700 
feet long by 510 feet in breadth, divided by a broad gravel walk, bordered with trees in tubs, and 
on each side are ponds. At the further end, overlooking the lake, is a handsome stone terrace, 460 feet 
long, with a statue of Perseus, and a circular stone landing place. 
LEVENS HALL, WESTMORLAND. 
PLATES 45, 46, 47. 
1 HE old Dutch garden at Levcns Hall is probably the most perfect example, remain¬ 
ing in England, of a garden designed under the Dutch influence prevalent soon after 
the accession of William and Mary, although curiously enough the designer happened 
to be a Frenchman; but there is certainly nothing French about the aspect of 
Levens, which was evidently copied almost directly from a Dutch model, and in all 
their main features the gardens have been handed down to the present day exactly 
as they were originally designed. 
Levens Hall dates back to very remote days, and was probably built as a border “pele” tower, of 
which there are many examples still to be met with in these parts. In 1489 the property was acquired 
by one Alan Bellingham, and it remained in his family until 1689, when it was sold to Colonel James 
Grahame, Keeper of the Privy Purse to James II. and one of his most trusted servants, who, after the 
revolution in 1689, for political reasons found it safer to live in the north. Soon after becoming 
possessed of the estate, Colonel Grahame began to make alterations to the hall, and, to create the 
gardens he called in the assistance of M. Beaumont, a pupil of the famous French gardener Le Notre. 
In the house there is an old portrait of Beaumont, whereon is the inscription “ Monsieur Beaumont, 
Gardener to King James 2nd and to Coll: Js Grahme. He laid out the gardens at Hampton Court, 
and at Levens.” It is probable that at Hampton Court he worked in the capacity of a foreman. 
The gardens were commenced about the year 1700, and a letter written in 1701, describing a great 
storm that took place in the autumn of that year, tells of the terrible havoc wrought amongst the newly 
planted trees. We are able to form a very correct idea of the appearance of the gardens at this date, for 
there is fortunately preserved in the house a plan of them dated 1720, which shows that, with the 
exception of a few alterations on that part of the garden south of the bowling-green, every path and 
hedge remains as originally planned ; this is probably a unique instance in England. Even the topiary 
work, though of course considerably grown, still retains its character and many of the trees are believed 
to have been planted when large enough to have been partly shaped into the forms they were intended 
afterwards to present. 
Plate 45 is a plan of the gardens as they now exist, from which it will be seen that the forecourt is 
on the north, the parterre and flower garden on the east, and the kitchen garden and bowling-green on 
the south side of the house; the view on Plate 46 gives a good idea of the quaint and fantastic 
appearance of the topiary work. 1 Plate 47 is a view over the kitchen garden, taken from a tower at the 
1 Unfortunately the photograph for this plate had to be taken in winter, and it therefore fails to convey an idea of the brilliant 
aspect of the flower-beds. 
