28 
angle of the house, and shows the great hornbeam alley, with hedges eight feet thick traversing the 
garden ; this plate also shows the bowling-green beyond. 
Whatever may be one’s feelings with regard to the use of topiary work—and many will think it is 
used to excess at Levens—the old world aspect and great variety of these different forms, if not beautiful, 
is intensely quaint and interesting. At one corner stands the King with his crown upon his head, and 
opposite, the Queen with her arms akimbo; here a crowned lion with a fine tail, there an archway or 
a gigantic helmet, an umbrella like construction shading a seat, Queen Elizabeth with her maids of 
honour, and many another creation in yew standing out with its wealth of deep green foliage amidst the 
flowers, with walks of soft green turf between the beds. (The outlines of several of these yews are 
shown on Plate 106.) Near by are two quite small enclosures with substantial hedges surrounding 
them and overlooked by the old gardener’s house, still known as “ Beaumont Hall.” A broad walk 
separates the flower garden from the kitchen gardens, and at one end is an old yew arbour known as 
“The Judge’s Wig.” 
The garden on the south side of this walk is divided into four parts by grass alleys opening into a 
circular plot in the centre with high hornbeam hedges, as shown on Plate 47. Three of these plots 
are used for fruit and vegetable gardens, whilst the fourth is the bowling-green whereon many genera¬ 
tions' have delighted to play. The ground between this and the boundary road is now covered with 
fine old beeches; but on the plan of 1720 this part is shown divided into two parterres, all signs of 
which are now gone. 
HESLINGTON HALL, YORKSHIRE. 
PLATE 48. 
ESLINGTON HALL lies within two miles of York, and was built about 1565 
by Thomas Eymes, a member of the famous Council of the North. After his 
death the hall was occupied by the Hesketh family, and later by the Yarborough 
family. It was restored in 1854, but still retains many of its original features, 
including the square angle turrets, which recall such houses as Hatfield and 
Charlton, in Kent, although much smaller in extent than these. The gardens would 
appear to have been laid out at a rather later period than the house, and probably 
date from the end of the seventeenth century. The Topiary garden, which is the only part of the old 
garden remaining, recalls that at Levens Hall, and, indeed, has been attributed to Beaumont; but 
instead of the huge umbrellas, lions, and other fantastic creations, the topiary work here assumes much 
simpler forms, and is cut into huge cylinders, globes, and beehive shapes. At present these are set on 
a grass lawn, but probably they were formerly grouped amongst gay flower-beds. The remaining 
parts of the grounds have unfortunately been modernized, which is the more to be regretted when 
we consider the rarity of examples of this period. Until within the last half century the garden was 
allowed to fall into decay, but in recent years it has been well cared for. Overlooking the topiary 
work is a Georgian summer-house, in the lower storey of which is an arbour looking on to a picturesque 
bowling-green. 
