39 
Severn Sea into Wales.” The house was encompassed by a park of nearly 500 acres, with extensive 
avenues on one side. The entrance was through a stable court to the grass forecourt, whence a flagged 
path led to the front door, across another court enclosed by the two wings of the house. At the 
further end of the forecourt was a long narrow bowling-alley with pavilions at either end, and beyond was 
the kitchen garden. The flower gardens lay to the south of the house, and consisted of two principal 
parts, with a small walled garden and orangery adjoining the stable court. The garden next the house 
consisted of a double parterre, mostly laid out in grass, and the remaining part was laid out with large 
beds of flowers, surrounded with high box borders ; this garden was terminated by a raised terrace, and 
a gazeebo overlooking the park. 
SANDYWELL, GLOUCESTERSHIRE. 
PLATE 65. 
1 AXDYWELL HOUSE was situated about five miles from Cheltenham, and its 
site is still occupied by a residence, but nothing more than the outlines of the kitchen 
garden can now be discerned. The view of the gardens here given is also taken 
from Atkyns’ “ Gloucestershire,” and shows the house when it was the seat of Henry 
Bret, Esq., who bought the property in 1680, and commenced building the mansion. 
The gardens, with the oblong water-piece, are of about this period, but they cannot 
have enjoyed a very long existence, for they had entirely disappeared by 1779, when 
an engraving of the house was published in Samuel Rudder’s history of the county. From this view it 
appears that the old formal gardens, sharing the fate of so many, had been destroyed and grassy lawns 
extended to the front of the house, where formerly stood the neat little forecourt. 
The house was approached on its east side by an avenue, which led to the little forecourt laid out 
with grass parterres, and adorned with vases and statues. The stable court, kitchen yards and paddock 
were on the opposite side of the house. A flight of steps led to the principal gardens from the south side 
of the house, and an oblong fish-pond, bordered by trees, occupied the central part of the garden, with fruit 
trees planted on either side. To the east of this was the kitchen garden, divided bypaths and fruit trees 
at regular intervals, while in the centre was a leaden figure of the kneeling slave supporting a sundial. 
A walled-in orchard was close adjoining. The house was surrounded by a park nearly a hundred acres 
in extent. 
MOUNT MORRIS, KENT. 
brick dovecote- 
PLATE 66. 
HIS view of Mount Morris is taken from Badeslade’s “Views of Noblemen’s 
Seats in Kent,” a folio volume published in 1720, containing a series of interesting 
views of houses and gardens. The house, like nearly all those of this period, was 
approached through two courtyards, the second being traversed on foot. The 
arrangement of the first court is interesting, with its open wooden railing and 
quaint gates, the posts surmounted by wooden pinnacles. In the centre was an 
oval grass plot with a leaden figure, and to the right was a paddock with a square 
a rather unusual form. The forecourt was laid out with grass parterres, and small yew 
