A Bay at Penshurst 
THE GARDEN FROM THE EAST 
Leaving the rectory and wandering leis¬ 
urely along the high road, enjoying the rich 
rolling landscape, we are soon before the 
entrance to the “ Place,” the real gem of this 
attractive setting. The splendid facade, with 
its groupings of hexagonal brick chimneys, 
attracts our attention as we advance toward 
the portal across the wonderfullv kept lawn, 
where sleek cattle crop the velvety herbage. 
Here, within these ivy-covered walls, in 
1554 one ot England’s most courteous gen¬ 
tlemen first saw the light of day. Here is 
the hall with its open-timbered roof, sup¬ 
ported by curi¬ 
ously carved 
figures. In its 
center is still 
seen the hearth, 
where in early 
days the fire 
burned, the 
smoke finding 
its way out of 
louvres in the 
roof. The 
walls are hung 
with armor, 
suggestive o f 
feudal times, 
when here 
assembled the 
PENSHURST 
retainers to answer to the call to arms. A 
panelled oak screen covers the entrance and 
supports the music gallery for the minstrels 
at the feastings. At the opposite end the 
hall adjoins the living apartments. An open 
staircase leads to the second floor; and high 
in the wall, a small aperture, entitled “the 
ladies’ peep,” afforded the fair folk, debarred 
from the gaities below, a means of gratifying 
their curiosity as to what was done at the 
banquets of their man kind. 
Many are the curious old portraits that 
line the picture gallery, but none, perhaps, 
is more so than 
one painting of 
Good Queen 
Bess dancing 
with her favor¬ 
ite, the gallant 
Earl of Leices¬ 
ter. That he 
was strong and 
agile, as well 
as gallant, may 
be safely in¬ 
ferred, as the 
artist has de¬ 
picted the 
Queen, lifted 
by her cava- 
lier in the ardor 
THE RELATION OF PENSHURST CASTLE TO THE VILLAGE 
272 
