June  24,  1897. 
J OURNA L  OF  HORTICULTURE  A ND  ■  CO TTA  CE  CARD ENER. 
547 
and  other  works  in  the  Park.  At  this  time  an  estimate  was  prepared 
for  making  a  new  garden  on  the  north  side  of  the  Castle  at  a  cost  of 
£6874  18s.,  for  the  purpose,  so  tradition  says,  of  commemorating 
the  glorious  battle  of  Blenheim.  This  work  was  never  completed, 
although  it  was  so  far  advanced  that  its  outlines  may  still  be  traced  on 
the  turf  of  that  portion  of  the  Home  Park  where  it  existed.  It  may  be 
mentioned  here  that  this  land  is  occasionally  subject  to  floods,  and  this 
may  account  for  the  project  being  abandoned. 
Ancient  Vineyards  of  Windsor  Castle. 
That  Vine-growing  for  the  purpose  of  making  wine  was  practised  to 
a  considerable  extent  in  many  parts  of  the  South  of  England  in  olden 
times  is  beyond  dispute,  as  abundant  records  prove.  The  historical 
battle  of  Hastings  was  fought  near  a  large  plantation  of  Vines. 
Domesday  Book,  a  statistical  survey  of  England,  prepared  by  command 
of  William  the  Conqueror  during  the  latter  part  of  his  reign  (1066— 
1087),  contains  thirty-eight  entries  of  vineyards  then  esteemed 
ponderous  round  tower  of  the  Castle  stands.  This  is  now  a  delightful 
old-world  garden,  containing  venerable  fruit  and  other  trees,  as  well  as 
herbs  and  hardy  flowers,  though  on  one  side  there  are  modern  flowers  in 
a  scroll  bed. 
It  is  said  that  vineyards  became  gradually  neglected  in  England 
after  the  acquirement  by  conquest  of  a  portion  of  the  wine-producing 
districts  of  France.  The  battle  of  Poictiers  (1356)  was  fought  in  a 
French  vineyard,  consequently  it  is  said  French  wine  became  the 
fashion — relished  as  the  produce  of  British  possessions  in  France  ;  but 
wine  was  long  subsequently  produced  in  England,  and  there  is  little 
doubt  that  by  growing  a  wise  selection  of  Vines  in  the  most  favoured 
positions,  better  wine  could  be  obtained  from  home-grown  Grapes  than 
is  found  in  some  of  the  Continental  concoctions.  It  is  to  be  presumed 
that  the  varieties  of  Grapes  which  used  to  be  grown  in  the  ancient 
Windsor  and  other  vineyards  are  no  longer  to  be  found  in  this  country, 
except,  perhaps,  in  the  Marquess  of  Bute’s  collection,  obtained  from 
the  North  of  France. 
Fig.  104.— WINDSOR  CASTLE. 
f 
valuable.  Down  to  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  vineyards 
were  scattered  over  many  parts  of  the  South  of  England,  and  extended 
as  far  north  as  Peterborough.  The  Bishop  of  Rochester  sent  King 
Ecfrvard  II.  both  Vines  and  Grapes  of  his  own  growth,  perhaps  for 
comparison  with  the  produce  of  the  Windsor  vineyards  Be  this  as  it 
may,  there  is  no  doubt  that  Grape-growing  in  the  open  air  for  wine 
making  was  an  important  item  of  work  at  Windsor  Castle  in  the  olden 
time,  as  we  find  about  the  year  1300  that  among  the  many  appendages 
to  the  Castle  at  this  time  was  the  vineyard.  The  pay  of  the  vintiger 
and  the  expenses  of  gathering  the  Grapes  are  among  the  regular  annual 
charges  relating  to  Windsor  on  the  pipe  rolls. 
Lambard  says  that  “  it  moreover  appeareth  that  tithe  hath  been 
paid  of  wine  pressed  out  of  Grapes  that  grew  in  the  little  park  there 
to  the  Abbot  of  Waltham,  who  was  parson  both  of  Old  and  New 
Windsor,  and  that  accounts  have  been  made  of  planting  the  Vines  that 
grew  in  the  said  park,  as  also  of  making  the  wines,  whereof  some  parts 
were  spent  in  the  household  and  some  sold  for  the  King’s  profit.”  The 
Chaplain  of  the  King’s  Chapel  at  this  time  (1272)  received  30s.,  and  the 
Keeper  of  the  Vineyard  the  same— for  how  long  a  service  is  not  Btated. 
As  late  as  the  time  of  George  III.  a  small  vineyard  existed  on  the 
ground  outside  the  south  wall  of  the  lower  ward  of  the  Castle,  and 
between  it  and  Castle  Hill,  east  of  Henry  VIII.  Gateway,  a  spot  now 
covered  with  a  beautiful  lawn.  It  is  reasonable  to  expect,  too,  that 
Vines  were  grown  on  the  steep  sides  of  the  great  mound  on  which  the 
The  Gardens  and  Pleasure  Grounds  of  the  Queen. 
From  the  time  of  George  III.  to  the  accession  of  her  Majesty  to  the 
Throne  very  little  matter  of  interest  is  recorded  in  reference  to  garden¬ 
ing  at  Windsor  Castle  ;  but  with  the  advent  of  the  Queen  the  darkness 
and  mists  of  the  past  gradually  vanished,  and  a  new  and  brighter  era 
for  gardening  was  ushered  in.  The  great  supply  gardens  at  Frogmore 
were  formed,  and  from  then  till  now  continued  progress  has  been 
marked  in  all  departments  ;  and  it  may  be  said  that  every  aspect  of 
gardening  is  appropriately  and  admirably  represented  in  the  Royal 
demesnes. 
Ornamentally  we  have  every  feature,  from  wild  forest  scenery  to 
semi-dressed  woodland  charms  ;  placid  park,  with  stately  trees  ;  broad 
drives,  with  clean  smooth  surfaces  and  lawny  margins ;  noble  avenues 
and  charming  vistas  ;  glistening  water,  meandering  between  richly 
wooded  Blopes,  and  embracing  picturesque  islands ;  the  smoothest  of 
smooth  lawns,  encircled  and  intersected  by  splendid  terrace  walks  ; 
flowers,  old  and  new — old  as  in  the  ancient  Dutch  garden,  more  modern 
as  in  the  later  styles  of  home  adornment ;  plants  of  various  kinds  and 
for  definite  purposes,  and  in  enormous  numbers  in  the  aggregate,  with  a 
bountiful  supply  of  all  other  requisites  which  gardens  afford,  as  con¬ 
tributing  to  the  health  and  happiness  of  those  who  possess  them.  The 
