March  10,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTTGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
211 
It  was  from  the  garden  at  Canterbury  that  Tradescant  sent  plants  to 
Parkinson,  amongst  which  was  the  Tradoscantia  of  which  we  have 
previously  made  mention.  From  the  service  of  Lord  Wotton  Tradescant 
passed  to  that  of  George  Villiers  Duke  of  Buckingham,  at  Newhall  in 
Essex,  and  after  the  assassination  of  this  nobleman  in  1628  he  was 
appointed  gardener  to  Henrietta  Maria,  the  Queen  of  Charles  I.  It 
was  upon  receiving  this  position  that  he  removed  to  South  Lambeth, 
whence  he  could  have  easy  access  to  the  Palace  gardens.  It  was  here 
that  the  museum  previously  adverted  to  was  formed,  and  to  which  he 
was  constantly  making  additions  until  his  death  in  1638.  It  is  recorded 
that  shortly  before  his  demise  the  University  of  Oxford  purposed  to 
appoint  him  superintendent  of  their  Physick  Garden,  which  had  been 
established  by  Henry  Danvers,  Earl  of  Danby,  in  1632. 
Returning  now  to  the  vineyard,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  slopes  or 
terraces  on  the  southern  side  of  the  river  are  fully  occupied  by  various  trees; 
the  broad  and  undulating  surface  of  the  ground.  The  many  Oaks,  some 
of  which  stand  singly  and  others  in  clumps  of  several,  are  probably  relics 
of  an  Oak  forest  that  covered  the  area  in  much  earlier  days.  Some 
of  them  are  almost  perfect,  but  several  are  no  more  than  shells.  Though 
Spruce,  Limes,  Elms,  and  other  trees  find  a  congenial  home  in  various 
portions  of  the  park,  the  Oaks  stand  pre-eminent  as  the  most  imposing 
features.  Where  the  park  is  covered  with  undergrowth  and  trees  broad 
grass  alleys  have  been  formed,  which  make  cool,  quiet,  and  pleasant  walks 
during  the  hot  days  of  summer.  Of  these  there  are  presumably  several 
miles,  as  they  stretch  away  from  the  avenue  leading  to  the  vineyard  at 
frequent  intervals  and  in  all  directions.  It  was  in  this  grand  park  that 
George  HI.  held  a  review  of  the  Cavalry,  Yeomanry,  and  other  troops  in 
the  year  1801,  a  spectacle  that  one  can  easily  imagine  must  have  been  a 
glorious  one.  No  place  could  have  been  better  for  such  a  purpose,  the 
character  of  the  ground  and  the  size  rendering  it  peculiarly  suitable.  A 
distance  of  upwards  of  half  a  mile  across  the  parks  brings  us  within  the 
charge  of  our  conductor,  Mr.  Norman. 
lohanncs  Tradercaiinus  Paler  rcrum,  se 
inriouem  supellectilem  in  Reconditorio  L; 
prone  Loud  in  urn  etiamnmn  vilcndain. 
inftRuit  ac  locuplolavlt. 
Fig.  35.— John  Tradescant. 
but  these  were  not  planted  until  a  somewhat  later  date.  The  formal  style 
known  as  that  of  Louis  XIV.  was  adopted  in  planting.  In  this  Yews  are 
largely  comprised,  which  were  clipped  and  trained  to  form  narrow,  secluded 
avenues  radiating  from  one  common  centre  at  the  top  of  the  bank  to  other 
centres  on  the  right  and  left  hand  respectively.  Here,  too,  in  all  probability 
was  the  noted  topiary  work  of  which  much  has  been  written  ;  but  beyond 
the  arcades  of  Yews,  which  scarcely  come  within  that  category,  none 
apparently  now  remains.  Besides  the  Yews  there  are  trees  of  various 
kinds  on  this  south  side  of  the  vineyard,  which  is  now  maintained  as  a 
pleasure  garden.  The  walks  are  trim  and  neat,  and  the  grass  is  kept 
closely  mown,  an  operation  that  must  be  fairly  laborious  if  one  may 
judge  by  the  steepness  of  the  banks.  On  the  top  is  a  broad  terrace 
promenade,  flanked  on  the  one  side  by  dwarf  Laurels  and  Thuiopsis, 
backed  by  the  wall,  and  on  the  other  by  the  slopes,  river,  and  erstwhile 
vineyard  and  vegetable  garden. 
From  the  vineyard  we  traverse  a  portion  of  the  park,  passing  the  two 
Royal  Oaks  on  our  way.  The  area  of  the  park  in  which  Oaks  abound 
in  very  large  numbers  is  about  1000  acres,  and  many  and  varied  are  the 
views  therein.  Bracken  is  in  abundance,  and  deer  wander  at  will  about 
Our  course  has  been  down  the  gentle  slope  of  a  hill,  at  the  foot  of 
which  is  a  broad  and  beautiful  valley,  and  a  portion  of  this  was  until 
about  twenty  years  ago,  an  almost  impenetrable  wilderness  garden,  with 
a  large  area  of  water  in  the  centre.  Now  things  have  been  changed,  and 
this  pleasnre  garden  in  skilful  hands  has  become  a  charming  feature  of 
the  place,  marred  to  an  extent,  no  doubt,  by  the  fact  that  the  lake  will  not 
now  hold  water.  The  undulating  banks  have  been  planted  with  scores  of 
flowering  trees  and  shrubs,  as  well  as  forest  trees  and  Conifers,  all  of 
which  are  thriving  and  growing  apace.  This  portion  of  the  estate  must 
be  singularly  interesting  and  beautiful  towards  the  end  of  April  and  in 
May,  when  the  thousands  of  Rhododendrons  will  be  sheets  of  beautiful 
flowers.  At  the  eastern  extremity,  what  was  formerly  a  more  than 
ordinarily  neglected  corner  has  been  converted  into  a  beautiful  retreat  by 
the  aid  of  huge  mounds  of  earth,  "old  tree  stumps.  Ivy  and  hardy  Ferns. 
The  Ivy  rambling  over  stones,  stumps,  and  banks  is  gaining  the  upper 
hand,  but  here  and  there  in  places  where  it  has  been  checked  the  Ferns 
are  growing  well.  Judging  from  the  age  of  some  of  the  trees,  Mr.  Norman 
supposes  that  this  garden  must  originally  have  been  formed  in  the  time  of 
Tradescant,  or,  if  not  then,  very  shortly  afterwards. 
Before  quite  concluding  the  references  to  Hatfield  in  the  past,  and 
coming  to  the  Hatfield  of  to-day,  we  should  like  to  quote  a  paragraph 
from  “  A  History  of  English  Gardening,”  a  work  compiled  by  Mr.  George 
W.  Johnson,  and  published  in  1829,  that  relates  to  Hatfield  Gardens.  It 
says,  “  In  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  arose  Hatfield  House,  in  Hertfordshire, 
the  seat  of  Lord  Treasurer  Burleigh.  Hentzner  describes  the  gardens  ‘  as 
surrounded  by  a  piece  of  water,  with  boats  rowing  through  alleys  of  well- 
cut  trees  and  labyrinths  made  with  great  labour.  There  are  jets  d'eau 
and  a  summer  house,  with  many  pleasant  and  fair  fish  ponds  and  abundant 
statues,’  which  he  enumerates.  There  were  two  parks  at  Hatfield  House, 
one  respectively  for  red  and  fur  fallow  deer,  also  a  vineyard  that  was  in 
existence  when  Lharles  the  First  was  detained  prisoner  there.”  There  is 
some  confliction  between  the  opening  sentence  of  this  quotation  and  the 
records  given  in  earlier  paragraphs,  as  from  these  it  was  gathered  that 
Sir  Robert  Cecil  was  the  first  of  this  family  who  owned  Hatfield,  and  this 
is  probably  correct. 
The  gardens  of  Hatfield  as  they  are  at  the  present  day  comprise 
features  that  are  modern  as  well  as  portions  which  have  existed  since  the 
days  of  .James  L,  with  one  or  two  others  whose  age  will  be  about  a  century. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  there  is  a  series  of  gardens  on  the  east,  west,  and 
south  sides,  but  not  to  the  north,  a  representation  of  which  frontage  is 
given  in  fig.  43,  page  217.  This  is  certainly  the  least  interesting  side  of 
the  structure  from  a  horticultural  point  of  view,  for  save  the  little  Ivy 
that  can  be  seen  there  is  nothing  to  attract  the  attention.  But  pass 
through  the  handsome  iron  gates  surmounted  by  the  coronet  and 
monogram  of  the  Cecils,  and  much  will  be  found  to  examine  and  to  admire. 
Coming  from  the  pleasure  garden  already  noted  there  is  an  easy  ascent 
to  the  east  front  of  the  house  ; '  but  before  it  is  actually  reached  we  pass 
the  maze  of  Yews  surrounded  by  a  splendid  hedge  of  a  similar  nature. 
This  Mr.  Norman  estimates  has  been  formed  within  this  century,  and  it 
is  the  oldest  horticultural  portion  hereabouts.  On  a  rather  higher  terrace 
is  a  broad  border  now  in  course  of  renovation,  and  which  is  backed  by  a 
wall  on  which  are  Roses  and  many  charming  flowering  shrubs  that  make 
a  background  for  the  terrace. 
Mounting  still  higher,  we  soon  gain  admittance  to  the  eastern  garden, 
with  its  many  beds  and  palisaded  walls  clothed  with  Monthly  Roses 
,Iust  now,  it  is  needless  to  say,  the  beds  cannot  be  gay,  but  ere  long  the 
yellow  and  red  Wallflowers  will  be  in  flower,  and  will  diffuse  a  fragrance 
that  is  appreciated  by  all.  Several  beds  are  devoted  to  these,  with 
others  of  varied  spring-blooming  plants,  that  later  will  have  to  give  place 
to  the  flowers  of  summer.  Though  the  design  of  this  garden  is  formal, 
one  can  easily  imagine  that  it  will  be  very  beautiful  during  tbe  flowering 
period  of  the  several  plants,  and  while  the  Monthly  Roses  are  producing 
their  clusters  of  lovely  blossoms.  A  broad  flight  of  stone  steps  leads  up 
to  a  gravel  terrace  and  the  entrance  to  the  mansion,  and  it  is  this  aspect 
that  is  depicted  in  the  illustration  (fig.  42)  on  page  216.  This  is  a  picture 
of  historic  interest,  for  it  was  taken  on  the  occasion  of  the  visit  of 
the  Emperor  and  Empress  of  Germany  to  Hatfield  in  1891.  Examine  the 
illustration  closely,  and  the  Empress,  with  the  Marchioness  of  Salisbury, 
