July  14,  1898. 
JOURNAL  01-  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
29 
EDEN  HALL. 
At  a  distance  of  four  miles  from  the  ancient  market  town  of  Penrith, 
and? within  view  of  Cross  Fell,  the  highest  peak  on  the  Pennine  range, 
stands  Eden  Hall,  in  a  park  of  about  300  acres,  the  seat  of  Sir 
Richard  G.  Musgrave,  Bart.  The  family  of  Musgrave,  of  which  the 
Musgraves  of  Eden  Hall  are  the  head,  have  a  direct  male  descent  from 
one  of  the  companions  in  arms  of  the  Conqueror,  and  whose  name  was 
inscribed  on  the  Battle  Abbey  roll.  Several  members  of  this  family 
have  served  their  king  and  country  with  honour.  They  were  first  seated 
at  Scaleby  Castle,  Cumberland,  and  afterwards  at  Hartley  Castle,  and 
Musgrave  in  Westmoreland.  Camden,  in  his  “  Brittania,”  says,  “The 
warlike  family  of  Musgrave  took  their  name  from  the  two  places  of  that 
name  in  Westmoreland.”  Thomas  de  Musgrave  was  returned  as  knight 
of  the  shire  for  co.  Westmoreland  in  the  parliaments  of  King 
Edward  III.;  and  his  son,  Thomas  de  Musgrave,  Knt.,  also  represented 
the  co.  of  York  in  the  same  reign.  This  Sir  Thomas  was  summoned  by 
writ,  as  Baron  Musgrave  of  Hartley  Castle,  to  parliament  from  1430 
>to  1457. 
my  visit,  aglow  with  large  bush  Rhododendrons  (hybrids)  and  Ghent 
Azaleas  in  great  variety.  On  the  western  side  of  the  house  is  the  French 
garden  in  geometric  style,  which  is  usually  planted  with  scented 
“Geraniums,”  Ivy-leaved  Pelargonium  Madame  Crousse,  tuberous 
Begonias,  Heliotropes,  and  tricolor  Pelargoniums  in  separate  beds.  The 
central  bed  is  Raised  by  stone  tiers  considerably  above  the  others,  and  is 
usually  filled  with  Palms  and  Phormiums,  so  as  to  give  a  bold  effect,  as 
seen  from  the  drawing-room  windows.  There  are  other  beds  on  the  grass 
on  the  southern  front,  and  these  are  filled  with  Fuchsias,  Ricinus, 
Phormiums,  Zea  japonica  variegata,  Grevillea  robusta.  Acacia  lophantha, 
and  other  noble-habited  plants. 
The  flower  garden  proper  is  along  the  southern  front  of  the  house,  and 
is  bounded  by  a  terrace  border  whose  wall  and  steps  are  surmounted  byr 
vases  at  intervals.  The  beds  are  all  circular  in  shape.  There  are  four 
beds  whose  diameter  will  be  about  16  feet,  and  are  now  filled  with  Holly¬ 
hocks,  Dahlias,  annual  and  perennial  Sunflowers,  Foxgloves,  Delphiniums, 
Chilian  Beet,  large  groups  of  Pentstemons,  Gladiolus  brenchleyensis  and 
gandavensis  hybrids,  and  German  Stocks.  Other  beds,  about  twenty-four 
Fig.  5.  -  EDEN  HALL. 
The  estates  of  Eden  Hall  were  acquired  by  the  marriage  of  Sir 
Thomas  Musgrave,  Ivnt.,  of  Hartley  Castle,  with  Joan,  daughter  of  Sir 
William  de  Stapleton,  Knt.,  of  Eden  Hall,  in  the  thirty-seventh  year  of 
the  reign  of  Henry  VL,  1459-60.  The  present  baronet  is  the  twelfth  in 
succession. 
The  cup,  immortalised  by  Longfellow’s  verse,  “  The  Luck  of  Eden 
Hall,”  is  kept  in  the  case  of  embossed  leather,  decorated  with  scrolls  and 
Vine  leaves  of  fourteenth  century  workmanship,  in  the  strong  room.  It 
is  cylindrical  in  shape,  with  trumpet  mouth,  and  is  of  green  oriental  glass 
enamelled  with  flowers,  and  is  only  brought  out  on  rare  occasions. 
Tradition  has  it,  that  a  servant  of  the  family  going  to  St.  Cuthbert’s  well 
surprised  a  group  of  fairies  who  were  drinking  from  the  cup,  he  snatched 
it  from  them,  and  they  exclaimed,  “  If  this  cup  should  break  or  fall, 
farewell  the  luck  of  Eden  Hall.” _ 
The  mansion  (fig.  5)  is  in  the  Italian  style,  and  was  built  in  1821, 
from  designs  by  Sir  Robert  Smirke.  Approaching  from  Penrith,  we  pass 
through  an  imposing  entrance  gate  with  a  lodge  in  the  Doric  style.  This 
drive  takes  us  through  the  pleasure  grounds,  45  acres  in  extent,  to  the 
house,  a  distance  of  three-quarters  of  a  mile.  They  were,  at  the  time  of 
in  number,  which  are  probably  7  feet  in  circumference,  are  occupied  by 
tuberous  Begonias,  Calceolaria  amplexicaulis,  Lobelia  cardinalis,  Hyacin- 
thus  candicans,  Tropasolum  Vesuvius,  Crozy’s  hybrid  Cannas,  Nicotianas, 
and  Begonia  seinperflorens.  _ 
The  walled  in  kitchen  gardens  are  in  two  divisions,  with  an  aggregate 
of  3  acres.  Their  general  excellent  keeping  reflects  credit  to  Mr.  Smith 
the  head  gardener.  The  wall  trees,  Apricots,  Pears,  Plums,  Sweet  and 
Morello  Cherries  were  promising  an  abundant  crop,  as  wtre  half-standard 
Apples.  Peas,  Cauliflowers,  Onions,  salading,  and  all  other  crop9  so 
necessary  in  a  large  establishment,  are  here  in  quantity,  and  were  tolerably 
early  for  the  district.  Strawberries  in  the  open  quarters  were  showing 
vigorous  and  abundant  bloom.  The  varieties  grown  are  Laxton’s  Noble, 
Laxton's  Scarlet  Queen,  Auguste  Nicaise,  Lord  Suffield,  Countess, 
Gunton  Park,  Keen’s  Seedling,  and  President. 
The  herbaceous  borders  around  the  kitchen  garden  contain  a  variety 
of  useful  flowers  which  are  in  great  demand.  Pteonies  are  great  favourites, 
and  were  opening  their  gorgeous  flowers.  Gesnerian  Tulips  were  also 
abundant,  as  well  as  double  Pyrethrums.  Border  Carnations  are  largely- 
grown,  and  are  represented  by  about  2000  plants  layered  last  summer. 
