48 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  21, 1898. 
WARTER  PRIORY. 
The  county  of  Yorkshire  has  always  been  renowned  for  the  many 
beautiful  domains  that  are  scattered  abundantly  over  its  broad  acres. 
Amongst  the  most  noted  of  them  is  Warter  Priory,  the  residence  of 
Charles  H.  Wilson,  Esq.,  M.P.,  whose  name,  with  that  of  Mr.  Arthur 
Wilson  of  Tranby  Croft,  has  become  world-renowned  as  the  leading 
lights  in  the  great  shipping  line  that  bears  their  name.  In  a  future  issue 
neither  names  nor  figures  could  be  decided. 
Myrtles,  Palms,  and  other  stately  growing  plants,  immense  Hydrangeas^ 
and  clumps  of  Bamboos,  all  of  them  features  in  themselves.  Then  there 
are  three  old  Yew  trees  in  a  group  beneath  whose  shade  there  is  space 
enough  to  dine  a  small  regiment.  They  are  beautiful  specimens,  and 
must  have  long  occupied  their  present  position.  A  gravestone  finds  a 
place  in  the  centre,  and  from  the  date  on  this  it  was  thought  an  idea 
might  be  got  as  to  the  age  of  the  trees,  but  despite  assiduous  search. 
The  weather  had  told 
its  tale,  and  the 
characters  thereon 
were  well-nigh  ob¬ 
literated.  Reverting 
to  the  Hydrangeas 
which,  as  may 
be  seen  in  the 
illustration  of  the 
garden,  are  very 
numerous,  and  are 
most  effective  when 
they  have  all  their 
flowers  expanded, 
which  was  not  the 
case  in  the  middle 
of  June  when  this 
visit  was  paid.  On 
some  of  them  there 
have  been,  in  past 
seasons,  upwards  of 
150  fine  heads  of 
flowers. 
Pig.  8.— WARTER  PRIORY. 
it  is  proposed  to  give  a  few  paragraphs  anent  Tranby,  but  for  the  present 
"Warter  Priory  only  will  be  spoken.  The  two  estates  could  scarcely  be 
combined  in  one  article,  for  their  characteristics  are  so  different,  and  the 
material  for  observation  so  abundant  in  each,  that  justice  would  certainly 
not  be  done  to  either.  The  estate  from  which  the  Priory  takes  its  name 
is  undoubtedly  a  very  old  one,  but  no  vestiges  of  the  original  Priory  now 
remain.  There  is  an  avenue  called  the  Nuns’ Walk  about  a  mile  from 
the  mansion,  and  close  to  the  village  of  Nunburnholme,  where  there  was 
a  nunnery,  and  local  tradition  says  that  there  was  in  the  “  good  old 
days  ”  an  underground  tunnel  leading  from  the  nunnery  to  the  Priory, 
and  many  even  go  so  far  as  to  assert  that  it  still  remains.  This,  however, 
is  most  unlikely,  for  Mr.  Pike,  who  acted  as  our  guide,  is  very  sceptical  on 
the  point,  not  being  able  to  find  any  record  of  its  existence. 
The  bedding  is 
simple,  yet  hand¬ 
some, the  customary 
plants  being  skil¬ 
fully  utilised  to 
produce  a  har¬ 
monious  change  in 
the  smooth  lawns 
and  bold  stone 
balustrades  with 
their  vases  of 
brightly  flowered 
plants.  Speaking 
of  vases  reminds  of 
a  flight  of  stone 
steps  leading  from 
the  mansion  to  the 
tennis  grounds  and 
lawns,  and  on  each 
side  of  which  Roses 
are  grown.  These 
are  singularl 
beautiful,  and  wi 
be  much  more  so  when  the  Crimson  Rambler  plants  that  are  just  becoming 
established  cover  the  stones  on  each  side  with  deep  green  leafage  and 
brilliant  crimson  flowers.  The  Rose  garden  is  of  very  considerable  extent, 
and  was  newly  made  some  two  years  ago.  Previous  to  the  renovation  the 
plants  did  not  thrive  successfully,  owing  to  stagnant  water  that  percolated 
through  from  the  rising  ground  beyond.  Mr.  Pike  therefore  determined 
to  drain  the  whole  area,  and  in  making  excavations  for  the  purpose  came 
upon  well-made  gravel  paths  about  3  feet  below  the  surface,  pointing  con¬ 
clusively  to  the  fact  that  at  some  previous  time  a  sunken  garden  had 
occupied  the  site.  All  Roses  are  now  doing  grandly',  and  will  be  even 
better  in  the  course  of  another  year,  for  they  are  carefully  tended.  They 
produce  abundance  of  flowers,  and  none  is  more  floriferous  than  the  old, 
universally  admired  La  France,  with  its  deliciously  fragrant  blossoms. 
I'holo  by  Air,  Wm.  Martin,  Hull. 
Whether  there  was  a  tunnel  or  not  matters  little  to  us  now,  for  it  is 
certain  that  the  Priory  of  to-day  is  handsomer  than  the  old  one,  and 
most  people  would  consider  it  far  more  interesting.  A  portion  of  it  was  [ 
erected  by  Lord  Muncaster,  from  whom  Mr.  Wilson  purchased  the  estate, 
but  immense  additions  have  been  made,  and  the  structure  is  now  an 
exceptionally  ornate  one.  Only  a  small  portion  of  this  is  shown  in  the 
illustration  (fig.  8),  which  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  W.  E.  Martin  of  Hull 
permits  us  to  reproduce.  Broad  and  varied  scenes  may  be  admired  from 
the  windows  and  the  terrace  shown  in  the  picture,  while  an  idea  of  the  I 
charm  of  the  more  immediate  surroundings  may  be  got  from  the  second 
picture,  which  was  taken  by  Mr.  Martin  at  the  same  time  as  the  first. 
Both  the  photographs  are  interesting,  the  second  one  being  particularly 
comprehensive,  for  it  extends  from  the  terrace  over  the  lawns,  flower  and 
Rose  gardens  to  the  vegetable  quarters  and  glass  houses  in  the  distance. 
The  head  gardener,  Mr.  A.  F.  Pike,  may  be  seen  on  a  seat  in  the  fore¬ 
ground  of  fig.  8.  _ 
The  flower  gardens  and  pleasuro  grounds  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
mansion  are  very  charming,  and  in  places  exceedingly  picturesque, 
where  beyond  cultivated  plants  and  trees,  vistas  are  caught  to  the  wooded 
heights  beyond.  On  the  lawns  and  terraces  alone  there  is  pleasing  diversity 
secured  by  beds  of  various  forms  and  sizes.  Yews,  large  tubs  with 
Round  each  of  the  Rose  beds  is  a  broad  patch  of  Violas,  mostly 
yellow,  purple,  and  white,  and  as  they  were  just  passing  their  best  beauty 
a  somewhat  drastic  course  was  being  pursued  with  them.  This  consisted 
in  going  over  all  with  a  pair  of  hedge  shears,  and  cutting  them  off  close 
down  to  the  ground,  bushels  of  leaves  and  flowers  being  of  course  shorn 
off  in  the  process.  Naturally,  they  present  a  rather  bare  appearance  at 
first  ;  but  new  growths  soon  push,  and  a  magnificent  late  summer  and 
autumnal  display  is  insured.  It  was  done  in  the  first  place  because  the 
plants  practically  flowered  themselves  to  death,  and  was  found  to  be  so 
extremely  successful  that  it  has  since  been  annually  continued.  A  very 
beautiful  specimen  of  the  Weeping  Beech  is  conspicuous  on  the  margin  of 
the  lake  at  the  foot  of  the  lawn.  All  the  growths  hang  most  gracefully, 
especially  those  immediately  over  the  water,  where  some  of  them  are 
quite  30  feet  in  length.  So  far  as  could  be  seen  there  was  not  a  single 
growth  from  the  main  branches  that  made  any  pretence  of  taking  an 
upward  route,  and  as  the  tree  is  of  great  age  and  considerable  size  it  is  a 
very  telling  ornament.  _ 
Several  long  rows  of  Sweet  Peas  behind  a  border  of  herbaceous 
plants  told  forcibly  of  the  popularity  of  these  sweet-scented  flowers. 
They  were  making  splendid  growth,  and  would  doubtless  produce 
thousands  of  blooms  from  the  many  varieties  grown.  As  the  members 
