\2S 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER 
August  18,  1898. 
GRIMSTON  PARK. 
There  are  few  estates  in  Yorkshire  that  are  more  celebrated  than 
Grimston  Park,  the  home  of  Mrs.  T.  Fielden,  which  is  situated  some 
eight  or  nine  miles  south  of  York,  and  in  close  proximity  to 
Tadcaster.  There,  for  upwards  of  a  score  of  years,  Mr.  H.  J.  Clayton, 
than  whom  no  gardener  is  better  known  and  more  respected  north  of  the 
Trent,  has  had  charge,  and  it  is  to  his  efforts  that  the  estate  owes  its 
reputation  from  a  horticultural  standpoint.  Not  that  it  is  new  and  has 
been  wholly  planted  by  Mr.  Clayton.  Such  is  by  no  means  the  case,  for 
the  mansion  was  erected  and  the  gardens  laid  out  many  years  ago  for  the 
then  Lord  Howden,  Nesfield  having  charge  of  the  latter.  There  is  a 
peculiar  antagonism  in  the  features  of  Grimston,  formal  gardening  and 
architecture  and  statuary  standing  in  opposition  to  grand  trees,  shady 
walks,  sylvan  glades,  and  splen  lid  park  scenes  for  the  premier  place.  As 
to  which  should  come  first  depends  on  the  taste  of  the  visitor,  who  may 
This  statue  is  reproduced  in  fig.  22,  page  123,  and  we  think  everyone  will 
admire  the  beauty  of  its  lines,  although  these  are  not  improved  on  by  the 
camera  and  the  reproduction  for  printing.  Most  readers  of  the  Journal 
of  Horticulture  will  be  conversant  with  the  story  hinted  at  in  a  previous 
sentence,  but  those  who  are  not  will  have  so  little  difficulty  in  finding  it 
in  any  library,  that  it  will  be  unnecessary  for  it  to  be  given  here.  This 
work  of  art  occupies  a  prominent  position  on  the  terrace  close  to  the  con¬ 
servatory,  and  is  one  of  the  flower  garden’s  handsomest  ornaments. 
Another  very  remarkable*  feature,  and  one  which  must  be  comparatively 
rare,  is  what  is  known  as  the  Emperor’s  Walk.  It  is  so  named  because  on 
each  side  is  a  row  of  pedestals  on  which  stand  busts  of  the  Roman 
Emperors.  These  are  beautifully  carved  in  marble,  and  each  one  bears 
the  name  of  the  potentate  it  represents.  So  admirable  is  the  skill  of  these 
that  one  may  read  in  the  faces  of  some  of  them  an  idea  of  the  characters 
of  which  they  were  possessed.  In  all  the  statues  number  about  twelve, 
and  it  will  be  remembered  that  this  is  about  one-fifth  of  the  Roman 
Fig.  23.— ENTRANCE 
GATES,  GRIMSTON. 
be  confident  that  excellent  examples  of  all,  besides  other  features,  will 
be  found  within  the  precincts  of  Grimston  Park. 
The  style  of  architecture  in  the  building  of  the  mansion  is  wholly 
Italian,  as  are  the  gardens,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  several  handsome 
statues.  These  latter  are  mostly  in  marble,  and  the  workmanship  is  so 
exquisite,  that  even  though  one  may  not  be  an  enthusiast  of  such  work, 
he  is  compelled  to  admire  their  beauty.  At  every  turn  as  we  traverse 
the  gardens  appears  statuary,  some  of  it  being  of  immense  value.  Of  the 
terrace  garden  we  shall  say  more,  but  must  now  revert  to  the  mansion, 
which  has  been  most  skilfully  sheltered  from  the  heaviest  winds  by  tree 
planting,  the  belts  and  groves  now  having  a  most  handsome  appearance. 
Supported  on  great  columns  in  the  front  of  the  house  is  a  balcony  garden 
that,  draped  with  flowering  and  foliage  plants,  is  very  beautiful  and  some¬ 
what  of  a  novelty.  Stone  vases  for  plants  about  the  garden  and  for 
ornamentation  of  the  mansion  without  further  garniture  are  numerous, 
and  in  cases  very  beautifully  carved. 
Probably  the  handsomest  of  the  statues  is  the  superb  representation 
of  Europa,  round  which  heathen  mythology  weaves  a  charming  story. 
emperors  whose  names  are  written  so  boldly  in  the  history  of  the 
world,  and  it  is  needless  to  add  that  those  represented  were  amongst 
the  most  celebrated.  But  there  are  two  other  figures  which  go  to 
complete  the  wralk.  One  represents  Adam,  who  will  be  accepted  as 
one  of  the  first  emperors  of  the  world,  while  the  other  is  Napoleon 
the  Great.  We  may  therefore  take  the  Emperor’s  Walk  as  illus¬ 
trative  of  three  epochs  of  history,  the  first  commencing  with 
Adam,  the  second  with  the  rise  of  the  Roman  Empire,  and  the 
third  with  Le  Petit  Caporal,  as  the  Old  Guard  loved  to  call  their 
Emperor.  _ 
It  was  becoming  dark  when  I  first  entered  the  park  at  Grimston,  and 
the  grand  trees  will  long  bo  remembered.  Just  within  the  gates  from 
Ulleskelf  Station  stands  the  church,  an  edifice  that  would  find  a  host  of 
admirers,  and  whence  a  winding  walk  led  to  the  gardens  and  the  mansion. 
It  was  a  delightful  evening,  and  the  way  was  rendered  more  enjoyable  by 
the  conversation  with  Mr.  Clayton.  Entrance  is  made  to  the  garden  after 
passing  an  immense  bank  of  Laurels  trimmed  so  that  their  tops  are 
practically  as  level  as  a  table.  Just  at  this  time  of  the  dayq  when  the 
trees  are  all  wearing  their  rich  mantle  of  green,  and  almost  every  plant 
