JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE,  November  28,  190!. 
UBrougbam  Ifoall,  Mestmorelanb* 
Tlje  J^optj^epn  Seat  oj*  Ifiopd  i^potigFjam  ancl  Va tec 
#}*"*** 
71*  HE  seat  of  Lord  Brougham  and  Vaux  has  before  been 
<z>t  noticed  in  the  pages  of  the  Journal ;  but  that  descrip- 
yjj  tion  was  of  a  visit  paid  in  November,  when  ‘‘Winter’s 
dreary  reign  ruled  the  mountain  and  the  plain.”  The 
article  now  given  describes  its  glories  under  the 
serenity  of  summer  skies  in  company  of  a  gardener  friend, 
and  also  a  friend  of  Mr.  Taylor’s,  who  has  been  gardener  at 
Brougham  for  nine  years  with  great  credit.  Anything  that 
I  will  be  able  to  say  of  his  charge  will  not  overrate  its  excel¬ 
lence. 
Historical  Notes. 
The  historical  preliminaries  I  give  of  Brougham  Hall  and 
its  surroundings  are  not  a  repetition  of  what  has  appeared 
before.  The  Hall,  of  which  the  southern  fagade  is  shown 
on  page  491,  is  builc  round  a  quadrangular  courtyard.  It 
wras  partially  rebuilt  in  1829  and  1840  by  the  Lord  Chancellor 
Brougham.  The  entrance  hall  is  a  magnificent  apartment, 
with  a  tessellated  paved  floor,  hung  round  with  suits  and 
demi-suits  of  armour  and  implements  of  war.  It  is  lighted 
by  six  windows,  filled  with  richly  painted  and  stained  glass, 
dated  from  1492  to  1667.  The  library,  dining,  and  drawing¬ 
rooms  are  wainscotted  with  pannelled  oak,  and  have  fine 
ceilings.  In  the  drawing-rooms  are  fire  screens  made  from 
the  Great  Seal  Purse  of  Lord  Chancellor  Brougham.  The 
walls  of  the  northern  corridor  are  painted  in  imitation  of 
the  Bageux  tapestry,  and  leads  to  the  Norman  bedroom. 
Some  of  the  bedrooms  are  hung  with  rich  tapestry,  and 
others  have  their  walls  covered  with  beautifully  coloured 
leather,  which  is  also  embossed  and  gilded.  St.  Wilfrid’s 
Chapel,  close  to  the  Hall,  is  splendidly  fitted  up  in  cathedral 
style,  with  stalls  and  open  seats  richly  carved,  the  reredos 
of  oak,  gilt,  with  a  splendid  altar  piece  of  the  fifteenth  cen¬ 
tury,  and  ha9  carviugs  of  the  Saviour  bearing  the  cross  before 
the  crucifixion.  At  the  west  end  is  an  elaborate  parclose 
screen,  behind  which  is  the  organ.  The  roof  is  of  oak, 
divided  with  fifty -four  panels,  each  containing  a  shield  of 
arms  or  crest  richly  emblazoned. 
The  ruins  of  Brougham  Castle  are  close  to  the  park,  and 
belong  to  Lord  Brougham.  It  stands  on  an  elevated  plateau 
on  the  south  bank  of  the  River  Eamont,  and  just  below  its 
junction  with  the  Lowther.  This  castle  of  which  I  write 
was  anciently  oue  of  the  strongest  of  Border  fortresses,  and 
is  celebrated  in  verse  by  Wordsworth  on  the  restoration  to 
his  estates  and  honours  of  the  good  Lord  Clifford,  “  the  shep¬ 
herd  Lord.”  The  Keep,  the  most  ancient  part,  was  built  by 
Robert  de  Yipont  in  the  early  part  of  the  thirteenth  century  ; 
it  is  44ft  square,  with  walls  lift  in  thickness.  The  gate¬ 
house,  a  great  rectangular  structure  90ft  by  40ft,  was  erected 
by  Roger  de  Clifford,  Avho,  in  1268,  married  Isabel,  daughter 
and  co-heir  of  Robert  de  Yipont.  The  castle  was  restored  in 
the  Stuart  period  by  Anne,  only  surviving  daughter  and 
(sole)  heiress  of  George  Clifford,  third  Earl  of  Cumberland, 
and  wife  successively  of  Richard  Sackville,  second  Earl  of 
Dorset,  and  of  Philip  fourth  Earl  of  Pembroke  and  Mont¬ 
gomery  ;  she  was  in  many  ways  a  remarkable  woman. 
The  Flower  Garden. 
Coming  now  to  the  garden,  we  find  the  flower  gardens 
on  the  south  side  of  the  house  (partly  shown  in  the  illustra¬ 
tion).  The  hall  on  this  side  is  clothed  with  Ampelopsis  and 
Vitis  Coignetise,  which  in  the  autumn  must  have  a  glowing 
effect.  On  each  side  of  an  ancient  sundial  are  twelve 
circular  beds  edged  with  stone,  and  terminated  at  the 
extreme  ends  with  an  oblong  bed.  The  sundial  is  dated  1660, 
and  the  motto  runs  :  — 
“  Oh  wretched  man  remember  thou  must  die.” 
At  the  eastern  end  is  a  fountain,  in  the  basin  of  which  are 
six  Nymphseas  in  tubs  (Marliac’s  hybrids).  Those  noted  in 
flower  were  N.  chromatella,  N.  Laydekeri,  N.  rosea,  and  N. 
Marliacea  alba.  There  are  also  large  beds  of  Dahlias,  inter¬ 
mingled  with  Eucalyptus,  Hollyhocks,  Solanum  marginatum, 
and  the  Fish-bone  Thistle,  Cnicus  (Chamsepeuce)  Casabonse. 
In  front  there  is  a  Clematis-covered  Avail,  Avith  four  large 
oblong  beds  and  four  small  circular  beds  placed  alternately 
in  front  of  it.  Bedding  is  done  almost  entirely  with  one  kind 
of  plant  in  a  bed,  without  either  dot  plants  or  e’dgings.  The 
bedding  plants  noticed  were  Begonia  Fairy  Queen,  tuberous 
Begonias,  Heliotrope  Edenhall  Blue,  blue  Lobelia,  Calceo¬ 
laria  amplexicaulis  (staked),  Lobelia  fulgens  Queen  Victoria, 
Zonal  Pelargonium  Harry  Hieover.  Ageratum,  and  Phlox 
Drummondi  Avas  particularly  good.  In  the  herbaceous 
borders  around  the  kitchen  gardens  Salpiglossis  were  very 
fine,  and  Tropseolums  (Nasturtiums),  both  major  and  the 
Tom  Thumb  varieties,  added  a  splendid  stretch  of  Avarm 
colouring.  Sweet  Peas  are  largely  grown,  and  Inula  grandi- 
flora  in  numerous  clumps  is  used  in  brown  bowls  in  the 
rooms.  Border  Carnations  in  thousands  were  very  fine,  the 
favourites  being  Raby  Castle,  Duchess  of  Fife,  and  a  seedling 
of  Mr.  Taylor’s  named  Lady  Brougham,  maroon  pink  ;  also  a 
seedling  from  Llangedwyn  in  North  Wales  named  Lady 
Williams  Wynn,  this  being  bright  red.  Picotees  are  also 
grown  in  quantity,  and  many  good  ones  Avere  ip  bloom. 
Physalis  Franchetti  was  very  robust,  and  forming  its  lantern¬ 
like  orange-red  fruits.  It  is  regularly  transplanted  at 
Brougham. 
Edible  Crops. 
The  kitchen  garden  crops,  Peas,  Celery,  Beet,  Chinese 
Artichokes,  and  other  crops  were  good,  and  bespoke  proper 
culture.  Apples  were  fairly  abundant  on  Avails,  and  on 
espaliers,  and  bush  trees.  Apricots  yielded  a  fair  crop  on  a 
south  wall,  and  Morello  Cherries  on  a  north  wall.  Violets 
Princess  of  Wales  and  Marie  Louise  Avere  mulched 
Avith  short  manure.  Malmaison  Carnations  had  been  layered, 
and  very  strong  and  healthy  the  layers  were  ;  about  seven 
hundred  Malmaisons  are  grown  here.  Over  six  hundred 
Chrysanthemums  are  groAvn,  and  the  strength,  vigour,  and 
matured  solidity  of  the  Brougham  plants  could  hardly  be 
equalled ;  they  are  grown  exclusively  for  home  decoration, 
three  blooms  per  plant.  Coming  to  the  fruit  houses,  the  early 
vinery  had  had  its  crop  cut ;  but  in  the  succeeding  one  were 
some  magnificent  bunches  of  Black  Alicante  averaging  from 
2^1b  to  3lb,  perfectly  finished.  The  Muscat  vinery  shoAved 
Muscat  of  Alexandria  fine  in  bunch  and  berry,  but  not  as  yet 
quite  finished.  The  Palm  house,  a  lean-to  of  considerable 
width,  and  about  80ft  long,  Avas  full  of  small  healthy  Palms, 
and  on  the  front  stage  (with  open  ventilators)  Avere  cool 
Orchids  from  end  to  end.  These  Avere  mostly  Odonto- 
glossums,  and  with  them  were  thriving  Sarracenias  in 
quantity,  and  some  plants  of  Disa  grandiflora,  Avhich  were 
doing  well.  The  early  Peach  house  had  been  gathered,  and 
underneath  the  trees  some  very  healthy  Clivias  were  noticed, 
numbering  about  thirty  or  forty  in  large  pots.  Two  neiv 
houses,  three-quarter  span-roofed  houses,  each  40ft  long, 
were  full  of  very  healthy  plants,  one  containing  Melons,  each 
plant  bearing  three  or  four  good  fruits.  Cucumbers  were  in 
the  next  compartment,  and  on  a  shelf  close  to  the  glass  were 
young  Codiseums  (Crotons),  and  about  three  dozen  specimens 
of  Begonia  Gloire  de  Lorraine  in  6in  pots.  In  a  late  Peach 
house  a  good  crop  of  fruits  were  swelling-up,  and  at  one  end 
of  this  house  about  fifty  plants  of  the  Tree  Carnation  Mdlle. 
Therese  Franco,  each  plant  bearing  many  floAvers  of  that 
inimitable  pale  pink  shade.  Many  two-year-old  plants  of 
Malmaison  Carnations  were  still  in  flower  in  a  greenhouse  ; 
the  stages  of  this  span-roofed  house  being  prettily  draped 
Avith  Fragaria  indica,  bearing  ripe  fruits. 
A  range  of  span-roofed  plant  houses  in  four  divisions  was 
