342 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  27,  189'9. 
LONDESBOROUGH  PARK. 
The  writer  who  essays  to  give  a  complete  and  accurate  account  of  the 
most  interesting  and  instructive  phases  of  the  horticultural  and  arbori- 
cultural  life  on  this  magnificent  domain  will  find  before  him  a  most 
difficult  task,  and  one  which  will  take  long  in  fulfilling.  He  will  be 
compelled  to  delve  200  years  or  so  into  history,  and  proceed  thence  step 
by  step  to  the  present  day.  The  records  will  be  of  more  than  passing 
interest,  and  the  sidelights,  as  it  were,  that  will  be  opened  up  for  obser¬ 
vation,  so  rich  in  variety,  that  the  pages  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulture 
would  not  suffice  for  their  accommodation.  It  may  therefore  be  affirmed 
at  the  outset  that  this  home  of  the  Earl  and  Countess  of  Londesborough 
will  not  be  treated  on  such  broad  lines,  but  be  confined  to  notes  of  the 
gardens  as  they  are  to-day,  or  rather  as  they  were  when  this  visit  was 
paid  in  the  summer  of  last  ye.ir.  It  is  many  months  over  which  to  carry 
the  mind,  but  the  features  of  Londesborough  were  such  ss  to  leave  an 
indelible  impress  on  the  memory.  The  two  gardens  separated  by  the 
splendid  park  can  be  clearly  seen,  and  both  will  have  reference  made  to 
them  in  the  succeeding  paragraphs. 
pulled  down  in  1819,  by  William  Duke  of  Devonshire,  the  representative 
of  the  family  at  that  period.  The  extensive  cellars  remain  intact,  and  the 
original  flight  of  steps,  leading  from  the  park  to  the  front  entrance  of  the 
house,  may  still  be  seen,  flanked  by  columns  supporting  graceful  urns. 
The  grand  stone  pillars  of  the  gate  leading  from  the  village  also  remain  ; 
but  now,  on  passing  through  them,  instead  of  the  ancient  Hall,  we  come 
upon  the  green  level  of  the  beautiful  lawn,  bounded  by  lovely  flower  borders, 
which,  with  their  mass  of  richly  mingled  colours,  are  a  delight  to  behold-, 
“  The  lawn  and  flower  beds  are  surrounded  by  rows  and  avenues  of 
stately  Yews.  One  of  these  avenues  is  of  great  length  and  solemn 
dignity,  and  is  known  as  “  Garrick’s  Walk,”  that  great  actor  having 
been  a  friend  of  the  third  Earl  of  Burlington,  who  for  fifty  years— from 
1703  to  1753  —was  the  owner  of  this  estate.  Richard,  the  third  Earl  of 
Burlington,  was  famous  as  a  lover  and  patron  of  literature  and  art,  ardi 
was  the  builder  of  Burlington  House  in  London.  He  was  also  a  landscape 
gardener,  planning  or  altering  the  grounds  at  Londesborough,  and  ia 
this  capacity  is  immortalised  by  the  great  poet,  Alexander  Rope,  who 
was  a  friend  and  visitor  of  Lord  Burlington.  It  is  interesting  to  think 
To  reach  the  pleasure  grounds  from  the  vegetable  and  fruit  gardens 
means  to  trav  erse  more  than  one  or  two  hundreds  of  yards — in  fact,  it  is 
quite  a  journey,  but  such  a  one  as  always  seems  all  too  brief.  It  is  mag¬ 
nificent  park  land  the  whole^w  ay,  with  noble  trees  and  charming  water 
scapes  scattered  about  its  broad  acres.  The  ground  rises  and  falls  in 
pleasant  undulations  until  the  lawns  and  pleasure  gardens  are  actually 
reached.  The  characteristics  of  these  are  many  and  varied,  as  they  may 
well  be,  considering  the  area  of  ground  that  is  covered.  There  are  great 
beds  and  borders  of  hardy  flowers,  whence  vanloads  of  flowers  might  be 
readily  secured  ;  splendid  trees  of  many  kinds  and  sizes  ;  avenues  of  Elm 
and  lew  ;  water  scenes  in  which  strange  and  well  known  waterfowl  find 
a  home  j  wide  areas  of  Water  Lilies  ;  shrubs  grown  for  their  handsome 
leafage,  and  others  for  the  beauty  of  their  flowers  ;  and  so  one  might  go  on. 
It  is  fi'rtunate,  however,  that  weave  able  to  give  readers  a  few  words  on 
this  portion  of  the  estate  from  the  fluent  and  graceful  pen  of  Canon 
Wilt(j!i,  who,  holding  the  living  of  the  church  within  the  park,  is  able  to 
speak  author, tatively  and  withal  entertainingly  of  the  beauties  he  so  much 
admires.  He  writes  ;  — 
“  The  old  garden  at  Londesborough,  generally  known  as  the  pleasure 
grounds,  may  be  said  to  be  unique  for  historical  interest  and  picturesque 
beaut}-.  The  central  space,  now  forming  a  fine  tennis  lawn,  was  formerly  j 
the  s.te  of  the  ancient  home  of  the  Cliffords,  until  the  house  was  ruthlessly  i 
that  Pope  and  Garrick,  and  many  an  eminent  man  of  that  day,  havo- 
ascended  those  grey  steps,  and  wandered  in  these  beautiful  grounds. 
“From  those  steps  you  look  down  upon  a  broad  avenue  of  Elms,  leading 
to  the  large  lake  in  the  park — the  last  of  a  succession  of  sheets  of  water, 
fed  by  copious  springs  and  adorned  with  cascades.  Other  avenues 
converge  to  the  steps,  from  which  may  be  seen  the  clumps  of  trees 
crowning  the  wolds,  known  from  afar  as  the  “Londesborough  clumps.’’ 
But  it  is  from  the  great  gates  at  the  farther  end  of  the  pleasure  grounds,, 
airproached  by  winding  walks  and  shadowy  glades,  that  the  principal 
avenue  may  be  seen — a  far  stretching  vista,  through  magnificent  cluipps 
of  Elm,  and  Beech,  and  Oak.  You  look  down  this  long  avenue  to  the 
distant  horizon,  where  Selby  Abbey  Church  is  visible,  near  Bray  ton 
Barff  ;  and  again,  to  the  right  you  see  against  the  sky  the  towers  of 
York  Minster,  and  to  the  left  the  wolds  of  Lincolnshire,  with  the  bioad 
Humber  at  their  feet.  From  the  fine  gate  at  the  head  of  this  stately 
avenue  (only  to  be  rivalled  at  Windsor  or  Badminton)  there  is  a  gravel 
drive  under  lofty  Limes  to  the  central  space  of  turf  and  flowers,  before 
described. 
“  Mention  should  be  made  of  the  rockery,  covered  with  rare  plants, 
which  surrounds  the  entrance  to  the  cellars.  There  is  also  a  remarkable 
