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63 chapters
HOLLAND HOUSE, MIDDLESEX.
HOLLAND HOUSE, MIDDLESEX.
H olland House stands upon rising ground, a little to the north of the high-road which leads from Kensington to Hammersmith. [1] It is interesting to all passers-by, as affording a correct idea of the baronial mansions peculiar to the age of James I.; and, from its vicinity to the metropolis, its examination is easy to thousands who rarely obtain opportunities of viewing the “old houses,” with which are associated the records and pictures of English hospitality as it existed in the olden time. A
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BLICKLING HALL, NORFOLK.
BLICKLING HALL, NORFOLK.
J ourneying a dozen miles north of the city of Norwich, the Tourist reaches the old town of Aylsham. A mile hence is the very ancient manor of Blickling [8] —famous so far back as the time of the Confessor, when it was in the possession of Harold, King of England; remarkable, in after times, when occupied by the Bishops of the See, and celebrated, in the history of various epochs, as a seat of the noble families of Dagworth, Erpingham, Fastolff, Boleyne, Clere, and Hobart. From this ancient hous
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BURGHLEY HOUSE, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.
BURGHLEY HOUSE, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.
B urleigh , or Burghley House, the princely seat of the Marquis of Exeter, is one of the most magnificent mansions of its period; it has come down to us intact, and is perhaps more interesting—from its associations with the “glorious days”—than any other edifice now remaining in the kingdom. The halls are still standing where the famous Lord Treasurer entertained his Sovereign and her dazzling court; while Nonsuch, Theobalds, and Cannons have vanished—their sites are ploughed over; and Kenilwort
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CASTLE ASHBY, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.
CASTLE ASHBY, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.
C astle Ashby , the venerable and deeply interesting seat of the Most Noble the Marquess of Northampton, is situate about eight miles from the town of Northampton. Much curious information exists concerning the early history of the manor; to which, however, we shall not be able to enter at any length. No mention is made of the Saxon lord of “Asebi;” but in the time of the Confessor it was rated at twenty shillings yearly: this yearly value had quadrupled at the time of the Domesday Survey, when
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KIRBY HALL, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.
KIRBY HALL, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.
K irby Hall .—Although now deserted, this very venerable and exceedingly beautiful Mansion ranks among the finest of the kingdom. [12] For upwards of two centuries, it was the seat of “the Hattons,”—the famous Sir Christopher and his lineal descendants, the Earls of Winchelsea. It was built by Humphrey Stafford, the Sixth Earl of Northampton; the Architect was John Thorpe, and two plans of the building are preserved among his collection of sketches in the Museum bequeathed to the nation by the l
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WOLLATTON HALL, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.
WOLLATTON HALL, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.
W ollatton Hall , the seat of the Right Hon. Digby Willoughby, the seventh Baron Middleton, is situate three miles west of Nottingham, in the centre of a finely wooded park, remarkable for a judicious combination of wood and water. It stands on a considerable elevation, and is seen from all parts of the surrounding country; of which, consequently, it commands extensive views—not only of rich and fertile valleys, but of one of the busiest and most populous of manufacturing towns. We give on this
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BENTHALL HALL, SHROPSHIRE.
BENTHALL HALL, SHROPSHIRE.
B enthall Manor , [14] Shropshire, is in that part of Wenlock hundred which was comprised in the Saxon hundred of Patintune; a division which became obsolete soon after the compilation of Domesday Book. Though in the present day Benthall constitutes a parish in itself, it was included in that of Wenlock till the latter end of the seventeenth century. In the reign of Edward the Confessor—and, probably, from a much earlier period—this estate belonged to the priory of Wenlock; and when William, the
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PITCHFORD HALL, SHROPSHIRE.
PITCHFORD HALL, SHROPSHIRE.
P itchford Hall . This very curious and interesting example of the half-timbered houses of the time of Henry VIII. is situate in the hundred of Condover, and about six miles south of Shrewsbury. Its position is singularly felicitous, being placed in one of the pleasantest and most fertile parts of that most beautiful county, Shropshire. From Shrewsbury it is approached by a sort of “cross-country” road, passing through rich tracts of corn-growing land, up and down, in and out; and the first view
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MONTACUTE, SOMERSETSHIRE.
MONTACUTE, SOMERSETSHIRE.
M ontacute . The village of Montacute is one of the most primitive and picturesque of the villages of England. It consists of a large Square, a Market-place, with its simple and beautiful School-house, an erection which dates so far back as the time of Henry the Seventh,—a very rare and fine example in a remarkably good state of preservation, which formerly stood against a quaint old Market-house, now destroyed. The principal street consists of stone hovels, built in a rude style, but still reta
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CAVERSWALL CASTLE, STAFFORDSHIRE.
CAVERSWALL CASTLE, STAFFORDSHIRE.
C averswall Castle .—The pretty and secluded village of Caverswall is seated in the centre of a rich level vale, through which runs the river Blithe,—here, not far from its source, a narrow stream, which gradually swells into size and strength. The venerable Castle of Caverswall, one of the most striking, picturesque, and interesting remains of a distant age, towers above this pleasant and appropriately named streamlet, overlooking the broad valley, the whole of which it completely commands, and
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INGESTRIE HALL, STAFFORDSHIRE.
INGESTRIE HALL, STAFFORDSHIRE.
P erhaps there are few districts so rich in historical interest as that in which is situated this venerable Mansion. The manors of Shugborough, Sandon, Chartley—with its ruined Castle—Heywood, Blithfield, and Wolseley, are all within view; Tixal Heath, with its abundant legends, is close at hand; [29] and the ancient Town of Stafford is distant about three miles. Ingestrie, or, as now more commonly written, Ingestre, and anciently Ingestrent (from ing , in Danish, a meadow , that is, Trent Meado
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THE OAK HOUSE, WEST BROMWICH, STAFFORDSHIRE.
THE OAK HOUSE, WEST BROMWICH, STAFFORDSHIRE.
W est Bromwich —a village distant a few miles from busy Birmingham—supplies a curious and interesting example of the half-timbered houses, of which many still remain in the Midland Counties of England. It is commonly known as “The Oak House,” is situated on the borders of the great Staffordshire coal-bed, and is now surrounded by collieries,—creating a dense and murky atmosphere, which almost hides the ancient mansion from sight. Yet the site was well chosen; for at the period of its erection it
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THROWLEY HALL, STAFFORDSHIRE.
THROWLEY HALL, STAFFORDSHIRE.
T hrowley Hall . In the North-East corner of the County of Stafford there exists an elevated region of limestone hills; one of which, the Bunster, rises to the height of twelve hundred feet above the level of the sea. Their scanty soil, pierced in many places by the naked rock, bears a rich verdure, which is cropped by numerous herds of cattle and sheep. The bottoms of the intervening valleys are occupied by clear streams, which dash along their stony beds, and give fertility to the various shru
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TRENTHAM HALL, STAFFORDSHIRE.
TRENTHAM HALL, STAFFORDSHIRE.
T rentham , the home or settlement on the Trent, has been a village since the days of the Saxons, who adopted this fertile nook on the banks of a beautiful stream as a fit abode for man. Here, in this well-selected spot, they were led by their religious impulses to found an Abbey, over which presided no less a personage than Werburg, daughter of the ferocious Wulphere, king of Mercia, whose palace was hard by, at Berry-Bank, and whose wicked murder of his two sons, Wulfard and Rufin, on suspicio
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xHELMINGHAM HALL, SUFFOLK.
xHELMINGHAM HALL, SUFFOLK.
H elmingham Hall may be classed among the most remarkable and interesting edifices in the Kingdom; for, although it has undergone many changes, and been subjected to a variety of “improvements,” the leading characteristics of the ancient structure are retained; it still exhibits a connecting link between the strong castles of the old Barons, and the embattled mansions which succeeded them. The Hall is distant about eight miles from the venerable town of Ipswich. The Park contains about five hund
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HENGRAVE HALL, SUFFOLK.
HENGRAVE HALL, SUFFOLK.
H engrave Hall , “an embattled Manor-house, with Turrets of singular design and a Gate-House of acknowledged beauty”—is situate about two miles from the ancient and venerable town of Bury St. Edmunds. [38] The founder of the building was Sir Thomas Kytson, a wealthy cloth-merchant of London, by whom it was erected, between the years 1525 and 1538, probably upon the site of a mansion still older,—the ancient hall of the De Hemegraves. A brief history of the several families through whose hands th
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WEST STOW HALL, SUFFOLK.
WEST STOW HALL, SUFFOLK.
W ithin four miles—north-west—of the venerable town of Bury St. Edmunds, the traveller may notice, not far from the road-side, the turrets of an ancient House, now decayed, but which, in the palmy age of England, was classed among the stateliest of its “stately Homes.” Unless attention is directed to it, however, it will attract no passers-by; for very humble are now the pretensions of the Palace-Hall, in which resided Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, and his Royal wife, the youngest daughter o
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HAM HOUSE, SURREY.
HAM HOUSE, SURREY.
H am House .—Few mansions are more pleasantly situated than this—the dwelling of the Tollemaches, Earls of Dysart. It stands on the south bank of the Thames; distant about twelve miles from London; the pretty village of Twickenham is immediately opposite; to the left is “Eel-pie Island,” famous as a holiday resort of many who “in populous city pent” covet periodical acquaintance with clear streams and green lanes; to the right is far-famed Richmond Hill, which, although distant a mile perhaps, s
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LOSELEY HOUSE, SURREY.
LOSELEY HOUSE, SURREY.
L oseley House . This ancient Mansion—the residence of James More Molyneux, Esq., the lineal representative of two families, famous in old times—although sadly impaired by time and neglect—cannot fail, while one stone remains above another, to retain the interest that arises from venerable antiquity, in association with renowned names. It is situated about two miles south-west of Guildford. A long Avenue, perfectly bare of trees, leads from the public road to the House. The old Hall has been sho
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ARUNDEL CHURCH, SUSSEX.
ARUNDEL CHURCH, SUSSEX.
T he church at Arundel—of which we give a print of the interior from a drawing by Mr. Prout—is of very ancient date. For a series of years down to our own time, it was suffered to fall into decay; and age was gradually removing all tokens of its former splendour. The roof had disappeared from the chancel; and ivy had overgrown its carved pillars and mullioned windows; the few repairs to which it had been subjected had been carried out in bad taste; and for a long period it remained a discreditab
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BOXGROVE CHURCH, SUSSEX.
BOXGROVE CHURCH, SUSSEX.
T he Priory, Boxgrove—part of which is now in ruins, but portions of which are still used as the Parish Church—was founded by Robert de Haiâ, Lord of Halmacro, A.D. 1117, in the reign of King Henry the First, in honour of the Virgin and St. Blaise, for three monks only of the Benedictine order. The sole daughter of the founder was married to Roger St. John, who added three more; and the number was augmented to fifteen, by their two sons, William and Robert, in the reign of King Stephen. It remai
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ASTON HALL, WARWICKSHIRE.
ASTON HALL, WARWICKSHIRE.
A ston Hall , the residence of James Watt, Esq.—whose name has been rendered “famous for all time” by the genius and enterprise of his great father—is situate about two miles from the town of Birmingham, on an eminence which overlooks the river Tame. Although erected during the reign of James the First and his successor, it is certain that a baronial mansion previously existed adjacent to the present edifice: authorities are conclusive on this point, and its site was indicated until recently by
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BEAUCHAMP CHAPEL, WARWICK.
BEAUCHAMP CHAPEL, WARWICK.
B eauchamp Chapel ranks among the most exquisitely beautiful examples of sacred edifices in Great Britain. It was founded by that famous Earl of Warwick, who, early in the fifteenth century, upheld the glories of his line, and transmitted his abundant honours unimpaired to his posterity,—the Talbots, the Dudleys, the Willoughbys, the Grevilles, and the Nevils. [56] The purpose of its erection was to supply a fitting mausoleum for the noble family of its founder; yet few of his successors are the
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CHARLECOTE, WARWICKSHIRE.
CHARLECOTE, WARWICKSHIRE.
C harlecote —famous in association with the early history of William Shakspere—has undergone little change since he who was “for all time” wandered along the thick-hedged lanes. So primitive is the “ancient neighbourhood,” that Fancy may, almost unbidden, call up the old glories of the place,—may hear the voice of Sir Thomas Lucy chiding his keepers for the loss of his fallow-deer, and the half-suppressed “chuckle” of an unnoticed bystander who, thereafter, was to fill the world with his fame. T
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COMBE ABBEY, WARWICKSHIRE.
COMBE ABBEY, WARWICKSHIRE.
C ombe Abbey , the ancient and venerable seat of the Earls of Craven, is situate in a pleasant valley on the banks of the river, about five miles from Coventry. The Lordship of Smite, of which the manor at the time of the Conquest formed part, was, during the reign of “the Confessor,” in the possession of Richard de Camvell, who, according to Dugdale, “being a devout and pious man, and much affecting the Cistertian Monks, whose Order had then been but newly transplanted into England; and finding
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WARWICK CASTLE, WARWICKSHIRE.
WARWICK CASTLE, WARWICKSHIRE.
T he early history of the town of Warwick is involved in the mists of past ages, and carries us back to the period prior to the invasion of Britain by the Romans; if Rous and other old historians of the county be correct, who declare it to have been a British town of considerable importance before that great event. Dugdale says, “as it hath been the chieftest town of these parts, and whereof the whole county, upon its division into shires, took its name, so may it justly glory in its situation b
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WROXHALL ABBEY, WARWICKSHIRE.
WROXHALL ABBEY, WARWICKSHIRE.
W roxhall Abbey . Of Wroxhall there is no particular mention in the Conqueror’s survey—a circumstance for which Dugdale accounts by “the barrennesse of the soil,” which now vies in fertility and beauty with the choicest districts of England. “A monastery of nuns” was founded here so early as “King Stephen’s time.” [68] The founder endowed it with “totam terram loci de Wrocheshale—with large proportions of lands and woods thereabouts: together with the church of Hatton and whatsoever belonged the
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BROUGHAM HALL, WESTMORLAND.
BROUGHAM HALL, WESTMORLAND.
B rougham Hall —the seat of Henry, Lord Brougham and Vaux—is situated about a mile south of Penrith, on the high-road from Lancaster to Carlisle. It is a structure of mixed character—half castle and half mansion—of which there are many examples in the northern districts of the Kingdom. Its origin dates from a remote period; and it has, no doubt, largely participated in the perils that arose from close proximity to “the Border.” The remains of a castle still more ancient than the greater part of
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SIZERGH HALL, WESTMORLAND.
SIZERGH HALL, WESTMORLAND.
S izergh Hall , with its venerable towers, presents to the traveller journeying from Lancaster to Kendal an appearance peculiarly impressive. After passing Levens Hall, famous for its antique gardens and other vestiges of the olden time, two miles bring us to Sizergh, which a sudden turn presents to view, standing about half a mile from the main road, on a fine natural terrace of considerable elevation above the general level of the surrounding country. Fine time-honoured trees are thickly sprea
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CHARLTON HOUSE, WILTSHIRE.
CHARLTON HOUSE, WILTSHIRE.
C harlton House , the seat of the Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire, stands in the centre of a spacious park, a short distance from the ancient town of Malmesbury. The manor in “old times” belonged to the abbey of Malmesbury, and subsequently passed to the family of Knevit. Thomas Howard, the first Earl of Suffolk, [71] having married Catherine, eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Knevit, the estates became the property of that noble house; and the Earl, soon after entering into possession, commenced buil
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THE DUKE’S HOUSE, WILTSHIRE.
THE DUKE’S HOUSE, WILTSHIRE.
T he Duke’s House, at Bradford, in Wiltshire, is so called from the Duke of Kingston, to whom it formerly belonged. It subsequently descended to Earl Manvers. It is now a dilapidated farm-house; but even in its present condition of neglect, approaching ruin, it exhibits interesting indications of its early architectural character. In its pristine state, when the whole of its ornaments were perfect, it must have presented an appearance peculiarly imposing and grand; for it is seated on the side o
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WESTWOOD HOUSE, WORCESTERSHIRE.
WESTWOOD HOUSE, WORCESTERSHIRE.
W ithin two miles of the ancient town of Droitwich, whose salt-springs have been famous since the time of the Romans, stands Westwood House, in the centre of an extensive park, well wooded, and consisting of about two hundred acres. To the east of the house is a lake extending over sixty acres, but which was originally intended to cover one hundred acres of ground. The principal front of the house commands a view of this lake; and being situated in the centre of the park, commanding on all sides
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FOUNTAINS HALL, YORKSHIRE.
FOUNTAINS HALL, YORKSHIRE.
F ountains Hall is situated about five miles west of Ripon, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and “within two hundred yards” of the famous Abbey, the name of which it “borrowed,” as well as the stones of which it is built. The hall was, indeed, formed out of the ruins of the time-honoured structure; and Sir Stephen Proctor, by whom it was erected, thought, no doubt, he was dedicating to “right uses” the precious relics he had bought, which supplied him with a “quarry”—plentiful and easy of access
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HELMSLEY HALL, YORKSHIRE.
HELMSLEY HALL, YORKSHIRE.
H elmsley Hall is situate about six miles from Kirby-Moorside, in the North Riding of Yorkshire. The date is early in the seventeenth century; but it occupies the site, and is, indeed, chiefly built from the relics of a structure of far more remote antiquity. The manor is in Domesday called Elmeslae, “from elm, and slae, a narrow vale,” and was given by the Conqueror to the Earl of Morton. Not long after the Conquest it became the property of Sir Walter de la Espee, from whom it passed to the no
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SAWSTON HALL CAMBRIDGESHIRE.
SAWSTON HALL CAMBRIDGESHIRE.
S awston Hall is situated to the right of the long and straggling village of Sawston, on the high-road to Cambridge, from which it is distant about six miles. For many centuries it has been the residence of the Huddlestons, an ancient and honourable family, of the Roman Catholic faith. The mansion lies low, and is partially hidden by thickly-clustered cottages and gardens. It is a large quadrangular building, erected during the reign of Queen Mary, under circumstances which we shall presently ex
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BRERETON HALL, CHESHIRE.
BRERETON HALL, CHESHIRE.
B RERETON .—This Mansion, designated by Webb “the stately House of Brereton,” with which the name of Elizabeth, our maiden Queen, is much associated, stands in a beautiful green vale, fertilized by the little river Croco. It is within five miles of Congleton, and three of Sandbach. The plain of Cheshire displays great richness and exuberance in this neighbourhood; and although “evil times” have fallen upon the ancient demesne of Brereton—the park having been stripped of its old familiar trees—it
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CREWE HALL, CHESHIRE.
CREWE HALL, CHESHIRE.
C rewe Hall —situate about four miles from the town of Nantwich—affords a striking example of the singular changes to which a baronial residence and its dependencies may be subjected in this utilitarian age. Formerly, it occupied the centre of a sequestered valley—now and then, when the wind was southerly, the ti-ri-la of the horn of a distant “stage” to Chester, fell upon the ear of secluded villagers; it was almost the only sound that connected them with the business of actual life. The lord o
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DORFOLD HALL, CHESHIRE.
DORFOLD HALL, CHESHIRE.
D orfold Hall , now the seat of Mrs. Tomkinson, was built by Ralph Wilbraham, Esq. in the reign of James I.—according to Lysons, in the year 1616—on the site of a still older mansion. It is situated about one mile from Nantwich; it is a brick building with stone dressings. The staircase and the great chamber are still perfect. The ceiling of the latter room is an extraordinary specimen of decorative plaster-work; the form is of the kind called “waggon-headed.” It is completely covered with a pat
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MORETON HALL, CHESHIRE.
MORETON HALL, CHESHIRE.
The subject of our present delineation— Moreton Hall , is situated amidst the sandy plain of Cheshire, on the Staffordshire border of the county. Its eastern aspect is bounded by that range of hills which extends from Scotland southwards into the centre of England, and which here presents some of its most remarkable features in the high hills called “Mow Cop” and “Cloud,” both being upwards of 1000 feet above the sea-level. The former is surmounted by a ruined tower, and by a singular isolated r
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PLACE HOUSE, CORNWALL.
PLACE HOUSE, CORNWALL.
P lace House , formerly called the “Plâs” (a corruption of “Palace”), from its having the reputation of being once the residence of the Earls of Cornwall, stands on elevated ground in the centre of Fowey, a seaport-town on the southern coast of Cornwall. It is a fine pile of building, a large portion being very ancient, though the exact date cannot be ascertained with certainty; there is, however, abundant evidence to prove that many parts of it existed so far back as 1455, [6] and were probably
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NAWORTH, CUMBERLAND.
NAWORTH, CUMBERLAND.
N AWORTH is one of the few remaining Castles of the Border rescued from the grasp of Time by the noble descendants of its ancient lords. It is the property of the Earl of Carlisle—the representative of “centuries of Howards”—who, according to Sir Walter Scott, “deserves high praise for the attention bestowed in maintaining the curious and venerable pile in its former state.” While, however, his Lordship has taken especial care to arrest the progress of Time over the old walls, he has been wisely
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HADDON HALL, DERBYSHIRE.
HADDON HALL, DERBYSHIRE.
H ADDON is, in the Domesday Book, mentioned as a berewick in the manor of Bakewell; it was granted by the Conqueror to his natural son, William Peverel, and it is not improbable that some parts of the present building were constructed about that time. It remained in the possession of the Peverels two generations only, and was then granted by one of the family to a retainer named Avenell, [12] on the tenure of knight’s service. In the reign of Richard I., or that of John, it again changed owners,
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HARDWICKE HALL, DERBYSHIRE.
HARDWICKE HALL, DERBYSHIRE.
H ardwicke Hall is situated about six miles from Chesterfield, and the same distance from Mansfield, in the picturesque and beautiful shire of Derby. The name does not occur in Domesday Book: Hardwicke, at the Conquest, formed part of the manor of Steinesby, which was granted to Roger of Poictou; by King John it was transferred to Andrew De Beauchamp; in 1258 it passed to William De Steynesby, whose grandson, John, died possessed of it in 1330. Soon afterwards, the family De Hardwicke were here
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FORDE HOUSE, DEVONSHIRE.
FORDE HOUSE, DEVONSHIRE.
F orde House , surrounded by lofty hills, rests in the centre of a lawn of considerable extent, having at its eastern extremity a beautiful sheet of water, distant about a mile from the town of Newton Abbott, at the foot of Milbourne Down. Although this ancient and celebrated mansion is not externally profuse in architectural decoration, it affords an accurate idea of the residences of the gentry in the reign of James I. Its elevation exhibits great simplicity, with a tendency to decoration, she
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SHERBORNE LODGE, DORSETSHIRE.
SHERBORNE LODGE, DORSETSHIRE.
S herborne Lodge , now the seat of Earl Digby, stands upon a rising ground, at a little distance from the ancient castle. It is surrounded by a large park, which, according to Leland, was in his time “inclosed with a stone waulle.” The Lodge is built on a singular plan, in the form of the letter H, with hexagonal towers at the four corners, and two others on each side of the centre of the principal front. The general appearance of the building is peculiar rather than picturesque; but, notwithsta
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AUDLEY END, ESSEX.
AUDLEY END, ESSEX.
A udley End , the most celebrated of the mansions in Essex, takes its name from Sir Thomas Audley, Chancellor to King Henry VIII., to whom the Abbey of Walden and most of the lands at the west end of the parish had been granted at the Dissolution by Henry VIII.; and who is believed to have fixed his residence there, although, as Lord Braybrooke remarks in his history of this house, “the fact cannot now be established. Horace Walpole, notwithstanding, and, after him, Mr. Gough, assumed that Audle
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FEERING HOUSE, ESSEX.
FEERING HOUSE, ESSEX.
F EERING is situated on the highroad between London and Colchester, and is a picturesque and secluded village, full of antique houses and quiet tenantry, through which runs the Eastern Counties Railway,—the modern “improvement” that looks strangely out of place in connexion with the associations engendered by so retired a spot. It is a place whose history is almost unrecorded. Morant, in his “History of Essex,” says:—“This parish is of pretty great extent, and lies partly on the London road, bei
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HOREHAM HALL, ESSEX.
HOREHAM HALL, ESSEX.
I n a retired part of the county of Essex, at a short distance from the road, in a secluded and lonely spot, stands the picturesque Hall which forms the subject of our plate. The mansion is in the parish of Thaxted, and is about two miles south-west of the church. This manor is supposed to be part of the two fees and a half which the heirs of Walter de Acre held in Thaxted, Chaure, and Brokesheued, under Richard de Clare, who died in 1262. It was afterwards in the possession of the important fam
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ST. OSYTH’S PRIORY, ESSEX
ST. OSYTH’S PRIORY, ESSEX
St . Osyth’s Priory —an ancient and very venerable edifice—is situated on an estuary formed by the Rivers Stour and Blackwater, distant about twelve miles south-east from Colchester. The village in which it stands was originally named Cice, or Chich; and although its chroniclers give us no information as to its Saxon derivation, there is no lack of knowledge concerning its comparatively modern name—St. Osyth. But it is obtained from tradition and Monkish legends; from which we learn that the vir
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BERKELEY CASTLE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE.
BERKELEY CASTLE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE.
B ERKELEY is one of the most ancient of the manors of England; it is styled a royal demesne and free borough in Domesday Book, and, during the reign of Edward the Confessor, a religious house existed there for nuns. This, having been forfeited, was granted to the famous Earl Godwin; and a tradition still endures, that the crafty earl obtained it by corrupting the inmates of the nunnery, whose dissolute conduct he afterwards reported to the sovereign. By this wicked means he obtained their posses
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BRAMSHILL HOUSE, HAMPSHIRE.
BRAMSHILL HOUSE, HAMPSHIRE.
B ramshill House is one of the most perfect of the remaining mansions of the time of James the First. It is said to have been erected for the excellent Prince Henry—by whom it was never inhabited, his death having occurred before the building was completely finished. It became the property of the Lords Zouch, from whom it subsequently passed to the family of Cope—the present proprietor being Sir John Cope, Bart. The wings are comparatively plain, constructed of brick, with stone dressings; but t
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HATFIELD HOUSE, HERTFORDSHIRE.
HATFIELD HOUSE, HERTFORDSHIRE.
H atfield House is finely placed on the summit of a gently swelling hill, close to the little town of Hatfield. Few old English mansions have a more general or varied interest. Whether we consider its architectural merits, its historical associations, or the picturesque attractions by which it is surrounded, its claims to our regard are neither few nor small. Seven centuries have passed away since Hatfield became a place of note; and the crown, the mitre, and the coronet, have successively held
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KNEBWORTH, HERTFORDSHIRE.
KNEBWORTH, HERTFORDSHIRE.
K NEBWORTH Manor and Fort were granted at the Conquest by William I. to his favourite counsellor and captain, Eudo, surnamed Dapifer. Knebworth was fortunate in the rank or fame of its successive owners during the early periods of our history. In the reign of Edward I. its ancient fort was possessed by the powerful Robert de Hoo; in that of Edward II. it had passed to Thomas de Brotherton, fifth son of Edward I. by marriage with his daughter Margaret, afterwards created Duchess of Norfolk. Its n
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HINCHINBROOK HOUSE, HUNTINGDONSHIRE.
HINCHINBROOK HOUSE, HUNTINGDONSHIRE.
H INCHINBROOK —the seat and residence of John William Montagu, seventh Earl of Sandwich—is situated within “a short mile” of the ancient town of Huntingdon. Few mansions in England possess a deeper interest, or have weightier associations connected with them; for, although not actually born within these walls, here the Protector, Oliver Cromwell, passed many of his boyish days: here occurred not a few of the incidents which formed his character; and here, probably, originated that peculiar tempe
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CHARLTON HOUSE, KENT.
CHARLTON HOUSE, KENT.
C HARLTON —according to Philipott, “anciently written Ceorleton, that is the town inhabited with honest, good, stout, and usefull men, for tillage and countrye businesse,” the name being derived from the Saxon word Ceorle, a husbandman, “from which radix ‘Churle’ cometh,” and so Churleston, whence Charlton—is a village in Kent distant seven miles from London, and standing on the summit of a hill, which commands an extensive view of the Thames, and the opposite shores of Essex county. [39] In the
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COBHAM HALL, KENT.
COBHAM HALL, KENT.
T he County of Kent holds foremost rank among the Shires of England; not alone because of its picturesque beauty, its great fertility, the full and important page it occupies in British history, the abundance and richness of its antiquities, the peculiarities of its laws, the primitive character of its customs, or its ecclesiastical pre-eminence; but, chiefly, because it is regarded as our great Island bulwark—our “Vanguard of liberty,”— Very few of our counties contain so many perfect examples
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HEVER CASTLE, KENT.
HEVER CASTLE, KENT.
H ever Castle is situated in that district of the County of Kent called “the Weald.” It was erected in the time of Edward III., by William de Hevre, who had obtained the King’s license to embattle his Manor-house; dying soon afterwards, the estate was inherited by his two daughters; one of whom married a younger son of the Lord Cobham, who purchased the remainder, and by whose grandson the whole was disposed of to Sir Geoffrey Boleyn, a wealthy mercer of London, who was Lord Mayor of the City in
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KNOLE HOUSE, KENT.
KNOLE HOUSE, KENT.
K nole House adjoins the pleasant and picturesque town of Sevenoaks. The principal approach is by a long and winding avenue of finely-grown beech-trees, through the extensive Park—the road, sloping and rising gradually, and presenting frequent views of hill and dale, terminated by the heavy and sombre stone front of the ancient and venerable edifice. Passing under an embattled Tower, the first or outer quadrangle is entered; hence there is another passage through another tower-portal, which cond
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PENSHURST, KENT.
PENSHURST, KENT.
P ENSHURST ! How many, and how glorious, are the associations connected with this ancient house—“the seat of the Sidneys!” Every great name, memorable in the Augustan age of England, is linked with it for ever; while its venerable aspect, the solemnity of surrounding shades, the primitive character of the vicinity, together with its isolated position—far away from the haunts of busy men—are in perfect harmony with the memories it awakens. Here lived the earliest and bravest of the Anglo-Norman K
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HALL I’ THE WOOD, LANCASHIRE.
HALL I’ THE WOOD, LANCASHIRE.
H all i’ the Wood .—This very ancient and venerable edifice—with which, far more than with many of greater magnitude and higher state among the old mansions of England, are associated ideas of permanent utility and universal good—is situate about a mile from Bolton, close to one of the admirably-managed cotton-mills of the Messrs. Ashworth. It is surrounded by indications of commerce; the smoke of many hundred factories impregnates the air, and renders even the herbage stunted and dark; while nu
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SMITHELLS HALL, LANCASHIRE.
SMITHELLS HALL, LANCASHIRE.
S mithells Hall is situated about two miles and a half from the populous and flourishing manufacturing town of Bolton. The manor was dependent on the manor of Sharples, the lord of which claimed from its owners a pair of gilt spurs annually, and—by a singular and “inconvenient” custom—the unlimited use of the Smithells cellars during one week of every year. It does not appear, however, that the lord of Smithells was bound, at this particular period, to store his cellars with any particular quant
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SPEKE HALL, LANCASHIRE.
SPEKE HALL, LANCASHIRE.
S PEC , Speake ,—or Speke Hall , according to the more modern reading,—is situate about seven miles from Liverpool, and nearly the same distance from Prescot. The house and the estates adjacent—after passing through “several hands”—are now the property of Richard Watt, Esq., of Bishop-Burton, whose uncle, Richard Watt, Esq., merchant of Liverpool, purchased the manor from the Beauclerk family. The house is, however, “let,” and is now in the occupation of Joseph Brereton, Esq. The history of the
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TURTON TOWER, LANCASHIRE.
TURTON TOWER, LANCASHIRE.
T his venerable and highly picturesque edifice is situated about four miles from Bolton, in a district singularly at war with relics of antiquity, and at variance with associations awakened by remains of time-honoured mansions of the ancient lords of the soil. From an adjacent hill may be seen a thousand tall chimneys, of red brick; while the surrounding atmosphere is dense and heavy with the smoke arising from factories and coal-pits, so numerous, that the eye labours in vain to count them. In
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