INDEX TO THE COUNTRY SEATS. (continued 2)

Within the grounds is an encampment of a circular form, consisting of a double ditch and vallum, with entrances towards the east and west: it occupies the entire ridge of a hill, and from the precipitous nature of the ground on all sides, must have been of considerable strength. The area within the outer ditch embraces an extent of seven acres, and its circuit is upwards of three furlongs. Near this entrenchment rises the Stour river, contiguous to the springs of which the ground ascends, rising westward to the summit of a considerable eminence, called King’s Settle, on which stands a lofty tower, built in honour of Alfred the Great, by Henry Hoare, Esq. grandfather to the present proprietor of Stour Head. Its form is triangular, with round towers at each corner, and it is one hundred and sixty feet high: a flight of steps on the inside leads to the top, which commands a most extensive and richly diversified prospect. Over the entrance is a statue of the Saxon Prince, with a tablet underneath, bearing the following inscription: “Alfred the Great, A. D. 879, on this summit erected his standard against Danish Invaders. To him we owe the origin of Juries, and the Creation of a Naval Force. Alfred, the light of a benighted Age, was a Philosopher and a Christian, the Father of his People, and Founder of the English Monarchy and Liberties.” Westward of this tower is an immense tumulus, denominated Jack’s Castle, which, when opened, was found to contain some burnt bones, with a small lance head of brass, and an axe, made of Sienite stone. The latter in a very perfect state.

Stover House, 118.

Stratton Park, 76.

Streatham Park, 52, late Mrs. Piozzi.

Stretfield, R. T. Esq. 58. (see the Rocks)

Sulhampsted House, 178.

Sullivan, Right Hon. John, 175. (see Richings Lodge)

Sutton Place, 26, the seat of J. W. Weston, Esq. This structure, which was built about the year 1530, is composed of brick, finished with a double sculptured plat band of a yellowish brick, running round the top, with coins and window cases of the same; and, according to the style of the time in which it was built, is a handsome building. The form is quadrangular, encompassing an area of near eighty feet square; the principal entrance being by a gateway, having a lofty hexagonal turret at each angle, with coins of the yellow brick above mentioned, alternately charged with R. W. and a Tun, being a quaint device for the name of the builder, R. Weston. The north side of this edifice is entirely occupied by a hall, 50 feet long, 25 wide, and 31 high. The present owner has made great improvements in the house and grounds.

T.

Tadworth Court, 47.

Talbot, R. Esq. 3. (see Stone Castle)

Talbot, Sir C. H. 63. (see Chart Park)

Tangier, 99.

Templar, —— Esq. 118. (see Stover House)

Temple, Earl, 84. (see Avington Park)

Tessier, L. Esq. 62. (see Woodcott Park)

Thanks, 123.

Thiselthwayt, —— Esq. 214. (see Southwick Park)

Thorn Croft, 62.

Thornton, Col. 185. (see Spy Park)

Thoyts, —— Esq. 178. (see Sulhampstead House)

Tilehurst Place, 178.

Tilgate House, 49.

Tilney Hall, 74.

Tinison, —— Esq. 81. (see Moor Park)

Tortington House, 217.

Townsend, Henry Hare, Esq. 27. (see Busbridge Park)

Tregrehan, 127.

Trelawny, Capt. 124. (see Coldrinick)

Trewithan, 128, the seat of Sir Christopher Hawkins. The mansion is spacious, and advantageously situated on elevated ground, commanding some very extensive views.

Tucker, —— Esq. 113. (see Coryton House)

Turner, —— Esq. 214. (see Bedhampton Place)

Twyford Lodge, 78.

U.

Ugbrook House, 118, the seat of Lord Clifford. This mansion is situated on the declivity of an eminence: its form is quadrangular, with two fronts and four towers, with battlements, and it is rough casted. The apartments are spacious, elegant, and most superbly decorated, assisted by a valuable collection of pictures. The library contains an ample and choice collection of ancient and modern books. The grounds surrounding this mansion are upwards of seven miles in circumference, containing every variety of object that constitute beautiful scenery, happily blended, and forming one of the most enchanting spots imaginable. On an eminence, in these grounds, is the remains of a Danish encampment, of an eliptic shape, surrounded with a trench, and overhung with majestic oaks, from whence the most noble and extensive prospects are obtained. To attempt a particular description of the internal beauties of this demesne, would, from the limits of our work, be absolutely impossible.

Upland House, 222.

Upper Gatton House, 47, is a handsome mansion, standing on a hill, surrounded by a park of about 100 acres.

Upton House, 220.

Uxbridge, Earl of, 140. (see Stalbridge Park) (see Marquis of Anglesea)

V.

Vale Lodge, 62.

Verst, 112.

W.

Waddington, —— Esq. 213. (see Cold Harbour)

Walcot, —— Esq. 94.

Wales, H. R. H. the Princess Charlotte of, and H. S. H. the Prince of Saxe-Cobourg, 25. (see Claremont Park)

Walker, —— Esq. 67. (see Muntham)

Walker, —— Esq. 217. (see Angmering Park)

Walsham, —— Esq. 62.

Ward, —— Esq. 61. (see Grove House)

Wardour Castle, 138, the beautiful seat of the noble family of Arundel. This magnificent mansion is situated on a gentle eminence, surrounded by a lawn and thick woods, about a mile from the site of the ancient castle, now only presenting a mass of ivy-crowned ruins, having been destroyed in two sieges which it sustained in the reign of Charles the First: the first, against a detachment of the parliament forces, 1300 strong, under Sir Edward Hungerford, with a garrison, consisting of only 25 men, under the command of the Lady Blanch, Countess of Arundel (daughter of the Earl of Worcester), who, bravely opposed every effort of the enemy to obtain possession of the fortress, during a vigorous bombardment of five days, and at length surrendered upon the most honourable terms. It was afterwards besieged by the royal army, under the command of the Earl of Arundel and Sir Francis Doddington. From the injuries sustained in these sieges, the castle became uninhabitable, and afterwards, being totally neglected, the all-defacing hand of time has completed its destruction, leaving not sufficient now remaining to ascertain even its extent and arrangement. The site of these ruins is beneath a hill covered with wood, the summit of which commands some beautiful and distant views. Approaching the new mansion by the principal entrance to the grounds, on the road between Salisbury and Shaftesbury, it is discovered in the bosom of a thick grove, and at length majestically bursts upon the view. The building is composed of free stone, consisting of a centre and two wings, projecting from the body on the north side, in a curvilinear form. The entrance towards the north is handsomely ornamented with pilasters and half columns, of the Corinthian order: this entrance opens into a spacious hall, which conducts to the rotunda stair-case, allowed to be the finest specimen of ornamental architecture in the kingdom. The apartments are numerous, spacious, and elegant, decorated in the most costly style, enriched with an extensive and valuable collection of paintings, and many curious specimens of carved work. In the west wing of the house is the Chapel, which is most superbly and appropriately embellished. The grounds are diversified by much inequality of surface, richly ornamented by numerous plantations, and interspersed with several spacious sheets of water, most tastefully and happily blended. To the south-east the ruins of the old castle are seen, over the venerable walls of which the mantling ivy most luxuriantly spreads its never varying foliage, presenting in the view from the house, an object strikingly beautiful in this most picturesque and delightful scene, which is terminated by a fine hanging wood.

Warren House, 16.

Webster, Sir Godfrey, 22. (see Battle Abbey)

Wellesley, W. Pole Tilney Long, 74. (see Tilney Hall)

Werrington House, 152, a seat of the Duke of Northumberland. The house is desirably situated in a well-wooded park, commanding views richly diversified and expansive. In front of the house are two structures, intended as architectural ornaments; one is an artificial ruined castle, and the other a triumphal arch.

Westbrook House, 96.

Westcomb Park, 1, the seat of W. Foreman, Esq. This is an ancient manor, and the house commands some fine prospects.

West Grinsted Park, 65, the seat of W. Burrell, Esq. The house is a handsome stone building.

Westmorland, Earl of, 141. (see Brympton House)

Weston, J. W. Esq. 26. (see Sutton Place)

Whalley Smythe Gardiner, Sir James, 98. (see Roch Court)

Whatcomb House, 108.

Wheble, James, Esq. 177. (see Woodley Lodge)

White, —— Esq. 85. (see Amfield House)

White House, 173.

White Knights, 177, the seat of the Duke of Marlborough. The house is a plain white building, situated nearly in the centre of the grounds, which are divided by an irregular sheet of water into pasture and arable lands. The borders of this lake are rendered extremely beautiful, the lawns which slope gently to its margin being adorned with groves of trees. An avenue of fine elms leads to the gate at the entrance of the park, from Reading. The grounds are so disposed, as at proper openings to admit the most enchanting views of the surrounding country, which, from this spot, is peculiarly interesting. Here nature, improved by the hand of art, presents a most beautiful specimen of the mixture of the agreeable with the useful.

Whiteway, 117.

Whitworth, Lord, 18. (see Knowle Park)

Wickham Corner, 97, 213.

Wilbury Park, 160, the seat of Sir C. Mallet, Bart. The house is composed of stone, built in the reign of Queen Ann, comprising a centre and two wings corresponding. Internal convenience appears to have been more studied in the construction of this mansion, than external splendor. It is well screened with wood, forming a striking contrast to the almost steril downs of Salisbury Plain, of which this demesne once formed a part; but by human industry and skill, it is now rendered fertile, covered with luxuriant and flourishing plantations, and replete with sylvan beauties.

Wilkes, —— Esq. 55. (see Rooksnest)

Willes, —— Esq. 181. (see Hungerford Park)

Willett, —— Esq. 90. (see Merley House)

Wilmot, —— Esq. 80. (see Farnborough Place)

Wilson, Lady Spencer, 1. (see Charlton House)

Wilton House, 136, 208, the seat of the Earl of Pembroke. This edifice is a large and extensive pile, situated in a beautiful park; but from having been erected at different periods, the styles of architecture are very dissimilar. The present noble proprietor has considerably enlarged and improved the mansion. The approach is through a triumphal arch, which is surmounted by a bold equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. In an extensive gallery, and other apartments, are deposited a choice and valuable collection of ancient sculpture and paintings. The park is ornamented with plantations, and through it flows a fine stream of water, judiciously widened in places, forming beautiful lakes, embellished with woody islands. It also possesses the advantage of elevated ground, from whence many picturesque views are obtained.

Wiltshire, —— Esq. 186. (see Shockerwick)

Wimbledon Park, 23, the seat of Earl Spencer. The house is a handsome edifice, finished in 1801, advantageously situated, commanding beautiful and extensive views. The park, which contains 1200 acres, is planted and laid out with great taste, adorned with a sheet of water which covers fifty acres.

Winchester, Bishop of, 81. (see Farnham Castle)

Windmill Hill, 80.

Windsor Castle, 175. This magnificent pile, either viewed as a fortress, or Royal palace, can never fail to excite the most lively interest in the spectator; advantageously situated on the summit of a commanding hill, environed by the most luxuriant and beautifully diversified country imaginable; through which the pellucid Thames, alike celebrated for beauty and utility, winds its serpentine course, laving the foot of the hill on which stands this noble palace, truly worthy to be the residence of a British Monarch, which honourable distinction, with little interruption, it has enjoyed since the reign of its founder, William the Conqueror, to the present time.

In a work like this, the object of which is general information, more than particular description, a minute detail cannot be entered into, on a subject sufficient to form a work in itself; replete with every variety of nature and art. The importance of Windsor Castle, as a fortress, save in appearance, is entirely superseded, the remaining appurtenances of which appear to be retained merely as objects of ornament. The most remarkable part of the building is The Keep, or Round Tower, built on a lofty artificial mount, in the centre of the castle. The beauty and variety of the views from the summit of this building, extending over a boundless landscape, enriched with the most luxuriant and highly cultivated scenery, are almost indescribable.

Thomson.

On a board placed near the summit of the tower, the names of the following counties, which are from thence seen, are inscribed: Middlesex, Essex, Herts, Bucks, Berks, Oxford, Wilts, Hants, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, and Bedford. The dome of St. Paul’s is also plainly distinguishable on a clear day.

The state apartments are magnificent, and fitted up in a superb style of elegance. The furniture is rich; many of the ceilings are finely painted; and a great number of pictures, by the most eminent masters, adorn the different chambers, among which are the celebrated Cartoons of Raphael.

The little park occupies the north and east sides, under the terrace of the castle. It is about four miles in circumference: its grounds are composed of a pleasing inequality, diversified by groupes of stately trees, and other woody scenery, extending to the village of Datchet, and declining towards the Thames.

Windsor Park, 71, denominated Great, to distinguish it from the park contiguous to the Castle. This park is about fourteen miles in circumference, and since its reversion to His Majesty (on the death of the late Duke of Cumberland), has undergone alterations which render it at once a scene of beauty and utility, 1400 acres being appropriated to the purposes of experimental farming; and the remaining 2400 acres, which together constitute the area of the whole, is laid out in the most judicious manner possible, well stocked with deer, and comprising every other requisite necessary to render it worthy of its royal possessor. Towards the southern extremity of the park is a beautiful and extensive piece of water, over which is an elegant stone bridge, which, together with the water, considerably enlivens and adds dignity to the whole.

The royal forest, making a circuit of about 56 miles, abounds with deer, and every other species of game, and is possessed of every attraction for the sports of the field, which, with the manly exercises of the chase, has been the favourite amusements of many successive Kings of England.

Winkton House, 94.

Winterton, Earl of, 38. (see Shillinglee Park)

Wither, —— Esq. 99. (see Manydown)

Wombwell Hall, 3, the seat of —— Harman, Esq. The grounds surrounding the house are most tastefully disposed, and do great credit to Mr. Repton, the landscape gardener.

Woodbarrow House, 188.

Woodbridge, —— Esq. 48.

Woodcot Park, 62.

Woodlands, 1. This mansion was erected, and the grounds laid out, about the year 1772, by John Julius Angerstein, Esq. The front of the building displays a handsome portico, with statues and basso-relievos at the sides: the interior is very tastefully fitted up, and contains a small but well chosen collection of pictures. The grounds are extremely pleasant; the views of the river, and of the adjacent parts of Essex and Kent, are very fine. The Botanic Garden has been recently improved by the erection of a new green-house, &c. and now contains one of the most extensive collections of curious plants and heaths in the kingdom.

Woodley Lodge, 177.

Wood, Sir Mark, 47, 54. (see Gatton Park)

Woolhampton House, 179, the seat of Lord Falmouth, is a good mansion, standing on an elevated spot, but well screened with woods. From many parts of the grounds belonging to this seat, a great variety of pleasing rural scenery is presented to view. The sides of the hills are composed of steep and bold irregularities, shelving into deep and solemn vallies, beautifully adorned by a variety of woody scenery, intermixed with farms and cottages, and varied by extensive prospects.

Wool Lavington, 39, the seat of John Sargent, Esq. the author of “The Mine,” a poem, which has conferred on him a merited rank among the modern sons of Genius and Taste.

Upon his marriage with the heir of the ancient families of Garton and Orme, he rebuilt their former residence in a style of great accommodation and elegance.

It lies at the foot of an acclivity called Duncton Hill, which, at a very small distance from the house becoming precipitous, is closely matted with low wood, or alternately bare and open, which harmonises with the richly cultivated valley beneath. The view towards the north commands the rising ground terminating with Tillington and Petworth, when it becomes indistinct, and is lost in the weald country of Sussex.

Wooton Court, 9, the seat of Mrs. Bridges, is finely situated on an eminence. The house, crowned with wood, makes a conspicuous figure to the traveller. The grounds are picturesque, and are well varied with hill and valley.

Worrall, —— Esq. 63.

Worting House, 99.

Wray, —— Esq. 220. (see Upton House)

Wyndham, —— Esq. 96.

X.

Ximenes, Sir M. 177. (see Bear Place)

Z.

Zeals House, 164.

END OF INDEX TO THE COUNTRY SEATS.

It is obvious, from the common occurrences of human life, that in the account of Seats, the Proprietor’s names must ever be subject to inaccuracy; but the author can with confidence assert, that up to the period of publication, every possible means has been adopted to obtain the most accurate information on the subject. As in some few instances, however, a difference will be found to occur, in the name attached to the Seat upon the Map, and that mentioned in this Index, the latter must be adopted as the name of the present Proprietor.