English gardens in 1786. His description written in his “memorandums” reads:
Hagley.
now L
d. Wescot. 1000 a
s. no distinction between park & garden. both blended, but more of the character of garden. 8. or 9. labourers keep it in order.
between 2. & 300. deer in it, some few of them red deer. they breed sometimes with the fallow. this garden occupying a descending
hollow between the Clent & Witchbury hills, with the spurs from those hills, there is no level in it for a spacious water.
there are therefore only some small ponds. from one of these there is a fine cascade; but it can only be occasionally, by
opening the sluice. this is in a small, dark, deep hollow, with recesses of stone in the banks on every side. in one of these
is a Venus pudique, turned half round as if inviting you with her into the recess. there is another cascade seen from the
Portico on the bridge. the castle is triangular, with a round tower, at each angle, one only entire; it seems to be between
40. & 50. f. high. the ponds yield a great deal of trout. the walks are scarcely gravelled.
Leasowes.
in Shropshire. now the property of m(
~
r)
. Horne by purchase. 150. a
s. within the walk. the waters small. this is not even an ornamental farm. it is only a grazing farm with a path round it.
here and there a seat of board, rarely any thing better. architecture has contributed nothing. the obelisk is of brick. shenstone
had but 300£ a year, & ruined himself by what he did to this farm. it is said that he died of the heartaches which his debts
occasioned him. the part next the road is of red earth, that on the further part grey. the 1
st. & 2
d. cascades are beautiful. the landscape at No. 18. and prospect at 32. are fine. the Walk through the wood is umbrageous and
pleasing. the whole arch of prospect may be of 90
o. many of the inscriptions are lost.
Joseph Heely, fl. 1777, English writer, published separate descriptions of these gardens in the same year. Hagley Park, in Worcestershire,
was laid out by Lord Lyttleton, who rebuilt Hagley in 1759-60. Envil and Leasowes, the latter the property of William Shenstone,
were both situated only a few miles from Hagley. These gardens have been described in verse by Shenstone, by Thomson in
The Seasons
, and by other poets.
[4228]
5
Description of Stowe.
8
vo.
1815 Catalogue, page 131, no. 10, as above.
[SEELEY, B.]
Stowe: a Description of the Magnificent House and Gardens of the Right Honourable George Grenville Nugent Temple, Earl Temple,
Viscount and Baron Cobham, one of the four Tellers of his Majesty’s Exchequer. Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of the
County of Buckingham, Colonel of the Militia for the said County; and one of his Majesty’s most Honourable Privy Council.
Embellished with a General Plan of the Gardens. And also a separate Plan of the House, and of each Building, with Perspective
Views of the same. A New Edition, with all the Alterations and Improvements that have been made therein, to the present Time.
With the Description of the Inside of the House . . .
Buckingham: printed and sold by
B. Seeley, Sold also by
J. Fielding; and
T. Hodgkinson.
m dcc lxxxiii
. [1783.]
Sm. 8vo. 20 leaves, engraved folded frontispiece, 38 engraved illustrations in compartments on XI numbered plates by G. L. Smith after B. Seeley, large folded plate of A Plan of the House, folded plate of the South East Prospect and the North West Prospect in 2 compartments,
by G. L. Smith after B. Seeley, 21 figures on 7 plates at the end after W. Fairchild; a List of the Prints, drawn in Perspective by B. Seeley on the back of the title, and a list headed Explanation of the Plans before the plates by Fairchild.
Halkett and Laing II, 42 (under Description . . . ).
