Epping, a town in Essex, seventeen miles from London. The markets, which are on Thursday for cattle, and on Friday for provisions, are kept in Epping street, a hamlet about a mile and a half from the church. There are several fine seats in Epping Forest, which is a royal chace, and extends from the town almost to London.

Epsom, a well-built and handsome town in Surry, sixteen miles from London, abounds with very genteel houses, which are principally the retreats of the merchants and citizens of London, and is a delightful place open to Bansted Downs. Its mineral waters, which issue from a rising ground nearer Ashted than Epsom, were discovered in 1618, and soon became extremely famous; but though they are not impaired in virtue, they are far from being in the same repute as formerly; however, the salt made of them is valued all over Europe. The hall, galleries, and other public apartments, are now run to decay, and there remains only one house on the spot, which is inhabited by a countryman and his wife, who carry the waters in bottles to the adjacent places. Horse races are annually held on the neighbouring downs. The town extends about a mile and a half in a semicircle from the church to Lord Guilford’s fine seat at Durdans; and, as Mr. Whatley observes, there are here so many fields, meadows, orchards and gardens, that a stranger would be at a loss to know whether this was a town in a wood, or a wood in a town. There are many fine seats in this neighbourhood, besides Durdans, already mentioned, as Lord Baltimore’s, the Lady Fielding’s, Earl of Berkshire’s, &c.

Erith, a village in Kent, situated on the banks of the Thames below Woolwich, and about fourteen miles from London. For Mr. Gideon’s house here, see Belvedere.

Esher Place.
S. Wale delin. B. Green sc. Oxon.

Esher, a village in Surry, situated near Walton upon Thames and Hampton Court, of which last it affords a fine prospect, as well as of the other parts of Middlesex.

Esher Place, was the seat of the late Henry Pelham, Esq; The house is a Gothic structure built of a brownish red brick, with stone facings to the doors, windows, &c. It stands upon almost the lowest ground belonging to it, and has the river Mole gliding close by it and through the grounds. This house was originally one of those built by Cardinal Wolsey; but the late Mr. Pelham rebuilt the whole, except the two towers in the body of the house, which are the same that belonged to the old building, and the whole is rebuilt in the same style of architecture it was before, which uniformity is certainly better than an unnatural mixture of Gothic and modern too often practised. There is a fine summer house built upon a hill on the left hand as you enter, which commands the view of the house, park, and country round on both sides the Thames for many miles. The park or ground in which the house is situated appears quite plain and unadorned; yet perhaps not a little art has been used to give it this natural and simple appearance, which is certainly very pleasing. But in one part of it there is a pretty wilderness laid out in walks, and planted with a variety of ever-green trees and plants, with a grotto in it, and seats in different places. The wood in the park is well disposed, and consists of fine oak, elm, and other trees, and the whole country round appears finely shaded with wood.

The grand floor of the house is elegantly finished, and consists of six rooms. The great parlour is carved and gilt in a taste suitable to the style of the house, with curious marble chimney pieces and slab. In this room are the portraits of Mr. Pelham, Sir Robert Walpole, afterwards Earl of Orford, Lord Townshend, Duke of Rutland, the late Duke of Devonshire, and the late Duke of Grafton; a picture of Lady Catharine Pelham and her son is over the chimney. In the drawing room over the chimney there is a picture of King Charles II. when only eleven years old, by Vandyke. The library is curiously finished, and there is a good collection of books in it. Some say it was at this house Cardinal Wolsey was first seized by order of Henry VIII. on his refusing to annul his marriage with Queen Catharine, that he might marry Ann Boleyn, and which refusal brought on his fall.

Essex court, 1. Middle Temple. 2. Whitechapel. 3. White Friars.

Essex stairs, Essex street, in the Strand.☐