At the extremity of the garden on the north east, is another house that belonged to her Majesty, and near it the house of his late Royal Highness Frederic Prince of Wales, which is on the inside adorned with stucco. Opposite the Prince’s house is the Princess Amelia’s, built by a Dutch architect, the outside of which is painted.
To the west of the gardens are seen the fine houses of several of the nobility and gentry, particularly the Lady Buckworth’s, and Mr. Geoffrey’s, and extending the view across the Thames, there appears Isleworth.
But to return to the village of Richmond. The Green is extremely pleasant, it being levelled and enclosed in a handsome manner; it is also surrounded with lofty elms, and adorned on each side with the houses of persons of distinction. A sun dial is here affixed in a pretty taste, encompassed with seats: this, and the railing in of the Green, were at the sole charge of her late Majesty.
Among the pretty seats on this spacious Green, is a handsome edifice that formerly belonged to Sir Charles Hedges, and since to Sir Matthew Decker, in the gardens of which is said to be the longest and highest hedge of holly that was ever seen, with several other hedges of evergreens; there are here also vistas cut through woods, grottos, fountains, a fine canal, a decoy, summer house and stove houses, in which the anana, or pine-apple, was first brought to maturity in this kingdom.
On the north east side of the Green is a fine house, which belonged to the late Mr. Heydigger, and a little beyond it that of the Duke of Cumberland; passing by which, you come to a small park belonging to his Majesty, well stocked with deer, and opposite to it is the entrance into the gardens.
The town runs up the hill above a mile from the village of East Shene, to the New Park, with the royal gardens sloping all the way towards the Thames; whose tide reaches to this village, though it is sixty miles from the sea; which is a greater distance than the tide is carried by any other river in Europe.
On the ascent of the hill are wells of a purging mineral water, frequented during the summer by a great deal of good company. On the top there is a most extensive and beautiful prospect of the country, interspersed with villages and inclosures; the Thames is seen running beneath, and the landscape is improved by the many fine seats that are scattered along its banks.
There is here an almshouse built by Dr. Duppa, Bishop of Winchester in the reign of King Charles II. for the support of ten poor widows, pursuant to a vow made by that Prelate during that Prince’s exile. There is another almshouse endowed with above 100l. a year, which, since its foundation, has been considerably increased by John Mitchell, Esq; Here are also two charity schools, one for fifty boys, and the other for fifty girls.
New Park, in Surry, is situated between Kingston and Richmond. This is one of the best parks in England; it was made in the reign of King Charles I. and inclosed with a brick wall, said to be eleven miles in compass. In this park there is a little hill cast up, called King Henry’s Mount, from which is a prospect of six counties, with a distant view of the city of London, and of Windsor Castle.
The new lodge in this park, built by the late Sir Robert Walpole Earl of Orford, is a very elegant edifice. It is built of stone in a square form, with wings on each side of brick. It stands on a rising ground, and commands a very good prospect of the park, especially of that fine piece of water which is in it, and which might be enlarged and brought across the vista which is in the front of the house, through a wood. This park is the largest of any within the environs of London, except that of Windsor, and the finest too; for though it has little more than a wild variety of natural beauties to shew, yet these are such as cannot fail to please those who are as much delighted with views in their rudest appearance, as in all the elegance of art and design. The Princess Amelia resides in the old lodge; the new lodge is not inhabited.