“The drawing-room, which is at the southern extremity of the east front, is of the same form and dimensions as the dining-room; with the addition of a large window that looks to the south, and commands a view of the groves and fertile meadows of Eaton, with the village and spire of Oldford above them. All the windows of this room are adorned with heads and figures of the ancestors of the family; among which are the portraits of the present Earl and Countess, in a beautiful brown chiaro-oscuro, executed by Messrs. Bachelor and Silk, of Newman-street, and do credit to the talents of those ingenious artists. The niches, canopies, and other ornaments, are the same in situation as those of the dining-room, but of a lighter and richer design. The ceiling is a piece of embroidery of the nicest materials and workmanship; where all the coats borne by the Grosvenor family are blazoned in their proper colours, and also the arms of Egerton, Earl of Wilton, the father of the present Countess Grosvenor. The arms of Egerton appear in various parts of the house, and will mark the date of this fabric to future antiquaries, if all other memorials should be forgotten or destroyed. The colour of the saloon is blue, the ante-dining-room of light blue, the dining-room of a bright scarlet, the ante-drawing-room is hung with light blue satin, the drawing-room with crimson velvet: the curtains and draperies are of crimson and gold satin, with gold tassels and fringes, disposed in a striking and picturesque manner by Messrs. Gillow, under the direction of Joseph Kay, Esq. architect to the post-office. All the other furniture of these apartments is the work of the same artificers, and appropriate to the style of the house. The vistas from the dining-room, through the two ante-rooms, and the saloon to the south window of the drawing-room, and in the opposite direction from the drawing-room to the dining-room, terminating with the splendidly furnished side-board of plate, perhaps cannot be exceeded in novelty and variety by any thing of the kind in England.
“The library is in the centre of the south front. The ceiling and the large bow-window, with their ornaments, are in the same style as the rooms already described, but less rich. The book-cases are of English oak, with arches of tracery, buttresses, pinnacles, and battlements. The sitting-room of the Countess is the only room on this floor with square-headed windows and a flat ceiling, and is an apartment of singular beauty.
“The middle window of the saloon opens to a vaulted cloister, occupying the space between the dining and drawing-room, in the east front, which affords a sheltered walk in all weathers. A flight of steps leads from the cloister to a spacious terrace, three hundred and fifty or sixty feet long, laid out in gravel-walks and beds of flowers; from whence other steps at each end and in the middle descend to the garden and pleasure grounds, which are disposed with much taste. The view from the terrace is rich and various.
“Our limits will not admit of a particular description of the offices and stables, though both are deserving of attention. The latter surround a court of 160 feet by 100, and are decorated with battlements and turrets, and a clock tower, supported by flying buttresses, in a style of Gothic architecture plainer than that of the house.
“Eaton Hall and the buildings here described, with their furniture, were designed by and executed under the direction of Mr. Porden, of Berners-street.” [247]
Having been highly gratified with the inspection of this noble edifice and grounds, we returned to Chester by the side of the Dee, a pleasant walk of about three miles; amply prepared to do justice to the hospitable board of a kind friend. Finding but little conversation to be obtained from us, but on the subject of Eaton Hall, he kindly furnished us with the preceding account, which he assured us had been corrected, and was the best extant.
Hugh Lupus, before spoken of, was appointed by William the Conqueror, first Earl of Chester; which was erected into a county palatine, enjoying a sovereign jurisdiction, having parliaments and distinct courts of law. There is still kept in the British Museum the identical sword with which Lupus was invested with his dignity; by virtue of which the Earls of Chester were created sword-bearers of England, and as such were accustomed to officiate at the coronation of the kings of England. On the blade of this sword is the following inscription—Hugo comes Cestriæ.
Chester is famed for the elegant manners of its inhabitants; and no city in the kingdom can, I believe, boast of more polished or agreeable society. Our regret at leaving it was so great, that I should recommend the tourist who carries with him letters of introduction to Chester, to make arrangement for three or four days or a week’s stay at this engaging place.
From Chester to Mold there is but little worthy of remark. The distance is about twelve miles: part of the road lies over an extensive flat, called Saltney, a rich and well-cultivated tract of country. Mold is a small neat town, situate in a pleasant valley, surrounded by gentle acclivities: here the assizes for the county of Flint are held. It formerly possessed a strong castle on the north side, built on a mount called the Bailey-Hill, of which but few vestiges are now remaining: it is famed in history for the sieges it sustained. The church is a handsome structure, worthy of attention, built in the reign of Henry the Seventh, and contains some fine monuments.
In the vicinity of Mold are large cotton spinning-mills, belonging to a company at Manchester. The two Leeswoods, one the residence of the Rev. Hope Wynne Eyton, the other of Mr. Garnor, formerly of Sir George Wynne, are more remarkable for the gardens, grounds, and more particularly the beautiful iron gates at the entrance of the lawn of the latter, than for size and architecture.