So at another part of ye jsle there is Sandumffort wch is a pretty strong place. Ye jsland is 10 mile in the breadth and 30 mile in Length—Upon Most of the high hills you see the wall of ye sea on both Sides, if not all round you as in some places. Ffrom Yarmouth to Newport is seven mile, a little town yt ye Arm of the Sea Comes up to—its one of the biggest towns in ye Island; in a mile off it is Casbrooke Castle into wch King Charles ye first retired when he was worsted by ye Parliaments forces—there are some good roomes still that remaine but ye most part are destroyed and only ruined walls to be seen. There is a deep well of 40 ffathom they draw up ye bucket by a great Wheele in wch they put a horse or ass—a stone thrown down sounds a long tyme ere you hear it splash into ye water. About seven miles thence is Cowes both East and west 2 ports for Shipps to ride in and be Recruited wth all sorts of provisions wch is done on very reasonable terms. Ye ffertillity of the whole jsland produces Corn of all sorts in great plenty, and all sorts of Cattle and butter; Cheese as also Great Store of ffish and ffowle; there is some Little part fforrest land but for ye most part are Meddows and good downs.
The little ports are all fitted for ye Seamen and their affaires, Little houses, not but there are severall good old houses that are Gentlemens seats, as Sr Robert Dilington at Knighton and Sr John oglander at Nunwell, Sr Robert Worstly and severall More. Sr Robt Holmes has a good Estate there, he was the Governour of ye Island and of Yarmouth Castle and there he is buried, Where is his Statue Cutt in Length in white Marble in the Church and railed in with Iron Grates; he was raised from Nothing and an imperious Governr, and what he Scrap’d together was forced to Leave to his Nephew and base Daughter, haveing no other, and they have set up this Stately monument which Cost a Great deal. There is one place called Mottstone just by the sea side, the Name Comes from many Great Stones that stand up in the Grounds not unlike ye stones at Stonidge in Wiltshire, but this sort of stone is in Many places of ye Island and most of the houses are built of Stone, some few Brick. From a hill just above Cowes that runns along by the Sea side You May Easily see Spitthead And St Hellens point and all the Shipps that Lay along ye Road and that Lay in Portsmouth haven. From Ride is 3 Leagues to portsmouth, I pass’d it in an hour. Portsmouth is a very Good town, Well built with Stone and brick, its not a large town, there are Walls and Gates about it, and at Least eight Bridges and Gates without one another wth Ditches which secures it very Strongly to ye Land-ward, to the Sea the ffortifications are not so strong; there is a plattform with Guns and Pallisadoes. There is a good dock for Building Shipps, but about 6 mile off at Red bridge are the best Shipps built. There are most of the great Shipps Lye at Anchor here.
I was a board ye Royal Charles, and the Royal James, which are ffine Shipps, ye Roomes Spacious for Length and Breadth but not high. There was a large Chappel and Cabbin with Damaske furniture. The Castle at Portsmouth is not Great—its Rather Called the Kings house where is a Great deal of armes. I was in the Dineing Roome where King Charles ye Second met Queen Katherine and was marryed to her and set the crown on her head. There from that roome out of double doores goes a long wooden bridge to the Plattforme; just by is South sea Castle which is wash’d round by ye sea and pretty deep water att Spring tides, it Looks very fine but think its but of Little Strength or Service. Above the town is a very fine down Called Porchester down very pleasant for Sports Hawking and hunting; 6 mile over this down is Southwicke, Coll: Nortons a good old house Capable of being Made ffine, Large Garden room—Woods and Grounds Lying well about it and a good Warren, Coppices and ye Stately Gt Timber trees as may be seen. He was an old officer in the Long parliamt service—this is 15 mile from Winchester and from Winchester to South-hampton is ten miles; that is a very neate clean town and the Streets well pitch’d and kept so, by their Carrying all their Carriages on Sleds as they do in holland, and permit no Cart to go about in ye town, and keep it Clean Swept—this was formerly more strictly observ’d when the town was full of trade, for it is a good port, but now ye trade has failed and ye town almost forsooke and neglected. Its a place of No Strength now, by reason of ye Castle being ruined and the fortifications neglected and the Gunns taken thence, tho’ by most its thought the best scittuated port for Shipps to Ride and take their provision in and so Capable of tradeing; but the last 2 Reignes for near 40 year discourag’d it being a proper place for the french to have Seiz’d and Secured for themselves. About 3 Leagues off is Cashot Castle just out into the Sea wch does Encompasse it all but a very little point of land Called Horsy Beach that runnes out into the New forrest by Bewly wch was an abby in the fforest, for the Extent of ye fforrest is large—Miles long; All round Casholt Castle on the Beach itts as full of fine Cockle shells so that they heap them up all round the Castle Like a wall.
It was at South-hampton King Philip Landed when he Came to marry Queen Mary. Ffrom thence its 6 miles to Rumsey, and the Road Runns just by a ffine house of one of my Relations Sr John St Barbe’s; the Rows of trees in the avenues runns just from ye Road to the front of the house. You Enter a Court thats wall’d in and blew Iron gates. The Court has a Round in the Middle rail’d in, designed for a Bowling Green, and the Coaches drive round it to Come to the Entrance wch is severall stone Stepps to a broad Space that is railed wth Balls and Banisters: the Space is paved wth broad free stone the stepps ye Same 8 or 10. The house is a halfe Roman H. Ye hall is in the Middle wth double doores, its very lofty and large there’s a Chimney just against the Entrance on the Right hand, runns in an Entry through the house to the back yard, where are the offices, Still house and Barnes and Coach houses and a very ffine Stable built of Brick—there are large partitions. In this Entry you have the pantry and Cellars and on the other side ye Kittchin Larders and pastry wch is one wing of the house and just behind the hall is ye Servants hall and a Little parlour just by the pantry and back staires. Then the great hall is divided in halfe by the Staircase, wch hangs on its own work not supported of Either Side, to the first half pace and all the way up without Support, on the one Side they are of oake, the railes and Banisters are varnished. The halfe paces are Inlaid wth yew wood wch lookes a yellowish Red in Squaires; they Land on the next Story with a space of this Inlaid worke of a good Bigness the whole Compass of ye Staircase. The Roofe of the Staires is even wth ye Roofe of ye next Story; on the other side of the Staires are severall Rows of Pillars of wood Painted Like Marble for to walke between, and you pass quite under the Staires into a Little Closet, and a little farther into a back yard where is a Bathing house and other necessarys. There is a screen stands on the side of the Staires next the Chimney to make that part more private. Ye hall Runns quite through to the Garden where there is a door wth stepps down and so at this door you see thro’ the house to yt back yard I mentioned at ye End of the Entry. The other wing of ye house is a large parlour and drawing Roome, this is out of the hall by the Garden; the hall is well painted and a Carved Cornish round and pillars on the wanscoate round the Roome. The parlour is wanscoated and painted a Cedar Coullour. The next Story you Enter of this large halfe pace on the Right hand, into a door wch Leads fore Right to a Balcony, and on the Left hand into a passage, wch leads to the Chamber over the drawing Roome, and by it is a Servants Roome Even wth ye passage. On the Right hand is a passage Leads to Another Roome just over against—open the doores and there is a perfect visto, so there is the other way and a servants roome even wth ye passage; beyond this roome is a back Stair Leads to the bath, and by ye Servants Roome is a large back Staire that Leads to the Next Story, the Great staires Ending here, and on the Left hand they lead into a large dineing Roome &c.—then a drawing Roome and next a bed Chamber wch has a back doore to the back Staires by ye kitchin. These doores open through to ye End one way the best bed Chamber and quite to the balcony ye other side a visto.
Within the dineing roome on ye Left hand is a very Largo bed Chamber wch jndeed is ye best—good tapistry hangings—here is design’d a velvet bed its painted white; there are very good Pictures; here is a Little back Staires to ye Servants hall. The dineing Roome is wanscoated and varnish’d the other Roomes nothing done to—that is the drawing Roome and Chamber. Wth in there is damaske, and Camlet beds in ye other Roomes, and off these back Staires by ye Kitchin is a Chamber, anty Roome, dressing roome, 2 Closets These back staires goe up to the next Story yt Leads to the roomes over this, and to a long Gallery that is Window all to the ffront and Leads to all ye Chambers. There is handsome roomes only those at ye Side and End are Garret fashion—between are Servants roomes and Closets: thence a little pair of Stairs Leads up to the Gallery and thence up to the Cupilow which is in the Middle of the house, all Windows round and on ye top has a Gold ball that holds severall Gallons. On each Wing there are 2 little towers, one has ye Clock the other a Sundial, and on the top two gold balls of a Lesser size. The Gardens are walled in, some with brest walls, some higher with flower potts on them; severall places with open grates to Look through with Stone balls or ffigures on the pillars each Side the Gates everyway. There is a water house that by a Wheele Casts up the Water out of ye River just by, and fills ye pipes to Serve all ye house and to fill ye bason designed in the middle of the Garden wth a Spout in the middle.
The Gardens are not finish’d but will be very ffine, wth Large Gates open to ye Grounds beyond, some of wch are planted with trees. Its a fine thing, but doubt its no very good aire—it stands in a low place near ye River, the hills all round on yt Side and ye Mold and Soyle is Black and such as they Cut up for peate. The road from hence to Salisbury is by White Parish and Joy Church and you come in Sight of my Lord Coal-rain house that Looks Like a good Building of Stone, but its just so upon the Great River that it lookes Like a Little Castle or Shipp. This river runns to Breamore from Salisbury just by a very fine Seat of ye Lady Brooks which was Sr Wm Doringtons heir. The house Stands finely to the River a brick building. You Enter into a Walled Court Soe up 12 Stepps at Least into a Noble hall: on the Left hand was a parlour, and on ye Right a large drawing roome a Little parlour and Large Staires up to Severall very handsom Chambers ffurnished with good Tapistry and damaske and some velvets, wch was new because the fire had Spoiled most of the goods; but the house was built just in ye same ffigure. The Kitchins and offices are all under ye roomes of State and they go down Steps to it Under ye Arch of Stepps that ascend to the hall: out of the drawing roome by Glass doors you enter the Garden on a terrass and yt by Stepps, so to Severall Walks of Gravel and Grass and to the Gardens, one below another with Low Walls to give the view all at once. Here was fine flowers and Greens Dwarfe trees and oring and Lemon trees in Rows wth fruite and flowers at once and some ripe; they are ye first oring trees I ever Saw. Here are Stately woods and walks. This River Runns to ffording bridge A Little place, thence to Kingwood, thence to Christchurch; it turns many Great Mills and there have been great attempts to make it Navigable wch would be of Great advantage, but all Charge has been Lost in it. There is Store of good ffish in it; it runns to Christchurch and divides the new fforest from Wiltshire, there is a large Bridge that crosses at Christchurch where it runns into the Sea. This is 18 miles from Salisbury 20 miles from Newtontony over ye down, 6 to Rumsy 4 to Lockerly two to East Titherly where Sr ffrancis Rowles has a fine house and Garden and Groves. One on the Edge of ye hill, all in sight of ye Road Looks ffinely of Scott and Norroway ffirrs in Rows and Looks very well. In 2 mile of this is Dean wch was Sr John Evlings, now his Grandsons Lord Kingston, it seems to be a good Lofty Building, its woody and very ffruitfull. There is Likewise a good old seate of Mr Whiteheads my grandfathers, Normans Court in West Titherly; its well wooded, good Gardens, but a very old house; a ffine Grove of ffirrs to ye ffront. This is 7 mile from Newtontony and as much to Stockbridge wch is ye Road to London; thence to Sutton 12 miles, thence to Basinstoake 12 mile. Its a Large town and has a good trade being a Road. A mile thence is Basin on ye Left hand wch was a house of ye Duke of Boltons, but being a Garrison in ye Civil warrs was pulled down and Now only some part remaines, and the Gardens wch are improved and new walls built: fine fruit and vineyards, a large parke to it. On ye Right hand about a mile off is Hackwood which is another Seate of ye Duke of Boltons in a pretty parke. It looks very pretty not large. Basinstoake Lyes watrish but its on Chalke. A little further on ye Left hand at some distance you see a fine Seate of Sr Robert Henleys, it looks Like a little town, its so large a building, and they say its a noble thing ffinished and furnish’d very well with good Gardens.
To Harfordbridge 8 mile thence to bagshott 8 mile a heavy sandy way, and ye Same from thence to Egam 8 mile; thence to Staines a mile, where we Cross ye Thames on a bridge and enter Middlesex—thence to London 15 miles.
I went to see Hampton Court 10 mile from London; it looks Like a little town ye buildings runn so great a Length on ye ground, Ye old buildings and ye New part wch King William and Queen Mary built. Ye Queen took Great delight in it. Ye new was but just ye shell up and some of ye Roomes of State Ceil’d but nothing ffinished. The roomes were very Lofty, round a Large Court and all the appartments intire. The old buildings were on the other side the prioy Garden: there was the water Gallery that opened into a ballcony to ye water, and was decked with China and ffine pictures of ye Court Ladyes drawn by Nellor. Beyond this came severall Roomes, and one was pretty Large, at ye four Corners were little roomes like Closets or drawing roomes, one pannell’d all wth jappan, another wth Looking Glass, and two wth fine work under pannells of Glass. There was the queens Bath and a place to take boat in the house. The Gardens were designed to be very ffine, Great fountaines and Grass plotts and gravell walkes, and just against the middle of ye house was a very large fountaine, and beyond it a large Cannal Guarded by rows of Even trees that runn a good way. There was fine Carving in the Iron Gates in the Gardens wth all sorts of ffigures, and Iron spikes Round on a breast wall and severall Rows of trees.