Through England on a side saddle in the time of William and Mary

by Celia Fiennes

There is another house of M^r Ruths who married Lady Dennagall is new and neate. The Entrance is a space the breadth of y^e Court and ffront, rail’d in and opening in y^e middle w^th sort of wicket, two such at Each End w^th heavye Latches to pull up, and the gate swings both wayes. There is a brick wall w^th peers and breast high, and jron pallisadoes of a good breadth Each side the gate, w^ch is Carv’d jron work w^th a Deer on the top of a Cypher, and an oaken tree Cut a top; the two first peers are w^th Great flower potts, those on y^e Peeres Each side y^e jron works Lesser flower potts. Beyond are the gates into the coach yard, w^ch with the Stables is a neate Pile of Buildings by it self. Just on y^e other side is such a building the kitchen and offices and little Laundry Court, and here is the back Entrance through a Long brick Entry open on one side, but a wall to y^e Court side and house, and Enters into a passage that Leads to a little hall brick’t, w^th roomes for y^e buttler and a batheing roome. By it is a Large hall paved w^th stone and thence is one way into the garden. Under the staires and balcony that descends from y^e dineing roome in y^e first passage are staires w^ch brings to a space that turns up to the Great staires and roomes.

The ffront Entrance is into a handsome Court, one Large paved walke in the middle between Grass, the borders round of flowers, y^e wall w^th trees. You ascend some stepps to a broad terrass paved and with a breast wall sett w^th flower potts. This is the breadth of the house and at Each End two Large white seates w^th arches over y^e head. You Enter a step or two to this space w^ch Leads to y^e staires on y^e Left to a little parlour wanscoted, white in veines and gold mouldings, a neat Booffett ffurnish’d with Glasses and china for the table, a Cistern below into which the water turn’d from a Cock, and a hole at bottom to Let it out at pleasure. W^th in this roome was a Large Closet or musick roome, on the other side was a dineing room w^th a balcony door w^ch has staires to y^e garden in a round with half paces and jron railes. Thence is a drawing roome, beyond that a Closet that comes out into a little passage to the staircase, w^ch is Large and makes the fourth part of the house; they are wanscoate varnish’d and the Lower step or two Larger, and y^e other End is in a turn. The half paces are strip’d, the wood put w^th y^e Graine, the next slip against the Graine, w^ch makes it Looke pretty as if Inlaid.

You Enter one roome hung with Crosstitch in silks, the bed the same Lined w^th yellow and white strip’d sattin, window Curtaines white silk damaske w^th furbellows of Callicoe printed flowers, the Chaires Crosstitch and two stooles of yellow Mohaire w^th Crostitch, true Lower knotts in straps along and a Cross, an Elbow Chaire tentstitch; Glasses over all y^e Chimneys and Marble pieces. The windows in all the roomes had Cusheons. The next roome was Lady Dennagalls Chamber and Closet hung w^th very rich tapistry, the bed Crimson damaske Lined w^th white Jndia sattin, w^th Gold and Crimson flowers printed; the Chaires, one red damaske, the other Crostitch and tentstitch very Rich, soe round the roome. The Closet, Green damaske Chaires, and many fine pictures under Glasses, of tentstitch sattin stitch Gumm and strawwork, also jndia flowers birds &c. The roome over the Little parlour was M^rs Ruths, a pladd bed Lined w^th Jndian Callicoe, and an Jndia Carpet on the bed—w^th in was her Closet. Over this are good Garretts and staires to the Leads w^ch shews you all about the town.

The first garden is square, the walls full of trees and nail’d neate, an apricote, peach, plumb, necktarine, w^ch spread but not very high; between Each is a cherry stript up to the top and spreads, Composeing an arch over the others. There are borders of flowers round and a handsome Gravel round. The Grass plott is Large; in the middle a little Gravel in an oval or round, where is a Large fountain of stone full of stone Images to spout the water. This Garden is the breadth of the dwelleing house—the dineing roome and drawing roome Looke into it.

Out of this (which is ffenced by a breast wall w^th jron pallasadoes painted blew w^th Gilt topp) you ascend severall stepps through an jronwork’d gate to a ground divided into Long grass walks, severall of w^ch ascends y^e hill and between the Ground improv’d w^th Dwarfe trees of ffruite and flowers and greenes in all shapes, intermixt w^th beds of strawberyes for ornament and use. Thus to another bank w^th stepps to a Green Cross walke, and then more trees and devices. Thence to two mounts cut smoothe—between is a Cannall. These mounts are severall stepps up under which are jce houses; they are a square fflatt on the top ffenced with banks round and seates, beyond which is a summer house in a tree, which shews a great way off the Country. There are Low Cut hedges on Each bank, and painted sticks w^th Gilt tops in y^e greens and flower potts, and thus is one terrass above another. Over their stables are Chambers for y^e men, over the Kitchen and Dairy and buttery and scullery are roomes for Laundry, and for the maids.

S^r Thomas Cooke’s house has such an Enclosed walk before the gate, w^th swinging gates at Each End and a Larger in the middle.

Without it is a Row of oakes w^th thick heads w^ch makes it very shady. You Enter a Close gate into a Court, w^th a broad paved walk between two Large Grass-plotts, besett w^th Green Cyprus yew and holly in Piramids, and two Large Statues in the middle, the wall Clothed w^th box holly filleroy cut even. The ffront is two juttings out at the Ends flatt in the middle Like a half Roman H. You Rise a step or two into a good Hall pav’d w^th black and white marble, the sides painted black and white resembling nitches or arches for seates. On the Right hand is a good Dineing roome wanscoated oake without varnish, the pannell Large, and within a drawing roome w^ch Lookes into the garden, wanscoated. Over, Right, another square one. Between these runs an Entry, where in are Closets, and y^e Butlers office, to y^e Kitchen and offices, into y^e Stable, Coach yard and into a Laundry Court. In the Middle ffronting y^e Entrance is a Door into y^e garden. Just by is a Servants hall and way to y^e Cellars under. The Great Staires noble and Lofty, all wanscoate, hung w^th very good pictures. Above in the rooffe is frettwork and an oval Curiously painted with angells and ffigures.

Here are two very Good appartments, bed Chambers dressing-roome, Closets and presses; besides there are two other good Chambers w^th Closets, and one Large roome—y^e frame of y^e Chimney piece carv’d with all variety of fruites, herbes &c painted proper and all hollow work. Very good Pictures in all y^e roomes over Chimneys and doores, all fix’d into y^e wanscoate,—noe ffurniture. There is a very good p^r of back staires goes hence up to y^e Garret’s, one very Large, 6 other, besides Little room. There you ascend into a Cupilow, windows round shews a vast prospect of the place; from thence you may descend another such a good p^r of back staires to y^e kitchen. The Garden is in forme as M^r Ruth’s first flatt, but Larger, w^th a Larger fountaine, walled in w^th ffree stone, a pedistal w^th Little Cupids and Dolphins and shells on w^ch are Images, and on y^e top a Crown made all to spout out water. The walls full of fruite, in y^e middle you ascend severall stepps to a bank on w^ch are jron painted pallasadoes w^th Gilt top; gates to the same. Here is a Large square w^th green walks and gravell and ovall in the middle, with devices of Little paths of gravell to Cut the grass into shapes, squares and 3 squares. In the middle stands a Gladiator on a pedistal, and on y^e walls are Cupids at each riseing of the walls for the bank. On the Left side is a summer house w^th paints of the seasons of y^e yeare. Thence into another Garden for kitchen stuff and hott beds, with convenient houses. From this great fflatt you ascend severall stepps at three places—equal distance, and then Long green walks between borders of strawberies, dwarf trees, and some w^th green squares sett with Cyprus, Mirtle, yew, Holly cut fine and flowers, thus three severall bancks, the spaces so adorn’d. Then you pass on to a long green walke, the Right side or End is a fine summer house, the bank all along guarded with dwarffe trees; the other to y^e field side rowes of tall walnuts, with quick sett hedges cutt. This Carryes on not only the breadth of the house but the Length of the whole ground, w^ch is for y^e other garden for use; and just at the End of the pleasure garden begins a Large and Long pond or Cannall—y^e Length of the walke, w^ch is its bank cut fine. There is another great pond on the Right side of the house, and two more in the grounds belonging to it on the Left.

M^rs Steeven has a very pretty neate house and gardens, before the doore is a part railed in as before, only this is Close at Each end w^th high wall and seates. In the middle is a gate w^ch Leads to the gate of the Court, grass walled round, a broad pavement to the house, and round Stepps—4 or 5. You Enter into a passage w^ch Leads to a little parlour, thence a step or two down to an Entry, w^ch Leads away to a Little Court or passage, which runs to the streete and back to y^e garden.

On one side is a building, a summer parlour for a still roome, w^th brick kitchen and offices and Coach house and stables, w^th Chambers over for the men. There is in the first parlour a Large Closet, on the Left is a Large parlour and drawing-roome, all very neate and well wanscoated. Under the staircase is a little roome for a butler, thence the staires to the Cellars; this is between the back staires w^ch are very good and light, and wanscoated up to the garrets, and the great staires w^ch are very handsome painted white, the Rooffe an oval of Cupids. Here are two handsome Chambers with dressing-roomes and light and dark Closets and presses. Next floore is to such appartments againe. Over all are three good Garrets and two roomes for stores, and it is sashed up to the top w^th Low windows to sit in. Every Corner is improved for Cupboards and necessarys, and the doores to them made suiteable to y^e wanscoate. The garden goes out opposite to y^e Entrance the walls full of all fruite neately kept. Here are six Grass walks three and three, guarded w^th dwarfe fruite trees, a Large gravell walk round by the wall, and gravell between Each Grass walk. The front is a breast wall w^th a yew hedge cut neate, and jron pallisadoes painten and Gilt tops, with gates Leading to another Garden of grass Cut in shapes and knotts, w^th flowers and all sorts of greens cut in shapes, w^th paths of Gravel to fform them. On the Left side a Coddling hedge secured a walke of orange and Lemmon trees in perfection. This is Closed with a green house all the breadth of the garden, through w^ch you Enter another of fflowers; thence into orchard and kitchen garden w^ch is Cast in Exact forms to Look neate. In the green Garden was Large alloes plants and all sorts of Perpetualls as well as annualls.