Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-03-21

Mr.. Downing, writing from England, thus describes
Woburn Abbey, the prncely abode othe Duke of Bed
ford in late number of the :" Horiculturist"
received in London note from the Duke of Bed
ford, which led me- while was in Bedfordshire, to
make visit TO Woburn Abbey.
This is considered one of the most complete estates
and establishments in the Kingdom
1t is fully equal TO Chatsworth, but in another way
Chatsworth is sem-contnenta or rather it is the con-
centation of everything that European art do to
embelish and render beautiful great country residence
Woburn Abbey is thoroughly English that 49, II does
not aim at beauty, so much grandeur o. extent ana
substantial completeness, united with the most syste-
matte and thorough administration OF the whofe' De-
sides this il interested me much as the nome lot eSac
tly three centuries of family which has adorned its
high station by the highest virtues and by an especial
devotion TO the interest of the SOIL The present Duke
of Bedford is one of the largest and most sclenhc FAR
mers in England. and his father, the late Duke, was
NOT onlv an enthusiastic agricuturst, but the greatest
arboric1turist and botanst of the day, whose works.
both practical and literary, made their mark upon the
age.
The Woburn estate consists of about thirty thousand
of land. You enter the approach through sim
guaIly rich avenue Of evergreens, composed OF belt
perhaps one hundred feet broad, sopng down like an
amphitheatre of foliage, from tall Norway spruces and
pines in the back ground rich hollies and Portugal
iaurels in front This continues perhaps half mile
and then You leave If and wind through open park,
spacious and grand-for couple of miles-tlll, you
reach the Abbey This is not building in an antique
style, but grand and massive pile in the classical
manner, built about the middle of the last century on
The site of the old Abbey have said this lace seem
ed 10 essentially English. The first sight OF the
house is peculiarly 1t is built of Portland stone,
and has that messy, discooured look which gathers
about even modern buildings in this damp climate. and
which we in America know nothing of, under our pure
and bright skies-where the freshness of stone remains
unsuliied almost any length OF time
Woburn Abbey is a large palace, and containing as
does the accumulated In of retinementS
and comforts of so old and wealthy famy-(with
an income of nearly million of our money! you will
not be surprised when say that we have nothing with
which TO compare it. Indeed, | believe Woburn is
considered the most complete house in England, and
that is saying good deal, when you remember that
there 10000 private houses in Great Britain, larger
than Presidents house. To get an idea of it, you
must imagine square mass, about which, externally
especially the side fronting the park there is lit
tie to impress you-ony the appearance of large size
and air of simple dignity Imagine this quadrangle
lar pile three stories high the park entrance 'front.'
and two stories high the garden rear, and over
two hundred feet in length on each side. The draw
ingroom floor, though in the second story is therefore
exactly on a level with the gardens and pleasure
grounds in the rear and the whole of this large floor
occupied with unbroken suit of superb apartments
drawing rooms, picture galleries. music rooms, Ii
brary, etc.-proectng and recedng, and stealing out
and in among the delicious scenery of the pleasure
grounds il the most agreeable manner. There is
noble library with 10000 volumes a gallery one
hundred and forty feet long, filled with fine scu ptures
-(among other things, the original group of the
three graces by Canova,) and sort of wide CORR
dor running all around the quadrangle-fled with ca
bnes of natural history works of art &c, and forming
the most interesting indoor walk in dull weather Pic
lures by the great masters. especially portraits, these
rooms are very rich in, and among other things | no
tced casts in plaster of all the celebrated animals that
reared by the late duke.
Now, imagine the quadrangle continued IN the rear
one side next the sculpture gallery through COL
onnade like side series of buildings, including riding
house. tennis court etc. quarter OF mlle to the sta
bes, which of themselves larger than most country
houses imagine hot houses and Conservatives almost
without number, connected with the house by covered
passages, as to combine the utmost comfort and
beauty imagine avairy consisting of cottage, and
the grounds about it fenced in and filled with all
ner of birds of brilliant and beautiful pumage; ina
CINE large dairy, fitted up in the Chinese style, with
fountain in the middle and the richest porcelain vessels
for milk and butter imagine private garden of bowers
and tres work, embosomed in creepers, which be-
longs especially to the Duchess, and you have kind
Of skechy outline of the immediate accessories of Wo-
burn Abbey.
They occupy the space of little village in them
selves; but you would gather no idea OF the luxury
and comfort they afford did you for a moment forget
that the whole is managed with that order and system
which nowhere to be found so perfect as in En-
gland must add, to give you another idea of the
tablishment, that hundred beds are made up daily
The pleasure grounds which surround three sides oil
the honse, and upon which these rooms open are so
beautiful and complete that you must permit me &c
dwell upon them little. They consist of a series
OF different gardens merging one into the other, as
TO produce delightful variety and covering space
many acres-about which l walked in so bewildered
state of delight that am quite unable TO say how
large they are. know, however, that they contain
an avenue of araucaras backed by another of Deodal
cedars In the most luxurious growth-each line up
wards of a thousand feet long A fine specimen Of
me latter tree, tweny five thirty feet high, attrac
ted my attention. and there was another twenty five
feet, OF the beautiful Norfolk Island pine, growing in
the open ground with the shelter of glazed frame in
winter These pleasure grounds, however, interested
me most IN that portion called the American garden
several of sIopng velvet turf thicky dotted with
groups of rhododendrons, azaleas, &C. forming the
richest masses of dark green foliage that it is possible
to conceive. In the months of May and June, wher
these are in full bloom. this must be scene of almos
dazzling briancy. The soil for them had all beer
formed artlhcially and consisted of mixture of peal
and white sand in which the rhododendrons and kal
MAS seemed to thrive admirably.
Besides this scene, there is garden composed Who'll
~ OF heaths. the beds cut in the turf one, species il
each bed, and full of delicate bells parterre fowe
garden, IN which striking effect produced b.
contrasting vases coored quite black, with rich mas
ses growing in the vases) of scarlet geraniums. al
so saw garden devoted wholly to willows and ano
ther to grasses-boh the most complete collections
these two genera in the word--the taste of the for
mer Duke-and with which was familiar before hand
through the g Salictum Wo6urnense," and MIR. Sin
clars work on the - Grasses of Woburn''
The park is the richest in large evergreens of an
that have The planting taste of the for
Ener Duke has produced at the present moment, after