Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-12-13
Correspondence.
sightseeing In England.

\ Amer leaving ihe parks tie second day,
We Wcre admitted tothe pleasure grounds.
! Aftsr passing ths gate, directly IN iTOul
were q oomTsny o. pleasure seekers hay-
. ing q ric.uic ia most beautiful grove
which is fitted up purpOsely for those de-
string pie-nios. The grounds occupy 25U
acres. The walks therein measure four
milcs-such Is the care taken OF them
that weeds or grass are entirely swept
away. After passing slong-guidcd ~
finger boards. We passed a very nice grove
hedge 90 one side aud laurel bank Gu
the other, al closely trimmed. Looking
over the river che sees among the trees
on the opposite hank the OeiagOn Tower.
By the water below is a cast, in lead, of
two gladiators-HereuIes and Aniaeus.
Passing along VIC see the moon aud cres.
cent ponds, the statues Of Neptune,
Bacchus and Galen on the lawn. The
lawns are mown every two or three days,
and rolled till they are as smooth as a
piece Of velvet. noticed several swans
and other water fowls on the ponds. The
timber along the banks is very large and
tail. was told that one spruce was 1872
feet high, it grew in the form Of a pyra-
mid the loEer branches touch the ground,
forming a shade sufficiently large to shell
ter eighty or one hundred people. We
crossed the valley over rustic bridge
aud came to small lake, after which
we came TO the Temple Of Pietby, in
which is a bronzed bust Of Titus and
Nero. Taking an underground passage
eight feet wide. we arrived ut the top OF
a hill near the Octagon Tower, which we
had seen from the opposite side of the
valley from which we could reveiw most
of the scenery before viewed by us. AZ
ter descending the hill again we took the
path leading up the river about a quarter
Of mile until We came TO spring called
Robin Hoods Well, opposite he ruins of
Fountains Abbey. The site ofthe Monas-
terry said TO cover II acres Of ground,
was granted by Thurstan, Arch Bishop
Of York, in 1882, to some monks who
separated themselves from the Abbey of
St. Mary. In York the Monks are by
tradition said to have lived under seven
Yew trees standing near together until
the Abbey was erected, one ouly Of those
trees now stands. 1t is supposed TO be
fourteen hundred years old, is p feet IN
circumference four feet from the ground.
The Abbey was destroyed in 1863, after
the main building was destroyed some re-
manned very perfect The hight Of the
tower or steeple is one hundred and sixty
eight feet and six inches. The diameter
of the base is . feet, and very perfect.
Likewise the cloisters are 500 feet long
with one row Of pillars in the middle.
The arches on each side Of the church
are 1853 yards long & 63 wide paved with
the most curious of work The roof Is
supported by pillars aud arches toity feet
high The open court is lbs feet square
In the centre was the fountain Of water
for Baptism. The Chapter House is "a
feet long and A. wide. In it are the graves
of 10 abbots The next was the kitchen
very large with two fire places, each IS
feet long, adjoining is the monks dining
room and reading gallery One apart
meut have forgotten the name Of where
there are some nucs where they used to
burn the saints. | mex; saw the museum
in which the relics were collected, which
have been found near the ruins, consist
ing Of statues in stone and in chain mail
vases Of carthen ware, jugs &c.
There are several pieces Of pottery a
Basin Font used in the church Of Aldfeld
for Baptism, human animal, & fish bones
aud oyster shells, the remains of boiler,
lead pipe, silver spoons, rings and orna-
ments, Iron of many shapes and sizes and
many other things all Of which are very
curious. In one part of the ruins called
the Trancept were found not less than
400 skeletons in tie rubbish when cleared
away by Lord de Grey in 1854 or '55,
There we're many other places of interest
which from want of time | could not see,
such as the common stables, guest stables,
barns, kilns farmhouse, bark mill, dove
cetes, forge and grain mill, to which large
granries were attached and now all re-
main there the echo and vaults several
rooms in the main ruins, the names of
which | have forgotten. | left the ruins
and brought some tcsselated pavement as
specimen which was found in the Tran
cepet and the surface of which was worn
smooth by the feet Of those who existed
hundreds years ago. Crossing over the
park toward the Obelsl, saw the work
men erecting new Episcopal church of
granite, which the Marquis was building
in comm omeration of Mr.. Fred. Vyner,
his brother-ln-law, who was murdered by
the Greek Brigands, as | mentioned before
in another letter | did not see the flow
er gardens of the estate from want of
time. Expected to have again visited
them, but time being 50 short | could not
afford myself that pleasure.
WILLIAM S. TnoRP.
JOHNSON, W., Dc. Sth, 1871.
Mn EnIrnp Tn NV ,aport IF tho