Tour through the Eastern Counties of England, 1722

purchased estates in this county.

Near this town is Felsted, a small place, but noted for a free

school of an ancient foundation, for many years under the

mastership of the late Rev. Mr. Lydiat, and brought by him to the

meridian of its reputation. It is now supplied, and that very

worthily, by the Rev. Mr. Hutchins.

Near to this is the Priory of Lees, a delicious seat of the late

Dukes of Manchester, but sold by the present Duke to the Duchess

Dowager of Bucks, his Grace the Duke of Manchester removing to his

yet finer seat of Kimbolton in Northamptonshire, the ancient

mansion of the family. From hence keeping the London Road I came

to Chelmsford, mentioned before, and Ingerstone, five miles west,

which I mention again, because in the parish church of this town

are to be seen the ancient monuments of the noble family of Petre,

whose seat and large estate lie in the neighbourhood, and whose

whole family, by a constant series of beneficent actions to the

poor, and bounty upon all charitable occasions, have gained an

affectionate esteem through all that part of the country such as no

prejudice of religion could wear out, or perhaps ever may; and I

must confess, I think, need not, for good and great actions command

our respect, let the opinions of the persons be otherwise what they

will.

From hence we crossed the country to the great forest, called

Epping Forest, reaching almost to London. The country on that side

of Essex is called the Roodings, I suppose, because there are no

less than ten towns almost together, called by the name of Roding,

and is famous for good land, good malt, and dirty roads; the latter

indeed in the winter are scarce passable for horse or man. In the

midst of this we see Chipping Onger, Hatfield Broad Oak, Epping,

and many forest towns, famed as I have said for husbandry and good

malt, but of no other note. On the south side of the county is

Waltham Abbey; the ruins of the abbey remain, and though antiquity

is not my proper business, I could not but observe that King

Harold, slain in the great battle in Sussex against William the

Conqueror, lies buried here; his body being begged by his mother,

the Conqueror allowed it to be carried hither; but no monument was,

as I can find, built for him, only a flat gravestone, on which was

engraven HAROLD INFELIX.

From hence I came over the forest again – that is to say, over the

lower or western part of it, where it is spangled with fine

villages, and these villages filled with fine seats, most of them

built by the citizens of London, as I observed before, but the

lustre of them seems to be entirely swallowed up in the magnificent

palace of the Lord Castlemain, whose father, Sir Josiah Child, as

it were, prepared it in his life for the design of his son, though

altogether unforeseen, by adding to the advantage of its situation

innumerable rows of trees, planted in curious order for avenues and

vistas to the house, all leading up to the place where the old

house stood, as to a centre.

In the place adjoining, his lordship, while he was yet Sir Richard

Child only, and some years before he began the foundation of his

new house, laid out the most delicious, as well as most spacious,

pieces of ground for gardens that is to be seen in all this part of

England. The greenhouse is an excellent building, fit to entertain

a prince; it is furnished with stoves and artificial places for

heat from an apartment in which is a bagnio and other conveniences,

which render it both useful and pleasant. And these gardens have

been so the just admiration of the world, that it has been the

general diversion of the citizens to go out to see them, till the

crowds grew too great, and his lordship was obliged to restrain his

servants from showing them, except on one or two days in a week

only.

The house is built since these gardens have been finished. The

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