The late duke's father, who was loft at sea, a young man. Near the house is a flower-garden, in which is a large green-house, well filled with exotics. The bowling-green is a very fpacious one, furrounded by most beautiful lofty firs, feathered to the very ground. At a small diftance is the pleasure-ground, and an extenfive menagery, in which the late duchess had a numerous collection of birds. In the fruit-garden are variety of hot-houses and hot-walls, all new built by the late duke. The park is about eight miles round, with a noble boundary of wood. The priory of Workfop was founded by William de Luvetot, with the consent of Emme his wife, in 31 Henry I. for canons regular of the order of St. Auguftine*. He, with his fon and grandson, the last male of the Furnivals, Joane, wife of Thomas Neville, her husband and daughter, and John, grandson of the first earl of Shrewsbury, are fome of the illustrious persons who have been buried in this churcht. On the diffolution it was valued at 3021. 6s. 10d. or 2391. 10s. 5d. cleart: and was granted in 33 Henry VIII. to Francis, earl of Shrewsbury (defcended from the founder). The weft end of the priory church is now used as the parish church, ftanding at a small diftance from the town, on the east fide of it. It confifts of a nave and two fide aifles, the pillars, which are alternately round and octangular, fupporting circular arches, ornamented with quatre-foils; there are two rows of windows above them, placed alternately, one over the arch, the other over the pillar. At the east end of the fouth aifle is a tomb defaced, and three large statues in a recumbent posture, two of them men, one a women, brought from fome other place, now lying on the ground. There is a very antique wooden cover to the font. The weft door has a circular arch, and on each fide is a lofty fteeple. Some broken walls remain at the east end of the church, but not in a straight line with it. On the north fide, a few fragments of walls have been converted into fmall houses, fome of them joining to the church. In the meadows below, many foundations were discovered on re-building the mill, about the year 1774. The gate-house remains; a room over it is made ufe of for a fchool. Next the ftreet, on each fide the gateway, is a niche, the ftatues gone; on each side of the window above is a large ftatue in a niche, and one over it. In 1547, the impropriation of this place (amongst others) was given to the see of Lincoin, in exchange for many manors conveyed by bifhop HolbechS. The navigation from Chesterfield to the Trent, goes by the bottom of the town, and has reduced the price of coals from 7d. or 8d. to 4d. per hundred. On the weft fide of the town is a circular hill, inclosed with a trench, except on one fide, where there is a steep bank going down to a branch of the little river. This was the fite of the caftle, which was "clene down" in Leland's time. A vifit to Wellbeck abbey and Bolfover caftle, may be conveniently made from hence, and will employ a day; after which you may go from Workfop, through Clumber Park, Thorefby Park, and by Rufford to Nottingham; or may go by Wellbeck to Mansfield, and from thence by Newstead, (once the beautiful feat of • Dugd. Mon. v. ii. p. 25, 50. Willis's Cath. v. iii. p. 37 + Thoroton's Nott. Camden, v. i. p. 439. lord lord Byron, but now defolated by him*) and by the late fir Charles Sedley's, to Nottingham. The ride to Wellbeck is through the duke of Norfolk's park, and part of the planta tions made by the late duchefs: a fmall common only parts it from the duke of Portland's. This house was founded by Thomas le Flemman, in the reign of Henry II. for canons of the Præmonftratenfian ordert, that is, the order of St. Auftin as reformed. The abbot had the fuperiority of all the houses of this order in England. It was valued at the diffolution, at 2981. 4s. 8d. or 249l. 6s. 3d. clear§. It was granted, on the diffolution, to Richard Whalley; but became afterwards the eftate of fir Charles Cavendish, youngest fon of fir William by the countefs of Shrewsbury; he married: one of the daughters, and, at length, fole heir of lord Ogle; which barony descended to their fon William, who was also honoured with the titles of baron Cavendish of Bolfover, viscount Mansfield, earl, marquis, and at last duke, of Newcastle. He was author of the treatise on horfemanfhip, and built the riding houfe here, fince converted into a stable, now reftored to its original ufe. This gentleman took a most active part in favour of Charles I. and, perhaps, fuffered more in his fortune by that means, than any one befides, his loffes being computed at 941,3031. This was the only one of his parks that was not ruined in the civil war; and was faved by the good manage ment of the gallant fir Charles Cavendish, the duke's younger brother. His grandfon dying without iffue, his grand-daughter Margaret, married to John Hollis, afterwards created duke of Newcastle, became heir to this eftate: the left only one child, a daughter, who married Edward, afterwards earl of Oxford, whose daughter and heir married William, duke of Portland, father of the prefent duke. Nothing of the abbey remains in the prefent houfe, except fome arches in the cellar. The hall is fitted up with Gothic arches, of plaister or wood-work on the walls, above which are painted in compartments, a number of manege horses, in various attitudes. From the hall you are fhewn a fuite of five bed-rooms, in one of which is a whole length of Charles II. when very young, in armour. The dining-room is 59 feet by 36, the ceiling coved: in this room are the pictures of Sir Hugh Middleton, the gentleman who ruined himself, and benefited the city of London fo much, by bringing the new river to Islington, to supply it with water. He has fhort grey hair, a ruff, turn-up lace ruffles. An original of Thomas earl of Strafford, by Vandyke, a whole length, Col. Digby, his lady, and two children. William Cavendish, firft duke of Newcastle, the faithful and active friend of Charles I. He is dreffed in black, flashed fleeves, a large fall-down lace ruff, a gold hilted fword, the garter on his leg, black rofes in his fhoes. Matthew Prior. In the anti-room is a picture of Archbishop Laud, in lawn fleeves, his hair fhort. Newstead priory was built by Henry II. for canons of the order of St. Augustin, and has been the feat of the Byrons ever fince the diffolution when it was given to fir John Byron, being valued at 219l. 188. d. or 1671. 1fs. 118. clear. The weft front of the church is ftanding, with four turrets, and adjoins to the house. The park was once finely wooded, but the prefent owner, in fpite to his fon, has cut down all the oaks. There is a good piece of water, with a cafcade; but, ftripped of its furrounding groves, its beauty is gone. + Dugd. Mon. v. ii. p. 598. Burn's Eccl. Law, v. ii. p. 53. 6. Deering's Nott. p. 299. The drawing-room has fome French looking-glaffes of great fize. The breakfast-room seems to have undergone no alteration fince the house was built, but the principal rooms have been fitted up by the prefent duke, who has also made much alteration in the park. In one part of his defigns he has been unlucky; he made an extenfive lake, and threw over it a magnificent bridge of three arches, the centre arch being a span of ninety feet, the two fide ones feventy-five each, but it fell down almost as soon as completed, and has not been rebuilt. The park is about eight miles round. In it are many noble old oaks, and the vene rable one called Greendale oak, (of which feveral prints have been published) with a road cut through it, is still to be feen with one green branch. The ftumps of those branches which have been cut, or broken off, are guarded with leaden plates to prevent the wet from getting in, and occafioning further decay. In another part of the park, (nearer the gate which goes in from Workfop) is a remarkable tree, called the Seven Sifters, from its confifting of seven stems springing up from one root; one of thefe, however, is now broken off. About three miles from hence is a place called Creswell-crag, a place where the rocks have been rent afunder in fome violent convulfion, which would appear striking before thofe at Matlock, Middleton-dale, &c. have been feen, but which exhibits only a mi* niature picture of thofe more magnificent fcenes. On afking the way to it, one of the duke's attendants took a horse, and rode with us to it, by a road (rocky and bad) which we should hardly have found without a guide. This was fuch a piece of civility as cannot be mentioned without particular pleafure, nor fhould it be forgot that he refused to accept any gratuity. Three miles further, through the village of West Elmdon, and by a very rough and ftony road, came to the little town or village of Bolfover, at the end of which is a caftle bearing the fame name, feated on the brink of a hill, overlooking a great extent of country. This caftle was feized on by the barons, who rebelled against King John, and was taken from them by William Ferrers, earl of Derby, in the 16th of that king; and he being appointed governor, held it for fix years; and in 19 Henry III. again had the cuftody of it*; but Bryan de l'Ifle, a steady adherent of Henry, had been ap pointed governor of it twice in the mean whileț. On the death of the last earl of Chefter, without male iffue, Ada, wife of Henry de Haftings, one of his fifters, had this manor as part of her allotment. Leland speaks of the caftle as being in ruins in his time. The prefent building is nothing more than a house, as ill-contrived and inconvenient as ever was formed. By the arms carved in ftone over the door, which are thofe of Cavendish, with a crefcent for difference, empaling Ogle, it is to be fuppofed,. that it was built by fir Charles Cavendish, mentioned at Wellbeck, and defcended, with that estate, to the duke of Portland, the prefent owner; the outer court, in which are stables and offices, is large, and walled in; within that is a smaller, also walled in and paved, in which stands the house, built of brown ftone, fquare, and lofty. A fight of fteps lead through a paffage into a hall, not large, the roof fupported by ftone pillars, and from thence into the only room defigned for habitation on this floor; In the centre of it is a pillar fupporting an arched roof, in the manner of that at Christ Church in Oxford, but much lefs light. Round this pillar is a plain circular table, used to dine on. Up ftairs is one room moderately large, and within it a very finall one, which, from an old tea-table, and a set of old china standing on it, feems to have been used as a drawing-room. In the large room are feveral coats of arms paint+ Ibid. p. 45. Dugd, Bar, v. i. p. 261. + Ibid. p. 737. ed; ed; Cavendish empaling Ogle, and in different places the latter is painted alone. The reft of the rooms are very fmall, and not numerous. The floors of all are plaister. From the windows in general, the profpects of the country are rich and extensive, reaching ftill farther from the leads on the top of the house. Beneath, at a small distance, lies Sutton, with its park, the feat of the late Mr. Clarke; farther off the lofty towers of Hardwick are feen amongst the woods. What was wanting in thefe rooms feems to have been fupplied by a range of building, which is now ruined, ftanding on a noble terrace, commanding a magnificent profpect in its full extent; the fide walls and the floor of the apartments, which were entered from the terrace by a grand flight of steps, are all that remain, the roof having been taken off long ago. It is faid thefe rooms were fitted up for the reception of Charles I. who, having vifited the earl of Newcastle (as he was then called) at Welbeck, in his progrefs into Scotland in 1633, was fo well pleafed with the magnificent entertainment he met with, that a year or two afterwards he made him a second vifit with his queen; on this occafion he gave up Bolfover for their majefties' lodging, and fpared neither industry nor coft to add splendor to the entertainment, which coft him above 14,000l. Ben Johnson was employed in fitting such scenes and speeches as were proper on the occafion, and all the gentry in the country were fent for to wait on their majefties. This place was feized by the parliament after the duke went abroad, and was fold and begun to be pulled down, but was then bought by fir Charles, the duke's younger brother, and fo restored to the family*. In the church is a noble monument in memory of the firft fir Charles Cavendish, fet up by his widow, (the daughter of lord Ogle) and his two furviving fons. On the fouth fide of the church is an additional building as a burial-place for the family, on the battlement of which is cut in capital letters the motto of the family, CAVENDO TUTUS. On one fide are the Cavendish arms, on the other thofe of Ogle. Others of the family are buried in it. This church was given by William Ferrers, earl of Derby, in 36 Hen. III. to the canons of Derby (near Derbyt. Return to Workfop, and take the road to Clumber-park, the feat of the duke of Newcastle; it is a creation of his own, begun little more than twenty years ago, being originally a rabbit-warren. It is now a park of near thirteen miles round, filled with many and large thriving plantations, and having a very good house, most elegantly fitted up and furnished. The front is of white ftone, brought from a quarry on his grace's eftate about five miles off. The offices are in a very spacious court on the left of the houfe. In the common drawing room, is a large and very fine picture by Teniers, some most beautiful female heads, in crayons, by Hoare, and a piece of game by Rubens. In the great drawing-room, is a moft capital picture of Rembrandt by himself; a lion and boar by Rubens; and other good pictures. In the common dining-room, are two fine heads by Rubens; the Kit-cat club, and the Prodigal Son, by Domenichino. The library is a large fine room, furnished with a great number of books in fplendid bindings. From a fmall anti-room belonging to it you go into the dreffing-room to the state-room, in which is a portrait of the late Mr. Henry Pelham, in his gown, as chancellor of the exchequer; the late lord Lincoln (his grace's eldest fon) a whole • Collins's Collections, p. 22, 24, 26. Dugd. Bar. v. i. p. 262. I: length length by Hoare; the late duke's father and mother; the prefent duke's father and mother; the late and prefent duke. The state bed-room was not completed. In the breakfast-room is a portrait of the first earl of Lincoln. The great dining-room is a noble one, looking to the water and the bridge; in it are four large and most capital pieces of game by Snyders, with figures by Rubens, who in one of them has introduced himself and two of his wives. Over the chimney is a piece of game, by Wenix*. Crofs the bridge, and through another part of the park to Thoresby, the late duke of Kingston's, which is very near to it. This is rather a comfortable houfe than a magnificent feat. The entrance is in the basement flory into a hall, adjoining to which are a breakfast-room, a dining-room, and drawing-room. A pair of stone stairs leads out of the hall to the next ftory; at the top of the first flight they divide into two, and lead into a circular room lighted by a large fky-light in the roof, and having a gallery which runs round it at the height of feet, in which are the doors of the bed-rooms. The fides of this room are of the fame compofition as is used in the hall at lord Rockingham's, resembling yellow marble; on the fides are pillars and pilafters, mostly white, but fome refembling verd antique. The floor is of the fame compofition. Out of this room you go into a large drawing-room hung with pictures, prints, and drawings; on the right is a small library, on the left a very elegant drawing-room. The duchefs made fome gardens with covered arbors, in the German tafte. There are fome pieces of water near the house, on one of which is a large vessel for failing. We were told that the park is thirteen iniles round. At Palethorp, adjoining to the park, is a good inn, and three miles farther is the little town of Ollerton, with a good inn in it. From Ollerton it is two miles to Rufford, a large old feat of fir George Saville, the approach to which is through the avenues of large limes, beeches, &c. Here was an abbey of the Ciftercian order, founded by Gilbert, earl of Lincoln, in 1148. On the diffolution the house and fite, with about 1000 acres of land, three water-mills, and the fifhery, were granted to George, earl of Shrewsbury. The clear value was then 2461. 15s. 5d. Dugdale's valuation is 1761. 12s. 6d. Speed's, 2541. 6s. 8d. Sir George Saville married Mary, daughter of George earl of Shrewsbury, grandson of that earl to whom it was granted. King James and Charles the First used to come hither in order to hunt in the forest of Shirewoodt. From a large hall you go into a handfome dining-room, and on the fame floor is a drawing-room, a billiard-room, and a bed-room. In the billiard-room is a picture of Buckhorse, the poor wretch who fome years ago was fo well known for his readiness to engage in a boxing-match, in which he would often come off conqueror in the end, by fuffering his antagonist to beat him till he had exhausted his strength, after which he would beat him in his turn. Up ftairs is a gallery, 38 yards long and 12 broad, in which are many valuable portraits. Lord and lady Coventry. A portrait of a young man, with the following infcription round the frame; "Le feigneur H. D. pardit fon vie naturell en fervice du Prince a Seintquenten avecque I do not recollect whether the famous picture of Sigifmunda, fold in fir Luke Schaub's fale for upwards of 400l. is at this houfe. It, however, belongs to the duke, and is not lefs remarkable for its original merit, than for Hogarth's attempt to rival it. Thoroton's Nott. p. 433. 7 honeur |