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Article BATH, AND ITS FORMER INHABITANTS. ← Page 3 of 6 →
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Bath, And Its Former Inhabitants.
what John Wood calls . u the' castle-like seat at Newton . " The whole building was entire in Wood ' s time , about 116 years ago . Leland takes notice of the building in the seventh volume of his Itinerary , " and tells us that the last Lord St . Loe , dying Avithout heirs male , his lands descended to the Lords Hungerford and Botreaux . The arms of Botreaux appear on
the battlements of the toAA er . Wood says that Lord Hungerford being descended from the heiresses ofthe families of Botreaux and St . Loe , came into possession of Lord St . Loe ' s seat at Newton , and thereby to an habitation that not only appears with a dignity suitable to the ancient nobility ol the British nation , but with a strength sufficient for detaining King John a prisoner ; for in one of the towers that monarch , as tradition informs us ,
Avas confined . " The tower is rather more than fifty feet in height . It contains three Avell proportioned rooms above ground , approached by a handsome circular staircase ; a small spiral staircase unites the roof . with the dungeon underground ; each apartment is connected Avith the prison and small staircase by means of a low doorway of most sinister import ; ancl it is impossible , Avithout a shudder , to think of the deeds that may have been done in the dungeon below !
Prior Park in tlie days of Ralph Allen , 1758 —The mansion here appears as it was originally built . The magnificent portico' on the north side is styled by John Wood the grand paA ilion , and was never used as an entrance . Stone balustrades were placed as a protection , in the interstices ofthe columns , and no doubt the inmates of the mansion in summer often used it as an apartment , and , protected from the burning rays of the midday sun , enjoyed the cooling breezes and the splendid view of the distant city . Several noble vases on immense blocks of freestone , attest the durability of the Bath
stone , having now Aveathered , for more than a century , the storms and frosts . The approaches to the beautiful Palladian bridge have been much injured ; for nearly all the balustrades and stone balls have been wantonly thrown into the water , Avhilst the springs are now sadly out of order . In 1752 , Mr . Allen received the Princess Amelia at Prior . Park , and lent Her Royal Highness the house for the season . When Mr . Allen had determined to build the present mansion in Prior Park , he sent for Mr . John Wood , the
architect , avIio Avaited on him at the old Post-office , in Lilliput-alley , Avhere Allen then resided . 44 1 Avant you , " said Allen , u to build me a country house on the Prior ' s estate at Widcombe . " He then described the sort of place he Avished erected ; but when Allen entered into the details , and talked about a private chapel , with a tribune for the family , a portico of gigantic dimensions , a grand entrance-hall , and Avings of offices for coach-houses , stables , & c , the astonished architect began to think the worthy postmaster had taken leave of his senses . 4 t Have you , sir , sat down , and counted the cost of building such a place ? " 4 i I have , " replied Allen , u and for some years have been
laying by money for that purpose . " u But , " said Wood , thc place you are talking about , Avould be a palace , and not a house ; you have not the least idea of the money 'twould take to complete it ! 'Twould cost a fortune . " "Well , " rejoined Allen , u come this Avay . " He took him into the next room , and opening a closet door , showed him a strong box— That box is full of guineas ! " Allen opened another closet , and showed a second and a third . Wood still hesitated . 4 t Well , " said Allen , u come into this room , " a fourth and n fifth were discovered . The architect now began to open his eyes with wonder . u If avc have not money enough here , come into this
bed 4 x 10 m ; " a sixth—a seventh , and lo ! an eighth appear . John Wood might well have exclaimed , I'll see no more , For perhaps like Banquo ' s ghost you'll show a score . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Bath, And Its Former Inhabitants.
what John Wood calls . u the' castle-like seat at Newton . " The whole building was entire in Wood ' s time , about 116 years ago . Leland takes notice of the building in the seventh volume of his Itinerary , " and tells us that the last Lord St . Loe , dying Avithout heirs male , his lands descended to the Lords Hungerford and Botreaux . The arms of Botreaux appear on
the battlements of the toAA er . Wood says that Lord Hungerford being descended from the heiresses ofthe families of Botreaux and St . Loe , came into possession of Lord St . Loe ' s seat at Newton , and thereby to an habitation that not only appears with a dignity suitable to the ancient nobility ol the British nation , but with a strength sufficient for detaining King John a prisoner ; for in one of the towers that monarch , as tradition informs us ,
Avas confined . " The tower is rather more than fifty feet in height . It contains three Avell proportioned rooms above ground , approached by a handsome circular staircase ; a small spiral staircase unites the roof . with the dungeon underground ; each apartment is connected Avith the prison and small staircase by means of a low doorway of most sinister import ; ancl it is impossible , Avithout a shudder , to think of the deeds that may have been done in the dungeon below !
Prior Park in tlie days of Ralph Allen , 1758 —The mansion here appears as it was originally built . The magnificent portico' on the north side is styled by John Wood the grand paA ilion , and was never used as an entrance . Stone balustrades were placed as a protection , in the interstices ofthe columns , and no doubt the inmates of the mansion in summer often used it as an apartment , and , protected from the burning rays of the midday sun , enjoyed the cooling breezes and the splendid view of the distant city . Several noble vases on immense blocks of freestone , attest the durability of the Bath
stone , having now Aveathered , for more than a century , the storms and frosts . The approaches to the beautiful Palladian bridge have been much injured ; for nearly all the balustrades and stone balls have been wantonly thrown into the water , Avhilst the springs are now sadly out of order . In 1752 , Mr . Allen received the Princess Amelia at Prior . Park , and lent Her Royal Highness the house for the season . When Mr . Allen had determined to build the present mansion in Prior Park , he sent for Mr . John Wood , the
architect , avIio Avaited on him at the old Post-office , in Lilliput-alley , Avhere Allen then resided . 44 1 Avant you , " said Allen , u to build me a country house on the Prior ' s estate at Widcombe . " He then described the sort of place he Avished erected ; but when Allen entered into the details , and talked about a private chapel , with a tribune for the family , a portico of gigantic dimensions , a grand entrance-hall , and Avings of offices for coach-houses , stables , & c , the astonished architect began to think the worthy postmaster had taken leave of his senses . 4 t Have you , sir , sat down , and counted the cost of building such a place ? " 4 i I have , " replied Allen , u and for some years have been
laying by money for that purpose . " u But , " said Wood , thc place you are talking about , Avould be a palace , and not a house ; you have not the least idea of the money 'twould take to complete it ! 'Twould cost a fortune . " "Well , " rejoined Allen , u come this Avay . " He took him into the next room , and opening a closet door , showed him a strong box— That box is full of guineas ! " Allen opened another closet , and showed a second and a third . Wood still hesitated . 4 t Well , " said Allen , u come into this room , " a fourth and n fifth were discovered . The architect now began to open his eyes with wonder . u If avc have not money enough here , come into this
bed 4 x 10 m ; " a sixth—a seventh , and lo ! an eighth appear . John Wood might well have exclaimed , I'll see no more , For perhaps like Banquo ' s ghost you'll show a score . "