Belton, near Grantham; Earl Brownlow. - May 21. We passed to this place from Harlaxton, through Grantham, and a very miserable village, which we could not help wishing had belonged to Mr. Gregory. The wretched hovels exhibited not only a want of taste in their exteriors and surrounding gardens, but even a want of repair and the appearance of common comforts. Belton we have always understood to be one of the best kept places in England, and we certainly found it so, though the family had been absent some months, and were not expected till July. We entered by the kitchen-garden, which was originally planned by, and built under the direction of, Mr. Webb. The pine stoves and vineries are wide, with a fixed roof formed by bars without rafters, resting on a horizontal iron rail, supported by iron pillars, rising from the middle of the tan pits. The only inconvenience that the gardener, Mr. Ingram, finds from these pillars, is, that he is in danger of breaking the long stiff shoots of the vines, when he removes them from the rafters to lay them down to rest on the top of the front wall, in Mr. Strutt's manner. The grounds have few natural inequalities; but the river Witham runs through them, and this feature has been made the most of, especially near the house, which is a fine old French mansion, with stately avenues. Among the old trees are some good specimens, especially of elm and Scotch pine. There is a rustic bridge leading over a piece of water to what may be called a fancy cottage, which is covered over with rustic trelliswork for climbers, and these climbers are planted in rustic boxes, which project from the outside of the parapet of the bridge. The idea is comparatively new, and the effect good. In the church, the tower of which forms a fine object from the walk in the pleasure-grounds which leads to it, are some fine sculptural monument? of the Brownlow family, and in the churchyard are several to their servants; kindness and consideration to them being apparently hereditary in the family. One tombstone is to the memory of a gardener, who had been 54 years in the family, and died in 1710. The place has two defects which might easily be remedied. The first is, that there is no master walk so conducted as to display the main features of the place; and the second, that the kitchen-garden cannot be entered without crossing a public road, and also, if we are not mistaken, a farm road. A tunnel or tunnels would at once remove the latter objection, and facilitate the removal of the former. The home farm-offices are very complete; we entered the poultry-house, which is a square room, well lighted, and heated by an open fireplace. There is a range round the room of coops for hens with chickens; above it, one for laying-hens; and above that, one for such as are hatching. On each side a hen stair leads to the roosting-place, which is above the ceiling, so that nothing can ever drop on the floor. The village here is being remodeled in the Gothic style in good taste, and is already a most gratifying and conspicuous ornament to the public road. Would that His Lordship might extend this admirable improvement to all the cottages on the estate! By way of expression of purpose, the smithy has a large horseshoe sculptured on the gable, which projects over the entrance. The inn and public houses have carved stone figures for their signs; the beautiful schoolhouse has a quotation, and the village shop has a riband label of stone (too broad, and not very tastefully displayed) over the broad window for displaying the goods. In the flower-garden we observed a curious hybrid between a Brompton stock and a wallflower, which appeared to be producing seed; and which, at all events, we trust Mr. Ingram has propagated by cuttings. [Wikipedia: Belton House is a country house near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. Coordinates: 52.944ﾦ N 0.6228ﾦ W The mansion is surrounded by formal gardens and a series of avenues leading to follies within a greater wooded park.]
