Fig. 76., in p. 358, 359., is a plan of the grounds at Redleaf as they now exist, exhibiting Mr. Wells's improvements. On comparing this plan with fig. 75. in p. 356, 357., the principal alterations made by Mr. Wells appear obvious at first sight. One of these, essential to the beauty of the place, is the plantation made in the direction of a b c, in fig. 75., parallel to the approach from Penshurst. Without this plantation, which is chiefly of evergreens, the eye of the stranger arriving from Penshurst would have seen all the natural beauties of the grounds before entering the house; because the ground slopes from that line of approach on the left towards the valley, and rises on the right towards the public road. The same thing would happen to a stranger arriving by the London approach, were not the trees disposed along it in the direction d, e, f, which shuts out the great north-western valley, except near the entrance approach; where the eye may detect between the trunks of some large trees just as much of the commencement of the valley as to set the imagination at work to guess its extent. As the wood is now disposed, the stranger, whether he arrives from London by Seven Oaks, or from Tunbridge Wells by Penshurst, drives up to the house, admiring the finely scattered groups of oaks, thorns, and hollies, on the rising grounds on one side of the approach, without being aware of what is concealed by the plantation on the other side. Entering the house, from the bay of the drawingroom at g, he is struck with astonishment at the extent of the prospect, and at the fine reach of the river at h; beyond which, up the valley, he can see nearly as far as Godstone, where some trees on the summit of a hill above that town mark its situation. If, from the centre window, he turns his head to look through the window on his right hand, he sees the whole range of the Redleaf rocks; and if he turns to the left-hand window, he sees another reach of the river appearing beyond a wood. The surface of the water of the river is probably 200 ft. below the level of the drawingroom floor from which it is seen; the chain or causeway of rocks, i i, 100 ft. below it, and the cottage l, and wood m, rather lower.
