This estate, which once belonged to the celebrated Bond Hopkins, Esq., and was laid out for him about the middle of the last century, consists of about 100 acres of table-land, slightly varied on the surface, not by undulations, bold swells, deep valleys, or precipitous declivities, but by unconnected hollows, or large gullies, of little beauty in themselves, but capable of producing considerable effect when filled with water, as the principal one now is. In a word, the grounds at Wimbledon House have naturally little to recommend them beyond their extent, and the circumstance of their falling in a gradual manner from the lawn front of the house, to as to display from that front an interesting view of the distant country. The chief merit of the place, as a suburban residence, consists in its completeness, the whole lying compactly within a ring fence, and there being a moat commodious mansion, with complete domestic offices, a park, a farm (including a dairy and a poultry-yard), a kitchen-garden, and a flower-garden; the latter, perhaps, unrivalled in the neighbourhood of London, for the number of species and varieties of herbaceous plants that it contains.

Mrs. Marryatt has long been an enthusiastic admirer of flowers, and especially of such as are sufficiently hardy to make a display in the flower-garden. She also maintains a good collection of greenhouse and hothouse plants; and many of these, as well as hardy plants, have flowered at Wimbledon House for the first time in England, as the botanical periodicals for the last twenty years bear ample witness. Among the more beautiful and remarkable greenhouse plants which have flowered for the first time at Wimbledon, is the Taesdnia pinnati-stipula, one of the most elegant, and at the same time singular, of climbing shrubs. There are few horticultural exhibitions that have taken place since the Society commenced this mode of encouraging gardening, in which Mrs. Marryatt, or her gardener, Mr. Redding, has not obtained a medal.

485. The Park at Wimbledon House cannot be considered as having been planted with much taste; but there are some fine old trees in it, near the house, especially evergreen oaks. The pieces of water do not form agreeable shapes on paper, but, in the reality, at a distance from the eye, and with their outlines more or less disguised by trees, the effect is good, particularly that of the principal one, seven acres in extent, as seen from the house. Fig. 294. shows a portion of this piece of water, looking towards the house. Beyond a certain size, the form of a piece of water is of little consequence; but when it is so small as to be readily comprehended as a whole by a spectator at no great distance from it, then, in order to please, it must be of an agreeable shape.

486. What constitutes an agreeable shape in a lake, pond, or piece of still water? - To this question we answer, that whatever constitutes an agreeable shape on level ground or lawn, or on any other flat surface, will look equally well in water. A shape, whether of smooth lawn or still water, to be agreeable, must be such as to be readily comprehended by the eye and the mind at a single glance; and for this purpose the general form must be simple. It may be an oral or a circle, or it may be some form in which the length and breadth are more conspicuous elements than the sinuosities of the margin, and in which, consequently, the whole will always produce its full effect before the eye is attracted by the parts. These may be considered as fundamental principles; and, in applying them to the different styles in which water is formed, or surfaces of lawn surrounded by trees or shrubs, the characteristics of these styles readily come to our assistance. For example; in forming a piece of water in the geometric style, the outline must be composed of either straight or regularly curved lines.

The general form may be a square, an octagon, or a parallelogram, and this general form is that which will produce the first impression on the mind of the spectator; but the margin of the geometrical figure may be composed of numerous segments or tangents, so as to form an intricate outline, which will afford amusement to the spectator when he approaches near enough to the figure to examine it in detail. If we form a piece of water in imitation of the ponds and lakes of nature, in what is called the picturesque manner, we must still begin by some simple form, and trust to this for the general impression. This being firmly established, the margin may be varied by prominences and recesses, and trees and shrubs (as shown in fig. 295.), to any extent that does not interfere with the effect of the figure as a whole. If a piece of water is to be formed in the gardenesque manner, the same general principles are followed; but, as all the details of the margin require to be comparatively distinct, and all to appear decidedly artificial, greater care is requisite to combine regularity, uniformity, or symmetry, with variety.

487. In modern gardening, a long winding canal of still water is frequently the most effective form in which that element can he introduced; and it is sometimes so good an imitation of a river in a tame country, as to leave nothing to he desired. This, however, can only take place where long reaches of it are seen at a considerable distance from the eye, as at Oatlands; or where it is seen only in successional portions, by a spectator walking near it, and the walk being of considerable length, as at Esher. Sometimes a bridge may be introduced over a piece of water of this kind with very good effect; but care must be taken to let the size of the arches be proportionate to that of the house and grounds. This bridge, with massive stone arches, as shown in fig. 296, would be out of place where everything around was of small size; and a bridge with small low arches, as shown in fig. 297, would have a much better effect. Most commonly such canals are near the eye, vary considerably in width, and are generally contracted towards both extremities, so as to leave no doubt in the mind of the spectator that they are only ponds.