MR. URBAN,

I HAD long entertained an earnest wish to become personally acquainted with the benevolent and distinguished proprietor of the far-famed Walton Hall, near Sandall, in the west riding of the county of York. I had learned to revere the character of the amiable and learned author, from frequent perusal, of his admirable " Essays on Natural History," as likewise the captivating account of his "Wanderings in South America." I was equally desirous to visit the house and museum of Mr. Waterton, the best energies of whose useful life have been devoted to ornithological investigations, and to other important branches of natural history, and, it may be added, to the amelioration of the condition and treatment of the feathered tribe.

At length, on Monday, the 27th of September, 1847, I had the happiness to form one of an intellectual party in paying a visit to, and passing a long day with, the energetic wanderer in Guiana, at his residence (Walton Hall), and it will ever continue a "red letter day" in my remembrance. The morning was most propitious, and its almost summer warmth seemed to reward us for the cold and tempestuous equinoctial gales which had been blowing with terrific force for many previous days; but which now happily changed into a perfect calm. Our way led us along a high terrace line of country, celebrated for its historical recollections, and for many bloody encounters during the civil wars of the White and the Red Roses. Passing over the paved streets of once" merrie Wakefield," now, alas! the abode of rampant and Republican Dissent, and distinguished by its tall chimneys, vomiting forth eternal smoke, we crossed the River Calder by a handsome bridge, on the right bank of which there is a beautiful chapel, hap

as a

pily rescued now from the hands of the Vandals, who had desecrated it to serve the purposes of commerce. It does not speak much for the credit of the Wakefield "Knox's" that this holy building should have been thus scandalously abused through a long succession of years. It is now, happily, undergoing a complete restoration church, at the estimated expense of 2000l. The exterior is now nearly finished, and in a style of architectural propriety and beauty worthy the reviving piety of the age, and all this, notwithstanding the bitter hostility of the church-destroying Dissenters of Wakefield. The interest naturally taken by the excellent Mr. Waterton in the reconstruction and consecration of this exquisite specimen of rich gothic architecture, induces me to add a view of the exterior of the building as it appears in its renovation; and to introduce the following quotation from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England, as an accurate description of it, done to my hand:

66

The chapel on the right bank of the Calder, by the bridge at Wakefield, is supposed to have been erected by Edward III., and endowed by that monarch with ten pounds per annum for two chaplains, and to have been rebuilt by Edward IV., in memory of his father, the Duke of York, and of his followers who fell in the battle of Wakefield. It is a beautiful structure in the Decorated English style, about ten yards in length and eight in width. The west front is extremely rich in ornamental detail, and divided into compartments by buttresses, with canopied niches, and adorned with delicate tracery, and every embellishment for which that graceful style is distinguished. It has been lately used as a counting-house by a corn merchant." Those who desire a more minute

GENT. MAG. VOL. XXIX.

and perfect description of this beauti ful wayside chapel may be referred to a small but most interesting publication, by J. C. Buckler and Charles Buckler, and printed by John H. Parker, Oxford, entitled, "Remarks on Wayside Chapels, with Observations on the Architecture and present State of the Chantry on Wakefield Bridge." It contains numerous illustrative engravings, which are very serviceable to the un-architectural reader. The glory of recovering this chantry or chapel to the services of the Established Church is entirely attributable to the pious and zealous churchmanship of the Reverend Samuel Sharp, Vicar of Wakefield, and secondly to the judicious superintendence of the members of the Yorkshire Architectural Society.

In this work it is stated, and it will be useful to offer the extract to our readers, that," Irregular as is the form of the basement upon which the chapel at Wakefield is built, yet the four walls meet upon it in a true rectangular figure, without distinction between sanctuary and body, the design being carried out with studied elegance and uniformity in all the features-buttresses, windows, and pinnacles."

And further, "It may seem necessary to remark that the building here described, so elegant in its character, and so beautifully ornamented, is comprehended in the space of fifty feet in length, by twenty feet in width, and thirty-six feet in height." Four years since "the interior presented a spectacle of unrestrained mischief and deplorable ravage."

"It seems surprising that hands were found mischievous enough to commence and carry on the work of spoliation in a little wayside asylum like this, so exquisitely beautiful in all its finishings, and which had been so long devoted to sacred purposes; but its costlier appurtenances, the gold and silver with which the altar was doubtless graced, were irresistible. These brought down desecration and destruction upon the building.

"The Yorkshire Architectural Society is to be honoured for their strenuous endeavour to redeem from ruin, and re-dedicate to the services of religion, a choice specimen, which has sustained its full share of desecration and injury."

Up to the present time, the restoration of the interior of the Chapel has been accomplished so far as respects the roof only, all the solid parts of which have been put up, and the ornamental parts are ready to be added, as soon as the masons have completed their work within the building.

An anonymous friend has given three windows of stained glass, which are now being executed at York by Messrs. Barnett and Son. They are to fill the windows on the east, the north-east, and south-east.

The open seats are to be of carved oak, and all the other internal decorations will be quite in keeping with its hallowed character and dedication to the worship of the Holy and Indivisible Trinity.

Having inspected this beautiful edifice, and mutually congratulated ourselves upon its recent rescue from the desecrating hands of the Wakefield Goths, we passed on to the ancient and interesting village of Sandall, and thence, turning to the left out of the Barnsley road, drove under an arch of the North Midland railway into the demesnes of Walton Hall, crossing the Barnsley canal, which bounds the greater portion of the estate, and so up to the park gate,-the park wall extending to a circuit of three miles.

"Walton (says Mr. Samuel Lewis, in his Topographical History of England) is a township in the parish of Great Sandall (Union of Wakefield), lower division of the Wapentake of Agbrigg, west riding of York, three miles S. E. by S. from Wakefield. Walton Hall is the seat of Charles Waterton, Esq., author of a volume of Essays on Natural History and Wanderings in South America. The Barnsley canal and the North Midland railway pass through the township."

The Barnsley canal, noticed above, alone served to save the tranquil locality of the Walton estate from the intrusion of the railway into its park and grounds, and close to the mansion itself.

We now reached a handsome iron bridge, which, supplying the place of the old demolished drawbridge, leads to the extensive lawn, in front of the mansion, which is surrounded by a magnificent sheet of water, stretching upon the left to a considerable extent,

and having, near its extremity, a pretty island, covered with a variety of plants and evergreens. During the season of winter this island is tenanted by a great variety of northern birds, and by an annual visitor, a large cormorant, who has become familiarized with the place. The habits of these aquatic birds Mr. Waterton can study at his leisure, through the medium of a large telescope, kept for the purpose in his principal drawing-room, the view from which up to the island is perfectly enchanting. A very accurate sketch of the mansion and contiguous grounds is appended, as a frontispiece, to Mr. Waterton's interesting work, "Essays on Natural History."

The only portion now remaining of the ancient hall of the Watertons is the "water-gate," to the left as we crossed the bridge. It is a building containing many subjects of great interest, both to the antiquary and the naturalist, and with which Mr. Waterton's own graphic description had already made me so familiar that I found myself my own "Cicerone" among them, and at once entered "in medias res, non secus ac notas." This far-famed 66 water-gate." is surrounded by yew trees, and quite concealed from view by the thick hedge which they form. Within this inclosure there is a singular round building, specially erected for the accommodation of starlings, of which no less than eighty pair built their nests in it, and reared their young, during the last breeding season. My attention was next drawn to the place where two pairs of owls had reared their young, and close to it were the nests of several pigeons, with eggs in some of them quite undisturbed by their supposed natural enemy. Indeed, I remarked that several different species of the feathered tribe congregate here in perfect security, and live together in most admired forbearance, if not upon the strictest terms of amity.

The old water-gate itself was the next object of interest. It is pierced by the bullets of the revolutionary bandits warring against peaceable subjects under the orders of Protector Cromwell; and a brass plate, with an inscription, records (perhaps apocryphally) the bullet fired by the hand

of the covenanting general. Many similar reliques, exhibiting the social benefits of republicanism and rebellion, of treason and faction, here present themselves as so many accusing witnesses against the blood-thirsty leaders of those fanatical, hypocritical, and barbarous times. It is well remembered at Walton Hall, and the family records shew, how the covenanting troops (with religion on their lips and a two-edged sword in their hands) destroyed all the surrounding villages, introducing fire, pillage, and plunder; how they trod under the feet of their cavalry horses the corn fields, teeming with autumnal wealth; and how they especially injured and impoverished the "Walton" property in every way. One is tempted to ask here, was it for deeds of cruelty like these that a defunct Parliament degraded itself by raising the question, whether the Calvinistic butcher (Cromwell) should have his statue raised close to that of his murdered and sainted sovereign, the "Royal Stuart ?"

Against this interesting ruin of the old gateway, tradition says that the waves of the lake have dashed for the better part of a thousand years." (Waterton's Essays, page 10.)

Walton Hall is a fine palladian edifice, and was erected a century ago on the site of the original building. Though surrounded by water, it is perfectly free from damp; and some very effective means have been adopted to prevent the ingress of rats, which are designated, in the language of the Hall, "Hanoverian." The scenery of the extensive lake, as contemplated from the windows of the apartments looking to the east and south, is rich and beautiful. The winter season brings with it a number of northern divers, wild swans, geese, and ducks, and, if the weather be very severe, the lovely lake presents a most animated picture. Encouraged and familiarized by the forbearance practised, our friend the cormorant (quite the annual denizen of the place) spatiates alone, with the utmost unconcern and apparent sense of perfect security, upon the lawn and along the margin of the lake, invariably betaking himself, at his roosting hour, to the deep thicket which covers the distant islet. I dwell upon these interesting little

and perfect description of this beautiful wayside chapel may be referred to a small but most interesting publication, by J. C. Buckler and Charles Buckler, and printed by John H. Parker, Oxford, entitled, "Remarks on Wayside Chapels, with Observations on the Architecture and present State of the Chantry on Wakefield Bridge." It contains numerous illustrative engravings, which are very serviceable to the un-architectural reader. The glory of recovering this chantry or chapel to the services of the Established Church is entirely attributable to the pious and zealous churchmanship of the Reverend Samuel Sharp, Vicar of Wakefield, and secondly to the judicious superintendence of the members of the Yorkshire Architectural Society.

In this work it is stated, and it will be useful to offer the extract to our readers, that," Irregular as is the form of the basement upon which the chapel at Wakefield is built, yet the four walls meet upon it in a true rectangular figure, without distinction between sanctuary and body, the design being carried out with studied elegance and uniformity in all the features-buttresses, windows, and pinnacles."

And further, "It may seem necessary to remark that the building here described, so elegant in its character, and so beautifully ornamented, is comprehended in the space of fifty feet in length, by twenty feet in width, and thirty-six feet in height." Four years since "the interior presented a spectacle of unrestrained mischief and deplorable ravage."

"It seems surprising that hands were found mischievous enough to commence and carry on the work of spoliation in a little wayside asylum like this, so exquisitely beautiful in all its finishings, and which had been so long devoted to sacred oses; but its costlier appurt