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Normanton Park, Kutlandshire ;

THE SEAT OF

SIR GILBERT HEATHCOTE, BART.

THIS Mansion is a spacious and elegant edifice, of fine white stone. It was erected on the site of the ancient seat of the Mackworths, by Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bart., one of the first founders of the Bank of England, and consists of a centre, of chaste elevation, flanked by two wings in excellent proportion, each front presenting a majestic simplicity, united with great architectural beauty. Some idea may be formed of the liberal scale upon which this seat was erected, when it is mentioned, that the stone alone used in the building is estimated to have cost ten thousand pounds; and some of the old walls are still to be discerned of the former mansion, which was built by Sir Henry Mackworth, Bart., in the reign of Charles I.

The interior now presents a rich scene of modern elegance and taste. The Hall, or Vestibule, is both light and airy, opening to the staircase, which is particularly handsome. The Dining-room is a very superb apartment, with a vaulted ceiling in ornamented compartments; and the Drawing-rooms are brilliantly decorated, in a style of simple magnificence highly gratifying to the eye of taste.

The Mansion is seated on a gentle elevation, in a capacious Park of not less than nine hundred acres, affording a level and extensive lawn, of verdant turf, profusely planted with large timber trees, principally consisting of majestic oaks and noble beech, mixed with ash and full-grown limes, whose tasteful forms and richness of foliage have a fine effect, whilst plantations of every diversity of tint are in some parts pleasingly scattered amongst broken grounds, affording a welcome shade to the herds of deer browsing beneath the spreading branches; the number of which is estimated at nine hundred head; the river Guash, or Wash, forms the western boundary of the beautiful domain.

The venerable little Church of Normanton stands within the Park, at no great distance from the house, and is seen in our View, the ancient tower rearing its head above the shrubbery in which it is embosomed: the chancel contains many memorials of the former possessors of this noble seat, and beneath is the family vault.

The Gardens are modern, and have some very fine prospects in different points of view; they owe their embellishments entirely to the taste of the accomplished Lady Sophia Heathcote.

Normanton has been celebrated by the poet Dyer, who was much patronised by Sir John Heathcote, Bart. :

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This delightful retirement is situated in the East Hundred of Rutlandshire, the most fertile tract of land in the kingdom, and is distant six miles from Stamford, and five miles and a half from Okeham, the county town.

Soon after the Conquest, the Normanvilles, a family of great account in early times, were Lords of Normanton. The estate came afterwards by descent, through the Basinges to the Mackworths of Derbyshire, the fourteenth in degree from Thomas de Normanville. It then became the property of Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bart., great-grandfather of the present proprietor, who, finding the mansion old and inconvenient, erected the present magnificent residence on its site.

The family of Heathcote was anciently seated in the county of Derby, where we find it settled about the end of the sixteenth century; but, from their great landed possessions in the county of Lincoln, have for near a century become residents in that county, at Stocken Hall, another seat of Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Bart.

The present proprietor of Normanton married the Right Honourable Lady Sophia, daughter of Louisa, Countess of Dysart, by John, eldest son of Lord William Manners son of John, second Duke of Rutland.

THE SEAT OF

THE EARL OF WINCHILSEA & NOTTINGHAM, K.G.

THE estate of Burley-on-the-Hill was the residence of the Harrington family, in the reign of Elizabeth; and the first Manor-house is recorded to have been then built, but it remained not long in their possession, when it was purchased by George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, the favourite of James I., who improved and enlarged the Mansion, so as to rival Belvoir in splendour: here he entertained both King James and King Charles, with the Court, several times. In 1645, it was held by the Parliament's army, and, after the restoration, lay in ruins for several years. Upon the death of the last Duke of Buckingham, the whole estate was sold to Daniel Finch, Earl of Nottingham, who rebuilt the Mansion in its present magnificent form. It stands about two miles from the town of Okeham, in a spacious and well-wooded park, possessing a great variety of most beautiful scenery. The approach is through a thick shrubbery, where the whole of the north front is displayed suddenly to the view of the spectator, presenting a most noble centre building, one hundred and ninety-six feet in length, with a colonnade connecting the offices with it. The colonnade consists of a series of single columns, thirty-two on each side, but is not sufficiently bold in its design for the architectural grandeur that is displayed in the centre. A very large court is enclosed with iron palisades, and two handsome lodges of entrance. The east and west fronts are more plain, and are each ninety-six feet in length. On the south is the noble terrace, forty feet broad and three hundred yards in length, from whence is a most beautiful view over the grounds and adjacent country. Our View from the park shews the south front, which corresponds in architectural character with that to the north, where is the grand entrance; an enriched pediment, containing the arms of the founder, is supported by four three-quarter Doric columns in the centre, and the line of building is terminated by wings, which slightly project. A part of the old House extends on the west towards the Church, and contains the Library. The Mansion is of the Doric order of architecture, and is built entirely of a fine light gray stone, brought at a great expense from the quarries at Kelton and Clipsham. The Grounds are seen to the greatest advantage from the south and east fronts of the house. To the west is the village Church, a neat building, embosomed in trees. The Gardens have enough of the ancient regularity, to serve as a specimen of that style; and enough of modern taste, to shew the superior effect of a natural disposition.

It will be observed, that the whole of the apartments are most elegantly furnished; and those more particularly designed for state, have also an air of comfort very gratifying. Among the various Paintings which adorn the splendid apartments of this noble mansion, there are many from the pencils of the first masters, but we can enumerate only the following PORTRAITS:—

The present Earl, in his Installation robes, as a Knight of the Garter-Heneage, Lord Finch, and Lady Essex Finch, his sister, as a boy and girl, in 1695-the Prince of Wales and Duke of York whilst boys, in the robes of the Garter-Heneage Finch, Earl of Nottingham and Lord Chancellor, in 1680, in his robes-Lord Jefferies, son of Lord Chancellor Jefferies-Anne, Countess of Winchilsea and Nottingham, in 1727-Daniel, Earl of Winchilsea, her husband, who built the house-Charlotte, Duchess of Somerset, their daughter-The Hon. William Finch, father of the present Earl-Lady Charlotte Finch, daughter of the Earl of Pomfret-Sophia, Lady Lempster-The present Earl, when young, as an Oxonian, in 1771-Lady Charlotte Herbert, daughter of the Earl of Pembroke, wife of Lord Jefferies, and grandmother to Lady Charlotte Finch-John Carteret, Earl of Granville, Lord President of the Council, in 1774-Sophia, Countess of Granville, sister of Lady Charlotte Finch-Frances, Duchess of Somerset-Lord Chancellor Bacon, with a collar of S.S.-Sir Thomas Baines, Lady Rich, Sir John Finch, Solicitor General to Charles II.-Heneage, Earl of Aylesford-Lord Chancellor Nottingham, in his robes-Charles II.-Lord Chief Baron Bell-Christopher, Viscount Hatton, who was Governor of Guernsey, when Cornet Castle, his residence, was blown up, in 1672, at which time he escaped most miraculously-Lady Finch, daughter of Sir John Bell-Lord Herbert, of Cherbury, in a Spanish dress-Daniel, Earl of Nottingham-Thomas, Marquess of Rockingham-His Marchioness→→ Charles, Duke of Somerset-Charlotte, his daughter-The Hon. Edward Finch, Ambassador to the Russian Court-Charles II., sitting-Henry, Duke of Gloucester, in armour-James, Duke of York, afterwards King James II.-James I., half-length-Charles I., ditto-William III., full-lengthHenrietta Maria, Queen of Charles I.—Mary Hyde, first wife of James II.-Catharine of Braganza, Queen of Charles II., &c. &c.

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