HAGLEY. Sometimes sad, sometimes as gay, Till soon arrived at Hagley's bower, Hail classic scenes! the year. G. DYER. Yet, to the West, the pleasing search pursue, JAGO. HAGLEY PARK, the far famed and very superb seat of Lord Lyttleton. This may with truth be denominated one of the greatest ornaments of the county. The mansion was erected by the first Lord Lyttleton, near the site of the former residence, and is a spacious and stately building, in the form of a parallelogram, with a light double range of steps on its south side, from the platform of which, the prospect is truly enchanting; it is surrounded by a lawn tastefully interspersed with clumps of fine timber, and sheltered on three sides. by the eminences in the park, and the Hitchbury. hills. The library is elegantly fitted up, the apartments are of noble dimensions, and decorated with a numerous and extremely valuable collection of paintings, many of them originals by the first masters. The prects enjoyed from different parts of this beautiful domain, are both varied and extensive, including a fine view of Worcester, Malvern, Dudley, the Wrekin, and the hills of Radnorshire, together with the intervening country, which appears studded with elegant buildings, occasionally embosomed by large woods, and sometimes receiving additional beauty from the mean-derings of a silver stream. COMBE ABBEY. : Seat of the Earl of Craven. The present noble mansion stands on the site of a religious house, founded here by Richard de Camville, for monks of the Cistercian Order, in the time of King Stephen it was chiefly erected by Lord Harrington, in the reign of James I. but has since, at different times, received considerable additions, notwithstanding which, many remains of the monastic building are yet to be seen, from whence the course of the ancient structure may still be traced. The several ranges of apartments are still of noble dimensions; they are elegantly furnished, and well suited to the purposes of state and dignified hospitality; their walls exhibit a very highly interesting collection of paintings by the best masters, many of which are portraits of the ill-fated Stuart family, a circumstance thus accounted for.-After the the battle of Prague, when Frederick King of Bohemia was deprived of his royal dignity and hereditary right, William, Lord Craven, and many English Cavaliers, unavailingly endeavoured to re instate him, to which they are said to have been stimulated by the extraordinary beauty of his Queen, who some time after resided in England, and is believed to have been privately married to the above named nobleman, though political motives would not allow of the nuptials being made public. It was to this Lord Craven that she bequeathed by will her valuable collection of paintings, including many original portraits of distinguished persons that were brought from Germany.-The Seat stands in a flat or rather low situation,* but the attached park and grounds are very tastefully laid out; they contain 500 acres, are finely adorned with wood and water, and command many beautiful prospects ove the surrounding scenery. * Comb, implying a low and hollow plot of ground. 316 T HALES OWEN. HALES OWEN is a neat town, pleasantly situated in a valley; it contains a number of handsome houses, and was formerly celebrated for its monastery, which, judging from the remains, appears to have been a very stately edifice. A farm house in its vicinity, is said to have been the Abbot's kitchen; it contains several remains of the old building, and, among other things, a number of painted tiles, which formed part of the paving of the abbey. A manufactory of nails is carried on in this town to a considerable extent, and a market is here held on Monday. The church, surmounted by a spire of exquisite proportions, which is supported by four curious arches, is a very elegant structure. |