variably to the left, except the first time we have an option, when we keep to the extreme right; in coming out, we keep to the right, till we reach the same place, when we turn to the left. Opposite, between Hampton Court and Teddington, is Bushy Park, a royal domain of about 11,000 acres, entered by four gates: viz., the one here, one near Teddington, one at Hampton Wick (p. 315), and one at Hampton village. Its white-thorn trees in blossom are very beautiful, but its chief glory is in the end of spring or in early summer, when the horse-chestnuts are in full bloom, affording a sight quite unequalled in England (usually announced in the London papers). These majestic old trees, planted by William III. and interspersed with limes, form a triple avenue, of more than a mile in length, from Hampton Court to Teddington. Near the Hampton Court end of the avenue is a curious basin with carp and gold-fish. The deer in the park, never being molested, are so tame that they scarcely exert themselves to get out of the way of visitors. They even thrust their heads in at the open windows of the houses that look on the park, insisting on being fed. The residence of the ranger is a sombre red brick house, screened off by railings, near one margin of the park.

Travellers provided with a return-ticket of the North London Railway walk through Bushy Park to Teddington station, whence London is reached viâ Richmond in 3/4 hr. On leaving Hampton Court by the Lion Gates, near the Maze, we see the entrance to Bushy Park immediately opposite. We turn to the left on quitting *the park. The road almost immediately forks, when we keep to the right, and then take the second turning on the right, leading to (11/4 M.) Teddington Station. The train from Teddington to London passes Strawberry Hill (p. 315), Richmond, Willesden Junction, and Dalston. The walk from Teddington to (3 M.) Richmond is very picturesque (fine cedars). Carriage from Hampton Court to Teddington 2s. 6d., to Richmond 6s. Waggonettes ply through Bushy Park between Hampton Court and Teddington (fare 3d.); omnihus to Richmond and Kew, see p. 315.

Richmond (*Star and Garter, with fine view from the terrace, expensive; Queen's, opposite; *Talbot Hotel; Roebuck; several tea-gardens and coffee-houses; 'Maids of honour', a favourite kind of cake) may be reached direct from London by the South Western Railway (N. Entrance, p. 35) or Underground Railway every half-hour, by a Richmond omnibus (fare 18.), or, in summer, by the steamboat. It is a small town on the right bank of the Thames, charmingly situated on the slope of a hill. Ascending the broad main street of the town to the right, we reach, at the top of the hill, a fine park, terrace, and avenue, commanding a beautiful *View. Pretty walks also wind along the opposite bank of the Thames, and the grounds formerly belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch were opened as a public garden in May, 1887. Pop. (1881) 19,068.

BAEDEKER, London. 7th Edit.

21

The original name of the place was Sheen ('beautiful'), which still survives in the neighbouring East Sheen. Edward I. possessed a palace here, which was rebuilt in 1499 by Henry VII., the founder of the Tudor dynasty, who named it Richmond, after his own title. Henry VIII. and his daughter Elizabeth often held their courts in this palace, and the latter died here in 1603. In 1648 the palace was demolished by order of Parliament, and all that now remains of it is a stone gateway in Richmond Green.

Richmond is a favourite summer-resort, both of Londoners and strangers; and its large park, 2255 acres in area, and 8 M. in circumference, is frequented in fine weather by crowds of pedestrians, horsemen, and carriages. Large herds of deer here also add to the charms of the park. Pembroke Lodge in this park was the seat of Lord John Russell (d. 1878). - The small church of Richmond contains the tombs of James Thomson, the poet of the 'Seasons' (p. 202), and Edmund Kean, the famous actor (d. 1833).

From Richmond we may take the omnibus (6d. outside) or tramway (2d.; from the N. end of the town) to Kew (Star and Garter; Kew Gardens Hotel, close to Kew Gardens Station, R. & A. 3s., B. 2s., also 'pension'), the beautiful *Botanic Gardens of which are open gratis daily from noon (on Sundays from 1 p.m.) till sunset; the hothouses are open daily from 1 p.m. Kew is reached from London direct by steamboat, omnibus (comp. pp. 28 and 37), or railway (South Western Railway, N. entrance, or North London Railway, Broad Street Station, or Underground Railway, from Mansion House). The present Keeper of the gardens is Dr. W. T. Thiselton Dyer, whose predecessors were the distinguished botanists Sir Joseph D. Hooker and Sir William J. Hooker.

Kew has two railway-stations, Kew Bridge Station on the left, and Kew Gardens Station on the right bank of the Thames. Leaving the first of these, we cross the Thames to Kew Green, and thence proceed to the right to the principal entrance of the Gardens, near which is Kew Cottage. From Kew Gardens station a short road leads direct to the new Lichfield Gate, which is visible from the station. Visitors may not bring eatables into the Gardens, or pluck even the wild flowers. Smoking is strictly prohibited in the houses, but is permitted both in the Gardens and in the Arboretum (p.323).

The path to the right on entering by the principal gate leads straight to Kew Palace. To the left lie the Botanic Gardens, with numerous hothouses, where the ferns, orchids, and cacti are particularly interesting. By the pond, at the S. end of the Gardens, are the *Palm House (362 ft. long, 100 ft. broad, and 66 ft. high), where the temperature is kept at 80° Fahr., and the Water Lily House. A little to the N. of the artificial piece of water is the Tropical House, containing the tank for the Victoria Regia, which flowers in August. There are also three Botanical Museums in different parts of the Gardens. To the S. and W. of the Botanic Gardens proper, and separated from them by a wire - fence, lies the Arboretum, covering an area of 178 acres, which extends to the Thames, and is intersected in every direction by shady walks and avenues. In the N. part is a small American Garden, with magnolias and fine azaleas (best about the end of May). On the path leading from the pond towards the Richmond Gate, the elegant North Gallery, the gift of Miss North, was opened in 1882. It contains, in geographical sequence, a most interesting collection of tropical flowers, etc., sketched by Miss North in their native localities (catalogue 3d.). The * Winter Garden, or Temperate House, built in 1865 at a cost of 35,000l, is designed for keeping plants of the temperate zone during winter. The central portion is 212ft. long, 137 ft. wide, and 60 ft. high; with the wings the total length is 582 ft. At the S. extremity of the Arboretum is the Pagoda, rising in ten stories to a height of 165 ft., the summit of which, in clear weather, commands the environs for 30 M. round (no admission). Near the Pagoda is a Refreshment Pavilion (tea, ices, etc.). Both the Gardens and the Arboretum contain a number of small ornamental Temples.

Opposite the Pleasure Grounds, on the left bank of the Thames, lies Brentford (p. 325), the official county town of Middlesex. Its name often occurs in English literature; thus the 'two Kings of Brentford on one throne' are mentioned by Cowper and in the 'Rehearsal'. Adjacent is Sion House, a place of great historic interest, which was a nunnery in the 15th cent., and is now the property of the Duke of Northumberland.

A footpath on the right bank of the Thames leads through Old Richmond Park, with the Kew Observatory, to Richmond.

36. The Thames from London Bridge to Hampton Court.

STEAMBOATS are sometimes advertised to ply in summer, tide permitting, from London Bridge to Hampton Court (22 M. in 2-3 hrs.; fare 1s. 6d, return 2s. 6d.); but they are seldom able to proceed farther than Kew. By embarking at Chelsea or Battersea Park the traveller may shorten the trip by about 1 hour. The scenery, after London is fairly left behind, is of a very soft and pleasing character, consisting of luxuriant woods, smiling meadows, and picturesque villas and villages. The course of the river is very tortuous. The words right and left in the following description are used with reference to going upstream.

ROWING AND SAILING BOATS may be hired at Richmond, Kingston, Hampton Wick, and several other places on the river, the charges varying according to the season, the size of the boat, etc. (previous understanding advisable). The prettiest part of the river near London for short boating excursions is the stretch between Richmond and Hampton Court. A trifling fee, which may be ascertained from the official table posted at each lock (3d.-1s. for rowing-boats), has to be paid for passing the locks. Rowing-boats going upstream generally keep near the bank to escape the current. Boats pass each other to the right, but a boat overtaking another one keeps to the left.

The prominent objects on both banks of the Thames between London Bridge and Battersea Bridge have already been pointed out in various parts of the Handbook, so that nothing more is required here than a list of them in the order in which they occur, with references to the pages where they are described: - South Eastern Railway Bridge, Southwark Bridge (p. 117), St. Paul's Cathedral (right; p. 81), London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Bridge (p. 113), Blackfriars Bridge (p. 112), Victoria Embankment (right; p. 113), the City of London School (right; p. 114), the Temple (right; p. 136), with the new Law Courts (p. 139) appearing above it, Somerset House (right; p. 142), Waterloo Bridge (p. 143), Cleopatra's Needle (p. 114), Charing Cross Railway Bridge, Montague House (right; p. 184), Westminster Bridge (p. 192), Houses of Parliament (right; p. 184), Westminster Abbey (right; p. 193), Albert Embankment (left; p. 114), St. Thomas's Hospital (left; p. 297), Lambeth Palace (left; p. 297), Lambeth Bridge (p. 297), Millbank Penitentiary (right; p. 292), Vauxhall Bridge (p. 292), London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Bridge (Victoria, p. 292), Chelsea Suspension Bridge (p. 281), Battersea Park (left; p. 299), Chelsea Hospital (right; p. 294), Albert Bridge (p. 299), Battersea Bridge (p. 294).

A little way above Battersea we reach

L. Wandsworth (railway-station, see p. 335), an outlying suburb of London, containing a large number of factories and breweries. The scenery now begins to become more rural in character, and the dusky hues of the great city give place to the green tints of meadow and woodland. About 1 M. above Wandsworth the river is spanned by Putney Bridge, erected in 1886, connecting Fulham, on the right, with Putney, on the left.

R. Fulham is principally noted for containing a country residence of the Bishops of London, who have been lords of the manor from very early times. The Episcopal Palace, which stands above the bridge, dates in part from the 16th century. Its grounds contain some fine old trees, and are enclosed by a moat about 1 M. in circumference. In the library are portraits of Sandys, Archbishop of York, Laud, Ridley the martyr, and other ecclesiastics, chiefly Bishops of London. The first bishop who is known with certainty to have resided here was Robert Seal, in 1241. A handsome, but somewhat incongruous, chapel was added to the palace in 1867. Fulham Church has a tower of the 14th cent., and contains the tombs of numerous Bishops of London. In a house at the N. end of Fulham, on the road to Hammersmith, Richardson wrote 'Clarissa Harlowe'.

L. Putney (railway-station, p. 335) is well known to Londoners as the starting-point for the annual boat-race between Oxford and Cambridge universities (p. 48), which takes place on the river between this village and Mortlake (p. 325).

Thomas Cromwell, Wolsey's secretary, and afterwards Earl of Essex, was the son of a Putney blacksmith; and Edward Gibbon, the historian, was born here in 1737. In 1806 William Pitt died at Bowling Green House, on the S. side of the town, near Putney Heath, where, eight years before, he had engaged in a duel with George Tierney. Lord Castlereagh and George Canning also fought a duel on the heath in 1809. The tower of Putney Church is about 400 years old.

*Beautiful walk from Putney over Putney Heath, through the village of Roehampton (11/2 M. to the S.) and Richmond Park, to (4 M.) Richmond. The fine old house, called Barnes Elms, which we now soon observe on the left, was granted by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Francis Walsingham, who entertained his sovereign lady here on various occasions. It was afterwards occupied by Jacob Tonson, the publisher, who built a room here for the famous portraits of the Kit-Cat Club, painted for him by Sir Godfrey Kneller (p. 320).

On the opposite bank, a little farther on, formerly stood Brandenburgh House, built in the time of Charles I.; it was once inhabited by Fairfax the Parliamentary general, by Queen Caroline, consort of George IV., who died here in 1821, and by various other notabilities.

R. Hammersmith (railway-station), now a town of considerable size, but of little interest to strangers. The Church of St. Paul, consecrated in 1631, containing some interesting monuments, a ceiling painted by Cipriani, and an altarpiece carved by Grinling Gibbons, was pulled down in 1882 to make room for a new and larger edifice. The town contains numerous Roman Catholic inhabitants and institutions. Hammersmith is connected by a suspension-bridge, opened in 1887, with the cluster of villas called

Castelnau.

R. Chiswick (railway-station, p. 335) contains the gardens of the Horticultural Society (p. 271). Opposite Chiswick lies Chiswick Eyot.

In Chiswick House, the property of the Duke of Devonshire, Charles James Fox died in 1806, and George Canning in 1827. It was built by the Earl of Burlington, the builder of Burlington House, Piccadilly (p. 220), in imitation of the Villa Capra at Vicenza, one of Palladio's best works. The wings, by Wyatt, were added afterwards. The churchyard contains the grave of Hogarth, the painter (d. 1764), who died in a dwelling near the church, now called Hogarth House.

L. Barnes (railway-station, p. 335), a village with a church partly of the 12th cent., freely restored, and possessing a modern, ivy-clad tower. At the next bend lies

L. Mortlake (rail. stat., p. 335), with a church occupying the site of an edifice of the 14th cent.; the tower dates from 1543. In the interior is a tablet to Sir Philip Francis (d. 1818), now usually identified with Junius. Mortlake is the terminus of the University Boat Race course (comp. p. 324).

The two famous astrologers, Dee and Partridge, resided at Mortlake, where Queen Elizabeth is said to have consulted the first-named. *Pleasant walk through (S.) East Sheen to Richmond Park.

L. Kew (p. 322) has a railway-station on the opposite bank, with which a stone bridge connects it. Picturesque walk to Richmond. R. Brentford (p. 323), near which is Sion House (p. 323).

R. Isleworth (rail. stat.), a favourite residence of London merchants, with numerous villas. The woods and lawns on the banks of the river in this neighbourhood are particularly charming. The course of the stream is from N. to S. We now pass under a railway-bridge, and then a stone bridge, the latter at