“The house is pleasantly situated about seven miles south of the town of Newport:  it has four regular fronts of the Corinthian order, built of freestone; the pilasters, cornices, ballustrades, and other ornamental parts are of Portland stone; the roof is covered with Westmoreland slates.  The grand entrance in the east front is through a hall 54 feet in length by 24 in breadth, adorned with eight beautiful columns of the Ionic order resembling porphyry.  On this floor are several handsome apartments, containing many valuable portraits, and other good paintings; the offices are very commodious, and on the first and attic stories are upwards of twenty bed-chambers with dressing-rooms.  The house was begun by Sir Robert Worsley, in 1710:  and completed by Sir Richard Worsley, who made considerable additions, and much improved upon the original design.”

Sir Richard spent a great portion of his life in collecting the paintings and other relics of antiquity which adorn the mansion, and published a very sumptuous descriptive work, entitled “Museum Worsleyanum.”  The Estate descended to the Pelham family by the marriage of the Baronet’s niece to the late Earl Yarborough.

The park of Appuldurcombe is extensive; and the soil being extremely rich, supports a great number both of deer and cattle,—­the former of which is nowhere else to be found in the island.  At the back of the mansion rises a lofty hill, whose sides are hung with groves of noble beech, interspersed with many venerable oaks.  On the summit is an obelisk, originally seventy feet high, built of Cornish granite, to the memory of Sir Robert Worsley:  but of late years it has suffered severely from the high winds, to the violence of which its elevated position renders it so exposed.  From almost every part of this down we gain the most splendid views; below, is the rich vale of Arreton, Newchurch, and Godshill:  beyond is seen on the north, Portsmouth and the neighbouring anchorages, with the wooded heights above Southampton Water; eastward are the beautiful shores of Sandown Bay; to the west the prospect is continued far beyond the white cliffs of Freshwater, by the coasts of Hants and Dorset:  and on the south expands the azure horizon of the boundless ocean.

N.B.  Strangers desirous of visiting Appuldurcombe, must provide themselves with tickets at the office of the stewards, Messrs. Sewell, Solicitors, Newport:  the days allowed are Tuesdays and Fridays, between the hours of 11 and 4 o’clock.

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GODSHILL,