Chelsea (London, England) -- Description and travel
Besides these there is a large staff, including Matron, Dispenser,
Organist, etc. The pensioners themselves are formed into six companies,
and their pension varies according to their rank, from the
colour-sergeants at a shilling a day to privates of the third rank at a
penny. The grounds of the Hospital were originally only twenty-eight
acres, but have been added to by purchase from time to time; they now
amount to between sixty and seventy. A portion in the south-western
corner was let on building leases not long ago.
The large open space exactly opposite to the Hospital, on the north side
of the Queen's Road, is known as Burton's Court. How it came by the name
is a matter of doubt. In Hamilton's Survey it is called College Court.
Lysons refers to it as follows: "To the north of the college is an
enclosure of about thirteen acres, planted with avenues of limes and
horse-chestnuts." Its dimensions have since been reduced by the land
given up to the parish for road-making. In 1888 it was decided to allow
the soldiers quartered at the adjacent barracks to use it as a
recreation-ground. Through the centre of it runs an avenue of trees in
direct continuation from the Hospital gates. This opens on to St.
Leonard's Terrace in two fine iron gates with stone pillars, surmounted
by military arms in stone. Beyond these gates, still in the same straight
line, runs the Royal Avenue, formerly known as White Stiles. It is
mentioned very early in the Hospital records, payments for masonry and
carpentry work being noted in 1692. Faulkner repeats a tradition to the
effect that Queen Anne intended to have extended this avenue right
through to the gates of the palace at Kensington, and was only prevented
from carrying it out by her death. At present the avenue intersected by
Queen's Road and St. Leonard's Terrace is disjointed and purposeless.
RANELAGH GARDENS.
The site of Ranelagh Gardens, which in their zenith eclipsed even the
Vauxhall Gardens as a place of entertainment, is now included in the
grounds of the Royal Hospital.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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