A mile thence is Basin on y^e Left hand w^{ch} was a house of y^e Duke of Boltons, but being a Garrison in y^e Civil warrs was pulled down and Now only some part remaines, and the Gardens w^{ch} are improved and new walls built: fine fruit and vineyards, a large parke to it. On y^e Right hand about a mile off is Hackwood which is another Seate of y^e Duke of Boltons in a pretty parke. It looks very pretty not large. Basinstoake Lyes watrish but its on Chalke. A little further on y^e Left hand at some distance you see a fine Seate of S^r Robert Henleys, it looks Like a little town, its so large a building, and they say its a noble thing ffinished and furnish’d very well with good Gardens. To Harfordbridge 8 mile thence to bagshott 8 mile a heavy sandy way, and y^e Same from thence to Egam 8 mile; thence to Staines a mile, where we Cross y^e Thames on a bridge and enter Middlesex—thence to London 15 miles. I went to see Hampton Court 10 mile from London; it looks Like a little town y^e buildings runn so great a Length on y^e ground, Y^e old buildings and y^e New part w^{ch} King William and Queen Mary built. Y^e Queen took Great delight in it. Y^e new was but just y^e shell up and some of y^e Roomes of State Ceil’d but nothing ffinished. The roomes were very Lofty, round a Large Court and all the appartments intire. The old buildings were on the other side the prioy Garden: there was the water Gallery that opened into a ballcony to y^e water, and was decked with China and ffine pictures of y^e Court Ladyes drawn by Nellor. Beyond this came severall Roomes, and one was pretty Large, at y^e four Corners were little roomes like Closets or drawing roomes, one pannell’d all w^{th} jappan, another w^{th} Looking Glass, and two w^{th} fine work under pannells of Glass. There was the queens Bath and a place to take boat in the house. The Gardens were designed to be very ffine, Great fountaines and Grass plotts and gravell walkes, and just against the middle of y^e house was a very large fountaine, and beyond it a large Cannal Guarded by rows of Even trees that runn a good way. There was fine Carving in the Iron Gates in the Gardens w^{th} all sorts of ffigures, and Iron spikes Round on a breast wall and severall Rows of trees. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ _HERE BEGINS MY NORTHERN JOURNEY IN MAY 1697_ ffrom London to Amwell Berry in Hartfordshire 19 mile, thence to Bishops Startford in Essex 13 mile, w^{ch} is a very pretty Neat Market town, a good Church and a delicate spring of Water w^{ch} has a wall built round it, very Sweet and Cleare water for drinking. There is a little river runns by the town y^t feeds severall Mills.