Descending from this elevation, I came down to
Bardsea on the coast of the bay, passed the old hall,
and went through the beautiful park to Conishead
Priory. Major Braddyll has been seven years re-
building his mansion (1828), and it is yet little more
than half finished. If completed in the same style,
it will be an elegant and splendid residence. It is in
the style called the English Gothic, and is built
entirely of Bath stone. The gardens are extensive
and beautiful, and the conservatory of plants is
tastefully constructed ; its rich Gothic windows, with
stained glass, and the ivy which covers the front,
give it the appearance of a chapel. About half a
mile from the house, and hid amongst the woods, is a
hermitage, consisting of a " mossy cell" and a chapel :
it is considerably more elegant than hermits are wont
to construct for themselves. The walks through the
grounds are extensive ; and, both from their own
beauty and the noble prospects they afford of the bay
and the mountains, well deserve to be perambulated
by the traveller.
