ABBEY DESTROYER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 29 June 1926, Page 5

ABBEY DESTROYER.

UNDOING THE WORK OF 1 ‘ C APA BI LIT,Y BR OWN.” Nobody must mention the words “Capability Biown” to H.M. Office of Works. JEfe i-s costing them too much money. “Capability BroAvn” has been dead quite a iong time, but his work lives on He, Avas the head gardener cf the fourth Earl of Scaidsorough in 1774. The earl had some fine old- ruins. Roche Abbey, Rotherham, and the ruins annoyed him. Roche Abbey Avas once the finest Cistercian monastery in England, and had suffered violence in the. general suppression: but the romance of the place did net inspire the earl, and he caped for his head gardener, BroAvn. “BroAvn,” he said, “clear those ruins out and make something useful. ’> BroAvn called up his gardeners and under-gardeners and a labouring staff. They cared nothing for monks and monasteries. Brown Avas knoAvn for his thoroughness, and h e Avas out to prove it. Down came the ruins—the chapter-house, the- Avprming-room, the refectory, and the rest of it. All except the Aval's of the tAvo transoept chapels. BroAvn’s men had their coats off ready to smash these doAvn Avhenj the earl Avhimsically changed hi-s mind. “You can leave -them standing,” said the earl.

“Very good, my lord,” said- Capability "Brown. “There's nothin" left of the rest except the foundations.” “I think a. good bowling green could be laid down there.” said the earl. L LiVei-v wood, my lord,” said Capability Brown. 'The ground was new a hideous mess of trenc-hes and holes and bits of ruins, but Brown tackled the job in earnest.^ Hundreds) of tons of so it were carted from elsewhere. The- stumps of the ruins were- buried, the surface was rolled and sown with fine grass iseed, and finally Capability Brown presented to the earl the finest bowling green in aP England. The earl was delighted, and settled a. huge- sum on Brown as a reward. Now the -Office of Works, with more love of old ruins tlian bowling greens, is busv unearthing the foundations, and undoing, as far as possible. £ ‘Capability's u nromantic work.