was a great concern at Bartley, and when we returned home for each summer holiday the mowing was always just beginning. We (Tom and I) used to attend the mowers all day, and learnt to mow a little, and used to tumble about with Marianne and Fanny in the haycocks, and ride in the loaded wagons to the haystack. It lasted the greater part of our five or six weeks' holidays, as part of the land was always three weeks later in being cut. I have always since thought haymaking the most delightful of sights. We always had our small rakes and forks, and used to try how much we could glean after the wagon. As the whole of this grass land was unenclosed, and surrounded the house, it made a good-sized park, and was full of fine old oaks." Major Edward Gilbert married Jane Ludlow in 1828 and for some years they lived at Bartley lodge but they often rented it to wealthy tenants for long periods. In 1837 he rented it for a year to the Shore family. Their eldest daughter Emily Shore wrote a diary which is highly regarded today. A whole section of the diary tells of her time at Bartley Lodge. She describes the drawing room and two of the bedrooms in the following terms. "The first is a large lofty room, twenty-four feet long. I like it better than that at Woodbury. It has a pretty light paper, a very handsome, old- fashioned, carved chimney-piece, and two windows. Mamma's room is just the same size. Mine I quite love. It is at the back of the house, and has two windows looking out into the garden and forest beyond." She describes part of the front of the house as follows. ""I sat out of doors for an hour or two in the afternoon, in a little sheltered spot in front of the house, before the eastern wing, which recedes a few feet back. It is a very small piece of grass, between rhododendrons on one side, and laurustinus on the other, with the wall of the house covered with jessamines behind. In front is the park and forest so that altogether it is a sweet little spot, and I enjoyed sitting here very much. It was a calm, delicious day, the forest bathed in sunlight, the sky a pure pale blue. On my left,