Appley Towers (alternates: Appley Tower, or Appley Tower House) is an English country house in Appley, Isle of Wight. It was the seat of the Hutt family who bought it in the 1870s,[1][2] and later of Sir Hedworth Williamson. It is located near Appley House.
It is a highly imposing building in the Tudor-Gothic style of architecture. The mansion, with the gardens and estate, have been remodelled by Sir William since he purchased the demesne c. 1870. The whole resources of architectural art and modern science appear to have been brought into requisition in finishing the building, which for completeness—ornament, combined with utility—is altogether unique. At the east end of the mansion has been built a very handsome clock tower, something after the style of that of the Houses of Parliament at Westminster, the materials employed resembling those of the grand classical towers at Nice and Genoa. This rich and lofty tower greatly enhances the beauty of the entire building. "There has also been added to the estate a model farm, complete in every detail, with a turreted water tower, which supplies the wants of the gardens and the estate generally, Gas also is made on the premises for supplying the estate, whilst the stables and other adjuncts are complete in every modern detail. From the mansion electric bells are employed for communication with the heads of each department, so that the owner can have immediate communication with such when required; in fact, every department appears to lack nothing that art can produce.
Appley Towers is charmingly situated. Nature alone seems to have been profuse in her beauty there. The mansion being on an eminence commands extensive views of the sea stretching as far as Falmouth and along the adjacent, coast, and the grounds have been so arranged as to show "Nature's pictures" to the best advantage. A sea wall is built for the protection of the property, and the whole pleasure grounds, extending over many acres, are laid out with judgment and taste.
Great skill has been exercised in their planting; but that, perhaps, which renders Appley the most interesting is the work of acclimatisation that is carried out on a scale unequalled perhaps in any other establishment in Britain. To this important work the proprietor devotes especial and personal attention, and in carrying it out he is ably supported by his painstaking gardener Mr. Sunbury. The results obtained cannot but be beneficial to horticultural science in general, for there is perhaps no department of gardening so little understood as that of acclimatisation. Amongst gardeners generally the predominating object seems to be that of coddling, but no protection is ever given to any plants at Appley during the winter. The list of plants we enumerate are such as have been proved perfectly hardy after two or three years of trial of them, while the good work is still progressing. Many hundreds of stove, New Holland, and Cape plants have been planted out this year, and have thrived so far very satisfactorily.
On entering the grounds from the orangery—which is in a line with the mansion and is 50 feet by 20, and well stocked with fine Orange trees, the roof finely covered with the red and white Lapagerias beautifully interlaced—the eye is entranced by a huge belt of Hydrangeas 5 or (i feet high skirting a shrubbery, in full bloom on Octol«r 11th. 'This is easily seen from the principal drawing-room, from where the present view is taken; also beds of fuchsias of the choice greenhouse varieties were very fine. Eucalyptus globulus is planted extensively, all of them having been raised from seed received from Nice and Algiers. Although only planted two or three years the trees have attained the height of from 20 to 30 feet. There is also the Peach-leaf-shaped Eucalyptus, which attains the height of 420 feet in its native habitat—Australia. Araucaria brasiliense quite luxuriates at Appley. Messrs. Veitch Sc Son sent Sir William a dozen seedlings in a pot for trial, and it is gratifying to record how well they have succeeded. Some of them are now 3 and 4 feet. high. Erythrina Crista-galli had also been splendid, and the Nerium Oleander was grand, flowering profusely. Abutilon Boule de Neige flowers well as a hardy shrub, also A. vexillarium. Habrothamnus eleganshad flowered twice; Eriostcmons, Desfontainea spinosa, Correa Harrisii, Gievillea rosmarinifolia, Acacias longiflora, armata, and coccinea, Borouia serrulata, (ienelyflis fuchsioides, Rhynchospermum jasmiuoides, Dasylirions, Aralia papyrifera, Dracaena indivisa, Phormium tenax, Dieksonia antarctica, Alsophila excel.sa, and the Breadfruit Tree (Artocarpus incisa), have all stood the test of full exposure.
Cassia corymbosa in beds 20 and 30 feet long, one mass of rich golden yellow, was a sight not easily to be forgotten. Bouvardias do well and flower most beautifully, as also do Clianthus puniceus and roagnifica: to which we must also add another choice greenhouse climber, Cantua dependens. How seldom is it we see this lovely climber in our greenhouses, and yet what can be liner than its fine and charming rosecoloured racemes of flowers in the spring? Amongst choice flowering shrubs Indian Azaleas and several of the mollis section are planted out, and there is a fine collection of choice Rhododendrons, and many rare and beautiful Aucubas; amongst them Youngii medio-picta was very attractive.
The ends of the conservatory, a building 63 feet by 23, is finely covered with climbing plants. This house was undergoing cleaning and repairs during our visit; it is seen from the house, but it is the white and red Lapagerias planted outside that demand attention. They art both magnificent plants and produce their flowers in large clusters. These plants cover a large superficial area, and seem to delight in having full scope to display their floral wreaths. Outside in a narrow border were flowering profusely Guernsey and Belladonna Lilies and Nerine Fothergilli. At a short distance from the conservatory is a very beautiful aviary containing many rare species of parrots, Sec. Many flowering plants and trees cannot be noticed, but we must not omit some of the following— Myoporum parvifolium, Lomntias, Edwardsias, Banksias, Magnolia8 in variety, and all the greenhouse varieties of Veronicas quite 5 and 6 feet high. Myrtles are numerous and do well, the saline air seeming to agree with them admirably. Iochroma grandiflora, Hovea Celsii, Metrosideros floribunda, Philesia buxifolia, and the Guava (Psidium Cattleyanum), probably the only acclimatised specimen in Britain, and Poinciana Gillicsii are all thriving well in the open air.
There are some huge beds of Camellias quite covered with buds and having remarkably fine dark green foliage. Subtropical bedding is done largely and embraces all the usual plants for such purposes. There are also some fine beds of Clematises, the figures being segments of circles, effectively planted; and contrasting effectively are such Conifers as Araucaria excelsa, Cedrus Deodara, Wellingtonia gigantea, from 30 to 45 feet high. For affording brightness and relief to the shrubs an ingenious expedient is resorted to. About five stakes C or 7 feet high are driven into the grouDd; these are encircled with wire netting, filled up with soil, and planted with Vesuvius Geranium trained round the wire netting. These cones of scarlet flowers contrasting so well with the surroundings need to be seen to be appreciated. There are two flower gardens, one in front of each 6ide of the mansion, which contain thousands of bedding plants, but on these I need not dwell.
The kitchen gardens and forcing houses are on the opposite side of the road. The glass is extensive. The first range is 120 feet long, divided into four divisions of 30 feet each; the first being devoted to Cape plants and a few cool Orchids, the second and third to Cucumbers and Melons, and the fourth, is a propagating pit. The next range is of the same dimensions, and contains four vineries; the first being the early one, planted with Black Hamburgh, Frankenthal, and Foster's Seedling; the second a Muscat house, which contained some very fine bunches, plump in berry and fine in colour; the third is a second Hamburgh house; and the fourth contains Lady Downe's, Alicante, Gros Column, and Bowood Muscat. Some of the Bowood Muscats were especially good and spotless in colour; the wood was matured well, and the crop ample.
The next range is a set of span-roofed houses 120 feet long by 20 wide; the first being a plant stove 45 feet long, and contains the curious crab-footed plant, Testudinaria elcphantipes (the female variety), also Hedychium coronarium with its white perfumed flowers, Eondeletia speciosa, Crotons, and the charming Tabemsemontana coronaria flore-pleno. Is it not a wonder we see this lovely plant in so few collections? The same may be asked respecting Combretum purpureum with its fine racemes of purple flowers, a colour rare in stove plants. Gardenia Stanleyana had flowers 7 inches long. The second house in this range is devoted to East Indian Orchids, such as Vanda tricolor, Phalajnopsis Schilleriana, Saccolabium guttatum which had thirteen spikes on last year, Vanda teres, &c, all in excellent health and had made very good growths. The next division is a fruiting Pine stove, which contained good fruit of Queens and Smooth-leaved Cayennes on plants just sixteen months old. The last division is an intermediate Orchid house. These last three divisions are 25 feet long, and all are devoted to Orchids.
Six ranges of pits each 48 feet long are provided for growing and forcing vegetables, Strawberries, successional Pines, etc, and are admirably adapted for the purpose. About 1200 Strawberries were plunged in ashes. Vicomtesse Hericart dc Thury, Keens' Seedling, and Sir Joseph Paxton are the sorts chiefly .forced. A range of glass is on the top of the kitchen garden, 200 feet long, and divided into three compartments* is devoted to Peaches, one of the divisions being used as a cool orchard house for Apricots, etc.
The next portion of the kitchen garden, which is divided by a wall, contains a house 40 feet by 25, full of specimen Azaleas, Cape Heaths, Australian plants, with a Marechal Niel Rose trained on the roof. Most of the glass has been recently erected. Wright's boiler has been lately adapted for heating purposes, and Mr. Sunbury speaks very favourably of it.
The kitchen gardens are well cropped, and their good keeping is in unison with the rest of the establishment. Fruit has not been very plentiful this year, nor does it ever seem in great abundance at Appley. Apricots scarcely ever produce a crop, perhaps this may be accounted for by the comparative absence of sun when most required in the autumn; neither are vegetables so early as might naturally be expected.
This article includes text incorporated from Journal of Horticulture Office's "Journal of horticulture, cottage gardener and home farmer, Volume 35 (1878)", a publication now in the public domain.