The Times announces that the Royal Commissioners, who received a
permanent charter of incorporation on the closing of the Great Exhibition, have made some large purchases of land for National Galleries, "in com- bination with Museums such as that now at Marlborough House, or gene- rally for the promotion of arts, manufactures, and commerce." The price exacted has been very great, if not " extortionate " ; and the Exhibition surplus has already been exhausted : so that the nation will have to supply the funds for carrying out the sequel. The grounds, however, appear to be well worth securing for the purpose-
- "The site chosen for the realization of all this is at Kensington Gore. Be- hind Gore House and the line of houses which stretches almost uninterrupt- edly from the new houses of Hyde Park Terrace up to Kensington turnpike, is an extensive tract of land, now principally occupied as market-gardens, except that part of it which abuts Westward on the road called Gloucester Road, in which Mr. Canning's house and grounds, called Gloucester Lodge, were situated. Most of this land belonged to the Baron de Villars and Lord Harrington, though a portion of some extent oil the North side, near the Kensington Road, was the property of the parish of St. Margaret, Westmin- ster. The whole site is very beautifully disposed, gradually sloping to the South from the high ground of Hyde Park down to the Old Brompton Road. Great part of this land, in the time of the. Commonwealth, belonged to the Protector ; and his name is still preserved in Cromwell Lane ' and 'Cromwell House,' though, except garden-walls of great strength and solidity, there are no remains of his time. The lower part of the land is familiarly termed Brompton Grove,' and is ornamented with some really fine timber in the gardens and grounds still remaining on the Southern part of the estate. The first tract of land obtained by the Commissioners was from the trustees of the parish of St. Margaret, Westminster ; from whom, it is understood, about twenty. acres were obtained, at a cost of 60,0001., or thereabouts : but the principal purchase (a very recent one) is from the Baron de Villas, who has sold forty-eight acres of land to the Commission- ers for the large sum of 150,0001. For some smaller purchases to complete the boundary as much as 40001. per acre has been asked, and, we believe, given. "The general scheme we understand to be this—About two hundred yards on this side of the turnpike at Kensington, a road is to be cut, 100 feet wide, from Kensington Gore to Brompton, coming out at the back of Onslow Square. This road will furnish an enormous frontage for the new galleries to the West, and the facade will return at the South end to any era required. The quantity of land secured will also allow of ornamental grounds around the building to a considerable extent."
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