The writer describes Foxcote Manor as historical and degrading. Foxcote Manor is described as 'erupts from the undergrowth', which suggests that its existence is awkward and mysterious. The verb 'erupts' shows sudden aggression, implying that the house is built rapidly without planning, whereas 'undergrowth' adds a sense of the sinister, uncanny nature of Foxcote Manor, as it seems that it doesn't belong there. This is further emphasised by the oxymoron 'wrecked beauty', which reinforces that the ancient building doesn't fit well with the vibrant nature surrounding it. The hard, violent adjective 'wrecked' suggests that the building is suffering from time, which shows that it is deteriorating due to the lack of care. The imbalance of the house is shown with the disproportionate description of 'chimneys tilting at odd angles' and the metaphor 'windows blink drunkenly'; this conveys the idea that the house has been neglected, and it has become miserable, creating an unpleasant and unattractive image of Foxcote Manor. Further details like the personification 'roof ... sags in the middle' show the weakness in it's infrastrcture, the verb 'sags' suggests that the roof is collapsing and could result in danger and accident. Overall, Foxcote Manor is portrayed as ancient, where a lack of human effort is made to maintain its 'beauty' as it is shown that ' birds' and 'bees' have taken over it. The contrast of it to the 'elegant London' only further exposes how hideous the building is
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