The view of Mount Edgecumbe is taken from Cremhill point, a little to the south-east of the entrance of Stonehouse Creek. About the centre of the view is perceived a battery, near to the Old Blockhouse which was erected in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; between the masts of the brig, which is sailing in towards the Hamoaze, the house is seen; and to the left, in the distance, is Cawsand Bay.

For upwards of two hundred years the situation of Mount Edgecumbe, whether looking towards it or from it, and the beauty of the grounds in its vicinity have been the subject of general admiration. In visiting Mount Edgecumbe from Plymouth or Devonport, the most usual way is to cross at the ferry from Cremhill point. The gardens generally first claim the visitor's attention. Near the lodge, on the left, is a garden laid out in the Italian style, and surrounded by a bank planted with evergreens. In this garden is the orangery, and opposite to it is a beautiful terrace, on which, and in the grounds below, are several statues. The visitor is next shown the French flower-garden, which is planted with the most beautiful shrubs and flowers, and was the favourite retreat of Sophia, Countess of Mount Edgecumbe, who died in 1806, and to whose memory a cenotaph, consisting of an urn and a tablet, is erected within its bounds. The English garden and shrubbery display less art, but are no less beautiful than the imitative gardens of Italy and France. In it is a bath of the Doric order, and a secluded walk leads to a rocky excavation, overspread with ivy and other creeping plants, amidst lofty evergreens: fragments of antiques are scattered amidst heaps of stones in this romantic dell. In the pleasure-grounds, a path continued along the edge of a cliff, which affords interesting views of the picturesque sinuosities of the coast, leads to a verdant lawn, from which the sides rise with a gentle ascent in a semicircle. The acclivity above the lawn is thickly shaded by a succession of trees, which form a magnificent amphitheatre, and display an endless variety of foliage. From different parts of the amphitheatre, Barn Poole presents the appearance of an extensive lake, without any visible communication with the sea, from which it appears to be separated by the diversified line of coast, that forms its boundary on every side. At the entrance of a wood near this spot is an Ionic circular temple dedicated to Milton, whence the path continues on the margin of the cliff, through plantations and shrubs, which fringe the rocky coast down to the brink of the sea. In the more open part of the park is a mock ruin, intended as a picturesque object from the grounds and from the opposite shore. A cottage near the cliff is overhung with beautiful evergreen oaks, the windows of which command pleasing sea views in opposite directions. After ascending a perpendicular rock, by a winding path of perilous appearance, the great terrace at the arch presents itself, having the appearance of a perforation in the cliff, the base of which is washed by the waves of the Sound.

The walks round the grounds are extremely pleasing, and from many points excellent views are obtained of Plymouth Sound, the Hamoaze, Devonport, and the surrounding country. It seems, however, doubtful if the circumstance of a nobleman's seat commanding a view of a large town, at the distance of less than a mile, be an advantage to it. It is perhaps not altogether pleasant to have a country seat overlooked by, and overlooking, a large town. Dr. Johnson, alluding to the view of Mount Edgecumbe, has observed, that "though there is the grandeur of a fleet, there is also the impression of there being a dock-yard, the circumstances of which are not agreeable."

The house at Mount Edgecumbe was erected about the year 1550, by Sir Richard Edgecumbe, who was sheriff of Devonshire in the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Henry VIII., in the castellated style, with circular towers at the corners. About seventy years ago, those towers were pulled down, and rebuilt in their present octangular form. In the principal rooms is a collection of family portraits, including a few by Sir Joshua Reynolds.