STEPS AND STAIRWAYS 135 



position, where it has the support of a wall or some- 

 thing that serves the same purpose. Sometimes the 

 terrace wall will terminate under trees or against 

 planting, and here some curved steps around a 

 circular landing — the upper concave and the lower 

 convex — will be found both convenient and pictur- 

 esque, as in the example from Dalingridge Place 

 (fig. 2^)y where the stairway lies under the shadow 

 of a fine azalea hedge of irregular shape.* 



Wherever the stairway is not treated in a strictly 

 architectural way with stone balusters, vases and 

 figures, we should guard against too finished a sur- 

 face to the stonework. Steps by themselves without 

 architectural detail should appear to be formed from 

 the ground itself, and should be roughly jointed and 

 not rigidly level. They can be curved in plan and 

 made to assume a number of different shapes, but 

 in all this they should keep an air of simplicity and 

 a restfulness in outline, with low stone walls 

 and piers to give them balance and substance. 

 The old efforts towards "rustic" masonry were 

 based on a misconception of the true method of 

 modifying architecture to harmonise with nature. 

 They resulted only in producing irregular forms 



