CIVIL ARCHITECTURE. 



647 



Practice. 



Dimen- 

 noiu. 



Sir J. Van. 



krugh. 



King* 

 Wcston. 



Cattle 

 Howard. 



although suitable to its present destination, is by no 

 means comfortable in a private dwelling. The great 

 staircase is spacious, and decorated with large historical 

 paintings by Charles de la Fosse, who is considered one 

 of the best colourists in the French school. The land- 

 jcapes are by James Rosseau. 



The hall is 35 X 27 feet ; stairs 52 X 25 ; apartment 

 opposite entrance hall 35 X 28 ; two others SO X 28 ; four 

 others 26 X 24 ; and two 24 square ; the length of the 

 front or entrance stair is 34r feet ; it rises the height of 

 the basement, which is 8 feet. The face of the main 

 building has a break in the central part or projection, 

 and another at each extremity ; it has a rustic quoin at 

 each angle ; it consists of two stories, of which the up- 

 per windows are considerably the loftiest : They are rect- 

 angular and plain. The entrance door is rectangular 

 with a flat cornice and deep frieze ; the entablature 

 along the top of the walls is heavy, and has a very sin- 

 gular sort of trusses ; the roof is deep, with Dormer win- 

 dows, having pointed pediments ; over the central break 

 there is a parapet with balusters, and behind this there 

 is a singular sort of heavy square dome, with the appear- 

 ance of rustics at the angles. 



The 18th century was opened by Sir John Vanbrugh, 

 a man of bold and original genius, who, after having re- 

 stored fresh life and reputation to the English stage, in- 

 troduced into iu architecture a style peculiarly novel 

 and imposing. It is probable that the success of his 

 dramatic pieces had inspired boldness and created that 

 fertility of invention so eminently displayed in his archi- 

 tectural works ; and the number and wealth of his em- 

 ployers afforded, in the course of a few years, sufficient 

 opportunities to exhibit splendid specimens of his skill ; 

 for, in 1713, we find him employed upon kings Weston, 

 in Gloucestershire ; in 1714, upon Castle Howard in 

 Yorkshire ; in 1715, upon Blenheim in Oxfordshire ; in 

 1718, upon Eastbury in Dorset; in 1721, upon Seaton 

 Delaval in Northumberland; and in 1724, upon Grims- 

 thorpc, in the county of Lincoln. We shall give a short 

 account of each, and a Plate with a part of the plan and 

 elevation of Blenheim. 



KIM;S Wt>roN consists, as was general in that age, 

 of a large hall, passage, and stair, which occupy the cen- 

 tral third part of the mansion ; but the apartments are 

 so arranged as each to be entered separately, a measure 



L. B. H. 



rather new. The hall is 36 X 29 X 30 ; there is one 

 apartment 29x21; one 22x20; three 21x20; one 

 -1 x 18 ; and the rooms in the upper story are of simi- 

 lar dimensions. 



The front elevation extends 90 feet ; the basement is 

 low with small windows ; upon this six Corinthian co- 

 lumns occupy the central part, including two stories in 

 which the windows are of equal height. Over the en- 

 tablature is an attic with windows ; there is a large se- 

 micircle in the pediment ; upon the attic is a parapet ; 

 over the extent of columns is a tall arcade finished with 

 embrasures ; exclusive of this arcade, the top of the 

 front is a level line with vases ; the roof is hid ; the win- 

 dows have flat segment tops, also plain dressings round 

 them, and a siruil truss under each jamb and sill. 



Castle Howard, including offices, exhibits a front ex- 

 tending 660 feet ; it resembles Blenheim ; but here the 

 central part of the elevation is more predominant. The or- 

 der is Doric in coupled pilasters, but they are too much 

 disconnected by breaks, and omitting the triglyphs. In 

 the garden front, the central part is occupied by Co- 

 rinthian pilasters, reaching from the top of the basement 



to the top of the edifice, including two full stories with 

 a pediment ; over this are four pilasters, and a cupola 

 with statues ; on each side the central part, one story on- 

 ly is extended above the basement ; but this affords room 

 for one range of very fine windows being continued along 

 the whole of this extensive front, and conveys an idea of 

 this space being occupied by one suite of apartments, 

 The basement is rusticated, but, including a high plinth, 

 is not one half the height of the order. The architrave 

 round the entrance door is rusticated : the windows are 

 all arched ; they have imposts and small architraves, but 

 no clumsy arch-stones. Upon the whole, this garden 

 front is simple and fine. 



The hall is 40 X 34 feet ; saloon 3 1 X 25 ; one apart- 

 ment 27 X 22 ; one 30 X 20 ; one 30 X 25 ; one ?5 X 20 ; 

 rooms at extremities 40 X 15 exclusive of bows ; the cha- 

 pel 50 X 31 ; kitchen 33 X 29. 



EASTBURY, the front of the main building, has a por- 

 tico of eight rusticated Doric columns 35 feet high, 

 standing upon a front stair, the steps of which are up- 

 wards of 50 feet long ; the jambs of the windows are rus- 

 ticated. 



There are two halls, one 55 X 26 ; one 28 X 26 ; two 

 great stairs 23x18; one apartment 44x22; one 26 

 X 22 ; one 24 X 22 ; one 28 X 22. 



SEATON DKLAVAL. The main building is of the castle 

 sort, with turrets at the angles, and projections at the 

 middle of the sides, but has Doric rusticated columns 

 and a pediment, also Ionic columns in the other front ; 

 the face of the wall is plain. The lower row of win- 

 dows have pediments ; the other flat entablature all have 

 architraves with small corbels under the window sills. 

 There is a semicircle in the pediments in the centre, and 

 Venetian windows in the turrets at the angles ; each of 

 these turrets have four large torus mouldings at its base. 



Grimsthorpe is a quadrangle, encompassing a court 

 105x78 feet. The garden front has an elegant Co- 

 rinthian portico standing upon a well-proportioned base- 

 ment, it being only about one half the height of the or- 

 der ; the hall 57 X 38 ; at each end of it two rows of 

 pillars divide off two great stairs ; there are eight niches 

 in the back wall. The apartments at each end of the 

 hall is 35.8 X 27 ; the large room 55 x 25 ; two 28 x 27 ; 

 one 27 X 25 ; one 23.7 X 25 ; one 26 X 24 ; one 24 X 20 ; 

 two 21-xlS; two 20 square ; the hall to the garden 

 front 35 X 20 ; gallery in the same front 105 X 15.5, ex- 

 clusive of a passage at each end and a recess 35 X 10 in 

 the middle. This is an extensive and excellent plan ; 

 passages down each side prevent thoroughfare?. 



But even these magnificent edifices are greatly sur- 

 passed by Blenheim, in which this able architect has cre- 

 ated both a magnificent palace and a splendid triumphal 

 trophy. It has been observed by a very able critic, 

 (Knight on Taste, p. 227.) that even in chusing the si- 

 tuation, Vanbrugh has, with great judgment, selected 

 the place where a splendid mansion will, in a picturesque 

 scene, form the finest feature ; wisely considering that 

 it was not necessary that the finest views should be had 

 immediately from the mansion, but rather by means of 

 walk? laid out on purpose. 



The buildings occupy three sides of a square entrance 

 court. The mansion stands upon one side ; the kitchen 

 court on another; the stable court on the third ; and the 

 fourth is open towards the water and great bridge. The 

 ends of the building which forms one side of each of 

 these courts, make a part of the general elevation ; and 

 this elevation altogether extends 490 feet. The whole 

 extent over all the courts measures 850 feet. Not being 



Practice. 



Seaton Dew 

 'aval. 



Grim- 

 thorpe. 



Blenheim 



G encra | re 

 mark?. 



Descriu. 



tiun. 



