GARDENS OLD AND NEW. 



sides of the bay, and carry semi-circular niches with 

 shell heads. The architrave round the niches breaks 

 at the crown of the niche. A sunk panel carries 

 these features to the level of the entablature, which 

 continues round the porch, and ends abruptly against 

 the house. The entablature is enriched with triglyphs, 

 which occur only over the columns and doorway, 



THE GARDEN ENTRANCE. 



and are widely, though pleasantly, spaced. On the 

 sides the porch is perforated with three small arches, 

 carried by balusters. Here it becomes evident that 

 the architect's knowledge of Renaissance architecture 

 was not enough to enable him to treat it in a classical 

 way ; with the result that here is one of those 

 original features that often occur with charming effect 

 in the architecture of the Jacobean period. Above 



the entablature is a fine piece of plain ashlar work, its 

 simplicity much enhancing the value of the decorated 

 work below. It supports a bay of twelve lights in 

 two heights. The balustrade which surmounts the 

 whole porch is divided into eight unequal bays, the 

 piers coinciding with the angles and the large central 

 mullion in the front. The outer angles of the 



balcony only carry vases 

 and a heraldic figure. 

 The pedestals break 

 forward and are carried 

 on brackets and flanked 

 by half balusters. The 

 pedestals of the columns 

 bear cartouches; the 

 whole stands on a flagged 

 pavement. 



This porch is thus 

 described at length 

 because, although it is not 

 coeval with the main 

 building, it is so excel- 

 lently designed and graces 

 it so well. Apart from 

 the evidence of date that 

 it bears on its face, one 

 notes the incomplete 

 junction between the old 

 and the new. Other 

 obvious alterations are not 

 so happy ; for instance, 

 the filling -in between 

 gables, which has been 

 done in two places to get 

 extra attic accommodation, 

 is very unfortunate, and 

 is a conspicuous blemish 

 to the beautiful house 

 from several points of 

 view. 



The gardens here 

 give ample evidence of 

 the adaptability of our 

 English horticultural 

 ways. Within the last 

 quarter of a century we, 

 who have always been a 

 garden - loving people, 

 have acquired a yet higher 

 perception of all that our 

 gardens can do for us ; 

 and, with this perception, 

 our will to do the best, 

 and our knowledge of how 

 to do it, have kept pace. 

 It may be said that in a 

 place like this gardening is 

 easy. The main lines of 

 it are there and unalter- 

 able; the permanent 

 features hill, valley, 



woodland, terraces and noble flights of stairs- -these 

 are all present, and are only waiting to be suitably 

 and sufficiently clothed and adorned. Hut it should 

 be done just rightly, for there are numberless ways of 

 going wrong. As in many another question of fine 

 art and decoration, the simplest ways are the best. 

 There should be some definite intention in the 

 arrangement, one scheme of form and colour at a 



