Stone bench (Dropmore). 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUND HOUSES, BRIDGES, 

 GATES, SEATS AND FENCES. 



THE first thing to be thought of in all building, apart from the house 

 itself, is the absolute need of the structure, as there has been much effort 

 lost in useless garden buildings, and no way of garden over-doing is 

 so full of waste and ugliness. Recently we have seen attempts to 

 revive the old garden houses, but the result has not often been 

 happy. In old houses like Hatfield and Montacute, the little 

 houses near the gate often had a true use at the entrance side, 

 but now we see such things revived for the mere sake of carrying 

 out a drawing, and as soon as built we see the aimlessness of the 

 work, and then comes the difficult question of " planting it out " from 

 different points of view. Isolated building in a garden is difficult 

 to do with any good result, though at one period the building 

 of temples was very common in pleasure gardens, and many of 

 them are still to be seen. It is best, when these are of good 

 form and structure, to keep them with care and make some simple 

 use of them, by removing at once all suggestion of the grotto and 

 having simple oak benches or other good seats. The interior also 

 should be made simple in colour and free from covert for woodlice 



