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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[August, 



latter. We hail hoped that the examples revived by Mr. Barry would, 

 by this time, have fairly put every one out of conceit witli that equally 

 ))oor, monotonous, and unmeaning fashion, which certainly is not clas- 

 sical — neither (ircck, Roman, nor Italian — nor has it anything what- 

 ever in it itself, to reconcile us to it as a desirable innovation. If the 

 upper part of the farade satisfies us very little better, it certainly is 

 not because ornament has been begrudged it, for it has large fluted 

 attached columns, and pilasters of the Corinthian order, between which 

 are two scries of decorated windows (five on each floor), besides an 

 attic or podium over the three middle intercolumns, surmounted in 

 turn by a lofty lanthorn or turret copied from the well-known choragic 

 monument of Lysicrates. For what particular purpose this last may 

 be intended, we are wholly at a loss to conjecture, the purpose of the 

 liuiltling itself seeming to require no such appendage, while, as regards 

 the design, it might very well be spared, as the facade will be quite 

 lofty enough witjuiut it. Of finery, indeed, there is enough and to 

 spare, and we shall, therefore, probably hear the structure s|)oken of 

 as a fine piece of architecture; but in vain do we look here for origi- 

 nality, for study, or for taste. 



We are infinitely better satisfied with No. 921, wliich shows us — 

 though not to particular advantage, the drawing itself being anything 

 l)ut an attractive one — the " Terminus of the London and Blackwall 

 Railway," which has just been completed by Mr. Tite. It is a pleas- 

 ing specimen of Italian architecture, simple in character, but free from 

 the mock simplicity of poverty and baldness. 



Nos. lOOU and 1001, the H.W. and N.W. fronts of " Roeliampton 

 Priory, Surrey," with the alterations and additions in progress, from 

 the designs and under the direction of Gough and Romieu, exhibit a 

 Gothic mansion of coniiiderable extent, to which, we presume, the 

 conservatories are tiie chief additions; but what may he the other 

 alterations we know not, consequently catmot judge how far they have 

 contributed to improve the building generally. 



Though a small sepia drawing, and rather unfavourably hung, 

 No. 983, " Bailitf 's Cottage, recently erected at Chequers, Bucks, for 

 Sir R. Frankland Russell,"Bt.," E. B. Lamb, possesses great merit as a 

 design, both in regard to character and picturesque effect, for it rea- 

 lizes the ideal of a cottage residence of that kind, and when it comes 

 to be a little mellowed by time, will offer a pleasing study to the 

 artist. We may also express our approbation of Mr. Walker's designs 

 for the New Hospital or Almshouses at Bedworth, of which Nos. lull 

 and 1014 aftbrd us two perspective views. And we wish we could 

 say as much in favour of No. 10G7, " View of the Casino Promenade 

 Concert Room, a la Musard, about to be erected on the east side of 

 Leicester Square," S. Beazley; but our liking for it is so little, that 

 we trust what the catalogue says will never be verified ; or that if any 

 building of the kind is to be erected there at all, it will be something 

 totally different froni such a Vauxhallish affair. For aught v.'e know, 

 Mr. Beazley may rival Vanbrugh as a dramatist, but as an architect, 

 we do not think he is quite equal to him. In one sense, indeed, his 

 buildings may very well be called theatrical, but sctnic, thev most 

 assuredly are not ; while in point of taste, they are the very antipodes 

 of those of his predecessors, being as remarkable for flimsiiiess, as the 

 others are for jionderous solidity. 



Though we might point out several other designs, some for censr.re, 

 and one or two for commendation, w-e must here" conclude our notice 

 of this year's exhibition, and look forward to a better one next season ; 

 as we may do with some degree of confidence, unless the present 

 Decline is to terminate in a total Fall of the Academy's Arcliitectural 

 Room. 



SEA EMBANKMENT. 



The work about to be described hag lately been executed at the 

 moutli of tlie Thames, near the entrance to the Medway, in the parish of 

 St. Mary's, for the Right Honourable Lord de Vesci, who has an estate 

 adjoining it. 



The land bounding the sea at this place being marsh, and formerly 

 covered with salt water every spring tide, was of very little value till 

 it was embanked, which took place about two centuries back, and said 

 to have been executed by a Dutch engineer, probably Vermuyden, 

 who was in Efgland about that time, having been engaged in similar 

 works, of which was the embanking of the Dagenham marshes on the 

 Essex side of the river, likewise the drainage of Hatfield Chase, near 

 Doncaster, and he was afterwards emploved in the Bedford Level. 

 Considerable damage had been done to tliis wall at diflerent periods, 

 ironi the prevalence of north easterly winds, which are severely felt 

 on this shore, the violence of the sea washing the stones from the slope 

 and thereby causing breaches in the bank. The old wall was protect- 

 ed with stones and piles, but sufficient care had not been taken in the 



formation of the bank, otherwise breaches would not have so frequently 

 taken place. 



In the formation of the new wall, which is nearly three quarters of a 

 mile in length, tile old formed tlie nedeus of the new work, the mate- 

 rial for which was got by cutting on the land side a back delpli which 

 was kept to a regular section at about four yards from the foot of the 

 back slope. The inclination of the back slope of the wall is \% hori- 

 zontal to 1 perpendicular, and that of the sea slope 4 horizontal to 1 

 perpendicular ; tlie top of the wall is 3 feet in width, and raised 7 feet 

 above high water of a spring tide, (Trinity datum). The bank was 

 formed in regular courses about 12 inches in thickness, cliopped and 

 puddled to form a water-tight body; the face of the sea slope after 

 being sufficiently consolidated, was covered with a thickness of four 

 inches of concrete, and afterwards pitched with Kentish Wrag stone 

 laid by hand, and rammed solid to a regular surface, the depth or 

 thickness of the stone pitching varied from 10 to 12 inches, the stones 

 being placed as closely as possible, and when the stones were not too 

 large, placed with the largest dimension downwards to expose the 

 least surface to the action of the water, and the joints filled in by 

 wedging small ))ieces of stone into them bv hand hammers. The sur- 

 face of the paving was covered by an inch in thickness of fine gravel, 

 which by the action of the water was washed into the interstices, so 

 that the whole formed a solid and compact mass. From the regular 

 slope of the sea side of this wall, and on account of its gradual rise, 

 the waves meet with no abrupt impediment so injurious in works of 

 this description, but on the contrary, spend themselves in running up 

 the slope, thereby much lessening the effect of the concussion. The 

 face of tlie sea slope above the stone pitching, and likewise the top of 

 the wall was covered with a thickness of sand and shells, thus forming 

 a footpath and preventing the heat of the sun from injuring the bank ; 

 the back or land slope was also properly trimmed and soiled or sown 

 with grass seed. 



The foot of the pitching is protected by a row of piling or stakes 

 driven G to 7 feet into the ground, and 3 to 4 inches apart; and like- 

 wise protected on the sea side by a footing of stone and chalk, the re- 

 fuse of the old wall, which has embedded itself in the foreshore, and 

 thus forms quite a compact mass. There are also two rows of similar 

 stake piling driven into the bank at the top of the slope, for the pro- 

 tection of the stone ))itching ; the following section will more fully ex- 

 plain the nature of the work. 



M, marsh. F, footpath. II. \V., high water Trinity Standard. 



The novelty in the work is the introduction of concrete between the 

 stone pitching and the clay substratum, by whicli the water is prevented 

 soaking into the clay, and so wearing it away, and depriving the 

 pitching of its support, from whence hollows necessarily arise, and 

 shortly patches of stone pilcliing are removed hy (his gradual but sure 

 process. In the event likewise of stones being displaced, the concrete 

 prevents the evil spreading, forming itself a protection until the pitch- 

 ing be restored. 



Breakwaters of stone encompassed with piling are constructed at 

 the two most prominent points, to protect the wall from the sea during 

 north-east gales, and likewise to encourage the accumulation of sanci 

 along the foot of the wall. 



The work has been executed by Mr. Rowland, the contractor, of 

 Strood, under the direction of Messrs. Walker and Burges ; it was 

 commenced during tlie latter end of 183S, and has been in progress 

 with the exception of the winter months, till last April, when it was 

 completed, so that during the greater part of tliat time, a principal 

 portion of the work has been put to a fair trial. 



GLASS PAINTING. 



Sir — In consequence of the receipt of several letters since the pub- 

 lication of the brief remarks on the above subject, vvliich appeared in 

 the last number of your Journal, I am induced to mention, that 1 fully 

 intend when leisure affords an opportunity, to endeavour to make that 

 notice more complete, and that I shall be very glad therefore, to re- 

 ceive informaton concerning any glass-painter now, or lately prac- 

 tising in England, — his peculiarities, a list of his principal works, &c. 



I am. Sir, your's, 



PcUmdi CiCiCiiit, Bromptoii. Geo. Godwin, Jux. 



