DRIVES, AVENUES, AND SERVICE ROADS. 



exceptional features is not to be confounded with the neglect of every other consideration 

 in order to focus from the route a series of more or less forced vistas and views which 

 we have already so strongly deprecated. The two things are entirely distinct both in 

 their intent and result. 



While it is impossible to arrange the various forms of main approaches to country 

 mansions into hard-and-fast classes, they may be broadly divided into naturally -planned 

 drives following the contours of the country through which they pass ; formally arranged 

 drives, usually part of a symmetrical arrangement of drive, entrance and carriage court ; 

 and tree-lined avenues, straight or curved. 



It should be explained that while in Scotland all carriage drives, whether curved, 

 serpentine, or straight, tree-lined or not, are called avenues, in this work, for purposes 

 of distinction, the English usage is followed, only roadways bordered by trees placed 

 at even distances apart being so designated. In England, carriage ways, whether curved 

 or straight, which are not bordered by trees, are called drives, while subsidiary roads 

 used by tradesmen or estate servants and connecting with the kitchen court, stables or 

 farm steadings and not used as principal carriage ways, are called service roads. 



The whole subject of drive design is more dependent on scale and proportion than 

 upon any other factor, and it is this which will determine which of the above forms 

 shall be adopted in each individual case. It has always been a common error so to 

 treat the approach as to convey an idea of importance altogether out of keeping with 

 the size of the mansion which it serves, though, as stated when dealing with entrances 

 in another chapter, the added requirements of fast motor traffic make an arrangement 

 suitable which, under older conditions, would have been somewhat grandiose. 



Of all forms of drive, the stately avenue, straight from end to end, and bordered 

 by patriarchal elms making a lofty overarching leafy canopy, or a double avenue securing 

 a wide open glade to the mansion is the one expressing most dignified importance and 

 demanding the most imposing architectural adjuncts to justify it. Such an avenue, 

 on any but the smallest scale, would be quite out of place in connection with anything 

 but an important mansion, and even there great care will be needed to get length, 

 breadth, distance between trees, lodges, entrances and gates, all so proportioned as to fall 

 naturally into their places and to give that sense of ordered relation and simple dignity 

 to which such an arrangement must owe its whole effect. 



As a general rule for adoption in all ordinary cases it may be stated that an avenue 

 should be absolutely straight and level from end to end unless there is an even rise 

 throughout its whole length towards the house, and while such a rise, if not too great, 

 is probably even better than an absolutely level course, the reverse, or a drop towards 

 the house, is, of all arrangements, the very worst, giving the house the appearance of 

 being in a hole. 



Repton, in referring to the formation of avenues, states, as his opinion, that the 

 effect is heightened where the route followed is over hill and dale. Probably he spoke 

 of the appearance as viewed from the side and not up the green aisle, and of avenues 

 with green drives not spanning a roadway, for straight roads and drives traversing a 

 series of hills and hollows lose, to a great extent, that perspective which gives them 

 their stately appearance. This is easily seen if the spectator stands on the first rise and 

 looks towards the last one when only the summits are seen, the intervening road in the 

 hollow being lost to view. It is important, therefore, when making a straight drive over 

 undulating ground, that the heights should be reduced and the hollows filled to obtain 

 length of line. When, however, there is a swinging hollow stretching from end to end 

 of the avenue, and not so depressed in the centre as to bring the leafy canopy at that 

 point level with the eye as viewed from one end, the effect is almost as good as on a 

 level course. This may be seen on a large scale on the Kenilworth Road a short 



Different 

 classes of 

 drives. 



Importance 

 of scale. 



Avenues. 



i 



Repton on 

 avenues. 



