EXAMPLES OF GARDEN DESIGN. 



rather an unusual treatment for the main drive. As will be seen from the plan, it has A new 

 been constructed in the form of a straight and severely symmetrical double avenue between country 

 the entrance gates and the open space in front of the stable block, and from there it 

 follows the contours of the ground in a boldly sweeping curve, the point where the change 

 is made being marked by a gateway. As before stated, it is only the exceptional nature 

 of the contours which makes such an arrangement possible. The ground between the 

 entrance and the stable block is perfectly flat, and a sudden dip, at the point where 

 the gate divides this part of the approach from the curved portion, prevents the whole 

 being seen at once, and so insures that the two styles shall not clash in any way. 



As will be seen, the circular carriage turn is treated in a strictly architectural manner, 

 with surrounding walls and handsome wrought-iron gates symmetrically placed, one pair 

 giving access to the drive and the other to the pleasure grounds. Between the two is a 

 narrower gateway on the axial line of the carriage court and the porte-cochere, through 

 which the eye is led along a green path between an avenue of trees to a summer-house, 

 with a small lily-pond in front, and this in turn is backed up by a group of well-grown 

 timber trees, which were already on the ground when the gardens were designed, as were 

 a number of the other trees shown on the plan at either side of the drive. 



Passing from the carriage court through the wrought-iron gate connecting with the 

 pleasure grounds, we come immediately into the small octagonal paved sun-dial court 

 shown in illustration No. 395, which connects with the paved upper terrace and forward 

 to the paved rose garden and lily-pond court, and thus a considerable stretch of paved 

 promenade of varied interest is obtained, which will be available when other parts of 

 the grounds are too sodden for comfortable exercise. 



A good idea of the appearance of the main front of the house is given by illustration 

 No. 371, which faces the commencement to Chapter XX., especially if examined together 

 with the plan of the grounds. As will be seen, the point of view is from the extreme 

 end of the grass walk to the West of the tennis lawn, which gives the lowest of the 

 three terrace levels its special purpose in the scheme. All three terraces are contrived 

 with a view to giving the main fagade of the house the strong broad base which both 

 its setting and its architecture demand, and the long grass walks between herbaceous 

 borders which flank the lowest on either side emphasize this in a marked manner. The 

 strongly marked cross lines thus created again demand complementary treatment, which 

 is obtained by emphasizing the axial line through the centre of the building and the 

 flights of steps connecting the terraces, by means of the lily-pond, summer-house and 

 water steps placed at a little distance at the foot of the sloping lawn, which recedes 

 from the lowest terrace. This summer-house closes the garden vista in this direction, 

 and thus all the features of this side of the house are given connection and welded into 

 a complete and self-contained scheme. 



On the West side of the mansion are two features specially deserving of notice. 

 The first is the rose garden, of which an enlarged plan is given (111. No. 393), and which 

 is also shown in the photographic view in illustration No. 394, though a little of the 

 effect is left to the imagination as the newly planted yew hedges will have such a very 

 different appearance when grown and trimmed to a straight line. It is of these two 

 gardens we spoke when referring to the need of shelter in a domain newly formed on 

 ground commanding extensive views. When the hedges are grown, they, together with 

 the fruit walls on the North, and the house to the East, will make them delightful for 

 use in the early and late Summer when the terrace garden and open lawns on the 

 South front of the house are too exposed to cutting winds for comfort. The pond garden 

 has quite a cloistral appearance, enclosed as it is by walls or buildings on three sides, 

 with its severely plain treatment, its rippling water, and the little terrace, while the vista 

 down the bowling alley prevents any suggestion of its being too shut in. 



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