64 THE FORMAL GARDEN IN ENGLAND m 



entrance gate of the fore court to a flight of 

 four steps leading to the pavement in front of 

 the house. Kip's view shows a coach and six 

 approaching the entrance gate, apparently not 

 on the road but on the grass of the park. To 

 the right hand was the base court, with stables 

 and outhouses ; at the back of the house the 

 kitchen and fruit gardens and the pigeon-house. 

 To the left of the house and fore court were 

 the bowling-green and pleasure gardens, with 

 the grove beyond. The latter was divided into 

 four plots, with four-way paths and a circular 

 space and fountain in the centre. Each of the 

 plots was planted with close-growing trees laid 

 out as mazes, and trimmed close and square for 

 a height apparently of some 15 to 20 feet from 

 the ground. Opposite the centre alley was a 

 semicircular bay divided into quadrants, each 

 quadrant with a basin and fountain and great 

 square hedges trimmed to the same height as 

 the rest of the grove. The whole of these 

 immense gardens were walled in, with the ex- 

 ception of a fence round the grove. Wide 

 gates were set at the ends of all the main paths, 

 and from these, as points of departure, avenues 

 were laid out in straight lines, radiating and 

 intersecting each other in all directions. If 

 Kip's figures are correct, some of these avenues, 

 which extended beyond the park to the villages 

 in the adjacent country, were 6 or 7 miles long. 

 As shown on plans these avenues look bizarre 



