Gardens for Small Country Houses. 



a broad sloping grass path between two yew hedges at Hurtwood, Surrey. It 

 will be noted that the size of this part of the garden is considerable, and it is pre- 

 cisely this element which makes its success. A like treatment on a small scale would 

 tend to dulness, and we may turn therefore to the stepped treatment of another part 

 of the same garden. The ground covered by the stairway shown in Fig. 97 is quite 

 small in extent, and therefore serves as a guide for the treatment of other steep sites. 

 No little of its charm is in the contrast between the formal masonry of the steps and 

 landings and the luxuriant growths which border them. In Fig. 99, which shows a 

 design by Mr. C. E. Mallows, a similar treatment is indicated, but for a site with a far 

 gentler slope. This enables very broad steps to be used without " risers," and does 

 away with the need for landings, which are essential in the case of steeper stairways. 

 It should be borne in mind that it is rather troublesome to walk up and down easy 

 stairways with broad treads of this type unless each tread is broad enough to make 

 it comfortable to take two steps to each. This suitable width is indicated in Mr. 

 Mallows' drawing, but no definite dimensions are given here, as everyone can easily 

 experiment for himself and fix on a width 

 which he thinks most comfortable. 



We may now consider the use that has 

 been made of terracing by Mr. Thomas 

 Young, who laid out the garden at Mr. G. 

 Muntzer's house, Littleholme, Guildford, 

 Surrey, in conjunction with Mr. Voysey, 

 who was the architect for the house. The 

 plan and section (Fig. 100) show clearly to 

 what good account the hillside has been put. 

 When the construction of the approach from 

 the road was in hand, the hill showed the 

 defects of its qualities, for the slope on the 

 north side was very awkward. On the south 

 side of the house a wide paved terrace has 

 been provided with a pleasant double stair- 

 case leading down to a small grass garden 

 surrounded by yew hedges, and provided with 

 a pond and sundial. The little plateau so 

 formed is held up on its south side by a 

 curved brick bastion, which appears in Fig. 102. 



Westward of this, the garden is laid out in gradual terracing with flights of steps of easy 

 gradient, which lead to what is now being planted as an orchard. The setting of the 

 house on its precipitous site is perhaps best appreciated by the view shown in Fig. 101, 

 which was taken from the loggia looking out across the terrace to the magnificent view 

 that reaches to Bramley and Ewhurst. The garden walls are of purple brick coped with 

 Bargate stone, and some of the terrace retaining walls are of flints which were dug 

 from the site. On the front of the big lower bastion is an interesting gargoyle 

 in wrought lead, which is illustrated in Chapter XIV. The making of such a 

 garden naturally involved considerable excavation, and its owner has wisely pro- 

 ceeded with the work slowly. Our photographs hardly do the designer justice, because 

 the garden as yet lacks the luxuriant growth which will soften the outlines of wall 

 and terrace. It is useful to add that work of this kind, involving very con- 

 siderable excavation, is a costly matter. The mere work of digging and 

 wall-building, the construction, in fact, of the carcass of the garden, cost over five 



FIG. 98.- 



HURTWOOD : PLAN 

 NEAR HOUSE. 



OF GARDENS 



