228 



GARDEN CRAFT IN EUROPE 



A LEADEN FIGURE. 



Markham distinguishes between three sorts of bowling ■ ^i.t'^M 



greens : The bowling alley ; " open grounds of advan- 

 tage," that is bowling greens with a fall one way; and 



level bowling greens. They were generally placed where 



they could be overlooked by the windows of the house, 



but where this was impossible they were planned in other 



convenient parts of the garden, either as a central feature 



as at Chatsworth, or in the angles o| the parterre as at 



Staunton Harold in Leicestershire and at Grimsthorp. 



The shape was either oblong, or oval as at Knole in Kent. 



Occasionally, as at Guisborough in Yorkshire, or Esher 



Place in Surrey, the green was placed at some little 



distance from the house ; at Cassiobury the circular 



bowling green was in the midst of a wood, approached 



from the house by an avenue. 



One of the most characteristic features of English 



gardens is the Gate Pier, frequently surmounted by heraldic animals or 



stone balls.. The use of wrought-iron gates did not become general until 



the end of the XVIIth century, and many of the finest examples perished 



in the era of landscape gardening. Frequently handsome wrought-iron 



screens were erected, as may be seen in XVIIIth century views, and 



in some remain- 

 ing examples, such 

 a s thos e illus- 

 trated from Belton 

 Hou s e. E nglish 

 wrought ironwork 

 possesses, according to 

 Mr. Starkie Gardner,, 

 a simple dignity and 

 fitness which har- 

 monizes admirably 

 with the national 

 temperament, and 

 which expresses itself 

 in well knitted and 

 A LEADEN CISTERN. graccful lincs. 



