98 Notes on Gardens and Country Seats: — 



last, viz. building a good gardener's house. As it rained fast 

 during the whole of the time we were here, we had little oppor- 

 tunity of examining things in detail. Nevertheless, we saw at 

 a glance that the handsome terrace which has been added in 

 front of the house is badly contrived, with reference to its con- 

 nection with the pleasure-ground ; a proof, in addition to those 

 which we are continually observing, of the necessity of villa 

 architects having a general knowledge of landscape-gardening. 

 The direct fault of this terrace is, that the outlet from it to the 

 grounds is badly placed. The terrace ought to have been re- 

 turned at the south end, and the outlet so arranged as that the 

 waik proceeding from it should liave advanced in a straight line, 

 and on a level, for at least some distance ; whereas, in its present 

 state, the walk takes a sudden turn, and ascends ; two of the most 

 undignified and unartistlike circumstances that can be imagined 

 in such a situation. The arrangement of the going and re- 

 turning walks in the pleasure-ground at Nun eh am has always 

 been unsatisfactory, and we recollect the old gardener, Stephen- 

 son, who showed us the original plan for laying out the grounds 

 by Brown, acknowledging that this was allowed to be the case. 

 The objection might be entirely done away with by means of a 

 judicious terrace, but certainly not by the present one in its 

 present state. If we have leisure, we may, perhaps, at some 

 future opportunity, give a general idea to our readers how this 

 is to be done ; but, as to do it justice would require several 

 engravings, we have not time to enter into it at present ; we 

 shall only say that nature has done much at Nuneham Cour- 

 tenay ; and that art, judiciously exercised, might render the 

 pleasure-ground worthy of the place. One of the worst features 

 about the park is the approach road ; which, from the lodges, 

 first ascends a hill by a direct line, and then descends to the 

 house, having it full in view. Nothing can be worse, either in 

 point of convenience or effect, than such an approach ; and the 

 evil can only be avoided by circuitous sweeps, disguised by 

 scattered trees, so that the house shall not be seen at all, till the 

 stranger arrives within a few yards of it; and finds himself on a 

 level with, or, if possible, rather under the level of, the ground 

 of the entrance front. This should be done in such a manner 

 that the steepness of the road should in no part exceed one in 

 forty. There are some formal unconnected clumps and belts, 

 bounded by straight undisguised clipped hedges in the outer 

 part of the park, and various other deformities there, which, of 

 course, will be done away with as the improvement of the place 

 proceeds. 



Baldon House, opposite Nuneham Courtenay, was, in 1804, a 

 residence of some note, and it has still in the grounds many of 

 the elements of a fine place ; such as abundance of wood, and 

 a surface varied by undulations, with a good soil for pasture and 



