Harlaxton Manor. 333 



desirous to carry out throughout. They will be composed and 

 built in the style of the mansion, and the offensive parts of their 

 respective establishments will be concealed, whilst they will con- 

 tribute to the interest of the approach, and serve to augment 

 the scale of importance of a country residence. 



The court of honour will be entered through a gate-house. 

 To the left there will be a porte cochere leading to the court of 

 offices ; to the right, a broad flight of steps, already formed, 

 leading to the terraced garden ; and, directly in front, the 

 entrance-portal, under the frontispiece peculiar to this style. 

 Within the portal, out of a sub, or stags', or hunting-hall, in the 

 basement, a vaulted corridor leads to a wide open flight of stairs ; 

 because, in conformity with the plan of ancient buildings in this 

 style, the ground floor is entirely devoted to the servants' apart- 

 ments and offices. The flight of stairs leads to a banqueting-hall of 

 large dimensions, which serves also as an entrance communication 

 to the principal rooms ; though these have also separate entrances, 

 both for privacy and for servants. It would, however, be a waste 

 of time to attempt describing the house without the aid of a plan. 

 We shall therefore only further notice, that the largest room 

 will be a gallery library, 100 ft. long, 24- ft. wide, and 18 ft. 

 high ; one end of which will look into a conservatory, 90 ft. 

 long, and 26 ft. wide. The drawingroom will also have a cross 

 "ista into the conservatory, which will be joined to that seen 

 from the library by a third and fourth on different levels, afford- 

 ing variety of architectural display ; the whole forming a con- 

 siderable extent of garden walk under glass, and including Cape 

 and Australian plants in one part, palms and Scitamineas in 

 another, and Orchidacese in a third. 



Of the different elevations, we can only say that they are 

 exquisitely rich and beautiful. The frontispiece over the entrance- 

 portal, the general form of which resembles that at Northum- 

 berland House, has rich accompaniments of the inscription and 

 date of building, and its founder, in pierced stone, of finer 

 character and dimensions than those of Castle Ashby or Temple 

 Newsham. The elevation of a part of the private family apart- 

 ments in the drawingroom front is quite an architectural gem. 

 The central bell-tower, and the angular turrets, all roofed with 

 stone, produce ideas of grandeur and durability intensely felt, 

 but not readily to be described. The value of everything, 

 indeed, is enhanced by the substantialness of the materials, and 

 the excellence of the workmanship. In no house whatever can 

 these be surpassed, and in very few are they equalled. A 

 London builder is now employed, Mr. Nowell (who erected 

 the Duke of York's column in Carlton Gardens, as well as all 

 the late additions to Windsor Castle), under the direction of 

 the eminent Scottish architect, Mr. Burn. 



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