Britton^s Illustrations of Toddington. 367 



publications, the principles, or characteristics, of 'the picturesque^ as mani- 

 fested in country seats and their accompanying scenery. Whilst the two 

 amateur critics contended for the rugged, broken, irregular, and even ragged 

 and ruinous, as essential constituents of that quality, and also recommended 

 their adoption around, and in unity with a house; the professor, Mr. Repton, 

 advocated smoothness, neatness, and symmetry, in the grounds, plantations, 

 and buildings adjacent to the country mansion. Mr. Knight exhibited a 

 practical illustration of his own theory in the grounds of Downton, and at- 

 tempted it in his Castle, which appears to have been built under his own 

 directions. The park and pleasure-grounds at Foxley, Mr. Price's seat, were 

 also wild, romantic, and 'picturesque ;' but the house was a plain old brick 

 building. In the year 1798 I visited both these houses, and spent a most de- 

 lightful day with the accomplished owner of the former. The Rev. Wm. 

 Gilpin had lately published some popular works on ' Picturesque Beauty^ and 

 Walpole, George and William Mason, Whately, Morris, Marshall, and other 

 authors, had also produced their respective essays on the same subject. 



" Sir Robert Smirke has made several practical designs in imitation of the 

 monastic or castellated architecture of the middle ages ; but it is generally 

 admitted that he has not been successful in imparting the true architectural 

 character of either the castle or the monastery to any of his works. His two 

 most eminent buildings are Lowther Castle, Westmoreland, begun in 1808, and 

 Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire. These certainly have circular, square, and 

 octagonal towers, with embattled parapets, and machicolated members, with 

 loopholes, or oilets, whilst square-headed and pointed-arched windows, with 

 foliated pinnacles, and other details, rather belong to the church than to the 

 castle, and do not combine well in the mansion. Both these edifices are 

 commanding, imposing, and picturesque in their effect on the eye and imagi- 

 nation ; but they fail to satisfy the searching and discriminating architectural 

 critic. In Lowther Castle, as at Eaton Hall, is an open porch for carriages. 

 It leads to a spacious Iiall, 60 by 30 feet, beyond which is a grand staircase, 

 60 feet square, by 90 feet in height. A suite of large apartments branch off 

 from two sides of the hall and staircase. The north front of the building is 

 420 feet in extent, and the south front is 280 feet. 



" Mr. P. F. Robinson, author of the ' Modern Vitruvius Britannicus,' and 

 of other literary embellished works, made considerable alterations to an old 

 house, near Swansea, in South Wales, for J. H. Vivian, Esq. M.P. Plans, 

 views, and an account of his house, were published in ' Domestic Architecture 

 in the Tudor Style,' 4to. 1837. 



" Penrhyn Castle, the seat of G. H. D. Pennant, Esq., in North Wales, is a 

 large modern mansion, recently raised from the designs of Thomas Hopper, 

 Esq., who has given to the exterior of this vast mass of building much of the 

 true castellated character. In the largeness and solidity of forms, in the 

 boldness of the towers, in the machicolated and embattled parapets, and in the 

 general style and expression of the whole edifice, the architect has displayed 

 considerable skill and professional knowledge. The ancient castle can never, 

 however, be adapted to the demands of modern domestic comfort without 

 great alterations, and departure from the original character of the edifice ; 

 nor can a new edifice be erected strictly in that style, to suit the habits of 

 the present age of refinement and luxury. Sir Jeffry Wyatville, in making his 

 vast alterations and decided improvements to 



" Windsor Castle, found that the windows, door-ways, staircases, and 

 apartments, of that palatial fortress were wholly unfitted for a royal residence, 

 and therefore he remodelled and made new designs for the whole. In this 

 extremely difficult and arduous task he manifested much knowledge, and at 

 the same time considerable taste. Had he been unfettered, it is believed that he 

 would have been even more successful ; but when we compare what he has done 

 with the flimsy and puerile works which he found there, of the reigns of 

 Charles and George III., and even with the designs of his rivals, we shall find 

 that much, very much, credit is due to him. Had all his plans for the im- 

 1841. — VII. 3d Ser. bb 



