Steps and Stairynays. 



89 



semi- circular on plan, such as is si^en at 

 Owlpen Manor (Fig. 113). When a 

 considerable difference in level between 

 two parts of a garden is masked by 

 a wall pierced with a communicating 

 door, an interesting feature can be 

 made of the necessary steps. In 

 gardens frequented by children — and 

 it is a sad place that never knows their 

 hurrying footsteps — unrailed stairs are 

 not without danger. It is not difficult 

 to see that, for young folk, the doorway 

 illustrated in Fig. 114 demands to be 

 made the scene for those swift comings 

 and goings that belong to the search 

 lor treasure and the rescue of distressed 

 maidens. The top step is obviously 

 the place for the last stand of a 

 devoted retainer, sworn to defend the 

 brave lady of his absent lord. The 

 shadow of the wall is no less clearly 

 the place where conspirators will gather 

 with hood and lantern, until the door 

 flies open and the heroic knight leaps 

 on them sword in hand. All this is 

 right and proper, and it is one of the 

 justifications of garden architecture 

 that it provides a stage. But an un- 

 guarded stair in conjunction with a 

 doorway that conceals its dangers is a 

 trap that may break young heads, and 

 this aspect of the matter needs to be 

 remembered. There is more of safety 

 in the provision even of a low coping 

 that follows the line of the steps, as 

 the angled stairway shown in 



m 



Fig. 115. In the case of broad stepping 

 that leads down to terrace walks it is 

 often pleasant to break its line by a 

 little pool or other projection from the 

 upper level, such as is indicated by 

 the treatment which Mr. Walter Cave^^ 

 employed at Ewelme Down (Fig. 116). 

 Small gardens of gentle slope must 

 usually be formed as a series of shallow 

 terraces for reasons of economy, and 

 the stepped scheme at Home Place, 

 Holt, designed by Professor E. S. 

 Prior, will be a counsel of perfection to 

 most people. Still, it is illustrated in 



'FIG. 116. 



POOL. 



(M/O- 



