GARDEN HOUSES 177 



of the upper terrace overlooking the still waters of the 

 moat. One, very Dutch in style, is at Nunmonkton, in 

 Yorkshire. Upon one side the windows overlook the 

 bowling-green, upon the other they look down upon 

 the River Ouse. This garden house with its double- 

 domed roof, coloured with lovely soft green lichen, 

 forms a delightful ending to a long vista of clipped yews. 

 These alternate with small lead figures to guide to the 

 house. 



Then there are the beautiful houses at Montacute. They 

 stand in the corners of the court, which is rather a favourite 

 position in gardens of that date, and they were probably 

 used most for household avocations, such as potpourri- 

 making or for keeping tools or games. 



Besides this kind of summer-house there were others, 

 essentially shadow-houses for rest, where little tea-parties 

 were given and friends could come from the heat of the 

 sun and talk in quiet and seclusion. Usually they are at 

 the end of a vista or long walk, and thus form an object or 

 meaning for it. Such a one is at Packwood, in Warwick- 

 shire, at the end of the raised, brick-built, narrow terrace, 

 where it is said Queen Elizabeth used to walk with 

 Leicester. She rode over from Kenilworth dJring her stay 

 there, and was no doubt interested in the wonderful yew- 

 tree garden, planted by former monks, which the terrace 

 overlooks. The Packwood summer-house is probably 

 built upon the foundations of an older one, but the shape 

 of the roof and the door-mouldings have the appearance of 

 William and Mary's time. Within is pretty shell-work, of 

 a later date, which reminds us of dear old Mrs. Delany, who 

 set the fashion in George III.'s time for ladies to do this 

 work. We know that the ladies at Goodwood decorated 

 the shadow-house there about the same time. Is it 

 possible that Mrs. Delany herself stayed a while at Pack- 

 wood whilst visiting some of her numerous friends, and left 



12 



