32 



GENERAL FORMATION, &c, OF GARDENS. 



§ 8. — PRINCIPAL ENTRANCE. 



This should always, if possible, be 

 placed in the centre of the south wall ; 

 and next in preference, either at one 

 of the ends of it, or in the centre of 

 the east or west walls. " The object 

 of this," Mr Loudon observes, "is to 

 produce a favourable first impression 

 on the spectator, by his viewing the 

 highest and best wall (that on the north 

 side) in front; and, which is of still 

 greater consequence, all the hothouses, 

 pits, and frames in that direction. Nothing- 

 can be more unsightly than the view of 

 the high north wall of a garden, with 

 its back sheds and chimney-pots, from 

 behind; or even getting the first coup 

 d'oeil of the hothouses from a point nearly 

 in a parallel line with their front. The 

 effect of many excellent gardens is lost or 

 marred for want of attention to this 

 point, or from peculiarity of situation." 

 — Encyc. of Gard., p. 721. The fine gar- 

 dens at Harewood House are an instance 

 of this defect ; while those at Clumber, 

 Taymouth Castle, Preston Hall, and 

 Salton Hall, are perfect in this respect. 



Wherever the mansion or principal 

 building has any pretensions to archi- 

 tectural display, and where the garden 

 is of sufficient consequence to merit such 

 an appendage, the principal entrance to 

 it should be in keeping with these build- 

 ings, and in general in the same style. 

 The main entrance to the gardens at 

 Woburn Abbey, of which the annexed 

 fig. 12, taken from "The Hortus Woburn- 

 Fig. 12. 



ensis," is a representation, is one of the 

 best we have seen. It is situated in the 

 centre of the west wall, that being in 

 the most direct line from the abbey, and 

 more suitable, on account of the ine- 



quality of the ground, than had it been 

 placed at the centre of the south or front 

 wall. This entrance is about 80 feet 

 from the west wall : it consists of a 

 handsome architectural building, and is 

 connected with the garden by a neat iron 

 arch' trellising, measuring 80 feet in length, 

 8 feet wide, and about 12 feet in height, 

 which is covered with different kinds of 

 creepers. The main entrance to the 

 kitchen gardens at Taymouth is a lofty 

 Gothic gateway, perhaps a little too high 

 for its base or the size of the garden, but 

 not so when contrasted with the magni- 

 ficent scenery that surrounds it. 



The entrance to the gardens at Drum- 

 lanrig is through a piece of flower-garden 

 ground of considerable extent ; it opens 

 upon the principal range of hothouses 

 from the centre of the east wall. The 

 entrances to those at Dalkeith open 

 from two points as marked on the plan, 

 (Plate V.,) being the nearest and most 

 direct way from the house. Both of 

 these are at the south-east side, the one 

 winding through the lower garden or 

 orchard, which is of very diversified sur- 

 face, and terminating at the centre of 

 the south wall by an arch and open pair 

 of iron gates, which face the front range 

 of hothouses. In passing through the 

 large or central walled garden, two large 

 gateways, fig. 13, one at each end of the 

 Fig. 13. 



plant stove, which is the centre house of 

 this range, open upon the back ranges of 

 hothouses with the three ranges of pits in 

 front. The other entrance, also on the 

 south-east side of the garden, opens upon 



