52 



PAEKS AND rLEASURE-GHBOUNDS. 



CHAPTER II. 



THE APPROACH. 



Definition — Direction of the Approach — The Site of the Entrance- 

 gate — Style of the Gate and Lodge — Line of Approach through 

 the Park — Gates on the Line of Approach — Formation of the Ap- 

 proach — Roadway of Approach — Decoration of Approach — The 

 Avenue — The Fine Approach. 



An Approach is a road leading from the principal 

 highway of the district, and passing through the park 

 and dressed grounds to the mansion-house. It is not to 

 be considered as identical with the avenue found in some 

 old places, which latter is an alley or straight road run- 

 ning between parallel lines of tall trees. The term 

 approach, in its general acceptation, may denote every 

 kind of access to the house ; in common usage, how- 

 ever, it is mostly restricted to the principal one. In 

 districts where there are large forests or extensive pas- 

 ture-farms connected with the estate, the external high- 

 wav may be so private as to assume the character of an 

 approach, and as such may require to be dealt with on 

 the principles of landscape-gardening : at present it is 

 proposed to speak of the approach only as internal to 

 the park. In the estimation of some, the approach 

 occupies a primary place in the arrangement of a country 

 residence. It is probably sufficient, in almost all cases, 

 to allow .it a third-rate position in the scale 0/ import- 

 ance. The site of the house, as related to the park 



