WALKS AND ROADS. 
87 
which follow whereon the walks will have the appearance, at first 
sight, of being awkwardly direct, having neither the simplicity of a 
straight line, nor the grace of Hogarth’s line of beauty; but if 
the hint just given about glancing along the line of the walk 
with the eye nearly on a level with the paper is followed, they 
will be found more pleasing. v 
There are many places where the house is large compared with 
the size of the lot, on which straight walks are not only admissible, 
but where to attempt curved walks would be ridiculous. Some of 
the succeeding plans will illustrate such. The vignette of Chapter 
IV illustrates an elegant approach of this kind, over which trees 
have formed a noble arch. Steps and copings of cut stone, with 
pedestals and vases, may be designed to make such entrances as 
beautiful architecturally as the means of the proprietor will justify. 
The mere platting of walks on such places is too simple a matter 
to require any suggestions here. All foot-walks should approach 
the entrance steps either at right angles or parallel with them ; 
and in all cases should start at right angles with the line of the 
entrance gate. 
The width of roads and walks must vary according to the 
extent of the grounds and the character of the house. For a 
cottage with small grounds, make the walks narrow rather than 
wide. The apparent size of the ground will be diminished by too 
ambitious walks. But there are limits of convenience. A broad 
walk always gives one a sense of freedom and ease, which is want¬ 
ing when we must keep our eyes down to avoid straying from the 
narrow way. For small places, therefore, we must compromise 
between the prettier external effect of narrow walks and the greater 
convenience of wide ones. Four feet is the least width appro¬ 
priate for a cottage main walk, and two feet for the rear walks. 
But for most town or suburban places, from four to six feet for the 
main walk and three feet for the rear walks, are appropriate 
widths. It is essential, however, that no shrubbery or flower-beds 
approach nearer than two feet from them. A walk three feet wide, 
with two feet of closely-shaven lawn on each side of it, is really 
just as commodious as a walk six feet wide closely bordered or 
overhung by rank annuals or gross shrubs. At the foot of the 
