144 
TIIE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 6, 1359. 
would be passed and then returned to, and by the latter, there 
would only be a short space to traverse before reaching tire 
mansion, and thus oppose the idea of extent. 
The stables, offices, and kitchen garden, &c., are placed east¬ 
ward of the mansion, and the pleasure-ground to the south of 
the whole. The carriage road from the Maidstone lodge enters 
the avenue nearly at right angles. The park is more extended 
on the east than on the west side of the avenue; and supposing 
that the roadway instead of entering the avenue at all was con¬ 
tinued westward through the park, so as to permit the house to 
be reached by a long curved line along the slope, the decline 
then would be gradual, and the mansion would be scarcely seen , 
if at all, before it was reached. The materials in the old road 
would go far to form the new ; and the avenue, being grass from 
side to sido, would form, with its straight lines and sky ter¬ 
mination, a fine contrast to the picturesque scenery on the south 
side of the house. This, I believe, would be the remedy ap¬ 
proved of by our good friend Mr. Robson, and I hope that 
some day lie may liar's the pleasure of carrying it out. 
The mansion and grounds were greatly enlarged and improved 
under the auspices of the late Earl Cornwallis. I gained from a 
neighbouring gardener, and not from Mr. Robson himself, some 
idea of what work had fallen to his share before a mass of Laurels 
on the south front was exchanged for the present beautiful 
terrace. There being an outjutting wing of offices on the east 
sido of the entrance front, the dead wall of which is relieved by 
panels, &c., the open balustrading I have alluded to in front of 
the house extends westward beyond the house and widens to 
balance the wing, and then, by a scries of square ramps, goes 
down the bank and forms the end of the terrace. This encloses a 
good piece of gravel at the west end of the mansion, capable of 
being used for many ornamental purposes. 
Before I enter into further particulars, in order that our 
readers may be as wise as ourselves, I would wish to direct their 
attention to jig. 1., as a line or section taken from the centre of 
the mansion, right southwards through the slopes, and landings, 
and new flower gardens, &c. 
extending eastward and westward from the steps as far a9 the 
ends of the mansion, are covered with Laurels, kept neatly cut, 
and allowed to intrude just a little on the level, landings, or 
terraces of turf. To prevent the Laurels looking monotonous 
they are dotted somewhat regularly with good specimens of 
Cypress, Red Cedar, &c. These slopes and landings extend a 
little beyond the ends of the house, but without Laur-els, and 
gradually melt into a sloping bank ornamented with evergreens, 
&c. These slopes and landings, along with the terrace, have a 
base of 92 ft.; and the height of the terrace above the level 
between VII. and VIII. is 29 or 30 ft. The principal suite of 
rooms is 11 ft. higher. 
VIII. Is a sloping bank of grass, with steps in its centre. 
The wide space between VII. and VIII. is the position for a 
large oval and a new mode of grouping. 
IX. A sunk fence 7 ft. in depth; to be surmounted by an 
open balustrade in the open space, and carried on each side until 
it loses itself in evergreens. The space between VIII. and IX. 
is devoted to beds on grass in the usual mode, of which and oval 
bed we shall give plans next week. 
X. Part of park ground line, which slopes considerably for a 
good distance to a lake, which was enlivened with a small vessel 
with sails set. Beyond this the landscape seemed to rise gradually 
for a great distance. 
Having thus given the main features, I will shortly notice a few 
particulars. 
Westward of these sloping banks, but separated from them by 
specimens and masses of trees and shrubs, is what used to be the 
large principal flower garden on a sloping lawn. Further west 
still, but concealed from the approach from Linton, is a dell turned 
into a wild romantic garden, with roots, Ferns, Pampas Grass, 
&c., disputing for the pre-eminence. The beds in the flower 
garden were as nice as could be in the beginning of October; 
but the end of the terrace being to the north of them, and the 
ground sloping to the south, the flowers could only be seen to the 
best advantage when looking up at them from the end farthest 
from the terrace. When flower gardens must be thus placed the 
II. 
I. 
III. Terrace. 
Fig. 1.— Section or PaoriLE or Fleasure-giiovnds at Linton Park. 
Line supposed to be drawn from centre of mansion. 
30 feet. IV. 
27 ft. 
V, a, 
% 
VI \* 
\% 
VII. 
V. 
92 feet. 
2500 feet. 
Stops and sloping turf 
VIII. \ 
IX. 
I. Part of ground floor of mansion on south side. 
II. Drawing-room floor and principal suite of rooms, with 
balcony and open balustrade in front, and elegant Corinthian 
pillars above that height. The floor of these rooms is eleven feet 
above the ground or terrace level. 
III. Terrace 30 ft. in width, and 316 ft. in length. The front 
of the mansion being 150 ft., it will be apparent that the terrace 
extends beyond it at each end, and especially at the west end, as 
already referred to. 
IV- Upright terrace wall, with open balustrade about 2\- feet 
above the terrace level: height altogether, 10 ft. 7 in. The 
elegant little columns of this balustrading and the base and 
coping are formed of Portland cement; and no weather has had 
the slightest influence on them, except to harden them, if possible, 
more. The first level ot 27 ft. is reached by a massive double 
flight of steps and landings in Crystal Palace terrace fashion. 
~V’> ^ !•> T f L arG sloping banks with level landings, or terraces, 
between. The slopes have stone stairs 14 ft. wide ; and having, 
as they are numbered respectively, thirteen, nine, and eleven 
steps. The landings for that width are also stone or Portland 
cement, with provision for vases on the sides. These slopes, 
flowers can only be seen to first-rate advantage from certain 
points; and in this case these points would not be nearest to the 
mansion. I was glad, therefore, to find that Mr. Robson pro¬ 
posed laying down a fresh and curtailed plan, and devoting 
the place entirely to Roses, surrounded by climbing ones on 
pillars and chains, or rods, so as to festoon regularly and grace¬ 
fully. Roses in general should be by themselves, as they do 
not group well with the generality of bedding plants. This 
rosery will bo an agreeable change to a person coming from the 
striking view that presents itself in front of the mansion. I 
should not be surprised to hear some day that, by means of steep 
banks, the ground for the rosery has been thrown upon a level, 
that all the plants might have an equal chance to catch the eye 
of the beholder. 
Getting now to the terrace we perceive that the lower story 
of the mansion is fronted with an open arched corridor, or 
colonnade, and heated with hot water for plants; the arched 
openings having glass to fit in in winter. The colonnade had 
evidently been formed when strength and heat were considered of 
more importance than light for plants. Were the arches or 
openings greatly widened, or were iron pilasters or pillars substi- 
