House&Garden 
Vol. IV DECEMBER, 1903 No. 6 
The Forecourt of Rot her field Hall 
ROTHERFIELD HALL 
A NEW HOUSE AND GARDEN BEING BUILT IN ENGLAND 
Designed by F. INIGO THOMAS 
W HEN Mr. Inigo Thomas, in collab¬ 
oration with Mr. Reginald Blomfield, 
roused fresh interest in formal gardening 
by the issue some years ago of his excellent 
manual on the subject, Fhe Formal Garden 
in England , it was to be expected that 
this should be but the prelude to a fine 
series of concrete works from his hand. In 
this respect there have been no disappoint¬ 
ments, and the success of the crusade which 
was then initiated is a matter for very great 
congratulation to that part of the public 
which cares, though to whom the credit of 
this initiation should be accorded is not 
alwavs made apparent. Among the artistic 
achievements of the nineteenth century it will 
be recorded as an important fact that the de¬ 
formalization of many of the best English 
gardens was arrested and a new series com¬ 
menced which can compare, in quality if not 
in size, with the triumphs of the Stuart 
Period; and it is under this head that “ Roth- 
errteld Hall,” until recently but a yeoman’s 
farmhouse, dating partly from 1535, partly 
from 1666, deserves a place, compensating for 
its lack of acres by the delightful qualities of 
breadth and simplicity which it possesses. 
Finely situated on the Forest Ridge of Sus¬ 
sex and with good views and much diversity 
of level in the ground, the estate has yielded 
to Mr. T homas’ treatment with a success 
which should encourage the owner, Mr. 
Lindsay Hogg, M. P., to persevere in the 
speedy carrying out of the complete scheme. 
The sixteenth century dwelling, which now 
forms the northern end of the present build- 
2 S 3 
