H ouse and Garden 
Fig. 9. The Entrance front of Welbeck, with the entrance porch on the ground 
floor, which makes the house appear to be situated much lower than 
it really is, from the ground having a slope towards it. 
while they give importance to the mansion, 
they will possess only a subordinate place in 
the general scenery, still contributing to that 
unity of design which makes a composition 
perfect. (See Figure 8 .) 
At Welbeck the house appears to stand 
much lower than it really does, by the en¬ 
trance in the basement storey (see Figure 
10 ), which, being carried up to the principal 
door, will not only be of great advantage to 
the inside, by removing all neces¬ 
sity for ascending the present stair¬ 
case, but the effect on the outside 
will be much greater than may at 
first be imagined ; since, by giv¬ 
ing an opportunity of altering the 
shape of the ground, it will take 
the house out of a hollow and set 
it on a pleasing eminence. 
The ground, at present, slopes 
gradually towards the house, with 
a flat hanging level, which is evi¬ 
dently artificial, and, from the 
northwest corner of the projecting wing there 
is a ridge of earth which divides this plat¬ 
form from the adjoining valley. The super¬ 
fluous earth from this ridge will be sufficient 
to answer every purpose of raising the lawn 
to the house; and I propose to slope the 
ground with a gradual fall from the riding- 
house to the valley, and to cross this fill by 
an additional steep from the west front, mak¬ 
ing both to wind naturally towards the low 
ground of the valley. 
The earth may be raised just above the 
tops of the windows in the base¬ 
ment storey, which may still be 
sufficiently lighted by an area; but 
when the lower row of windows 
is totally hid, the house will ap¬ 
pear too long for its height, and 
the depth of roof will be still 
more conspicuous. Having hinted 
this objection to Mr. Carr, he 
immediately assented to it, and 
after various attempts to counter¬ 
act this awkward effect, without 
any great operation, the following 
appeared the most simple: viz., that the 
present pediment (which is incongruous to 
the battlements) should be raised as a 
square tower, and that the parapets, also, 
at the ends of the building, should be raised 
to unite with the chimneys in the gables. 
This will serve not only to hide more of 
the roof, but will give that importance to 
the whole fabric which, in a large mass 
of Gothic building, is always increased by 
The Entrance front of Welbeck altered, by raising the earth above the lower 
storey, and thus placing the house upon an eminence. The 
roof is also partly hidden by turrets. 
the irregularity of its outline. (See figure 9 .) 
Our Figures 8 and 9 may serve to show 
this effect. I have also changed the color 
of the roof and chimneys; for, though such 
minutiae are apt to pass unnoticed in the 
great outline of improvement, I consider 
the mention of them as a duty of my pro¬ 
fession, as the motley appearance of red 
brick with white stone, by breaking the 
unity of effect, will often destroy the 
magnificence of the most splendid compo¬ 
sition. 
- . _ 
. 
Fig. 10. 
69 
