Design No. 29 — Garden Seat
This small ornamental structure was designed for a garden in Wiltshire, on an estate near Chippenham. The garden, which is very extensive, rises in steep terraces up the combe or hill by the side of the mansion, which lies down in the valley. The structure was to be on the highest part of the garden, commanding an extensive view of the valley, the village, and adjacent country. As the house is in the neighbourhood of several fine old Elizabethan mansions, the design partook of that character. The view represents the structure in its complete state, with the terrace overlooking the valley. The turret on the tower of the village church is seen in the distance. The latter is an agreeable object in the view, being an extremely fine specimen of Decorated English Gothic, and in good preservation.
The plan is beneath the view, and the elevation of the building is likewise given. The whole of it was to have been constructed in stone; the vases were intended to receive flower-pots, so that a constant change of flowers could be placed in them by the pots being changed as often as was desired. A section through the centre and a side elevation are given; the balustrade is from an ancient example, it is five inches in thickness. The mouldings of the exterior are of plain Roman character, without any admixture of Gothic forms. The best examples of our Elizabethan architecture are pure Italian, but possessing a bolder and more picturesque outline, suited to our northern climate, than that shown by the elegant Italian model.
The second balustrade, p. 365, was an after-suggestion, it being considered more appropriate to the design than the first one. Another elevation was made for the same structure; this is shown as Design No. 30; it was to occupy the same site, and to have been constructed wholly in stone.
Opposite is a drawing of an ancient chimney-piece at Enfield, bearing the inscription—
Sola salus servire Deo,
Sunt cætera fravdes.