Studio: international art (11.1897)

Formal Gardens in Scotland

THE OLD KEEP, EDZEI.L FROM A DRAWING BY J. J. JOASS

vated in the rock, and in the same style as the The garden, in keeping with the rest of the

claret-house. A straight gravel path leads to an architecture, was enclosed on three sides by great

archway at the east end of the terrace correspond- walls, and on the north it adjoined the keep and

ing to the garden-house, and from the inner edge courtyard.

of this path a slope of solid masonry reaches to Every vestige of path and parterre, or whatever

within 3 ft. of the level of the third terrace. method was used to ornament the enclosure, is

Proceeding through the arch at the west end gone, but the interior of the wall itself, with the

and up a few steps the path forms a narrow terrace summer-house at one corner and the bath-house

by itself, and leads under a row of three stone and well at the other, is of the greatest interest, and

arches to the house, which is on this level 200 ft. evidences the taste and classic lore of the Earl of

or so to the east and overlooking the river, and Lindsay, who designed it.

the terrace continues eastward, like the first, to the The wall was divided into compartments of

end of the garden. The third terrace, also reached about ten feet by shafts, of which only the caps,

by narrow steps at the west end, is of grass, with bases, and bands remain. In the alternate spaces

beds of flowers and an arbour of roses in the are a series of recesses resembling in elevation the

centre; at the east end is an enclosed wall, and at " Fess Cheque " of Heraldry, which appears on the

the west the steps leading to the fourth terrace. coat-of-arms of the Crawfords, and above these

There are no flowers on the fourth terrace, but three raised stars, the " Mullets" of the Lindsay

plain grass and one or two clipped shrubs of box, coat-of-arms, signifying the union which had taken

yew and holly. On the stone edging are a couple place between the two families by the marriage of

of urns with flowering plants. This terrace opens Lord Lindsay and a lady of the house of Crawford,

at the east end to the flower-garden and shrubbery The recesses are hollowed out at the bottom,

about the house, where there is a fine dial. Above making little pockets for plants or flowers, and in

it is the fifth and highest terrace, which has also a the centre of each star or "mullet" is a circular

steep grass slope, and a narrow pathway from the opening leading to a recess hollowed in the stone,

house leading to the flights of steps at the west where pigeons or other birds might nest,

end of the garden. In each of the other divisions there is a large

recess below for flowers, and above a panel with

jOZEll. figures of quaint design in an architectural frame.

This is also a garden of small extent, but of Those on the east wall contain a selection of

completely different character from the last. mythological deities in the following order, begin-

The old keep of the Lindsays was one of the most ning at the north wall: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars,

unpromising subjects for the garden designer. A Apollo, Diana, Mercury and Luna, each with a

square block rising to a great height, without orna- shield bearing the proper emblem, perhaps the

ment of any kind, but the usual embattled pro- tutelary deities of the days of the week (page

jections at the top. On the north-east was a large 171).

courtyard, strongly walled, and several lines or circles On the south wall are represented the sciences :

of defence completed what must have been a Rhetorica, Dialectica, Arithmetica, Musica, Geo-

powerful fortress. metrica, with figures representing each and appro-
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