Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/811

 PRINCIPLES FOR DESIGNING VILLAS. 787 the distance an arcade, which separates tlie upper part of the valley from the lawn in front of the house. 1670. We visited Alton Towers in 1826, and again in 1831. On the former occasion we arrived at the house, from Uttoxeter, in the month of October ; and on the latter, from Cheadle, in July. By the road leading from Uttoxeter, we came imex- pectedly close to the house, and near the head of the north side of the vaDey, which contains the chief wonders of the place. The first objects that met our eye were, the dry Gothic bridge and the embankment leading to it, with a huge imitation of Stone- henge beyond and a pond above the level of the bridge alongside of it, backed by a mass of castellated stabling. Farther along the side of the valley, to the left of the bridge. is a range of architectural conservatories, -with seven elegant glass domes, designed by Mr. Abraham, richly gilt. Farther on, stiU to the left, and placed on a high and bold naked rock, is a lofty Gothic tower or temple, on what is called Thomson's rock, also designed by Mr. Abraham (and seen on the right of fig. ] 429), consisting of several tiers of balconies, round a central staircase and rooms ; the exterior ornaments numerous, and resplendent with gilding. Near the base of the rock is a corkscrew fountain of a peculiar description, which is amply supplied from an adjoining pond. Behind, above, and beyond the range of conservatories, are two lakes ; and beyond them is another conservatory, curiously ornamented : below the main range of conserva- tories are a paved terrace walk with a Grecian temple at one end, and a second terrace containing a second range of conservatories. The remainder of the valley, to the bottom, and on the opposite side, displays such a labyrinth of terraces, curious architectural walls, treUiswork arbours, vases, statues, stone stairs, wooden stairs, turf stairs, pavements, gravel and grass walks, ornamental buildings, bridges, porticoes, temples, pagodas, gates, iron raiUngs, parterres, jets, ponds, streams, seats, fountains, caves, flower-baskets, water- falls, rocks, cottages, trees, shrubs, beds of flowers, ivied walls, rockwork, shellwork, rootwork, moss-houses, old trunks of trees, entire dead trees, &'c., that it is utterly im- possible for words to give any idea of the eflfect. There is one stair of 100 steps ; a cottage for a blind harper, as large as a farm house ; and an imitation cottage roof, formed by sticking dormer windows, and two chimneys, accompanied by patches of heath to imitate thatch, on the sloping surface of a large grey mass of solid rock. This, seen at a distance, protruding from a steep bank of wood, bore naturally some resemblance to the roof of a cottage grey with lichens ; and the chimney-tops and windows were added, to complete the idea. As the sandstone rock protrudes from the sides of the valley in immense masses, abundant use has been made of it to form caves, grottoes, caverns,
 * md covered seats ; it has even been carved into figures : in one place we have Indian