The terraced gardens will be on seven different levels, communicating by flights of steps, ornamented with vases, figures, and numerous other suitable objects; and, in appropriate places, there will be canals, basins, and fountains, summer-houses, shrubs clipped into artificial forms, &c. The upper terrace will be 150 ft. higher than the house, and will form a winding plateau, extending along the ridge of the hill on which the house stands, and commanding, on one side, a very rich view over a fine agricultural and wooded district, and, on the other, the mountains of Derbyshire, forty miles distant. The two extremities of the terrace-gardens will gradually be united to broad walks on the same levels as the terraces, in extensive woods already existing. After these walks have been continued to a certain length on the same level as the terraces, the upper one will gradually descend, and the lower one gradually rise, till, at a considerable distance from the house, they will form, by gentle inclined planes, communications with every level of walk or terrace. At least, the situation admits of this kind of arrangement, as well as of several others. One thing is however certain, that Mr. Gregory will create what may be called an atmosphere of highly artificial garden scenery in the geometric style, round and overhanging the mansion; and that he will gradually unite it, not with modern shrubbery walks, but with the picturesque woods already existing, harmonising these woods with the artificial scenery by the introduction of foreign plants. For ornamenting the geometric garden, Mr. Gregory possesses an ample stock of vases, statues, and other sculptural ornaments, and of rich gates, and other iron work, collected by him on all parts of the Continent, soon after the peace of 1815.
