The seats have been designed and placed, chiefly by Mr. Strutt himself, reference being had to the following rules:-To make choice of situations under the shade of trees already existing in the belts, or of situations where some kind of view or feature is obtained; to place some in gravelled recesses along the sides of the walks, and others on the turf; some open to the sun for winter use; but the most part looking to the east, west, or north, for summer use. Those seats which are placed in recesses ought to be 1 ft. back from the edge of the walk, in order that the feet of persons sitting on them may not be in the way of passers by; and the gravelled recess should extend 6 in. beyond the seat behind and at each end, for the sake of distinctness, and to prevent any difficulty in weeding the gravel or mowing the grass. No seat should be put down, along the walks, in such a situation as to allow persons approaching it to see the back of the seat before they see the front of it; and, hence, the seats should generally be placed in the concavities of the turns of walks rather than in the convexities of bends. No seat to be put down where there is not either a considerable space directly in front, or at an angle of 45ﾦ, or some other equal and large angle on each side. No seat to be put down where there will be any temptation to the persons sitting on it to strain the eye looking to the extreme right or left. None to be put down where more than one point of the boundary of the garden can be seen from the seat. None to be put down on the tops of the mounds, by which a person sitting would, at least before the trees and shrubs grow up, get a panoramic view of the entire garden, and thus defeat the main object of the mounds, and of the winding direction of the side walks. No seat to be put down, nor any device contrived, by which both the lodges can be seen at once from the same point of view; or even where one of the lodges and one of the pavilions can be seen from the same seat. Seats which are placed on the lawn always to be backed by some of the trees or shrubs there, so that no person may ever come close up to a seat from behind; or, if seats are placed in the open lawn without trees or shrubs near them on either side, then such seats must be made double, with a common back in the centre, or they may be benches without backs, or single seats, such as chairs or stools. All fixed seats, whether on the lawn or on gravel, to have foot-boards for the sake of aged persons and invalids. Round the central circle the scats should have stone backs, and a more architectural character than in any other part of the garden, as shown in fig. 56. The flower-garden with its covered seat, the cottage in it with its public tea-room, and the ivied tool-house formerly attached to Mr. Strutt's kitchen-garden, are preserved; and also a large weeping ash with seats beneath, the branches of which have been trained into a regular form by iron rings. In order to design the entrance lodges and gates, and the central statue, I called in the aid of Mr. E. B. Lamb, M.I.B.A., whose designs for the lodges and gates are shown in figs. 57. to 60., and the ground plans of which are in accordance with Mr. Strutt's instructions in regard to public rooms, yards, and other accommodations. Mr. Lamb also designed fig. 56.; and it may be proper to state that the suggestion of the pedestal and statue is entirely my own, and formed no part of my instructions; and that the idea may be either carried into execution or not, as the corporation, after they are in possession of the garden, may think fit. If a statue be not placed here, the design of the garden will not be complete without an obelisk, or some such object, in the centre of the circle.
