THE Lawrencian Villa, Drayton Green. (figs. 42. to 62.). - This villa, of which fig. 42. is the ground plan, is unquestionably the most remarkable of its size in the neighbourhood of London, on account of the great variety and beauty which have been created in it, under the direction of Mrs. Lawrence, F.H.S., the lady of the celebrated surgeon of that name. The straggling little village of Drayton Green lies about seven miles to the west of London, at a short distance from the road to Oxford. The surrounding country is flat, or nearly so; and it is principally under pasture, in very irregular enclosures, with hedges, also very irregular in regard to height and breadth, and abounding, in most cases, with English elms, oaks, and limes. The soil is a thin loam on gravel, and the country generally is considered remarkably healthy, and agreeably picturesque. The Lawrencian Villa may be said to occupy in all about twenty-eight acres. The house, stable offices, and decorated grounds stand on about two acres; and at the distance of about two or three hundred yards, across the road, are the kitchen-garden, poultry-houses, and piggeries, occupying nearly two acres; and two pasture fields, containing twenty-four acres. The house and the ornamented grounds are shown in the plan fig. 42. The surface is even, and has the disadvantage of rising somewhat from the house to the further extremity of the lawn. It is bounded on the south by another villa of the same kind (a); on the north, by grass fields (b); and, on the east, by Sir James Limond's grass field already mentioned (c).
