they required; in the very middle of the latter was a field which had
only been used as a place for beating carpets. It belonged to the Smith
Charity estate, and fetched a rent of about 40_l._ per annum; this field
was obtained by giving in exchange an outlaying one on the Villars
estate, the building value of which was estimated at 800_l._ per annum.
The Royal Commissioners, after squaring the site they required, and
putting aside the portion now occupied by the Department of Science and
Art, parcelled out the remaining outlying portion into three blocks, and
let them on building leases. The first and most important of these was
secured by the author for an employer, at a rental of 1500_l._ per
annum, on condition that the fee of each house plot could be purchased
within 6 years after the lease was granted; it contained about 2 acres.
And these are now the only freeholds that can be obtained. This plot is
now covered with buildings of the selling value, as leaseholds, of
250,000_l._, and it produces an improved ground rental. For the purchase
of the whole fee, the sum to be paid was 46,500_l._, so that for a
portion of this land which the author of this work, as surveyor of the
property, sold in 1852 for little more than 3200_l._ per acre, the value
had risen, in 1860, to no less than 23,250_l._ per acre.
It is only since Hyde Park has become almost the centre of the
metropolis, instead of being in one of its rural districts, that
attention has been paid to supply it with ornamental lodges and gates.
The country was so long occupied with the importance of the war with
France, which terminated so gloriously to the honour of our country,
that the Royal Parks were left in a very neglected state; and the gates
and lodges, particularly the entrance into London by Knightsbridge, were
mean in character, and totally unworthy of the purpose.
Londoners of the present day have no notion of the wretched state of
Hyde Park as it existed fifty years ago. The side next Park Lane, now a
beautiful walk, adorned by the gardener’s utmost skill with several
varieties of flowers and shrubs, was then a narrow sunken road, which
for the most part continued, by the side of the boundary wall, all the
way from Oxford Street to Piccadilly. This, when improvement commenced,
was filled up, and laid down in grass; and a wide Mall, with two
foot-paths, was formed on the higher ground, and enclosed by handsome
iron posts and rails. Some extensive gravel pits existed in the middle
of the park; these were filled up, one only being permitted to remain.
The surface of the park was generally levelled and manured, by which the
herbage has been greatly improved. Numerous seats were placed about the
park, for the convenience of the public; clumps and avenues of trees
were planted. The Serpentine was cleansed for the first time; it is just
now recleansed. A new drive, nearly a mile in extent was made through
the most distant and beautiful part of the park, to lead to Kensington
Gardens; and generally, all the roads were macadamized, and enclosed
with posts and rails. To connect the roads north and south of the
Serpentine, a handsome bridge was erected, from the designs and under
the superintendence of Messrs. Rennie. This has much conduced to the
accommodation of pedestrians and horsemen.
About twenty years after these great improvements were effected, Queen
Anne’s garden, at the extreme termination of Kensington Gardens, was
thrown open to the public; the kitchen garden belonging to Kensington
Palace was let out on building leases, and a road formed through it
connecting the town of Kensington with Bayswater. This road, called the
Queen’s Palace Gardens Road, is now covered from end to end with
first-class mansions. The improvements continued, and are being still
carried on.
The lodges and gates, at the chief entrances into the park, were put up
at the expense of the nation. When any building operator required an
entrance into the park, for some new outlying district, he bore the
expense of the construction, working under the direction of Her
Majesty’s Chief Commissioner of Works. The Government lodges at
Cumberland Place cost 2151_l._ One of these has been lately removed to
widen Park Lane.
The two first lodges, with gates opposite Stanhope Street, cost 5062_l._
The single lodge at the end of Grosvenor Street, with the iron gates,
cost 2929_l._, and the fountain 340_l._
The grandest of all these erections, that at Hyde Park corner, adjoining
the Duke of Wellington’s mansion, cost 17,069_l._
The first lodge and entrance gates put up by a private building
contractor was the Albert Gate, erected by the late Thomas Cubitt; the
lodge is sunk, its flat roof being on a level only eight feet above the
ground, and containing two small rooms, with a little yard and scullery.
The iron railing forming the carriage gates and entrances to the
foot-paths is of the same height as the lodge, and extends about 60
feet; the stone piers have on them the old stags which formerly
decorated the stone piers at the entrance of the Ranger’s Lodge in
Piccadilly. This gate gave an entrance by Hyde Park to Belgravia, and
very much raised the value of that district.
The next lodge and gate were put up by Mr. Kelk, opposite the fine
mansions at Prince’s Gate. This is known as the Prince of Wales’s Gate.
There are two lodges in size and plan exactly similar to the lodge at
the Queen’s Gate. The gates and railings are very plain; they are 12
feet in height, and extend to a length of 77 feet.
The Queen’s Gate lodge and gates are certainly the chief of all the
erections put up by building contractors; their cost was 2800_l._, as
previously mentioned. Both in ornamentation and character they vie with
the best erections put up by the Government. The length of the iron-work
between the stone pedestals is 140 feet; the height of the common rails,
11 feet above ground; the height of the standard and lamp, 18 feet;
there are two carriage gates, each of 15 feet opening, and two entrances
for foot-passengers, each of 10 feet opening. The stone pedestals at
each end are 6 feet in width by 15 feet in height. The iron-work is
designed to represent a group of spears; the author wished to surmount
the pedestals with groups of military arms similar to those of the
trophies of
[Illustration: Design No. 13. Elevation of centre of iron-work, Queen’s
Gate.]
Marius on the balustrading in front of the Senatorial Palace, Rome.
These could have been constructed in
[Illustration: Elevation of one of the Iron Standards.]
stone, at little expense. Sir Benjamin Hall wished for marble statues,
and on Prince Albert’s suggestion models were made of two reclining
figures, by Mr.
[Illustration: Section showing construction of Standard.]
Theed, representing “Morning” and “Evening.” These would have caused
great additional expense to the builders, who wished, as the entrance
was a great improvement in the value of the Earl of Harrington’s
property at Kensington, to place, on the piers, two
[Illustration: Plans of Standard at various heights, showing
construction.]
fine antique statues of Hercules then on the gates at Elvaston in
Derbyshire, a country seat of the Earl’s. But as the statues belonged to
the estate, and were entailed property, they could not be removed, and
the Earl objected to their being taken down for the purpose of casting.
The effect of the whole is much injured by the pedestals remaining
unoccupied. The plate on page 143 represents the centre of the ironwork,
surmounted by the Royal Arms.
[Illustration: Iron block and ball latch.]
The gates and railing are of very superior construction; they are the
work of Mr. Turner, of Hinde Street, Manchester Square. They have been
pronounced by the Government officials as requiring little attention,
and that the gates open and shut better than any other gates in the
park. Page 144 gives an elevation of one of the iron standards. Each is
two feet in width; there are ten of them; four, those belonging to the
carriage entrances, being surmounted by lamps. The small size of this
volume will not allow a full illustration of the ornamentation to be
given, but it admits that important part, the construction, to be
clearly shown. Page 145 gives a section of one of the standards, _d_ is
a layer of concrete, 1 foot 6 inches in height and four feet in width,
which goes all through; _a_ is the York landing, 6 inches thick and 5
feet square; _b_ is the brickwork, this goes all through; _c c_
represent the blocks of Portland stone; and _e_ is the granite curb 8
inches by 10 inches in section, within the entrances.
[Illustration: Wheel block.]
Page 146 gives the plans of the standards at different heights, showing
the several plates given in the section; and on page 149 is a section of
the wrought-iron coupling-bar with its brass bush.
The gates move on a hardened steel socket of circular form, working
within a steel box, as shown in the section.
[Illustration: Fall-down latch.]
[Illustration: Coupling-bar.]
Iron block and ball latches are provided for each of the gates. On pages
148 and 149 are cuts of the wheel block, with the plan, elevation, and
section of the stopping-piece or fall-down latch. The stopping-piece is
keyed into the granite curb in the centre of each gateway; _a a_ is the
lower rail of gates, and by its side is a small portion of the ornament
between the rails. That the effect of the whole structure was, very
much injured by the unfinished state of the pedestals was the opinion of
Lord Llanover, who sent the following letter to the architect,
expressing his dissatisfaction:
Great Stanhope Street,
_July 11, 1859_.
SIR,
The works at the Queen’s Gate, Hyde, Park, are very well executed,
and the entrance, as completed, produces a good effect; but that
effect would be materially improved if the gates and the railings,
and the ornamental works were relieved by colour, and some of the
parts gilt as I intended they should be. The two pedestals are also
without the groups which were to form the superstructure of the
square blocks. The work so far as it is executed is very well
executed, and I am quite satisfied with it so far; but I shall not
consider it completed until the groups are placed on the pedestals,
and the best effect will not be produced so long as the iron-work
remains wholly black.
I am, Sir,
Yours faithfully,
LLANOVER.
C. J. Richardson, Esq.
ON THE FOUNDATION AND BASEMENT WALLS OF BUILDINGS, DAMP PREVENTION, AND
FIRE PROOF CONSTRUCTION.
The foundations of buildings require careful consideration. When a house
approaches completion and shows cracks in the upper walls, they arise
either from insufficient attention having been given to the solid
character of the earth forming the site, or from bad construction at the
basement. The building in fact settles down unequally. As a settlement
of every building is certain to take place upon its completion, the
greatest precaution should be taken to make it as equable as possible.
No portion should settle deeper than another, and this can only be
secured by care at the foundations.
It often happens that portions of a selected site are of unequal
quality. In such cases it is necessary to excavate the worst portions
deeper to reach a good stratum, and to take the brickwork lower, no
filling up beyond the usual thickness of concrete being allowed.
There is another very serious evil, in building, to be guarded against.
Owing to the moisture of the earth rising through the foundations and
saturating the walls above, the health of the occupants of such houses
may be seriously affected by its presence in the walls. About twenty
years ago it was the universal practice in good buildings to place wide
stone landings--three times the thickness of the wall above--under the
foundations, for the purpose of preventing the damp from rising as well
as to spread the width of the wall.
[Illustration: Section of a proper foundation for a wall.]
A bed of concrete is now used as a substitute for this plan; the
engraving below shows the best method of constructing foundation walls.
A trench, three times the width of the wall is dug, at least 2 feet 6
inches in depth. Into this is thrown a quantity of concrete, which soon
dries and becomes solid. In the superior class of buildings a layer of
concrete, six inches in thickness, is placed entirely over the ground,
inside the foundation. Upon this concrete the walls are built, the
lowest footing being twice the width of the wall above. On a few courses
above the top footing a course called a “damp course” is put; this is
shown at _a_, page 152.
Two courses of slate are laid in cement; but other materials are often
used, as a thin sheet of lead, for the whole width of the wall. Zinc
might answer, but it has not yet been tried. A thin coat of asphalte, or
asphalted cloth, tar, pitch, or a plain coat of cement are also often
employed, but the two courses of slate in cement are considered
sufficient. The first course of bricks above the ground is often formed
entirely of air bricks, originated by Mr. Aldin, the builder, of
Kensington. Each brick has eight or ten perforations, ½ inch in
diameter, through its whole length; a small piece of perforated zinc is
placed upright between the bricks to prevent insects from entering. This
is shown at _b_. The timbers and stone flooring of the basement do not
enter the walls, but rest upon dwarf walls, the joists having oak
sleepers to rest on. The brick fenders of the foundations are entirely
filled with dry rubbish or ironfounder’s ashes, and the stone hearths
bedded solid either in mortar or concrete. This is the construction
shown in all the designs of this volume. To illustrate still further the
attention given in constructing foundations, the engraving below is
given, showing a section of a foundation executed several years ago at
Westminster, where the ground was uncertain. Its scale is only half that
of the previous figure, the upper wall being 3 feet in thickness
[Illustration: Section of foundation to a wall.]
instead of 1 foot 6 inches. Above the bed of concrete, which is 9 feet
in breadth, by 3 feet in thickness, are York landings, _a_, 4 inches
thick and exceeding 6 feet in width. Upon these are laid two lines of
wood sleepers, _b_, bedded in brick and cement, the size of each sleeper
being 12 by 6 inches, and in long lengths. Above this is a course of
planking, _c_, placed diagonally across the wall; each plank being 12
inches by 6 inches, and about 9 feet in length. Above this are the
footings, each two courses in height: in the return walls the landings,
sleepers, and planking are placed a course higher, so that they might be
tied together. The brickwork goes down twelve feet, and invert arches
are turned at every opening.
[Illustration]
In order to keep the walls as solid as possible in the lower part of a
building, the ground floor joisting should rest on projecting corbel
bricks as here shown,--the joists going between the cross walls rest
upon projecting bricks, the upper one being of peculiar strength; tall
piles are put between each joist against the wall, for the skirting in
cement to be formed upon it. Air bricks in open iron-work, two to each
front, are placed so as to admit air within the joisting.
This mode of construction is carried throughout the ground floor.
The stone landing of the passage by the side of the servants’ stairs, is
supported on the part next the wall by corbel bricks, and on the other
side by an iron bar let into the wall at each end; as shown above. In
the upper floor, the joisting should be reversed and go front to back,
notched on wall plates let into the wall, thus tying both walls
together.
[Illustration: Section of stone landing of passage.]
[Illustration: Section of kitchen roofing.]
The introduction of rolled iron girders into buildings renders fireproof
construction very easy. They are made of all sizes, and can be placed
over any opening, so as to carry the weight above them. Kitchens in many
London houses are constructed in the back yards, with an area between
them and the house. This confines all the smell of the cooking to the
precincts of the kitchen. As it is very important that no roofing should
interrupt the light from the back ground-windows of the house, the roof
of the kitchen is so constructed that the yard is only moved upwards; it
belongs to the ground floor and not to the basement. For this purpose,
cast iron girders, standing on brick piers, bear up rolled iron six-inch
girders, between which half-brick arches are turned. Above all these is
concrete, cement, or asphalte. The courses of tiles and cement are laid
at such a slope as will be sufficient to take the water off quickly. It
is easy to put skylights, or any kind of opening, in this construction,
and to make the whole water-tight.
This figure shows a way of supporting walls over openings, instead of
the old method of arching in brick; the iron girders or plates have
often no timber between them; they rest upon iron shoes or stone slabs,
their depth being proportioned to the opening and the weight above.
Strong large hollow bricks or tiles are placed over them, and above all
is the brickwork.
[Illustration: Support over opening.]
The upper floors of buildings are made fire-proof in a similar manner,
and for this purpose there are several excellent patented methods. The
iron girders are closed up by brick arches, or filled between with
concrete. The only objection to this mode of construction for upper
floors is the great weight, and the walls require to be made of extra
strength. Several years ago a hollow brick was used to form such arches
and roofing, _e.g._, the dome of the Rotunda, at the Bank of England, is
formed with them. The brick is somewhat similar to a flowerpot, but flat
and closed at each end. There were several varieties of these cone
bricks, as they were called; a few are preserved in the Soane Museum.
One sort was 7½ inches in height, 4⅛ by 2⅜ inches at the top, and 3-2/8
by 2 inches at the bottom. They were curved inwards with a small
opening, 1 by 2/8 inch in the centre. The edges of the brick were
slightly splayed, and the sides scored; these were as strong as the
common bricks, and very much lighter. When the East India House was
pulled down a large quantity of these bricks was obtained; they were
brought to Kensington, and the builders did not know what they were
intended for; their purpose being pointed out, they were used up in the
construction of fire-proof flooring.
_Fire-proofing._--A method of rendering buildings nearly fire-proof was
introduced about 1770 by Mr. David Hartley, M.P. for Hull. It consisted
in placing thin metal plates between the flooring boards and the joists,
so as to prevent any upward currents of air. For domestic buildings the
system was one of great value. After several successful trials it
obtained considerable notoriety, and being thought capable of an
impossibility, that of rendering a Theatre fireproof, it was applied to
the Pantheon Theatre in Oxford Street. On that structure being burnt to
the ground the plates lost their character, and went out of use. It was
clearly a mistake to apply them to such a building. Thin iron plates
hung at a short distance below the ceiling were successfully adopted by
Mr. Walter Crum, to prevent the spread of fire from one room to another
in his calico printing works, near Glasgow.
_Damp._--The damp rising from foundations is more easily guarded against
than damp coming against a building laterally. Houses in exposed
situations and subject to driving winds, are often very wet inside the
walls, the rain being driven through them. Sometimes the best
construction will not keep out wet. As a rule, a well-built wall wherein
proper material has been used, should not be damp.
A rectory, not far from Salisbury, where the author was engaged a few
years ago, was in such an exposed situation that on three of its sides
no tree or any other object in a direct line could be seen for three
miles. Clothes, if placed against the external wall of the
dressing-room, were often quite wet. The Rector had tried several
preventives himself; one was a mixture, used to water-proof cloth--a
wash of soap and alum.
The ingredients were mixed in the following proportions: ¾ lb. of
mottled soap to 1 gallon of water. This mixture, when in a boiling
state, was laid over the surface of the brickwork steadily and carefully
with a large flat brush, so as not to form a froth or lather on the
surface, and was permitted to remain twenty-four hours to become dry and
hard. Another mixture was then made in these proportions: ½ lb. of alum
to 4 gallons of water, which, after standing twelve hours, in order that
the alum should be completely dissolved, was applied in like manner with
a flat brush over the coating of soap. The coating had to be very often
renewed. The wall most exposed was made free from wet by being covered
with a coating of cement.
Walls exposed to damp should be coated with a thin layer of Portland
cement, mixed with a little plaster of Paris, and after this is
thoroughly dry, it may be hardened and rendered impervious to water by
painting it with boiled linseed oil and red lead, mixed together.
In very exposed situations all external walls should be battened, lath
and plastered within, or built with a hollow cavity in the middle, with
proper bond and a proportionate increase of thickness,--the hollow
could be filled with concrete, or the back of the bricks covered with
pitch. There are several other methods for keeping walls free from damp.
One is to saturate the walls with some kind of mastic, or a wash
composed of two or three parts of resin and one part of drying oil, to
the extent of as many washes as the wall will absorb. This must be quite
dry at the time, or be dried by means of a small portable furnace. The
plan is effectual, but it is a difficult operation to perform. A cement
composed of lime, boiled linseed oil, white lead, and sand, has been
recommended.
Besides these various compositions, there are several excellent
well-known paint and metallic cements, which have stood very severe
tests, and are largely made use of; but walls properly constructed
should not require their application.
[Illustration: Plaster ornament for a ceiling.]
_DESIGN No. 14._
A SMALL COUNTRY RECTORY.
[Illustration: Perspective view.]
This design was made for a country clergyman residing near Montacute, in
Somersetshire. It was arranged according to his express directions in
every particular, both as to style, and in regard to the number and size
of the rooms on each floor. Living in the immediate neighbourhood of
some of the finest
[Illustration: Ground plan.]
old English mansions, he was anxious to have a residence in the old
decorated style of wooden architecture, certainly the most picturesque
of all the styles our forefathers have left us. The timber dwelling is
found in almost every county throughout England, with their projecting
windows and highly ornamented bargeboards; several large houses in
Cheshire and Shropshire remain to satisfy us that such construction,
when properly carried out, is very lasting. The timber used requires to
be felled at the right time, and to be properly seasoned before being
placed up; which must be done on a brick or stone foundation. Dwellings
constructed in this way were anciently
[Illustration: Plan of upper floor.]
called post-and-pan houses. They have been known to rock and bend before
severe storms, and to stand intact while adjoining buildings have been
blown down. Large palaces were formerly constructed in England of wood;
the chimney flues and fireplaces alone being of brick. The sketch-book
of John Thorpe, an Elizabethan architect, a copy of which is in the
fine library of the Art Museum of South Kensington, illustrates several
of these dwellings.
With the present design it was the intention of the rector to carry out
the work himself, the necessary drawings being provided him. The
building is small and compact. When much adornment is intended, it is
necessary to confine the expense within
[Illustration: Ornament in ceiling of study.]