Small Country Inn, 1834.

Country Inn.

garden plan.

A Small Country Inn, with Stabling Skittle-Ground, Tea-Garden, and Bowling-Green.

The Situation is supposed to be in a right angle, formed by the intersection of two roads, or by a branch from one road. The principal front, which is seen in fig. 1299, is to the main road; and the stables, carriage-house, and yard open to the cross or branch road.

bed and breakfast.

Accommodation. In fig. 1301 is an entrance passage, a, which leads to a hall and staircase, out of which open two other passages; that to the left, leading to the skittle-ground, i; and that to the right to the yard, h, the tea-garden, t, and the bowling-green, s. Between the passage and the tap, c, is the bar, b, which is also very conveniently situated for observing comers and goers by the different passages, and to and from the kitchen, e.. The bar, it is to be observed, has glass windows on three sides, and the upper half of the kitchen door, and of those of the passages, is also of glass. In the back-kitchen, f, is an oven. There are a wine and spirit cellar, g; a brew-house, k; beer-cellar, l; and cow-house, m; and these last three buildings have a floor-over them for malt, corn, hops, &c. There is a malting-house, n, over which, at one-end, there, may be a kiln for drying the malt, or this may be placed in an adjoining building in the yard, p. There is a stable for four horses, q; a place for two carriages, r; a bowling-green; s, and a tea-garden, t, with a fountain in the centre, and five alcoves on the sides, u. The chamber floor, fig. 1300, contains six good rooms, five of them with fireplaces, and a water-closet.

Construction- The materials of the walls may be those in common use in the given locality; and hence they may require to be either thicker or narrower than those shown in the plan.

The Skittle-Ground ought to be rendered hard, smooth, and perfectly level, by a composition of quicklime, sharp sand, and smithy ashes, being spread over a layer of small stones or coarse gravel, and rolled or floated so as to be perfectly smooth, before it has had time to set. We have shown this appendage, and that following, in conformity with modern usage in Britain; though we are convinced that when mankind generally are more highly educated, such childish amusements as playing at skittles will, never be thought of. As to the exercise which the game affords, perhaps something may be said in its favour in crowded cities ; but, even in then, exercise may surely be obtained by means equally amusing, and, at the same time, somewhat more rational. When cities are self-governed by a regularly organized representative system, there will always be public gardens sufficiently extensive, and furnished with abundance of botanical and zoological specimens, to supply the means of agreeable exercise and recreati on in walking through and examining them. We are justified in this opinion by the fact, that rude games have disappeared in all countries, in proportion as civilization has advanced and been equalized.

The Bowling-Green ought to be well drained, and to have gratings communicating with under-ground drains along the sides. The surface of the ground ought then to be reduced to a perfect level, and, by treading or ramming, to an equal degree of solidity ; after which it should be covered with turf of uniform thickness, and afterwards well watered and rolled. It is usual to form a small gutter, about a foot broad, and three inches deep, round the margin of a bowling-green, for the purpose of receiving the water from its surface; and in the bottom of this gutter the gratings to the drains are placed. When properly drained, however, and turf from a sufficiently porous soil is used, the rain will sink down through it direct to the under drains. The nature of the soil and the drainage are important considerations to be attended to, as one of the greatest beauties of a good bowling-green is to present a dry surface immediately after rain.

The Tea-Garden should be planted with deciduous and evergreen shrubs; taking care that the nurseryman who supplies them does not plant more than two of a sort, and that the sorts have showy and odoriferous flowers. The alcoves may be formed of trellis-work, and covered with honeysuckle, virgin's-bower, and other creeping shrubs; and, in general, where nothing else will grow, and it is desirable to have a covering of vegetation, Virginian creeper and ivy may be planted. The fountain may be of artificial stone, if real stone is found too expensive; or it may be of cast iron.

General Estimate- The cubic contents of this building are 107,508 feet; which, at 6d. per foot, is .£2687: 4s. The extra-expense of the skittle-ground, tea-garden, and bowling-green will be at least £ 100, exclusive of enclosure walls, booths, the alcoves, and the fountains.

Remarks. This Design was furnished us by William Ross, Esq., Architect, Bristol; and we consider it a very judicious arrangement, with reference to the purpose in view. The yard, o, may be covered; and the floor over the brewhouse and beer-cellar proportionably increased. From the passage, v, between the tea-garden and the bowling-green there might be a door to a large kitchen-garden, always a most valuable appendage to a country inn ; as are also proper yards and buildings for pigs and poultry, rabbit-hutches, and a dovecot. These, in this case, are supposed to be placed on the other side of a lane opposite the yard gate, w. An elegant banqueting-room might be erected on the bowling-green, in the situation, x. If smoking is not permitted in the house, there is a small tower, y, in the skittle-ground for that purpose, independently of the alcoves in the tea-garden. The upper part of the tower, y, contains the pole of the signpost.

One of the plans for
Country Inns and Public Houses
from
Loudon's Architecture, Book 2.2
1834

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