West Cowes from the esplanade
“‘On this principle they have proceeded too hastily at Plas Newydd in grubbing hedges & pulling down cottages, for the sake of showing an extent of open lawn in a direction where plantations ought to be encouraged to screen a bleak country,
“The approaches at Norris Castle are symmetrical and have a certain overriding geometry. There is nothing else like this in Repton’s oeuvre, hence they are unlikely to have been designed by him.
The Type-Setter is to be found in transit. He is either running upstairs from the editorial sofa to the observatory in the attic where the Professor contemplates the works of Repton, or downstairs in the other direction. Orders from the editor fly one way, rebuttals and refusals fly the other. ‘Rush! Rush! Always rush!’ he can be heard to say. It is his business to transmute the sparks and ferocities of his colleagues into the honeyed purr of mutual delight.
Oofy here: Editorial: Tell me if it’s the same for you: when I hear a fellow speaking. What they say makes perfect sense. Beautifully expressed. A treat. When I think of saying anything m’self, I get plenty of phrases alright. Jumbled up though. Can’t work out which comes first.
“If the Bathing House at Norris Castle is Reptonian in character and style, we might then ask what Repton might have made of its location and the location of the other buildings on the estate.
Oofy here: Editorial: Not interested in this. What’s Repton, what’s Brown? Without Austen.
“If the location of Norris Castle was not of Repton’s determination, then we should not abjure the evidence for settings that he provided for buildings in the late 18th century.”
“Repton was perfectly happy to work with the eccentricities of Gothic design that James Wyatt provided for Norris Castle.
“I have now written all I propose (see note 1819) by way of introduction, the notes that follow are assembled from red books and memoranda written by Humphry Repton between 1799 and 1804.
Norris Castle, with every indication of treasure
The Brown Advisor©2015
By John Phibbs