Terrace Walls, And Rustic Seat At South End Of South Garden At Oldway Mansion

The terrace walls, steps, and rustic seat are located at the south end of the garden south of Oldway Mansion. They were built between 1904 and 1907, during the remodeling of Oldway Mansion for Paris Singer. The grounds were designed by A Duchesne, a prominent French formal landscape architect. The retaining wall is faced with local grey limestone arranged in crazy courses, with a concrete parapet that is partly balustraded and a concrete seat. These walls separate the formal garden immediately south of the house from the more natural garden to the south. On the upper terrace, the wall includes a somewhat decayed rustic seat, and there is a flight of enclosed steps that leads down from the upper terrace into the wilder garden. This feature is part of the setting of Oldway Mansion and holds group value with other garden elements.