Terraces Balustrades And Steps To South And East Of Bowood House

The terraces, balustrades, and steps located to the south and east of Bowood House were constructed between 1817 and 1818 by Sir Robert Smirke, with further work completed by G. Kennedy from 1851 to 1853, and additional modifications around 1865, along with some remodelling after 1955. The structures are made of ashlar stone.

The Upper Terrace on the south front, designed by Smirke, features Jacobean-style pierced roundels in the balustrades, stone piers topped with vases, and central steps flanked by a pair of eroded reliefs created by W. Theed around 1860, along with two bronze stags marked M. Geiss from Berlin. A retaining wall and a similar balustrade extend along the west end of the Lower Terrace, designed by Kennedy, leading to an ornate ashlar Italianate pavilion.

The Lower Terrace includes horseshoe-shaped steps at the west end, which flank a lion-mask fountain, with the top parapet now supporting a stone nude sculpture by D. Wynne from 1978. The east end features a rounded stone seat, and dwarf walls in the gardens are adorned with four stone lions that were originally on the gatepiers of the main house. A long balustrade on the south side has turned balusters and central steps leading down. The terrace to the east of the house, dating from around 1865, also features similar Jacobean-style balustrading on the retaining wall and along the east side of the lower garden.