414. Country mansions differ from country villas, even of the largest size, in having a park and a farm attached, and in their size, as the extent of such a residence can scarcely be less than from fifty to a hundred acres. There are also many adjuncts, without which a country mansion cannot be considered complete, which would be quite out of place in a country residence of smaller size. We shall here say a few words on some of these points, and on some others which are of more consequence in a large place than in a small one, beginning with the latter; after which we shall give two or three designs for residences of this kind.

Section I. General Observations On Country Mansions

415. Among the points which are of more consequence in a large country residence than in a small one may be mentioned, the situation of the domestic and stable offices; the farm and farm buildings; the fish-ponds; the icehouse; the scenery of the park; the entrance-lodge, etc.

416. A bath-room, for the use of the gentlemen of the family, may be on the ground-floor, either attached to the house or not, as may be most convenient. The advantage of having the bath-room on the ground-floor is, that hot water may be more conveniently supplied to the bath from the cistern at the back of the kitchen fire-place, or heated by the same fire as a hot-house or green-house, as may he most suitable. Fig. 213. shows a bath-room placed behind a conservatory, the bath being heated by the same fire, but not from the same boiler. In this plan, a is the dining-room; b the drawing-room, from which there is a glass door into the conservatory (c); and d is the bath-room, between which and the conservatory there is a passage connecting it with the boiler-room (e). The entrance porch of the dwelling-house is shown at f. The boiler is placed in the room e, on a level with the bath as it stands in the bath-room; and the bath is heated by a coil of pipes at one end. The water of the bath might have been heated in a simpler and less expensive manner by causing it to circulate directly through the boiler; but, as the water in a boiler which is in constant use for heating a conservatory, or other building or apartment, generally contains a good deal of sediment, it is not fit for using as a bath.

417. The size of the bath-room need not be large, because it is not understood to contain a swimming-bath, but only one for immersion. For this purpose, as the bath need not be larger than 8 ft. in length and 3 ft. in breadth, a room 8 ft. by 10 ft. in the clear might suffice, the bath being along the narrowest end, the fire-place on one side, a window on that opposite, and a door on the side opposite the bath. A room 10 ft. or 12 ft. square, however, will be more convenient; and if it is to contain a vapour-bath and a shower-bath, as well as a common water-bath, it should be somewhat larger. The height of the room, if it is to contain a shower-bath, should not be less than 10ft.; but, for a common bath or vapour-bath, 7 ft. or 8 ft. will be sufficient; and in this case the bath-room may be placed as a mezzanine, or half-floor room, like the entresol of the French. Adjoining the bath-room, and as an anteroom to it, there should be a dressing-room with a fire-place, and this fire-place may be so arranged as to heat the water in the bath-room. There should be a bell in the dressing-room, communicating with a bell-pull, suspended from the wall on one side of the bath, near the head; it may also be convenient to have a bell appropriate to the bath-room hung along with the other house bells, because it sometimes happens that invalids are seised with cramp while in the bath, and find it necessary to ring for assistance.

418. The bath, or vessel for containing the water, is generally half or a quarter sunk in the floor; or, if the floor does not admit of this, there is a step raised to half the height of the bath in front, in order to facilitate getting in and out. The dimensions of the bath are from 6 ft. to 8 ft. in length, from 1 ft. 8 in. to 3 ft. in breadth, and from 1 ft. 6 in. to 2 ft. 6 in. in depth. It is commonly formed of inch boards, lined with copper or sheet-lead, and painted in imitation of white marble; but sometimes, when the bath is on the ground-floor, the sides are formed of brickwork, and lined with glazed tiles. Sometimes, also, they are formed of polished stone or marble, or slabs of slate. The sides of the hath are generally made perpendicular, or nearly so, or somewhat wider at top than at the bottom: the end for the head generally slopes at an angle of from 45° to 50°, hut the foot is commonly perpendicular, slightly sloped, like the sides. One pipe from the boiler or other source of hot water, and another from the cistern or other source of cold water, are introduced at the back of the bath, but so as not to project into it, the cocks being placed against the wall, with their nozzles turned outwards, so as barely to come over one of the sides of the bath.

A plate should be fixed in the wall beside each cock, the one inscribed with the word "hot," and the other with the word "cold;" and the distance of the cocks from the head of the bath should be such, as to allow a person while seated in the water to reach them without inconvenience. In the bottom of the bath, at the foot end, there must be a waste-pipe for emptying the bath, which may either be stopped with a plug, having a grating beneath to prevent the escape of any matters which would choke up the pipe; or the waste-pipe may terminate under a grating or plate pierced with holes in the floor of the bath, near which there may be a stop-cock, concealed by a small trap-door, by turning which the water may be let off at pleasure; or, what is preferable, if the situation admits of it, the opening of the stop-cock may be in the floor of the room at the foot of the bath.

419. The simplest form of a vapour-bath is to have an open boiler with a fire beneath, and over the boiler a grated platform, on which a chair is placed for the bather to sit upon, while a large cloth or sheet is thrown round him in such a manner as to inclose the whole of the grated platform, and every part of his body except his head. The water being kept in a boiling state, the steam ascends under the cloth, raising the temperature of the bather to a high v degree. If thought advisable, herbs may be thrown into the boiler, which will communicate their odour to the vapour.

420. A shower-bath is always of cold water; and, as it produces no steam, when of the common portable kind, it may be used in any room that is most convenient. When fixed, there may be a supply-pipe, with a stop-cock above it, from some adequate source. When this is the case, the shower-cistern may be placed over the middle of the common bath, and the discharge-pull may hang down close by the wall.