The house and grounds at Merton from the south-east, 1805 (watercolour, graphite)

Creator: Thomas Baxter The drawing is on two sheets: the one on the right (verso) is stuck down and the left hand one (recto) is partially stuck down and folded. Recto: A panoramic view of the house and grounds at Merton. The house is on the left of the drawing and is seen from the south-east, showing the bays of the Eating Room and the Withdrawing Room on the east elevation of the house. Also visible are the 'miradors' constructed on the outside of these bays. The term 'mirador' is used on Thomas Chawner's plan of Merton Place of January 1805 and is a garden term from the Spanish 'mirar' (to look): it means 'an artificial viewpoint', similar to 'belvedere'. The driveway curves away from the house to the right round to a small building with a chimney, possibly a lodge, which is also shown in WAL/49/22/2. There are trees beside and in front of the house, along with other plantings. In the centre of the drawing is a shrubbery in the middle of the lawns. Above is blue sky and the whole is freely painted. A view of the east elevation of Merton Place (recto) underneath.