By now those of you who’ve been following this job (haven’t been? please read previous 4 post) know that the pergola idea is long gone. Replacing that idea . . . some sort of ruins or a folly. Patrick McAfee gave a great perspective from a European (Ireland, is he) point of view in a comment on #4:
There is a rich history of this kind of thing in 18th and 19th century Britain and Ireland. Thousands of follies were built by landlords to create what you talk about. Some of these are amazing. I worked on one estate which had a man-made lake, islands with stone ruins, a temple, boat house, eel house and more.
Views through openings like you have drawn were popular, sometimes arched and often framing a distant view. This concept of framing seems to have been important. Wall tops were often ragged and not level or straight.
This trend or fashion disappeared but I have heard of its revival at a famous rock stars residence, with a ruined bridge etc.
Originally I think you brought your visitors around your estate and these were talking points, a place to stop or maybe to take out your easel and paint or write a poem. It is interesting to see the concept return.
Great stuff, and a good, quick tutorial . . . thanks Patrick! Anyway, to add to the previous drawing’s explanation of the site I have added an axonometric drawing for the client to look at:
[some would consider this a version of an axonometric conceptual]
I think it’s a pretty rough drawing, kinda crude . . . it’s down and dirty . . . however the client should be able to read this and along with the other drawing get a good idea of what I am after.
An aside: I missed getting the walls wide enough with respect to the height I have shown the walls at. This will drive me crazy every time I look at this drawing. Let’s hope the owner doesn’t mind my lack of drawing skills.
[plan view and a sectional drawing]
This quick plan view will allow the contractor to do a rough estimate on price for this proposal. There is an included sectional for the contractor also. These 2 drawings are not intended for the client. This is a working document between contractor and designer. Please click to enlarge.
Now that this is done guess what I really want to put in this space . . . ? A crane. That’s right, an old crane, or steam shovel, something like that. How cool would that be. Bury that sucker down in there, throw a few boulders around it, drifts of grasses and meadow-like perennials, and to top it off some vines growing up, around, through and over the cab and bucket of the crane.
After all this golf course is called the Quarry, and it’s on a site where the old quarry actually was. The local press would jump on it, it would be some nice history, and when a photographer needs a backdrop for a photo . . . here ya’ go. I love my job.
The Whispering Crane Institute 
One other small point about the classic English country house landscape, apart from follies which were obligatory in the 18th century, was the ha-ha, a method of shielding a not-so-nice element of a long distance view by use of an earth embankment, either hiding the not-so-nice bit behind it or more commonly levelling up the landscaped garden area from the front of the house until you were some distance away then allowing the land to drop away suddenly so that from the vantage point the land looked as though it ran all the way to the horizon.
One example of it is explained at http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/parks/kensington_gardens/landscape_history.cfm
Rick,
Fresh idea on the ol quarrry crane – an old wall look from within the quarry could really give it theme scream – I’ve always longed to do some ha-ha thing for deer, but the opportunity hasn’t hit – I don’t think zoning board like them – just had foot surgery, so when I get my act together I will send you some pics from Calif
b
I liked it ‘ do you have more?