The entry courtyard always frustrated Harold because of its awkward shape. Instead of creating a rectangular courtyard with the arches of the entry range and the tower directly opposite each other, the entry range angles inwards, so that the courtyard's southern wall is much shorter than the northern wall. I expect that most designers would have tried to mask the shape by planting deep curves of tall shrubs on each side of the tower, but for the Nicolsons, this was the courtyard of one of Vita's ancestral homes, so they wanted it to look like a courtyard.
Vita had wanted to pave the entire courtyard, but this was beyond the limits of the Nicolsons budget. Vita had to settle for what she described as her "precious sweep" of paving in the walk shown at the top of this article. Looking at that photo, you would never guess at how difficult that simple path across a lawn was to achieve. There was a shift in levels between the tower and the entry range; the Nicolsons considered putting steps in the path, but in the end, a steam-roller was brought in and the entire courtyard was given a new grade.
The photograph shows a perfect lawn with the stone walk flanked by carefully trimmed yews. This displays the high quality of care that is lavished on the garden, but it doesn't reflect Vita's romantic tastes. Old photographs show the Irish yews with their natural growth habit as shaggy, broad columns of foliage and this is the way that Vita preferred them. Vita also had no great love for perfect lawns; she delighted in "enammel'd daisy carpets". It is interesting how cultural practices can transform what was a romantic reflection of Medieval flowery meads into a courtyard that looks classically French. It is very easy for a garden to lose its original "accent", especially when a private garden that was created for a family to live in becomes a public museum.
