By 1800 Soane had built himself a successful career, inherited a fortune, gained a young family and built his own town house at No. 12 Lincoln's Inn Fields. The next thing he wanted was a house in the country – to confirm his position in society and to provide space for his ever expanding collection of art and artefacts. He first bought a plot of land at Acton, early in 1800.
‘Reconstruction’ of part of the ruins in the grounds
13 June 1804
Pencil, pen and coloured washes on paper
ADD7/4 (Pitzhanger drawing 150)
After designing the house, Soane decided to add fake 'ruins'. Broken masonry and column fragments were planted in the ground to amuse guests.
The Classical model employed for these mock ruin-reconstructions was the Temple of Clitumnus at Spoleto, which had a raised first floor door from which priests could preach. This explained the incongruous height of the temple entrance.
Soane's fascination with ruins extended further, from his vast collection of Piranesi engravings (mostly of classical ruins), to the commission of an imaginary view of the Bank of England as a ruin and to the description of his own house at Lincoln's Inn Fields as a future ruin. The ruin was a theme of great interest to Soane.