Stourton Travel Guide

 stevezero Says:  Alfred's Tower is one of the finest triangular folly towers in the country. Alfred's Tower stands 50 m high, in sheer windowless brick, unashamedly built for the view from the top - the ten tiny stair-turret windows do no more than illuminate the steps. Designed in 1765, it... 

 stevezero Says:  On the shores of the lake, is a fine old stone cottage, which good views over the water, I don't think it was ever lived in, but used more as a summerhouse in the daytime. It is only visible from outside. 

 stevezero Says:  At the head of the lake, stands the 1373 Bristol High Cross, given to Henry Hoare in 1780. It formally stood in the city of Bristol itself. 

 stevezero Says:  Also in the grounds is a giant obelisk. We did not have the time to get up there, but admired it from afar. 

 stevezero Says:  Amongst the many other features around the lake, they have also managed to include a splendid waterfall. 

 stevezero Says:  The Temple of Flora stands above a natural spring known as Paradise Well. It is dedicated to the Roman goddess of flowers and spring.Henry Hoare II 'the Magnificent' erected this, his first garden building, in 1744 to designs by his favourite architect Henry Flitcroft.... 

 stevezero Says:  Stourhead was always a self contained community, and you can still see some of the original, cute, stone cottages. 

 stevezero Says:  The Palladian Bridge, built in 1762, was based on a bridge in Vicenza designed by Palladio and forms the centre point of many of the garden’s classic views. Although purely ornamental, the bridge also serves to create the illusion that the lake is a river, flowing from the... 

 stevezero Says:  On the walk around the lake, a short detour takes you to the magical grotto. There are classical figures inside, including a stern looking Neptune. it is rathe spooky and dark when on your own, although there is also a vista through an opening over the lake. 

 stevezero Says:  The Pantheon, a gorgeous neo-Classical structure designed by Henry Flitcroft, who advised Hoare on most of the garden's architectural features. It has a lovely postion near to the lake shore. Under its coffered dome is an impeccable collection of lead, plaster and marble... 

 stevezero Says:  Included in the garden at Stourhead, are a number of temples designed to show off the Hoare family's education and wealth. The panoramic vista of the garden from the temple is unparalleled, and was once described by Horace Walpole as ‘one of the most picturesque scenes in... 

 stevezero Says:  On e of the many rare plants on show at Stourhead, is the dove tree, which was luckily in flower at the time of our visit. Also known as the hankerchief tree, the species comes originally from China. 

 stevezero Says:  We visited Stourhead in late spring when there is a fine display of Rhododendrons, of all colours and types. Some of them are also subtley scented. 

 stevezero Says:  One of the great things about Storhead are the gardens and grounds. The gardens were designed by Henry Hoare II and laid out between 1741 and 1780 in a classical 18th-century design set around a large lake, achieved by damming a small stream. The inspiration behind their... 

 stevezero Says:  From the car park, you can make a grand entrance to the house, though the castellated main entrance, It is quite a walk, but the view of the house unfolds before you as you proceed up the drive. 

 stevezero Says:  The Stourton family had lived in the Stourhead estate for 700 hundred years when they sold it to Henry Hoare I, son of wealthy banker Sir Richard Hoare in 1717. The original manor house was torn down and Colen Campbell was employed to build the new one, one of the first of... 

 iandsmith Says:  The architect Henry Flitcroft, who designed the classical eyecatchers, was the only professional employed in the creation of the garden. His circular Temple of Apollo sits high up on a knoll overlooking the island-studded lake and his Pantheon crowns a rounded slope above... 

 iandsmith Says:  Some of the mature trees that grace the 1.072 hectares (2,650 acres) in the vast garden. The furthest point of note is King Alfred's Tower which is nearly a 4km hike from the house. Time not permitting, we weren't able to get there but the views, when the weather is... 

 iandsmith Says:  Stourhead is pre-eminent among English landscape gardens. Horace Walpole described it in 1762 as, 'one of the most picturesque scenes in the world'. The footbridge shown here, along with the Pantheon, would grace more than half the photos you ever see of the place, so well...