Stourhead Garden

Stourhead – Britain’s Most Picturesque Garden

Stourhead has been considered as one of Britain’s most picturesque garden for centuries. Situated in the midst of a 2,650 acres estate near Warminster South of Bath, this amazing garden is around a peaceful lake, like a jewel among surging hills. Around the shore, placed in planned spots, one will find several architectural features which include various monuments and an arched stone bridge where each one serves as a focal point for memorable photograph.

The garden had been designed by a wealthy English banker, Henry Hoare II – 1741 to 1780, who had been buying works of art in Italy at the time he had inherited the Stourhead estate and improved with new varieties of trees from America between 1791 and 1838 by Richard ColtHoare, his grandson.

Richard was also responsible in importing several American species which included tulip trees as well as swamp cypresses. The woodland walk seems to be amazing while moving through mature woods that have been planted with a variety of colourful trees.The second garden `Claudian’, of Henry Hoare II was developed in an unusually well-proportioned valley behind the house while the Temple of Flora at Stourhead was built in 1745 and the grotto in 1748.

An Unsurpassable Location

However the key date was 1754 when the lake as well as the Pantheon was completed.The ambition of Henry Hoare II was to make Stourhead an unsurpassable location which gave rise of an installation of remarkable garden features, from medieval cross and classical temples to cosy cottage and modern ice house.

Centred on the Pantheon in Rome, the walk through the estate is based on the journey of Aeneas, the legendary founder of Rome and the five arched bridge was created in 1762, together with the Temple of Apollo in 1765.Stourhead seems to be the perfect example of a garden which has been inspired by great landscape painters of the 17th century.

Later on, Gothic features were added – Alfred’s Tower, a Rustic Cottage as well as Hermitage while the Stourhead woods were under-planted with Rhododendron ponticum after 1791 with the addition of more exotic species in the twentieth century. The latest rhododendrons and the selected azaleas, according to the literature, were added around 1900.

World’s Finest Landscape Garden

Observing the colossal size of the rhododendron hybrids like Cynthia and Pink Pearl towards the shore, it seems that these old standbys could have been the latest introductions around a century ago. Placed in secluded isolation in its own valley, Stourhead in Wiltshire features the world’s finest landscape garden making it appropriate for an outdoor experience.

The magnificent lake is the central design at Stourhead which is edged with classical temples with enchanting grottos together with rare and exotics trees. The Hoare family history can be traced in Stourhead House, which is a majestic Palladian mansion with unique Regency library together with fabulous collections of Chippendale furniture as well as paintings set amidst beautiful lawns and parkland.

 The best time to visit Stourhead is in spring for rhododendron and early summer for azaleas though it can be visited anytime to witness an amazing wonderful landscape garden experience which is one of the great gardens of the world.