Stourhead - an Arcadian Paradise

Hills, water and classical architecture overlaid with a wonderful collection of trees and shrubs, Stourhead has been described as 'a living work of art'. Meandering paths offer vistas through trees to classical temples and surprises at every turn.

The inspiration for the building above was the Pantheon in Rome - Pantheon means a temple dedicated to all the gods. The Stourhead temple is filled with statues from some of the classical deities.   

Henry ‘the Magnificent’ was one of a small group of early eighteenth-century ‘gentleman gardeners’ using their wealth and acres to create a particularly personal landscape. One which expressed their hopes and beliefs about the world and their journey through it.

The Palladian Bridge was inspired by the work of 16th century architect Palladio. This five-arched stone bridge, although ornamental, was also intended to look practical having been designed to create an illusion of a river flowing on beneath the bridge.

So who was Henry 'the Magnificent'?

Henry was a banker, the eldest grandson of Sir Richard Hoare.

Henry 'the Magnificent'

Richard Hoare was a goldsmith-banker who founded the bank C. Hoare & Co in 1672. A bank which is still owned and run by members of the Hoare family. He was knighted by Queen Anne in 1702 and also appointed Lord Mayor of London. Henry 'the Magnificent' inherited the Stourhead estate from his father. He built himself a fine Palladian mansion and then set about landscaping the surroundings seen today.

The temple of Apollo holds a commanding position overlooking the lake. In Greek and Roman mythology the sun god Apollo was the son of Zeus and twin brother of Artemis. 

In 2015, one of the scenes from Pride and Prejudice was filmed at the Stourhead temple of Apollo, when Mr. Darcy dramatically proposed to Elizabeth Bennet in the pouring rain.

There are no real clues left as to how this small Gothic Cottage came about. However, the original landscape plans have been studied, and it is considered that it may have been developed out of a building that was once a shepherds hut.

The interior of the cottage was warm and cosy having been given a seasonal pumpkin makeover by the NT.

Towards the end of our Stourhead visit, my camera suddenly took a turn for the worst. Instead of taking one photo, it began taking slow motion bursts of three photos all at the same time. It is not an expensive all singing and dancing camera, but it suits me and importantly sits comfortably in my pocket. 

On the journey home I wondered if my camera's days were over, but why had it continued to take the images. Had something suddenly gone wrong with the 'drive mode'? A search on Google for a Sony help page, and I think that I found the answer - happily I have now been able to reset the correct drive mode, and hopefully all is now resolved.

Should you be interested in seeing inside the house, there is a really old post that I wrote here.