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Last updated on 07 January 11

Stourhead Garden

  5.0/5 (5 ratings)

Gardenvisit Editorial

Stourhead is the best example of a garden inspired by the great landscape painters of the seveneeenth century. Ernst Gombrich suggests it should bear the signature of an Italianized French painter: Claude Lorrain (1600-82). The Stourhead garden was made by a wealthy English banker who had been buying works of art in Italy at the time he inherited the Stourhead estate. Henry Hoare II's 'Claudian' garden was made in an unusually well-proportioned valley behind the house. The Temple of Flora at Stourhead was made in 1745 and the grotto in 1748. But the key date was 1754, when the lake and the Pantheon were made. It is based on the Pantheon in Rome and the planned walk through the estate is based on the journey of Rome's legendry founder, Aeneas. The five-arched bridge was made in 1762 and the Temple of Apollo in 1765. Gothic features were added later in the century: Alfred's Tower, a Rustic Cottage and a Hermitage.The Stourhead woods were underplanted with Rhododendron ponticum after 1791 and with more exotic species in the twentieth century.

History

Lying in secluded privacy in its own valley, Stourhead in Wiltshire features one of the world’s finest landscape gardens making it perfect for a fantastic day out.

A magnificent lake is central to the design at Stourhead, with the lakes edge being adorned with classical temples, enchanting grottos and rare and exotic trees to discover.

The Hoare family history can be uncovered in Stourhead House, a majestic Palladian mansion housing a unique Regency library with fabulous collections of Chippendale furniture and paintings, all set amid delightful lawns and parkland.

Stourhead is at the heart of a 1,072-hectare (2,650 acre) estate where chalk downs, ancient woods and farmland are managed for nature conservation and perfect to explore.

Address - Stourhead Estate Office, Stourton, nr Warminster, Wiltshire, England, BA12 6QD
Opening times - Garden: All year. Daily. Open 9am to 6pm, or dusk if earlier. House: 12 Mar - 6 Nov, Friday - Tuesday, 11am - 5pm, or dusk if earlier. Closed Wednesday and Thursday. Last admission 4.30pm King Alfred's Tower: 12 Mar- 30 Oct, daily 11am - 5pm. Last admission 4.30pm
Admission - Adult Child Family Garden and House £13.40 £6.70 £31.90 Garden OR House £8.10 £4.40 £19.20 King Alfred's Tower £3.20 £1.70 £7.20 NT Members FREE.
Website - Visit the Stourhead Garden website

Designers and Influences

This garden has been designed and influenced by Henry Hoare II

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Reviews and Comments

Have you visited this garden?

  • over 1 year ago Anonymous said

    Wowz its "beaUtiful"

    (5.0/5)
  • over 2 years ago Katrina Underwood said

    Stourhead is always interesting and worth visiting whatever the time of year and is particularly wonderful in the Autumn. 2010 was an excpetionally good year!

    (5.0/5)
  • over 3 years ago Anonymous said

    one of our favorite places on our recent trip to the UK. Simply stunning!

    (5.0/5)
  • almost 4 years ago Anonymous said

    Stourhead is really great. It is a place worth to visit.

    (5.0/5)
  • over 5 years ago Andrew22 said

    Stourhead Landscape Garden is very famous and very beautiful, in fact I think it is the prettiest of the landscape gardens in England.

    (5.0/5)

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