Stourhead garden is one of the finest in all of England and together with the Palladian mansion for which they were designed, they make for a great day out.
Stourhead is one of the finest stately home and gardens in England, combining elegant architecture with world-famous landscaped grounds. The estate was created by the Hoare family and remains one of the great masterpieces of 18th-century design. Now in the care of The National Trust, its neo-Palladian house and landscaped garden rank among the most admired in the country.
The gardens at Stourhead are among the most famous landscaped gardens in the world, laid out principally by Henry Hoare II between 1741 and 1780 around a great artificial lake. Among the garden’s most celebrated features are the Temple of Flora, erected between 1744 and 1746, the Pantheon, the grotto, the Palladian Bridge and the Temple of Apollo, all positioned to create dramatic reflections and beautifully balanced views around the water. The result is a landscape of extraordinary elegance, especially renowned in autumn when the estate’s rich planting and mature trees create one of the most spectacular seasonal displays in England.
Stourhead House is equally distinguished. Commissioned by Henry Hoare I, a wealthy banker, and designed by the architect Colen Campbell, the house was built in the neo-Palladian style between 1721 and 1724, making it one of the earliest and most significant houses of its type in England. Its restrained grandeur, classical proportions and refined interiors reflect the wealth, taste and ambition of the Hoare family, who filled the house with paintings, sculpture and decorative objects collected over generations.
£450
April to October