Stourhead

Stourhead is reason enough to visit England all by itself. It is a brilliant Arcadian design begun by Henry Hoare in 1741. The idea behind the Arcadian movement was to create an idealized version of classical antiquity.

The Arcadian ideal is the sort of background scene you see in many Italian Renaissance portraits,, including the Mona Lisa; a landscape full of allegory in the form of carefully placed mock ruins and classical Greek or Roman temples and monuments.

This is a vision of gardening where the garden is almost secondary to the philosophy of ordered nature (ordered and arranged by humans).

The best way to experience Hoare's original vision is to follow an anti-clockwise route around the lake. As you walk you will catch glimpses across the lake of attractive temples and other buildings through openings in the trees and bushes. The when you arrive at the building you see another vista to a different goal.

Lest you think Hoare stuck to temples, there are also a rock bridge, a cascade, a pantheon, a thatched cottage, and a grotto. In 1765 Horace Walpole described the view from the Temple of Apollo as "one of the most picturesque in the world."

Henry Hoare's vision did not run to the rhododendrons, for which Stourhead is world-renown These were added by Richard Colt Hoare between 1791 and 1838. Richard also was responsible for importing many American species, including tulip trees and swamp cypresses.

The garden is best seen in: spring for rhododendrons, early summer for azaleas, and anytime for a truly wonderful landscape garden experience. My personal favourite among British gardens.