Stourhead, 2026

After Nunney we drove on to Wells, England's smallest "city," one we have always adored, set up a base camp in a B&B there, and then carried on with visits to favorite sites in the area.

Stourhead is among the greatest of the great houses and gardens, and this was our 4th visit, again, mostly for the rhodos, although there is much else to see here. We did the garden tour, the walled gardens, the long walk around the lake, with all its follies, and then the house itself. A squall kept us from the church this year. For a more comprehensive account, especially of the house, its library and picture wings, and of the Hoare family, look at our previous posts:

https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2013/06/stourhead-house.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2013/06/stourhead-gardens.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2016/05/stourhead-2016-1.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2016/05/stourhead-2016-2.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2016/05/stourhead-2016-3.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2016/05/alfred-great-tower.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2022/05/stourhead-2022.html.

For the present post we'll content ourselves with a variety of garden, lake and folly scenes. And mostly the rhododendrons, which were at or near peak bloom for this visit. As we said in a previous post...it's a glorious place. 

Outside the walled gardens and now mainly an out-building, this
last vestige of Medieval Stourhead

As with many of the great houses, some very large and
very old trees all around

The house, Palladian, the library wing on the left, the picture gallery
and some very interesting furniture, on the right; see older posts

The rhodos were going stong

As well as other flowers

Stourhead has several Sequoias, now of impressive size

Among the assorted monuments, follies

The plan at Stourhead was to give you glimpses, teases, of the
wonders ahead, walking around the lake, but then to hide them
until the last moment

Really red maple

Hankie tree

But mostly it's the rhodos

Another great Sequoia in the distance

In the Grotto

Hermit's Cottage (there's an archetypal pattern to the follies at 
nearly all the great houses)

Pantheon...gotta' have a Pantheon

Obligatory Monkey Puzzle

Fabulous place

Nunney, 2026

Our first visit to the family castle, Nunney, was in 1989, with our daughters Rebecca and Rachel. I wasn't blogging then, so, unfortunately, there are no web-references. Actually, no one was blogging much then. More recent visits that Google can find are here (2013) and here (2021). Long story short is that the castle, supposedly modeled after the Bastille, which founder John de la Mare might have seen while plundering in France with Henry V, came to the Prather family, distantly related to Vicki, in the 1500s. The castle was "slighted" by the Parliamentarians in the Civil War and has been uninhabitable since then. You used to be able to cross the moat and wander through the ruins, but the bridge has become unusable and has been closed. In any case, Nunney Castle seems to be a tourist destination of some note, and there are always other people around. The area, in Somerset, is gorgeous.

1989

2013

Countryside approaching Nunney, Somerset

The Castle

Interior, bombarded and burned by the Parliamentarians; and you
thought they merely advised on meeting rules and procedures...

2026

Someone's pretty side yard

Fast ducks have moved to the city

Now inside the parish church in Nunney

Nevermind the organist behind the curtain

Sic transit, Gloria...God only knows who's buried beneath
the chairs

The Praters, lord and lady, are those nearest

Drone/postcard view

Remains of probably 14th century painting

Christian education, indoctrination some would say,
in the 21st century

Another very early painting, recently revealed during
renovations, possibly of a SS George/Michael skewering
a lizard/dragon

Few windows

Font and hood

Everything you might want to know about the church
at Nunney

Spare part, possibly from Roman era

Nunney's other institution is The George...we theorize the George is
part of a restaurant/inn chain...since every little town seems to have
one...we had lunch at the Nunney Cafe, a more approachable place,
especially for Americans, who have little affection for Georges...