Wells Cathedral

We have several favorite English cathedrals, all for different reasons...Durham, Winchester, Gloucester, York...but Wells tops the list, even after a third visit. It's beautiful, it's fun, it's intact, and it has a great story. Another cathedral that is itself saved. My previous blog posts on Wells Cathedral are http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/wells-cathedral.html, http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/wells-cathedral-ii.html, and http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/wells-cathedral-2013.html. Somehow, on our third visit, we were able to pay more attention to the sculptural program, particularly the capitals. So here, without further ado, explanation, or apology, are my favorite pix from Wells. This time.

Alfred The Great Tower

Not a folly, but no less intended to impress, is Stourhead's Alfred Tower. We had not seen it before--it is some distance from the house and garden proper--and so we drove out to it, walking in the forest, and eventually spending the night in the carpark.

Thus; 1.4 million bricks; about 150 feet high

Father of his country; well, at least until
William landed...; Stourhead was proud of its
alleged Saxon origins

The details (this is where Alfred beat back the Dane invaders,
thus securing England for the Saxons, for a bit longer...)

Stourhead, 2016, 2

Continuing  our visit to Stourhead...

Bluebells still out

More lavender...

And pink

A fine Monkey Puzzle nearly lost in the background

Another lake view; the docent would say, remember, everything you see here has
been planted by design, by hand, for effect...

Every now and then you get lucky; five different follies/other structures in view

And everywhere, rhododendrons

The Pantheon (one of the Henrys did a Grand Tour and got a lot of ideas...)

Another folly and swan

Inside the Pantheon

Spring scene

Temple of Apollo

We had a picnic lunch just left of the bridge

Another gorgeous view

Ditto; how many shades of green are there?

Memorial and parish church

And ever more color

Gorgeous place

Stourhead, 2016, 1

Stourhead is on nearly everybody's list of great gardens, especially landscape gardens. It was created in the early 1700s by the Hoare family, principally Henry (the Magnificent) Hoare, but also many of his desendants. I think it out-Browns Capability's gardens long before he was in his prime. We visited Stourhead in 2013, and I posted on the great house at http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/stourhead-house.html, and on the gardens at http://roadeveron.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/stourhead-gardens.html. Both those posts do a fairly adequate job of representing Stourhead, so I will try not to duplicate them, particularly the house interiors. In 2013, we saw Stourhead in late June, so the rhododendra were largely spent. In May of 2016, however, they were just coming on when we were there, and we are actually contemplating a return, shortly, to see them at their height. According to some of the docents, one should not be overly taken with the rhodos, however, since they are a late addition, 19th century, and never part of the original grand scheme of Stourhead. For us, it's hard to be purists amid such beauty.

A better shot of the house, one of the first Palladium style, the two side wings
added later, left, the library, right, the art gallery; the Hoare's (bankers) were
immensely cultured, most of them, as these things go

In the house, briefly, the last Hoares to own the estate

Willing it to the National Trust

After the WWI death of their only son, Harry;much o f the
narrative about the estate is about Harry

In the Library

A long correspondence and friendship with Hardy

The agreement with the Trust stipulated that a Hoare always reside at Stourhead;
her apartments are partially open, very generously

Sitting room

Harry, at age 21, the painting a gift to the Hoares by the estate's
tenants

Another view of the house, walking toward the landscape garden

Yellow, fragrant azalea in the center

Spring color, with rhodos

Lavender rhodos

The red ones already pretty much spent

One of the first great views; in Henry the Magnificent's design, you are given
glimpses, then fuller views; this is actually one of the teasers; you can't yet 
see the lake around which all the garden and its many follies are arrayed

Verdant, yes?

Pink rhodos

One of many little rhodo groves

Full on

Lakeside; an artificial lake, of course; Capability would have
approved

More color

And another grove

Copper beech

Not all the rhodos out yet