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.
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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 |
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| In the house, briefly, the last Hoares to own the estate |
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| Willing it to the National Trust |
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After the WWI death of their only son, Harry;much o f the
narrative about the estate is about Harry |
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| In the Library |
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| A long correspondence and friendship with Hardy |
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The agreement with the Trust stipulated that a Hoare always reside at Stourhead;
her apartments are partially open, very generously |
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| Sitting room |
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Harry, at age 21, the painting a gift to the Hoares by the estate's
tenants |
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| Another view of the house, walking toward the landscape garden |
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| Yellow, fragrant azalea in the center |
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| Spring color, with rhodos |
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| Lavender rhodos |
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| The red ones already pretty much spent |
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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 |
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| Verdant, yes? |
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| Pink rhodos |
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| One of many little rhodo groves |
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| Full on |
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Lakeside; an artificial lake, of course; Capability would have
approved |
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| More color |
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| And another grove |
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| Copper beech |
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| Not all the rhodos out yet |
