Stourhead () is a 1,072-hectare (2,650-acre) estate at the source of the River Stour in the southwest of the English county of Wiltshire, extending into Somerset. The estate is about northwest of the town of Mere and includes a Grade I listed 18th-century

Neo-Palladian Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...

mansion, the village of Stourton, one of the most famous gardens in the

English landscape garden The English landscape garden, also called English landscape park or simply the English garden (french: Jardin à l'anglaise, it, Giardino all'inglese, german: Englischer Landschaftsgarten, pt, Jardim inglês, es, Jardín inglés), is a sty ...

style, farmland, and woodland. Stourhead has been part-owned by the

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

since 1946.

House

The Stourton family had lived at the Stourhead estate for 500 years until they sold it to Sir Thomas Meres in 1714. His son, John Meres, sold it in 1717 to

Henry Hoare Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

, son of wealthy banker Sir Richard Hoare. The original

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals ...

was demolished and a new house, one of the first of its kind, was designed by

Colen Campbell Colen Campbell (15 June 1676 – 13 September 1729) was a pioneering Scottish architect and architectural writer, credited as a founder of the Georgian style. For most of his career, he resided in Italy and England. As well as his architectura ...

and built by Nathaniel Ireson between 1721 and 1725. Over the next 200 years, the Hoare family collected many heirlooms, including a large library and art collection. In 1902, the house was gutted by fire but many of the heirlooms were saved, and the house was rebuilt in a nearly identical style. The last Hoare family member to own the property, Sir Henry Hugh Arthur Hoare, gave the house and gardens to the National Trust in 1946, one year before his death. His son and sole heir, Captain Henry Colt Arthur "Harry" Hoare, of the

Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry The Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army founded in 1794 as the Dorsetshire Regiment of Volunteer Yeomanry Cavalry in response to the growing threat of invasion during the Napoleonic wars. It gained its first ro ...

, had died of wounds received at the Battle of Mughar Ridge on 13 November 1917 during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. The last Hoare family member to be born at the house was Edward Hoare on 11 October 1949. The house was recorded as

Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

in 1966.

Art collection

Henry Hoare's art collection is displayed at Stourhead; his acquisitions are featured in the Palladian mansion's 'Painted Alcove' or Italian Room. Hoare's collection includes many hand-coloured prints – in some cases, coloured with such skill that they were mistaken for oil paintings. These prints are engravings of the works of the Italian masters (for example Daniele da Volterra, and

Carlo Maratta Carlo Maratta or Maratti (13 May 162515 December 1713) was an Italian painter, active mostly in Rome, and known principally for his classicizing paintings executed in a Late Baroque Classical manner. Although he is part of the classical tradition ...

) and the hand-colouring is attributed to a "Mr. Studio", thought to be Giacomo Van Lint, the son of Flemish painter Hendrik van Lint (possibly in collaboration with his father).

Other buildings

Although the main design for the estate at Stourhead was created by

, other architects were involved in its evolution through the years. William Benson, Henry Hoare's brother-in-law, was in part responsible for the building of the estate in 1719. Francis Cartwright, a master builder and architect, who was established as a "competent provincial designer in the Palladian manner", worked on Stourhead between 1749 and 1755. Cartwright was a known carver, presumably of materials such as wood and stone, and it is assumed that his contribution to Stourhead was in this capacity. Nathaniel Ireson is the master builder credited for much of the work on the Estate: it is this work that established his career, in 1720. The original estate remained intact, though changes and additions were made over time.

Henry Flitcroft Henry Flitcroft (30 August 1697 – 25 February 1769) was a major English architect in the second generation of Palladianism. He came from a simple background: his father was a labourer in the gardens at Hampton Court and he began as a joiner by ...

built three temples and a tower on the property: the Temple of Ceres was added in 1744, followed by the Temple of Hercules in 1754 and the Temple of Apollo in 1765; that same year he designed Alfred's Tower, which was not built until 1772. During the ownership of

Sir Richard Colt Hoare Sir Richard Colt Hoare, 2nd Baronet FRS (9 December 1758 – 19 May 1838) was an English antiquarian, archaeologist, artist, and traveller of the 18th and 19th centuries, the first major figure in the detailed study of the history of his home c ...

, the mason and surveyor John Carter added an ornamental cottage to the grounds (1806) and the architect William Wilkins created a Grecian style lodge (1816). In 1840, over a century after the initial buildings were constructed, Charles Parker was hired by Sir Hugh Hoare to make changes to the estate. A portico was added to the main house, along with other alterations. The design of the additions was in keeping with original plans.

Gardens and monuments

The lake at Stourhead is artificially created. Following a path around the lake is meant to evoke a journey similar to that of

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas (, ; from ) was a Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy (both being grandsons ...

's descent in to the underworld. In addition to Greek mythology, the layout is evocative of the " genius of the place", a concept expounded by

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...

. Buildings and monuments are erected in remembrance of family and local history. Henry Hoare was a collector of art; one of his pieces was

Claude Lorrain Claude Lorrain (; born Claude Gellée , called ''le Lorrain'' in French; traditionally just Claude in English; c. 1600 – 23 November 1682) was a French painter, draughtsman and etcher of the Baroque era. He spent most of his life in It ...

's ''Aeneas at Delos'', which is thought to have inspired the pictorial design of the gardens. Passages telling of Aeneas's journey are quoted in the temples surrounding the lake. Monuments are used to frame one another; for example the Pantheon designed by Flitcroft entices the visitor over, but once reached, views from the opposite shore of the lake beckon. The use of the sunken path allows the landscape to continue on into neighbouring landscapes, allowing the viewer to contemplate all the surrounding panorama. The Pantheon was thought to be the most important visual feature of the gardens. It appears in many pieces of artwork owned by Hoare, depicting Aeneas's travels. The plantings in the garden were arranged in a manner that would evoke different moods, drawing visitors through realms of thought. According to Henry Hoare, 'The greens should be ranged together in large masses as the shades are in painting: to contrast the dark masses with the light ones, and to relieve each dark mass itself with little sprinklings of lighter greens here and there.' The gardens were designed by Henry Hoare II and laid out between 1741 and 1780 in a classical 18th-century design set around a large lake, achieved by damming a small stream. The inspiration behind their creation were the painters

, Poussin, and, in particular, Gaspard Dughet, who painted

Utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book '' Utopia'', describing a fictional island soc ...

n-type views of Italian landscapes. An early feature, predating the lake, is the Temple of Flora (1744–46) which now contains a replica of the Borghese Vase modelled in Coade stone dating from 1770 to 1771. Lakeside features include the five-arched Palladian Bridge at the eastern extremity of the lake; the Rockwork Bridge over the road to the south of the lake; and to the west the grotto and the Gothic Cottage summerhouse. Also in the garden are a number of temples inspired by scenes of the Grand Tour of Europe. On one hill overlooking the gardens stand an

obelisk An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by An ...

of 1839 and

King Alfred's Tower King Alfred's Tower is a folly in Somerset, England, on the edge of the border with Wiltshire, on the Stourhead estate. The tower stands on Kingsettle Hill and belongs to the National Trust. It is designated as a Grade I listed building. ...

, a 50-metre-tall, brick folly designed by

in 1772; on another hill the temple of

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

provides a vantage point to survey the magnificent rhododendrons, water, cascades and temples. The large medieval

Bristol High Cross Bristol High Cross is a monumental market cross erected in 1373 in the centre of Bristol. It was built in Decorated Gothic style on the site of an earlier Anglo-Saxon cross, to commemorate the granting of a charter by Edward III to make Bristol ...

was moved from

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...

to the gardens. The gardens are home to a large collection of trees and shrubs from around the world. Richard Colt Hoare, the grandson of Henry Hoare II, inherited Stourhead in 1783. He added the library wing to the mansion, and in the garden was responsible for the building of the boathouse and the removal of several features that were not in keeping with the classical and gothic styles (including a Turkish Tent). He also considerably enhanced the planting – the Temple of Apollo rises from a wooded slope that was planted in Colt Hoare's time. With the antiquarian passion of the times, he had 400 ancient burial mounds dug up to inform his pioneering ''History of Ancient Wiltshire''. The gardens were listed Grade I on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in 1987.

In typography

The

's corporate font, designed by Paul Barnes, is based on an inscription in the grotto, created around 1748. The inscription was destroyed in error around 1960 and a replica was made from photographs.

Gallery

File:S7300180.JPG, View taken from the Grotto, of the lake in autumn colours File:Stourhead Garden View from Above.JPG, Stourhead's lake and foliage as seen from a high hill vantage point File:Stourhead House - geograph.org.uk - 31721.jpg, Stourhead House File:Stourhead05.jpg, The Temple of Apollo high on a hill overlooking the gardens, based on a circular temple at

Baalbec Baalbek (; ar, بَعْلَبَكّ, Baʿlabakk, Syriac-Aramaic: ܒܥܠܒܟ) is a city located east of the Litani River in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, about northeast of Beirut. It is the capital of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. In Greek and Roman ...

File:The Gatehouse, Stourhead - geograph.org.uk - 1303720.jpg, Gatehouse File:Temple of Flora-geograph-2911386.jpg, The Temple of Flora 1744-46 by Henry Flitcroft File:Jardins de Stourhead - Stourhead House.JPG, Entrance front File:Stourhead House, Library, south-west corner.jpg, Library File:Stourhead garden.jpg, Bridge 1762 and Pantheon File:Stourhead Pantheon.jpg, The Pantheon 1753-54 by Henry Flitcroft File:Stourhead, Pantheon, interior.jpg, interior Pantheon File:Stourhead, male statue in Pantheon, view toward roof.jpg, Statue in Pantheon File:Stourhead - Pont pal·ladià.JPG, Temple of Flora and Bridge File:Stourhead Grotto Cave.jpg, View from Grotto File:Statue in the grotto at Stourhead - geograph.org.uk - 1557607.jpg, River God in Grotto File:Sleeping Nymph, Stourhead.jpg, Sleeping nymph statue in the Grotto File:Grotto motto, Stourhead park (9313913818).jpg, Grotto text, a quotation from Pope File:Temple of Apollo, Stourhead - geograph.org.uk - 371744.jpg, Temple of Apollo 1757, by Henry Flitcroft File:The lake at Stourhead - geograph.org.uk - 26526.jpg, The Lake File:Stourhead Gardens in the spring - geograph.org.uk - 65797.jpg, Rhododendrons in flower File:Stourhead, The Temple of Apollo - geograph.org.uk - 211701.jpg, Temple of Apollo from the lake File:King Alfred's Tower view from west.jpg,

c.1770 by Henry Flitcroft File:Stourhead, Watch Cottage.jpg, Gothic Cottage c.1780 altered 1806 File:Stourhead 05 (4652484149).jpg, St Peter's Pump 15th century, relocated from Bristol to Stourhead 1766 File:The Boathouse - geograph.org.uk - 437236.jpg, Boathouse File:The Convent - geograph.org.uk - 886196.jpg, The Convent c.1765 File:The Obelisk at Stourhead - geograph.org.uk - 963383.jpg, The Obelisk 1839-40 File:Stourton, Bristol High Cross - geograph.org.uk - 484538.jpg,

1373 relocated to Stourhead 1764 File:Stourhead lake in midsummer - panoramio.jpg, The Lake

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * * * * * *

External links

Stourhead
– National Trust
Stourhead entry from ''The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses''Wikidata list of paintings on view at Stourhead
{{Authority control Buildings by Colen Campbell Country houses in Wiltshire English gardens in English Landscape Garden style Grade I listed buildings in Wiltshire Grade I listed houses Grade I listed parks and gardens in Wiltshire Historic house museums in Wiltshire Hoare family Houses completed in 1725 National Trust properties in Wiltshire Palladian architecture in England 1725 establishments in Great Britain