The landscape garden at Stowe

 The landscape garden at Stowe is one of the most remarkable legacies of Georgian England. Created by Viscount Cobham in the grounds of his family home from 1717, it reflected a programme of ideas based on Cobham’s hugely influential network of political affiliations.

In its fastest period of growth, Stowe built up gradually over a period of nearly 30 years with the skills of world renowned gardeners and architects. Throughout the decades, lakes were created by hand, mature trees planted and countless temples and monuments were built.

The gardens and parkland were controversially expanded to swallow much of the nearby villages of Boycott, Dadford and Lamport. Two of these are remembered in the gardens by the Boycott Pavilions and the Lamport Gardens. Lord Temple was keen to surround the gardens in a large Deer park. It had multiple purposes, allowing existing views to be extended and protected from development, give hunting opportunities to provide the family with meat and also to enhance the social status of the family.

After the death of his father Sir Peter Temple, the estate was inherited by Sir Richard Temple. As the fourth owner, he began to develop the gardens until 1683 when a large and impressive new house was completed on the current location. The original house, designed by William Cleare was on a much smaller scale with many alterations made over the years to expand and develop the overall appearance and scale. Eventually the central house had almost tripled in size to a point where even Queen Victoria was jealous.

 [https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stowe/features/history-of-stowe]

 

Lord Chathans's Urn

Stowe House

 The Eleven Acre Lake at Stowe

Temple of Venus

Eleven Acre Lake

Statue of Queen Caroline

Rotunda

 the Octagon Lake at Stowe

St Mary's Charch

Temple of Ancient Virtue

Shell Bridge

 The Shell Bridge Stowe

 The Temple of British Worthies

Gothic Temple

Palladian Bridge

 

 The Palladian Bridge and Gothic Temple at Stowe