The last of the summer weekend at Stourhead, England
It's been a long time since I've visited one of the many state houses in England. This weekend just gone is probably the last of the summer weather we have this year and I took the opportunity to go to Stourhead in Wiltshire with my family.
Stourhead House
Stourhead House was built in 1721 by an English banker called Richard Hoare, It took 4 years to complete but sadly Richard died before it was fully completed. The house is built in Palladian style which was popular in England those days, and focus on symmetry, proportion and balance, with one side of the building a mirror image of the other; the use of temple fronts (a pediment supported by Corinthian columns or pilasters) and large tripartite Venetian windows. Source
To be very honest, Stourhead House isn't one of the grandest or most impressive house I've visited. In fact I'd rate the hourse pretty low compared to all the others I've visited such as Basildon Park or Chatsworth House. This is probably due to the fact Hoare was one of the many nouveau riche in 18th century England as opposed to the traditional aristocrat.
That said, compared to your and my home, this is still a very grand and impressive house. The Hoare family was a great collector of art and I'm sure art lovers will enjoy browsing through the collection on display in many of the rooms.
One item that impressed me the most was The Pope's Cabinet. This cabinet was made in the 16th century in Rome, and used to belong to Pope Sixtus V. It's beautifully made with intricate designs and adorned with semi precious stones. Not only does it look beautiful outside, but the inside is even more fascinating. I'm told the cabinet has 153 drawers, and many are hidden!!! It's a great way to hide treasures, but you might forget where you've hidden it!
Lakeside Garden
The house was a bit of a let down, but luckily it isn't the focus of the visit. Do not despair, I have something much better for you. How about this view? Isn't it just gorgeous! Do you see the arch bridge? I'll come back to that in a minute.
The Hoare family wanted to create a paradise, and they certainly achieved that with the Lakeside Garden and the magnificent lake in the center. It's called a garden but it's not like your and mine garden at the back of our house. The whole Stourhead estate is about 2.5 acres, and the walk from the Stourhead House through the lush woodlands and around the lake is about 3.5 kilometers. It took us over an hour and was a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon with my family.
On the way we passed by the famous Palladian Bridge (below). That's the arch bridge we saw in the earlier image from across the lake. This photo is taken by the bridge. The reason I wanted to point out this bridge, is first, you can see how big this lake, and hence the garden is. And second, it is one of the many architectural features created in this stunning garden.
The landscape and architectural features in the garden make this a truly relaxing stroll. No matter where you go, there is always something photogenic that makes it irresistible to capture on camera. Such as the Pantheon.
The Pantheon is based on the Pantheon in Rome, and was built in the 1750s. It's the biggest building in the garden, and also built in Palladian style. Along with the lake and the Palladian Bridge, it's definitely one of the big three highlights of the garden.
Being rich has many advantages and one of them is to indulge yourself. Hoare Junior wanted somewhere in the garden where he and his family could chillout and relax, maybe have a picnic or even a party. Why not build a Pantheon for that? Originally the building was open top looking out into the sky, and there was a stove behind Hercules for warmth. After recent years of restoration, a ceiling was installed to protect the interior and the statues.
The visit to Stourhead this weekend will hold a special place in my heart. Its remarkable landscape garden is one of the finest I've visited, though the same can't be said of the House. What's most memorable to me, is the family outing with my three sisters and their family. It's not that often the ten of us plus two babies get to go out together and it's these special occasions that make it a special day. Plus of course, it get to go on a walk with my favorite adorable great nephew Arthur 😍
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unfortunately winter, snow and chilly temperatures start to come in the northern hemisphere from now. not good forneither mental or physical health at all
Not sure how this relates to my posts, looks like a spam comment😕
Pauline, wow that garden, wow. I love it. So fun you got to go with your family and that cabinet is really impressive too.
Thanks Sara. Not that I know anything about art, but I think you may enjoy the garden, as well as some of the in the house
wooooooaaaaaaooooo ....excelentes
Thanks
Hi, I'm new to the community and I'm reading most of the posts. Thanks for your insight on England. I liked it very much. These posts allow us to travel and dream with the various explanations about the places mentioned. Happy to discover the community!!!!
Welcome to Hive and Pinmapple @lismaga. Yes, the beauty with the Pinmapple community is to enable users to travel all around the world without leaving home, it can bring so much virtual joy and experience
Not only is the house in England, Stourhead in Wiltshire, impressive when visited with her family, everything around it is also very beautiful, I would like to visit such beautiful places. As we read the post and look at the beautiful photographs, it denotes that they enjoyed that tour of that place. Greetings from Venezuela.
thanks for dropping by
Thanks to you @livinguktaiwan for showing us very interesting places. It is my wish that we always visit each other. Greetings from Venezuela. Successes.
The house is very impressive, well organized and clean. I don't have that luxury painting in my house, and the outside view is incridible. I love to watch over the green scenery wherein lake was located. Thank you for allowing us to see the beauty in your place through your blog.
It is in deed a very beautiful house and garden
Ohhhh I may have lockjaw watching the lake garden. A very relaxing place ❤️.
It was a lovely day out and walk around the lake
Thank you for sharing, @livinguktaiwan! 😍 I pray to experience these kind of visits especially in England. I am amazed by the structures and the story behind it. And, oh my, the garden! Strolling in a place rich with history would be truly a rewarding experience 💛
I hope you will have the opportunity to visit England sometime, there are so many of these beautiful places to see
That is my dream! Manifesting for it 😍
It's true I was disappointed in the house too!!!! 😐🤭 Sorry my tastes and culture differ that must be why..... But the lake and that refreshing nature captivated me. Thanks for sharing your tour. Regards @livinguktaiwan
Fortunately the garden more than compensated for the house
The photo at number eleven, which is in a tower shape, is the base of this monument embedded in the earth or is it placed on the grass? We also have such a minaret which is called Qutub Minar.
$WINE
The beauty of England is truly admirable and I can say that there are some places in England that can be called a piece of heaven.I am also inspired by the beauty of England.As I say these are very beautiful days when we go to any place with our family and enjoy there. These pictures you have uploaded are really appreciable .After looking at these pictures, I feel like I have seen a glimpse of heaven
I'm glad you enjoyed it
Wow.... Very amazing park, I really like this kind of place.
Very beautiful and cool shot
These lovely gardens truly make a great day out
Sure, I was amazed to see gardens like the one you posted.
It's so fun.
What a lovely place for a family outing; I love the garden!
I was getting a little confused lately because for some reason did I think you were in Taiwan.. 😊😄
ha ha! quite a few people get confused with my handle. I was living out in Taiwan a few years ago, when I started blogging, but came back home in 2020 and have settled down here now
Ah, thought you went back there not so long ago.. must have been a short stay then if you did.. 😄
Yeah, went back at the beginning of the year to ship my stuff back. I came back to UK in early 2020 just before COVID blew up, and couldn't go back to Taiwan as they restricted entry to foreigners till end of 2022.
There is nothing else in my house except the magnets, flowers and a few paintings I hang on the wall that I buy from every holiday butcher I visit. The cabinet even has 153 drawers where you can store gold coins. I loved the lakeside pictures. I'm sure the walk by the lake was very enjoyable. You beautifully captured the feeling of longing that going out with your family creates in your words.
I wouldn't be surprised if people stored gold coins in the drawers, maybe there are still some inside some of them where people have forgotten about!
Wow - imagine having your own pantheon ! And it does look like the real one a little - particularly the inner ceiling:
Thats a a pic I took of it while there last year.
And I love the pope's chest, although I do find it sickening that the Popes had all these treasures, and lived in obscene luxury, which was basically paid for by extracting money from the poor population, when I thought priests were meant to live a very modest life. I bet it must be worth an absolute fortune, especially with its direct connection to one of the Popes.
Nice place to visit !
I never been to the real Pantheon before, maybe they based the ceiling on it as well when they did the restoration, that would make sense.
As to the Pope living in luxury, well, I shall say no more on that subject in case the dialogue sparks a heated debate 🤐
While being tempted to leave a comment about the house that looks absolutely stunning to me, my focus disappeared when I saw the garden! It's just way too beautiful! More beautiful than some parks and botanical gardens I've seen in my life, and you know how much I love nature!
Although the park was created a few centuries ago, I love how it has grown and developed into something so special today
Why? It seemed so beautiful to me, so I wrote it down as a place, also because theoretically I should be able to visit National Trust properties for free.
Most National Trust properties charge an entrance fee because the cost of maintenance is so expensive, the only ones that are free are open areas like forest or walk.
yes, I know that there is a fee and rightly so, but in reality I should be able to enter for free because I have the Italian environmental fund card, however I marked it down as a place.
@tipu curate
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Dang, if this one is lame, I need to see some of the other ones! That is always sad when a house doesn't get finished before the person can see it. I think some of the additions they made to Andrew Jacksons home were like that. All of the paintings and detail in this place are really amazing.
There are some really stunning grand houses in England, the aristocrats and rich loved to show off their wealth and status
Looking quite good.
It is in deed
It's really amazing, I dream of visiting places like that. In my country there are truly magical spaces, especially natural, but I am thirsty to see the world one day and enjoy so many wonders. I know it could be a day, but in the meantime I enjoy posts like these that make us feel part of the ride. Your photographs are excellent, thanks for sharing and happy day!...
I hope you will have the opportunity to visit other parts of the world one days and see and experience for yourself. Luckily, in the meanwhile we can travel virtual across the world as much as we like
Wow what a beautiful house. I love the landscape you captured. Those shots with the reflection in water are amazing. I really like the stone bridge as well. Glad you got out with the family what a way to officially end the summer :) I feel as if I'm healed by nature, what a beautiful scenic lake !!
It took us a while to find a date to get everyone together, in the end we had to leave our brother out because his dates didn't work and we wanted to catch the last of the summer.
I have to do that with my family as well. We use to have family reunions, I'm glad I wasn't responsible for the planning of them
Wow!! What a beautiful post! I agree with you, while I was watching your pictures I was thinking in that: How beautiful is this place that each corner looks magical!! Thanks a lot for sharing such a great experience.
The rich people certainly knows how to life their life back then, and I think the best thing is that the beauty their created still exists so many centuries later for us to enjoy
Wow, what an interesting and beautiful place 😊
It is in deed
I love how you shared your honest opinion about the house while highlighting the beauty of the Lakeside Garden and its stunning views. Your personal experiences, especially discovering The Pope's Cabinet, made it even more engaging. But what truly shines in your article is the warmth and joy you expressed about spending quality time with your family. It's a heartfelt and relatable account of a special day out @livinguktaiwan. 🏡
It was a lovely day out with my family, and luckily the house didn't dampen our spirits and we had a lovely walk around the gardens
Hiya, @livinguktaiwan here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Travel Digest #1998.
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Mini pantheon! Love it! Tks for sharing
!luv
Thanks for dropping by!
This is certainly a lovely place to spend time with your family. The gardens was definitely spectacular. I loved the grounds and the architectural features you highlighted especially the bridge.
Nothing beats an English garden in Summer or end of season, between shades of green I notice one popping with colour of Autumn already.
Bridge adds a touch of finesse, Pantheon possibly used as a summer ball room, perhaps starting point for hunt in the woods.
Rich could spoil themselves back then, not realizing how much history has been left behind for us to dwell on.
Nice Sunday outing with your siblings and all the little ones enjoying the grounds!