Tuesday 6 November 2007

Stowe Landscape Gardens,Buckingham

Let’s get back to my recent week at Janie’s. It is now Tuesday and as you know, I have already posted on that day. The day I met my blogging friend Linds of Rocking Chair Reflections.

Wednesday I visited some of my favourite charity/thrift shops but I will post on that later.

It is now Thursday when we decided to drive to Stowe Landscape Gardens in Buckingham. It was quite a damp, drizzly day but we decided to go all the same.

In the 1700’s Sir Richard Temple, known as Lord Cobham, employed many of the 18th century’s finest architects and garden designers to begin to create the spectacular garden that can be seen today. Over several generations, the Temple family used the garden to display their love of art, literature and architecture and gardens themselves, to display their political beliefs. This was achieved by using different building styles and decorations and by carefully selecting the locations of the temples and monuments. There are 42 in all dotted around the garden and often in ‘hidden’ places. I photographed just a few of them .

The impressive Stowe house is now a boarding school. Visitors can also explore the vast Deer park.














































Although interesting, I have to say that it was not really

my type of garden

How many temples and monuments does one need to look at

I did enjoy the landscaping though and the Autumn colours were beginning to come through







8 comments:

Willow said...

I tend to agree with you on it not being my favorite type of garden. I don't think I would have wanted to live in such a Large House with so much property around me. Imagine walking down to the mailbox...of course the servants did that, but still. Thank you for taking us on this visit. It was very educational and interesting.

Anonymous said...

Though I don't think I'd want to live there either, it looks like very pretty grounds for a visit. Something about that sixth photo reminds me of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C., though it's not as tucked into woods as your image. Thank you for the tour!

Unknown said...

I have to say,I found the gardens and house quite lovely in a historical way. I have been reading your story and I find it most interesting.My husband was a merchant marine before we married after dating only 4 months as well. I look forward to reading more.

Susan Skitt said...

Thanks for the tour :) Beautiful gardens.

P.S. I finally posted my 100th :)

Susie said...

Beautiful pictures Barbara! I'm so sorry I missed your birthday.. Sounds like it was a wonderful day for you.
Sending you my best wishes for the the coming year to be filled with every blessing.
((hugs))

a woman who is said...

So what is your favorite kind of garden?

I might have to do a blog on that, hmmmm

Vee said...

The gardens really are impressive...almost like a park. There I go again! It certainly is a national treasure and a lovely place for walking. I prefer your garden, though. What kinds of things must you do to prepare it for winter?

Thanks for the visit!

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Not my type of garden either, but good to see once, anyway. I suppose there could possibly be a few almost-300-year-old gardens here in the States, but certainly nothing even close to Europe's centuries old family estates, castles, places like Hadrian's Wall, etc.

I've often wondered what being surrounded by locations and buildings and traditions tied to all those centuries of history would be like, and whether growing up there makes one more cognizant of the progress of the ages through time. I'm not sure we have much of a sense of history here on my side of the "pond."