Landscape Gardens at Stowe, Buckinghamshire, UK | View of Gothic Temple across frozen lake | Colors of autumn (1 of 18)

nobody@flickr.com (ukgardenphotos) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:46:12 -0700

Stowe Landscape Gardens, Buckinghamshire, England, are an amazing mixture of classical temples, bridges, monuments and architectural features set against the backdrop of one of the largest and best landscaped gardens in the country.

The juxtaposition of classical architecture (with over 40 temples and listed historic monuments) and idyllic English landscape offer visitors a visual treat. It is also an eye opener into the immense wealth of the family who created the gardens in Georgian England.

Although there are no flowers or flowering shrubs to speak of at Stowe, it is one of my favourite gardens. I have spent many happy summer hours wandering through its vast 750 acres and admiring the ‘ancient’ temples and monuments set against a ‘perfect and ideal’ English countryside.

The National Trust have done a tremendous job in restoring to pristine condition many of the buildings which were showing signs of deterioration when they acquired the property in 1990. Stowe is now probably the finest example of the English Landscape Garden style in the world.

Details: The English Landscape at Stowe looks perfectly natural – however it is actually all man-made! This includes trees and woods planted, streams dammed and lakes created. This makes the immense gardens even more impressive considering the landscape was engineered in an era before mechanisation.

There is a lot of garden history at Stowe. The gardens underwent major development in the early 1700’s with the work of famous landscape designers William Kent, Charles Bridgeman and architect John Vanbrugh. The highly influential English landscape gardener ‘Capability’ Brown began his career at Stowe and later became head gardener there.

Location: Stowe Landscape Gardens, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 5DQ, UK. (When new visitor centre opens in summer 2012 use code: MK18 5EQ).

OSGB map ref. SP665366

Links: A detailed history of Stowe Landscape Gardens is available on Wikipedia.

© 2011 ukgardenphotos

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Landscape Gardens at Stowe, Buckinghamshire, UK | View of Gothic Temple across frozen lake | Colors of autumn (1 of 18)