A visit to the National Trust run estate of Stourhead in Wiltshire.
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 4 km (2+1⁄2 mi) northwest of the town of Mere and includes a Grade I listed 18th-century Neo-Palladian mansion, the village of Stourton, one of the most famous gardens in the English landscape garden style, farmland, and woodland. Stourhead has been part-owned by the National Trust since 1946.
A look at the middle and top part of the Walled Garden, that we didn’t see earlier on during this visit.
Stourhead House – there is a locker room here for putting your large bags in. You get a key.
Grade I Listed Building
Description
STOURTON WITH GASPER STOURHEAD PARK
ST 73 SE
(south side)
6/156 Stourhead House
6.1.66
GV I
Country house. 1721-24 for Henry Hoare by Colen Campbell, library
and picture gallery pavilions added 1796-1800 for Colt Hoare, east
portico added 1840, 1902-06 rebuilding of central block by Doran
Webb and Sir Aston Webb, following 1902 fire. Limestone ashlar,
Lakeland slate hipped roofs, ashlar stacks. Central C18 range with
added wings and pavilions, service court on north side. Two-storey
over basements, 5-window. Tetrastyle portico added 1840, from
Campbell’s C18 design, Composite columns to modillioned cornice and
pediment with lead statue, from the Temple of Apollo (q.v.),
chamfered rusticated basement with 6-pane sashes, balustraded steps
up to portico flanked by large urns on plinths. Principal floor
has double half-glazed doors flanked by cross windows within
portico, casement with pediment either side. First floor has 3
blind windows in moulded architraves with 2-light casement in eared
and shouldered architrave either side, modillioned cornice to
balustraded parapet with corner urns, attic block above pediment
also with statues from Temple of Apollo. Flanking one-bay wings
and 3-bay pavilions over rusticated basement, tall casements with
cornices, small casements to attic, all front windows of library
are blind, balustraded parapets with ball finials added c1904 by D,
Webb. Right and left returns of main block of ten bays; principal
floors have Venetian windows and cross windows, all in Gibbs
surrounds, first floors have ten cross windows in moulded
architraves, good lead rainwater heads dated 1722. Library south
pavilion has French windows with lunette over to left return, 12-
pane and 6-pane sashes to rear, picture gallery to north has blind
windows to side and to rear, linking wings have 12-pane sashes.
Rear of main block has recessed distyle in antis first floor
portico with pediment and projecting 2-bay wings, all by D. Webb;
wing casements in Gibbs surrounds to principal floor, central
round-arched French windows to rusticated recessed entrance,
balustraded steps over basement and balustrade to portico added by
Sir Aston Webb. Service wing on west side of north court with 4-
panelled door, casements and sashes, the first floor billiard room
over added by D. Webb, diagonally-set outbuilding, possibly game
larder on west side.
Interior dates from after 1902 fire, rebuilt using photographs of
pre-fire interior, plasterwork by Agostini of Bristol, staircase
redesigned with two arms instead of one, fireplaces in Saloon and
Italian Room brought from Wavendon 1912. Library of c1800 survived
fire and retains Colt-Hoare’s fittings; shallow-barrel vaulted
ceiling, stained glass in west lunette by F. Eginton, painted
lunette to east by S. Woodforde, fireplace from Wavendon, oval
niches over doors with Rysbrack busts. Picture gallery also
intact: white marble fireplace with classical frieze, modillioned
ceiling cornice, woodwork and fine contemporary furnishings here
and in library specially designed by Chippendale. Other fittings
include mahogany doors c1905. Despite the 1902 fire, this house is
important as a Palladian villa in England, set in landscaped
parkland and with the fine Stourhead Gardens to the west. The
London banking family of Hoares acquired the estate in 1714, the
old Stourton House was demolished c1720 and Stourhead built
slightly to the north west. Sir Henry Colt Arthur Hoare gave the
greater part of the estate to the National Trust in 1946.
(N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England, 1975; J. Lees-Milne,
Stourhead, 1964; Rebuilding Stourhead, 1902-06; National Trust
Studies, 1979)
Listing NGR: ST7775434347
Side view from the garden.
