Stourhead....... — Steve Chivers Photography

Summer is almost upon us and as I go all Rogers and Hammerstein, “June will soon be bustin out all over”. So much to do and always so little time. This retirement lark is becoming increasingly hectic!

We were very excited to be meeting up with our dear friends Cathie and Nick Eagle. We spent many a great time when we were all “Au Moyen L’Orient” and we see no reason not to do the same now we are all based back in good old Blighty.

We had planned a little get-together in Frome, Somerset and thought it would be silly not to include a visit to glorious Stourhead. So we fired up Bucephalus, typed Stourhead in to Trixie and headed up the A38.

The Stourhead Estate is located in Wiltshire, a 20 minute drive from our hotel in Frome and if you want to see how the other half lived back in the day, then the Stourhead Estate is a great place to start.

Upon arrival we dropped in to our usual role; Mrs. C. procured an analogue sat-nav from arrivals and I dropped in behind looking for compositions and soaking up the information, as Mrs. C. effortlessly guided us around the grounds.

Now before I get in to the imagery let me give you a brief potted history of the Stourhead Estate.

Stourhead was originally owned by and was the home of the Hoare Family. Whilst the estate (comprising some 2000 acres or so) is now owned and managed by the National Trust, I believe The Hoare Family still own a neighbouring estate of similar size.

The family originally made their fortune through Banking and indeed, still own C. Hoare & Co, the Uk’s oldest Privately owned bank, which has remained in the Hoare family for 12 generations. Who was it said “never a borrower or lender be”!

Over the years each generation of the family have left their mark but in my opinion the house is un-impressive for an estate of this size and it is the gardens which are truly magnificent, having been widely regarded as “a living work of art”.

It was Henry Hoare II who originally conceived the gardens. In fact he went by the nickname of “Henry The Magnificent”. He sounds quite a character and was clearly a visionary, drawing inspiration for his garden from his many travels.

As we passed through the courtyard containing the usual Café and Shop and walked past the Spread Eagle Inn, we came to the beautiful St. Peter’s Church.

Having sorted my composition of the Church Mrs. C said “look behind you”…. As I turned the view took my breath away.

The next image comprises the Bristol Cross, flanked by The Palladian Bridge with the Pantheon across the lake.

The High Cross originally stood in Bristol at the junction of High Street, Broad Street, Wine Street and Corn Street, the four principal thoroughfares of Bristol. There were niches containing the statues of Kings John, Henry III, Edward III and Edward IV. In later years it was viewed as an obstruction in the busy streets of Bristol. In 1733 the deputy chamberlain Mr Vaughan, who lived at the corner of High and Wine Street, claimed his life and house were in danger from it every time the wind blew. The 'progressive' magistrates ordered that the Cross be put away in the Guidhall and later re-erected on College Green. However, in 1763 it was declared a nuisance by locals and as it stood on land owned by the Cathedral it was deposited in a corner. In 1768 it was given away by the Dean of Bristol to his friend Henry Hoare of Stourhead, to use as an estate ornament.

The Bristol Cross with The Pantheon across the lake.

If you asked me about the image that epitomises Stourhead, it is the next image with the Palladian Bridge in the foreground and the Pantheon with its reflection shimmering in the lake. I was particularly pleased to have captured the two swans swimming through the reflection.

The Palladian Bridge with its five arches sits very neatly at the entrance to the lake. However, it is only for ornamental purposes. It has been quite cleverly designed to draw the eye through the arches and on to the vista behind.

Classic Stourhead - The Palladian Bridge & The Pantheon.

Our walk continued clockwise around the lake and as we wondered at the beautiful plants we came across the Temple of Apollo, its location surveying the entire lake scene. It is worth a walk up to the Temple purely for the view but the building was locked and so it really is just a folly.

I was like a kid in a candy store and wherever I looked I could see compositions. As we walked there was complete serenity and I believe this next image sums up the tranquility of a balmy afternoon by the side of the lake.

We were only 30 mins in to the walk and Mrs. C was keen to press on. As we came around a bend in the path the Pantheon stood before us in all its glory. I believe that the Pantheon was built in the mid 1700’s. It is quite stunning and would have been a wonderful location for a lakeside residence. However, when you enter you will see it filled with ornate statues and a beautiful domed ceiling with stained glass at its pinnacle. An amazing construction for something which could only have been used for entertaining or simply enjoying the view. It makes you consider the wealth of the landed gentry at that time that they could afford to create such follies.

The path continues to wind around the lake and out of nowhere you come across The Gothic Cottage. My understanding was that it was originally built as a lakeside dwelling for servants. Can you imagine being told I am ever so sorry but would you mind living next to the lake in this quant thatched cottage!

I was really pleased that from a photography standpoint I had kept things simple. I wanted that 50mm perspective to try and capture what the eye actually sees. The 50mm Summilux never seems to fail whether wide open or stopped down.

We were on a bit of a route march as we wanted to reach the main house before forecasted showers set in but there were so many opportunities to capture the simple beauty of nature.

Temple of Apollo from a different perspective.

As we continued our walk we came across another small building called the Temple of Flora. Perched in a secluded spot overlooking the lake it really was rather romantic. Other than our family motto “Magis Farciminis Placere” ( it means more sausage please) my colloquial Latin is a little rusty. However, I am reliably informed that above the door is a Latin inscription which means “Keep away anyone profane, keep away”. Not sure what to read in to that other than all who are kind, gentle and of good nature are welcome.

The planting is so clever and there always seems to be an opening through which one of the buildings can be viewed from a completely different perspective. One of my favourite images of the day is this view of the Pantheon from the opposite side of the lake.

Emerging from the shadows - The Pantheon from a different perspective.

Despite rain being forecast it was warm and sunny so a hat and a comfortable pair of walking shoes are definitely the order off the day. However, for some it was all a bit too much!

We then returned back to the courtyard where we took lunch under the shade of one of the trees. The food and coffee from the café were excellent although I am told, should you prefer something a little more substantive, that the food in the Spread Eagle Inn is excellent.

Time to move on to the main House, which I believe is a Neo-Palladian Grade 1 listed building. My consultation with Google revealed that Neo-Palladian is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio, involving concepts of symmetry and perspective. There you go I am still none the wiser other than to say, from a personal standpoint, although it is clearly grand I do not find it aesthetically pleasing.

The main house was originally built between 17-21 to 1724. after a terrible fire it was rebuilt in 1906.

I normally enjoy capturing the interiors of these grand houses but in this instance I found the house cluttered and so dark as to make it extremely difficult to appreciate the beautiful artwork that adorned the walls let alone capture it with my camera.

The only floor available to view is the ground floor and there is no access to either kitchens or bedrooms. I was most disappointed about this as you can very much tell how people lived by looking at the kitchens, seeing how they dined and the way they decorated and maintain the bedrooms and their private quarters.

For me the most impressive room was the library and the main desk which stood at its head.

I wasn’t about to let this spoil my day and as I walked out of the front door and on to the terrace I was presented with a quintessentially English view as “The Gentlemen Players” were enjoying an afternoon of what we know as “The Summer Game”.

What a fabulous day we had at Stourhead. Most importantly we shared the day with our dear friends the Eagle’s. What better place to capture the family picture than on the steps of the Pantheon overlooking the beautiful lake. A beautiful scene to capture beautiful people.

No blog in surroundings such as this could finish without including the Mrs. C. on the “Bench of Contemplation”.

So if you are travelling through Somerset or Wiltshire take a diversion and spend a day at Stourhead Estate. If you are a member of The National Trust (which I highly recommend you become) then entrance is free. If not adult entry is approx £20 per head and a family ticket is £50.

So there you have it dear readers, I hope I have given you a glimpse of the wonderful Stourhead Estate. The rest is for you to discover when you visit in person.

Stay tuned as Mrs. C and I have many adventures planned during the coming months. Meantime may I wish you all best regards from a warm and sunny Plymouth.