Stowe-away

During my time here, I've put off doing certain things like going to Oxford and Cambridge and going to the most widely renowned landscape gardens a mere miles from Bucks.

Well, that's changing.

In these next couple posts, I'll be chronicling my adventures to these places!

First up in this series, Stowe Landscape Gardens.

The lovely couple I'm staying with were frankly flabbergasted (and rightfully so!) to find I'd been in Buckingham all this time without visiting our local attractions. A National Trust membership card (to get me in free!), a ride (in a sports car! Silly ol' me thought I could walk all the way there and back...and silly ol' me called my landlady for a pickup after the garden kicked my butt!), and a book about Stowe were included in this venture. While I find the history of families and their rise and fall in fortune to be infinitely more interesting than who crafted the landscape garden and how they did it, you seriously cannot argue with this one. The mastery is apparent and the artistry stunning. To quote a bit of the book I read about Stowe, "the gardens moved from geometric formality to a revolutionary series of carefully planned, though seemingly natural, Arcadian vistas, inspired by the art of landscape painting; Stowe gradually developed into the grandest example of that delightful Georgian invention, the English landscape garden." For a great deal more history than I will give (which is next to none, frankly), read this.

Put your walking shoes on, people!

The "driveway" is quite long and has lovely bucolic vistas.

SHEEP. BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

The weather was really quite spotty and largely overcast when I arrived.

Beautiful English countryside. Cockles of my heart = warmed.

First glimpse of the house!

The planning in this is extraordinary! You see the house...

...and when you turn round from staring dead-on at the house, you see the Corinthian Arch that carriages used to drive through on their way to Stowe. It's dead centre.

Symmetry is still a big thing for part of the gardens. This is the Western Lake Pavilion...

...and this is the East!

There are loads of inviting paths--I went east. 

Look carefully and you'll see the artificial ruins! 

I think the beauty in this really comes from the unexpected things you see. Everywhere you turn is picture-worthy (which is more or less the idea!).

Pebble Alcove

Cobham family motto: "How beautiful are thy temples". Not fitting or anything...

It was so fun to look at the seemingly haphazard designs!

Temple of Friendship. A fire in the 1800s left the building structurally unstable  and, in a way, probably added to the allure of the whole thing by turning it into a "romantic ruin".

View from the Temple of Friendship down towards the Palladian Bridge.

This little gem is the Chinese House!

It's apparently closed during winter and tented, but I caught it at the right time! 

Goodness knows what it's good for (looking at?), but here's a closer shot of one of the fish.

C'mon, people, you knew this was coming.

Palladian Bridge

Gosh, these ceilings! <3

View from the Bridge onto the Octagon Lake

Wait, sheep?!

Yes, sheep. Apparently the grounds are leased by farmers or somesuch and the woolly beasts roam free within fenced areas. Welcome to the English countryside!

This also led to a most amusing phone call Uri received. 

Him: "Hello?"

Sheep: "BAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Him: "Where are you?"

Well, it was funny to me.

And where there are sheep...

Gothic Temple set against the beautiful blue sky backdrop that so rarely comes round anymore. It's mine for the rest of the day!!!

You can actually rent this place if you want!

...given you don't mind it's in the middle of a sheep field and a popular tourist attraction.

Queen's Temple, now the Music School of the Stowe School.

Lord Cobham's Pillar

Sunna (Sunday)

Mona (Monday)

Tiw (Tuesday)

Woden (Wednesday)

Thuner (Thursday). I never could get the hang of Thursdays, and apparently neither could Thuner! How very ironic.
Incidentally, they  have not yet got a replica of this statue. All the originals were sold and this one is somewhere else (but we all know the excuses are totally lame. Thuner just didn't feel up to it).

Friga (Friday)

Seatern (Saturday)

This attraction is Isha-approved.

For more info on the statues and their corresponding deities, click here!

This is what I imagine Robert Baratheon would've looked like had he aged gracefully and remained a fighter. Le sigh, Robert, le sigh!

OHAI THAR, BEAUTIFUL ENGAGEMENT RING THAT SPARKLES IN THE SUNLIGHT.

It's not like I think it's perfect or anything. [In fact, I know it's perfect!]

These vistas make me swoon.

And wildflower. Zomg.

*swoons*

Temple of Concord and Victory

CEILINGS AND PILLARS

You can see through the trees back to Lord Cobham's Pillar!

It was a Miami day. ;)

I get that it's the temple of Concord and Victory, but I'll be damned if I know who the person/Deity in the middle is. Seems to me it's their temple...

The grotto! This was really so cool.

View from inside the Grotto down toward Captain Cook's Monument.

Fountain girl inside the Grotto

LOVE this shot from inside the Grotto through the vegetation!

Y halo again, Gothic Temple!

Go for a stroll on an inviting path on a beautiful sunny day? Don't mind if I do!

Captain Cook's Monument. I love that it's on an island!

It's just so damn pretty!

Another view of Captain Cook's Monument

Shell Bridge

Temple of British Worthies

Handful of my favourites follow. Francis Bacon up first!

Do I even need to tell you who this is?

OMG IT'S WHAT'S-HIS-FACE!
[Read: John Locke]

The original. :P

Temple of Ancient Virtue. Don't mind the geese...

Wooden Bridge (apt name much?)

Temple of British Worthies as seen from across the pond (har har)

Temple of Virtue CEILING!

View from the ToV down towards Captain Grenville's Column

And back down toward the Temple of British Worthies

Captain Grenville's Column

RAWR

View from the green

Another Isha-approved attraction!

You really can't get a good feel for how massive this place is until you get up and close and personal.

Rotunda

Fun fact: this is on a golf course!

Statue inside the Rotunda

View from the west corner of the Eleven Acre Lake

Temple of Venus. Honestly, at this point, I couldn't be bothered to trek all the way up there just to see more statues.

LOOKIT WHAT I FOUND IN THE TREES! I did wonder what the lovely straight dock was for---very pleased at the result! :)

This is unbelievably inviting to me.

Hermitage

The Cascade of the Cascade and Artificial Ruins

View from the other side of the Octagon Lake toward the Western Lake Pavilion.

Y halo again, massive house and impressive lawn!

Are you impressed yet? YOU SHOULD BE.

One of my absolute favourite shots.

This really couldn't be beat. Super amazing day!

Until next time, Stowe. :)

Cheers!