Click here to visit the new version of this page.

MY STOWE PHOTOGRAPHS

A few miles north of Buckingham is Stowe House, a famous public school (Richard 'Virgin' Branson was educated here, for example) with grounds looked after by The National Trust. I've visited (sneaked in) on many occasions and have often taken pictures there, some of which are below. I hope you enjoy them.

For more info, [please visit the StoweSchool.org web site], [this site which has great interactive panoramic pictures of the garden] or click the NT banner below to see their Stowe page.

Click here to visit The National Trust's own site.

If you don't care for stereotypical music
as you surf, an off button is provided below.

This map of Stowe Gardens links to the pictures below. Clicking red features will show you a picture of them.

Please hover over the following pictures
to read some additional details.

The south front of Stowe House, with golf course, lake and me, your host.
Welcome to Stowe House. The green in front of the house, which is used as a golf course, plus a bit of the lake and me. The bit of Hitler burning books in 'Indiana Jones - The Last Crusade' was filmed here. Click here to return to the map.

The Temple of British Worthies
The Temple of British Worthies reflects... Click here to return to the map.

The Gothic Temple, Lord Cobham's Pillar and the Palladian Bridge
The Gothic Temple, Lord Cobham's Pillar and the Palladian Bridge make an attractive collection in this view from the Temple of Friendship. Click here to return to the map.

Grenville Column
The Grenville Column is at the top of the Elysian Fields. It commemorates Thomas Grenville who died fighting the French off Cape Finisterre in 1747. Click here to return to the map.

The Chinese House
Built elsewhere in the garden in 1738, the Chinese House was resited in 1992, having been to Wotton and Ireland in the meantime! Click here to return to the map.

The Doric Arch and Palladian Bridge
The Doric Arch frames the Palladian Bridge in this often photographed view. Click here to return to the map.

Artist with the Grotto in the background
The Grotto was built around 1739 and has been added to and adapted many times. It is curently (July 2003) kept locked as its interior is in a poor state of repair. Click here to return to the map.

Stowe Church
'Capability' Brown was married in the 14th century Stowe Church (Saint Mary's) in 1744. It is the only remaining feature of Stowe Village, which was removed when the grand house was built. Click here to return to the map.

The Fane of Pastoral Poetry
Originally by James Gibbs, this featured in the west garden before being moved and re-modeled by Lord Temple in the 1760s. Click here to return to the map.

Queen Caroline's Monument
Queen Caroline, consort to George I, stants atop four unusual fluted ionic columns. Click here to return to the map.

The Temple of Venus
The Temple of Venus is next to the Eleven-Acre Lake and was designed by Wiliam Kent in 1729. Click here to return to the map.

The Queen's Temple - Now used as a music room
Originally by James Gibbs for Viscount Cobham, this elevation of the Queen's Temple was remodelled for the Marquess of Buckingham, probably by Vincenzo Valdré. Click here to return to the map.

Oxford Bridge and Boycott Pavilion
The Oxford Bridge was built in 1761 when the southwest approach was added. The Boycott Pavillions were named after a small village which once existed on the Stowe garden site. Click here to return to the map.

Arch and the two Lake Pavilions under repair in 2003
At the end of the Grand Avenue from Buckingham is the Corinthian Arch which frames the house on approach. Each side is a small house! The Lake Temples date from around 1720 and were once much closer together. Click here to return to the map.

Wolfe's Obelisk
General Wolfe died in 1759, having 'got' Canada off the French. Click here to return to the map.

Statue of George I by John Nost the Elder
This statue of George I is in the north forecout and was cast by John Nost the Elder for Viscount Cobham. Click here to return to the map.

The Hermitage by Kent
The Hermitage is rustic. And that's all I'm going to tell you about it. Click here to return to the map.

The Temple of Concord & Victory
Begun in 1746, this temple was inspired by the Maison Carrée at Nimes. Originally called simply 'The Greek Temple', it was renamed after the Seven Years' War. Click here to return to the map.

The Pebble Alcove
This feature was in place by 1739 and may be a design by Kent. It features Lord Cobham's Coat of Arms. Click here to return to the map.

Cascade
This cascade contains a waterwheel and a cave behind it. It's near the Temple of Venus. Click here to return to the map.

The Congreve Monument by William Kent, on what I call Monkey Island
The Congreve Monument was designed by Kent and was erected after the playwright's death by his friend, Lord Cobham. Click here to return to the map.

The Temple of Ancient Virtue
The Temple of Ancient Virtue was built in 1736-37 and has great acoustics. Click here to return to the map.

Jumping outside The Temple of Ancient
Virtue. Taken on a great day in May 2001
Jumping for joy on the Temple of Ancient Virtue (as above). Click here to return to the map.

Lord Cobham's Pillar
Lord Cobham's Pillar has a locked gate to stop visitors climbing to its top. Shame. It was built in 1749 and was struck by lightning in 1957, distroying the original statue on the top and three of the lions at its foot. Click here to return to the map.

The Temple of Friendship
The Temple of Friendship suffered serious fire damage in 1884, so now it's a romantic ruin. Click here to return to the map.

Stowe Castle
Stowe Castle was built before 1738 and is actually a farm house with mock battlements. Click here to return to the map.

Octagon Lake Cascade
Built between 1728 and 1738, the Octagone Lake Cascade is in rustic contrast to the neo-classical nature of many other of the gardens features. Click here to return to the map.

The Seasons Fountain
Erected in 1805, this fountain has a brass plaque with James Thomson's poem of the same name on it. Click here to return to the map.

The Rotondo
It says here, 'The Rotondo has ten tall Ionic columns above a circular stylobate.' I'm none the wiser. Click here to return to the map.

The Gothic Temple
The Gothic Temple (where a scene in James Bond 19 - The Word Is Not Enough - was filmed) looks stunning through a doorway of the ruined Temple of Friendship. Click here to return to the map.

QUICK FACT:

Stowe lends its name to 'Stowe Corner' at the Silverstone motor racing circuit which is just a few miles to the north.

QUICK PIX:

Please click the thumbnails below to see some more Stowe stuff:

Click for Judith relaxing in The Pebble Alcove Click for a shot taken on March 31st 2003 - my Jaguar at my favourite point for taking pictures of cars Click for Judith at Stowe, when we first started going out together Click for The Palladian Bridge being beautiful During the Foot and Mouth crisis of 2001, this was as close to the arch as I could get Click for The Temple of Concord and Victory and my kit car You can't tell this was taken at Stowe, but I promise it was Click for Judith and I expressing ourselves... ...and finding our daring jolly funny In The Pebble Alcobe I pose A poor quality scanned picture of me taking the picture above, taken by Judith. In the Pebble Alcove I pose. Again Click for a dark picture taken with my kit car in front of the big arch I visit so often! Click for a semi-negative version of the picture above Click for a picture of me at The Temple of Concord and Victory Click for a negative version of the picture above Click for a nice shot of my kit car in front of a huge arch Click for a negative version of the picture above Click for more of Lord Cobhams Pillar Click for Sarah in The Pebble Alcove Just another low-quality picture of me running along between the columns of The Temple of Concord and Victory. Click for the golden bottom on show in The Rotondo Click for another nice shot of The Palladian Bridge, taken from the end on the lake Click for a closer look at one of the golden fishes on the roof of the Chinese House Click for a closer look at me looking Roman(?) nect to The Temple of Venus Click for a look at the ceiling of The Temple of Ancient Virtue Click for a view of Kent's Shell Bridge which blocks the head of the river which flows through The Elysian Fields

Click here to see my Web-Cam page, where you can see some... nice things.

This link will take you to see my inspiring Art of the Phoenix Trail Page.

Click here to see some rather nice pictures of Bekonscot model village.

This link will take you to see my Chiltern Sculpture Trail Page.

Please close this window to return to the main sitePlease close this window to return to the main site.Please close this window to return to the main site