Stowe

This is a garden designed on the grandest scale. The house was rebuilt after 1714 and became a public school in 1923. The gardens were created for Lord Cobham by Sir John Vanbrugh, Charles Bridgeman and William Kent at a time when the Whig Oligarchy was running the country. Squabbles had broken out between Frederick, Prince of Wales and his father George II and many of the buildings at Stowe reflect this political situation. There is much to see but don’t miss the Elysian Fields (The Temple of Ancient Virtue and across the water, the Temple of British Worthies) the Grecian valley, Eastern Gardens (The Gothic Temple, The Temple of Friendship and the Palladian Bridge) as well as the Lake Pavilions and Corinthian Arch. The gardens are managed by the National Trust.