Stourhead
Henry Hoare's Paradise Revisited
1st Edition
Published on 14. October 2021
320 pages
978-1-78854-361-3 (ISBN)
Description
'Brings both house and garden vividly to life... A magnificent achievement' Gardens Illustrated
'A finely crafted work... it is an important record of the history of one of the country's most splendid estates' The English Garden
The Palladian house of Stourhead, in Wiltshire, occupies a plateau above the confluence of three valleys. When you cross the south lawn and descend the tree-hung slopes, you glimpse a lake adorned with classical temples. Continue and you will find an allegorical grotto; a gothick hideaway; a Pantheon of demi-gods and, on high, a deserted temple to Apollo. To the west Alfred's Tower commands views over three counties, a gaunt landmark to English monarchy and patriotism.
This is how in Georgian times Henry Hoare - known as Henry the Magnificent - would have explored the garden he designed. Generations of the Hoare family, bankers who combined service with enlightened patronage and philanthropy, have developed and cultivated the garden at Stourhead, and for many its breathtaking vistas are paradise.
Dudley Dodd charts the owners of Stourhead and the history of the landscape, house and art collection. He describes how flights of folly, individual flair, taste and careful stewardship have nurtured a national treasure, which is among the finest English landscape gardens and, since 1946, a jewel of The National Trust. The stunning new pictures by the renowned photographer Marianne Majerus provide an up to date record of this enduring Elysium.
'A finely crafted work... it is an important record of the history of one of the country's most splendid estates' The English Garden
The Palladian house of Stourhead, in Wiltshire, occupies a plateau above the confluence of three valleys. When you cross the south lawn and descend the tree-hung slopes, you glimpse a lake adorned with classical temples. Continue and you will find an allegorical grotto; a gothick hideaway; a Pantheon of demi-gods and, on high, a deserted temple to Apollo. To the west Alfred's Tower commands views over three counties, a gaunt landmark to English monarchy and patriotism.
This is how in Georgian times Henry Hoare - known as Henry the Magnificent - would have explored the garden he designed. Generations of the Hoare family, bankers who combined service with enlightened patronage and philanthropy, have developed and cultivated the garden at Stourhead, and for many its breathtaking vistas are paradise.
Dudley Dodd charts the owners of Stourhead and the history of the landscape, house and art collection. He describes how flights of folly, individual flair, taste and careful stewardship have nurtured a national treasure, which is among the finest English landscape gardens and, since 1946, a jewel of The National Trust. The stunning new pictures by the renowned photographer Marianne Majerus provide an up to date record of this enduring Elysium.
Reviews / Votes
Brings both house and garden vividly to life... It makes for a gripping family saga. What is wonderful about this book is its range [...] and Dodd is especially good at setting the garden in context. A magnificent achievement * Gardens Illustrated * Dodd [is] meticulous and skilful. This is a finely crafted work and its telling illuminated by magnificent images of the property. It makes a wonderful addition to a library but it is also an important record of the history of one of the country's most splendid estates * The English Garden * Going through such a comprehensive account, Dudley Dodd gives the background and context that is needed to fully enjoy this amazing landscape garden, and brings Stourhead's story to alive * Country Gardener * With sketches, plans and stunning photography by the renowned photographer Marianne Majerus, this book will appeal to those who know and love the gardens as well as those who are yet to visit * Wiltshire Living * Dudley Dodd captures the beauty and history of the Palladian jewel in Wiltshire and its colourful owners, the Hoares, who acquired the house in 1717 and used their wealth, creativity and taste to nurture the fine gardens we see today * Daily Mail * Using original and other contemporary artworks and references, a detailed picture of how the owners of Stourhead developed their vision and nurtured it is entertainingly and painstakingly presented * Garden News * A beautiful coffee table book for anyone with a interest in plant and natural photography, the history of British gardens and architecture and more, it comes highly recommended * Amateur Photographer * A beautiful illustrated guide to its history, with photos, plans and sketches of the Eden once described as "more beautiful than any landscape put on canvas"' * i News * Captures the stunning vision of Henry Hoare * The Lady * Written by Dudley Dodd and featuring beautiful new images by renowned photographer Marianne Majerus, Stourhead: Henry Hoare's Paradise Revisited offers a comprehensive visual history of this celebrated landscape, its famous Palladian house and art collection * Outdoor Photography * A book in which there is so much visual richness to enjoy * Home & Garden * Dudley Dodd, a figure from the golden days of the National Trust, is the perfect guide * House & Garden *More details
Edition
1. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Head of Zeus
Illustrations
200 integrated col
ISBN-13
978-1-78854-361-3 (9781788543613)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
10/2021
Apollo
€50.00
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Persons
Dudley Dodd visited Stourhead for the first time in 1973. While serving with the National Trust he wrote guidebooks of its houses in the South West and has subsequently contributed articles to scholarly periodicals. He edited The Letters of Henry Hoare 1760-1781 and collaborated with Simon Swynfen Jervis on Roman Splendour, English Arcadia, a study of the Sixtus Cabinet, the pietre dure masterpiece at Stourhead.
Content
- Intro
- Dedication
- Contents
- Foreword
- PART I: AN ENDURING ELYSIUM
- On the Map
- The Hoare family
- The national stage
- The garden
- 'Procul, o procul este profani'
- PART II : FAMILY HISTORY
- How the Hoare Family Acquired Stourhead
- Sir Richard Hoare (1649-1718/19)
- 'Good Henry', Henry Hoare (1677-1724/5)
- The Stourton estate
- The new house
- Henry the Magnificent (1705-85)
- Artists and craftsmen
- The elusive arcadia of Claude Lorrain
- Family, banking and a Grand Tour
- Stourhead after 1742
- Francis Faugoin (1716-88)
- 'The most desirable House for a man from 2000 to 10000 a year I Ever was shewn'
- A new king and a new son-in-law
- Stourhead society
- The landscape garden after 1762
- 'Damn'd Hypocrisy compleated this diabolical Declaration': Henry the Magnificent bows out
- Sir Richard Colt Hoare, 2nd Baronet (1758-1838)
- The early years
- The first journey: Rome, 'the most rewarding place in the Universe'
- The second journey: 'At length I breathe the air of my beloved Italy'
- 'I wish to preserve my Liberty & Independence': Stourhead 1791-1800
- Europe at war: Colt Hoare at work 1800-10
- 'Antiquarian Confectionary'
- Colt Hoare in sickness and in health 1810-20
- Colt Hoare, aesthete and connoisseur
- J. M. W. Turner RA (1775-1851) at Stourhead
- 'All locomotion at an end': Colt Hoare in old age
- The Later Baronets
- Sir Henry Hugh Hoare, 3rd Baronet (1762-1841)
- Sir Hugh Richard Hoare, 4th Baronet (1787-1857)
- Sir Henry Ainslie Hoare, 5th Baronet (1824-94)
- Sir Henry Hoare, 6th Baronet (1865-1947)
- PART III: HISTORY OF THE GARDEN
- The Stourton Demesne 1700-42
- St Peter's Church, Stourton
- Mills
- 'Mr Benson's Ingine' (demolished)
- The First Landscape Garden 1742-54: 'Design uncommon is in all express'd'
- The master plan
- The Fir Walk
- The Obelisk
- The Temple on the Terrace (demolished)
- The Temple of Flora
- The Gothick Greenhouse (demolished)
- The Chinese Alcove (demolished)
- Diana of Versailles
- The Wooden Bridge (demolished)
- The Grotto
- The Garden Lake and Pantheon 1754-62: 'My large water was convulsed rose upon a sudden'
- The dam
- The Garden Lake
- The Pantheon
- The Turkish Tent (demolished)
- The Garden 1762-72: 'A charming Gaspard picture'
- The Stone Bridge
- The Bristol High Cross
- Neptune and his prancing horses (removed)
- Turner's Paddock Lake
- The Cascade
- The southern shore
- The Rock Arch and souterrain
- The Temple of Apollo
- The Hermitage (demolished)
- Garden seats
- The Regency Garden
- War on the follies
- The Boathouse
- Watch Cottage
- The gardener's house (demolished)
- Stourton
- The Lodges
- New Lake
- The Victorian and Edwardian Garden
- The landscape garden in the twentieth century
- The Iron Bridge
- Watch Cottage
- The Pump House
- Stourhead House and Precinct
- Clock Arch
- The Stable Yard
- The Kitchen Garden
- The Perimeter Drive: 'An insolent vale & terrace that has great features'
- The Terrace
- St Peter's Pump
- Alfred's Tower
- The Convent
- Tucking Mill
- Consolidation
- APPENDICES
- Appendix I: Henry the Magnificent's payments to Francis Faugoin
- Appendix II: Notes on visitors describing Stourhead
- Appendix III: Stourhead Planting 1741-1946
- Acknowledgements
- Endnotes
- Author's note
- Abbreviations
- On the Map
- How the Hoare Family Acquired Stourhead
- Henry the Magnificent
- Sir Richard Colt Hoare
- The Later Baronets
- The Stourton Demesne 1700-42
- The First Landscape Garden 1742-54
- The Garden Lake and Pantheon 1754-62
- The Garden 1762-72
- The Regency Garden
- The Victorian and Edwardian Garden
- Stourhead House and Precinct
- The Perimeter Drive
- Appendix II: Notes on Visitors Describing Stourhead
- Archives
- Bibliography
- Further Reading
- Photography and Picture Credits
- Copyright
- About the Author
- An Invitation from the Publisher
