Renee Goossens takes us on a tour of Stourhead Gardens and informs us that even with mobility problems, you can still enjoy this delightful sanctuary
STOURHEAD GARDENS
Renee Goossens
How fortunate it is to have so many beautiful gardens in England.
It means that in Winter, with the exception of inclement weather, people can wrap up warmly and enjoy an abundance of fresh air and the excitement of gardens as splendid as those immortalised by landscape artists.
Let me tell you about Stourhead Gardens. I lived nearby for a couple of years.
Bertram Akhurst Photographer
The main car park will take you to the Reception centre to view the Exhibition of the Stourhead Estate which will give you historic detail and a pictorial overture. Orange Badge holders should follow the signs leading to the ample Disabled Parking area, closer to the Gardens.
At Stourhead Gardens, you will experience the tranquil setting of a perfect English landscaped garden complete with Pantheon, Grotto, the Temple of Apollo and a magnificent lake.
You will find additional monuments and sights which will become your own special favourites. My own imagination is captured by the Gothic Cottage. It resembles so many stage settings I know so well; could this not be the house lived in by Marguerite, awaiting a visit from Faust?
When ever you choose to visit Stourhead Gardens, open daily throughout the year, closing at dusk, you will see displays of colour, brilliant, subtle, ever changing according to the season.
Maples, chestnuts, beech, ash, oak trees abound amidst cedars of Lebanon, the larch, the Norway spruce and the yew. Many of these were existing or planted by the Hoare family in 1741. Stourhead Annals indicate further trees introduced in following decades, amongst them variegated sycamore, and maples both red and silver.
Keen horticulturists will observe further varieties of acacia, lime, holly and chestnut. Ask the attendant at the entrance kiosk for a leaflet which lists all major plantings. It is fascinating to discover the names of various specimens, professionally labelled or carefully marked.
Bertram Akhurst Photographer
Beneath the trees, the clematis, honeysuckle, ivy, jasmine, scented azalea and rhododendron varieties will tempt your camera into immediate action and your only problem will be to limit the amount of film you need to capture souvenirs of your visit.
We love photographing the lake, particularly in autumn when the trees are at their most colourful and the long shadows most dramatic.
On the edge of the estate is Alfred's Tower, the folly which commemorates the King famous for burning cakes but more importantly for being King of the Saxons and of Wessex.
A vigorous walk followed by the 50m climb will offer views of Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire. Dogs may be securely tied up outside on leads, but are not permitted to climb the tower. To learn the dogs' opinion of this, watch them consoling one another companionably whining or sniffing, suggesting perfect contentment as they await their owners.
Access to The Grotto is difficult for those none too steady of foot. It has a circular domed chamber with its entrance and exit in simulated rustic stone. The River God's Cave faces the exit of the Grotto where you will discover a statue of Tiber Please be careful as the surface is uneven. An opening in the rock face provides a magnificent view across the lake.
Eighteenth-century visitors made no mention of my favourite Gothic Cottage but sketches in the 1770s show evidence of a building, partially obscured by trees. A painting by Nicholson, c. 1813 depicts it with thatching and a creeper.
The Pantheon, first called the Temple of Hercules, due perhaps to Rysbrack's statue within, is a portico of six Corinthian columns with pedimented niches for Bacchus and Venus. The Hercules statue was commissioned in 1747, being apparently modelled after studies of famous boxers, an intriguing thought in itself.
The Iron Bridge crosses the south western arm of the lake from which people seem compelled to throw coins either to attract the splendid and abundant small fish in the shallow waters beneath, or hoping that fortune may smile upon them. Its crossing is somewhat of a challenge in a wheelchair. But it's the Palladian Bridge you will see featured in most of the postcards and souvenirs.
Bertram Akhurst Photographer
As to Capability, I refer to none other than the aptly nicknamed Lancelot Brown, whose influence, skill and efficiency helped to create the gentle serenity of many of England's picturesque landscapes.
You may know the story of the garden boy who rose to fame, fortune and the friendship of King George III. Stourhead is one of his last commissions. A conservationist in the true sense, his emphasis was on the natural garden and extensive tree planting. Amongst other examples of his hundred plus property embellishments are the gardens of Harewood House in Yorkshire, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, and Longleat House in Wiltshire.
A visit to Stourhead will test the capability of your companion, who well merits the free entry in reward for pushing your wheelchair, and your ability to negotiate with skill paths which, due to their steep incline and occasional gravel, may cause you to flinch.
Fortunately, the most glorious views, including the bridges, lake and temple are accessible from the first gentle rise inside the entrance. This alone would make a visit memorable.
Bring along some bread to offer the tame, friendly, clamouring ducks, who are particularly keen to follow wheelchair users. I have had ducks climbing on to my lap, sitting on my feet, and eating directly from my fingers. Their beaks will not hurt you, despite the shock of the snap. If you make it known there is further bread, the ducks will either follow you or rejoin you later if you tempt them by sprinkling further crumbs. They will fly towards you, skimming the water like trainee ballerinas discovering their pointes, then dip down confidently, shimmering as smoothly as swans on the lake.
Stourhead Gardens are spread over more than a thousand hectares, so it is difficult to imagine this is the third most visited of National Trust properties in England, as it never seems overcrowded.
The atmosphere attracts young families, the energetic backpacker or serious walker, and also those of us, of any age, who use wheelchairs and sticks. The relaxed, friendly atmosphere encourages people to stop and chat, and never have we been there without somebody offering assistance with the wheelchair over difficult stretches.
Ask your companion to obtain your ticket, or to show your National Trust card, for the slope to the kiosk is particularly steep. Entrance is free to Members, and it is kind of the National Trust to permit the companion/pusher of a wheelchair free admission to all properties.
Wheelchairs are available on loan but on my last visit the use of their powered buggy had been discontinued. You may be asked to sign a form on entry to the gardens, if you use an electric scooter or powered chair. The attendant will advise you as to the best route to follow for the mile and a half of garden paths.
There is a Village Hall self-serve tea & lunch room beside the Disabled Car Park, also a pub, the Spread Eagle Inn. Additional toilet facilities are at the main car park.
Special events take place in summer when there is an extremely popular Fete Champetre as well as outdoor performances of Shakespeare and musical events.
Dogs will appreciate that their owners may not have the pleasure of their company in summer, but they are welcome from November till the end of February, provided they keep their owners on their leads.
The beauty and colour of Stourhead should tempt you to visit at least four times a year, to savour the seasonal changes. For detailed reading, see the National Trust's own guides, a video and various booklets and pictorial souvenirs available within the Trust Shop close to the Disabled Car Park. Shire Books also provide excellent, affordable reference material on gardens and garden history. Only Orange Badge holders should be beside you in the lower car park, as well as residents of the Inn. Those without mobility difficulties may park at the spacious upper car park.
Stourhead House is closed in the winter, but is not easily accessed by the disabled, having 13 steps to its entrance. With its generous displays of examples of exquisite period furniture and collection of great paintings, it will be a visit you can save for other months. (Open 22 March till 2 Nov.)
Renée Goossens © for The Disabled Motorist Magazine published in 1997.
