Tag Archives: Stowe Gardens

Stowe Gardens

Blasdale Home Posted on by

17th October 2023

Wanting to escape the boredom of same-old, same-old days, R and I have embarked on a self-proclaimed “Odyssey.” Every week, we vow to venture out, taking turns in choosing our destination. Last week, we meandered through the tranquil hues of College Lake in Tring. This week, our second expedition on this self-imposed odyssey, we went to the grand expanse of the National Trust’s Stowe Gardens. (Usually, Stowe beckons us in early spring to view Snowdrops, but this year, that season had slipped through our fingers.)

A brisk stroll led us around the lake, past the imposing house (now a private school), viewing poignant poppy decorations, each a silent tribute to fallen soldiers in conflicts past, as well as large silhouettes of soldiers standing stoic as stark reminders of sacrifice and valour. Our exploration complete, we sought the NT cafe for lunch.

National Trust Stowe
National Trust Stowe
National Trust Stowe
National Trust Stowe

Stowe Gardens

Blasdale Home Posted on by

Stowe Gardens during the third lockdown

After the cold and wet weather, we had a break with sun and a warm 12C temperature. We decided to go for a walk in the local area and drove over to Stowe Gardens. It is that time of year, Snowdrop season. R had booked our arrival time online a couple of days before. We arrived and walked down from the car park. The NT shop, restaurant and loos were of course closed. A small van was selling coffee and light lunches at the entrance. (We had already stocked up with Ginsters Cornish pasty from our local shop.)

A longish walk down the hill to the gardens, where our names were checked. The loos were here, a row of Portaloos. We enjoyed a three-hour walk, with a well-deserved lunch break of Pasty. The Snowdrops were somewhat a disappointment, there were clusters of them, but not the huge waves of them there were a few years back.

We met a man and wife taking pictures of the snowdrops with a background of the Temple of Ancient Virtue. He was using a 4×5 Walker Camera. I believe he could adjust the angle of the photographic plate to reduce converging verticles and change the plane of focus. At least he doesn’t have hundreds of images to choose from when doing his final edits.

Stowe Gardens for the Snowdrops

Blasdale Home Posted on by

On a sunny day, we visited Stowe Gardens to view the Snowdrops. We were told the displays were fabulous. On arrival, the car park was brimming with people. Why weren’t people at work, or were we all retired? We headed for the Snowdrops, assured by the NT ticket inspector that the displays were fabulous. We found the Snowdrops, though pretty and of various varieties, we were somewhat underwhelmed by the density of them. There were some nice winter aconites, cyclamens and crocuses planted through the snowdrops.

A walk through some more of the gardens on this bright, cool day, to view the lakes, the Rotunda, the Gothic Temple, Palladian Bridge and the Pebble Alcove with its beautiful crest and motifs outlined in pebbles. R hinted that she fancied one in our garden.

Back at the visitor centre we ate lunch, bought postcards and checked out the secondhand bookshop for some Science Fiction.