
Dear Mummy, we’ve been meaning to visit this National Trust property for ages but have always been distracted by other attractions nearer to us. The weather has been pretty miserable recently too, but we woke up to dry weather last weekend and decided to go on an epic adventure.

We visited Stourhead in Mere, Wiltshire. Over an hour and a half away from us in Basingstoke, Hampshire. It’s just off the A303, past Stonehenge. It’s a 2,650-acre estate at the source of the River Stour.

We arrived in a break between showers on a miserable and gloomy day. It’s the first time this year we’ve braved the weather and we were craving some fresh air.

After our long car journey we headed to the National Trust cafe to have lunch. Daddy enjoyed a sausage hot-pot and I had parsnip and apple soup with bread and butter. There’s a small indoor play area for children which kept me occupied until it was time to eat. The food selection on offer was warm and hearty, just what was needed before our winter walk.

Afterwards we headed straight to the main reception entrance by the main car park and headed down the winding path. The estate has been owned by three main families. The Stourton family were the first and had lived in the Stourhead estate for 500 years until they sold it to Sir Thomas Meres in 1714. His son, John Meres, sold it to Henry Hoare I, son of wealthy banker Sir Richard Hoare in 1717. 200 years later, the last Hoare family member to own the property, Henry Hugh Arthur Hoare, gave the house and gardens to the National Trust in 1946, one year before his death.

The drive-way up to the main house is impressive, its flanked by trees and has an imposing castle gate entrance. We didn’t enter the house on this occasion and opted to explore the grounds instead. We didn’t think it was wise to let a crazy toddler loose on all the antiques!

I stopped to look at all the information signs which were dotted around the estate. The National Trust are great at making them appealing for visitors and it’s nice to read about the history of the area.

We visit the stable yard near the house and loved looking at all the quirky doors and little outbuildings. I spent ages trying to find horses, but alas we didn’t see any. We entered the gardens via another small reception building and they check our National Trust membership cards again. The heavens look like they are going to open so we increase the pace to get to tree cover.

We then found one of the many viewing points across the estate. We spotted the Temple of Apollo on the other side of the valley and decided to make it our mission to visit it. I jumped in my buggy and daddy pushed me all the way down the hill on the zig zagged pathways.
We travelled past the Temple of Flora or the ‘Cinderella Ballroom’ as we referred to it and I disembarked the buggy to investigate the quirky space. The Temple of Flora is dedicated to the Roman goddess of flowers and spring was the first garden building erected in 1744-6. I spent some time dancing and twirling in the large room. My singing echoed as we waltzed to music in our heads. We took shelter from the heavy downpour and watched the droplets on the lake. The lake at Stourhead is amazing and artificially crafted into the valley.

With a break in the rain we headed to the Temple of Apollo, on the other side. Past the beautiful Palladian Bridge, then the rain started again so I took sanctuary in my buggy with the rain cover over me.

Daddy pushes me and we enter a dark cave and then go up a very steep hill and find ourselves at the Temple of Apollo. It was built in 1765 and is dedicated to the sun god. It has scenic views across the lake and grounds. You might recognise this view from the 2005 film Pride & Prejudice. It’s where Darcy, played by Matthew Macfadyen tells Keira Knightley’s character, Lizzie that he loves her; and she tells him that he’s rude. Love eh??
We take a short break and soak up the views, sitting on our jackets and rucksack. We open up a packet of crisps and share them together. I sit quietly the munch away, occasionally going in for a cuddle with mummy. It’s a moment of complete happiness, even though our bottoms are cold.


We take a shortcut back down the hill (with buggy in tow) and head towards some creepy looking rock gardens. It looks like ruins of a house and we are expecting trolls to pop out at any second. It’s not really suitable for buggies here and daddy ends up carrying it down some steep steps.





We follow the path around the large lake and head towards the Temple of Hercules built in 1754. It’s called the Pantheon. Inspired by the one in Rome this is the largest of the garden buildings and a main focal point in the grounds.

We saw lots of dog walkers on our trip. Dogs are welcome across Stourhead’s countryside areas all year round, but only in the landscape gardens during certain hours. After seeing the Pantheon our main aim was to get to the Grotto before it got too dark. It’s a little bit challenging getting around the Grotto. This was the only time we abandoned the buggy and left it on the wide pathway at the top of the stairs.

The Grotto, commissioned by Henry Hoare and built by Henry Flitcroft, was constructed in 1748. It is a large domed rocky chamber lined with flint, pebbles and tufa. Grottos were popular in Italian Renaissance gardens as places of retreat from summer heat. It’s very damp and dreary down here and we have to watch the slippery steps as we walk around it.
Underneath the ground is a large tunnel with a couple of chambers. We admire Stourhead Grotto’s ‘Nymph’ and ‘River God’ statues. The Grotto (or Temple of the Nymph), a popular feature at Stourhead and well worth the journey to the other side of the lake. Its one of the furthest attractions from the main gate.

We loved the white-painted lead statue of Ariadne, a sleeping nymph on a marble plinth. However we couldn’t get a good photo of her, as it was too dark! Underneath her was a quote carved into stone.
Nymph of the Grot these sacred springs I keep,
And to the murmur of these waters sleep;
Ah! Spare my slumbers, gently tread the cave,
And drink in silence, or in silence lave.

We pretended the Grotto was the lair of the Sea Witch Ursula and the Little Mermaid was trapped inside and we had to find her. It was a great game, however some of the other visitors must have thought we were mad!
Before we knew it the light had nearly disappeared outside and it was time to head back to the car. It was only 3.30pm but all the visitors had vanished. Despite being a hugely popular destination, it was eerily quiet. At one point it felt like we were the only people there in this vast open space.

On our way back around the lake, we pretended that Snow White and the seven dwarfs lived in the gothic cottage at Stourhead. Unfortunately we couldn’t gain access as it was locked and roped off, but we did mange to peer through the dusty window. It was very magical.

After a long cold walk we made it back to the main entrance, but had missed grabbing another cup of tea, as the cafe closed at 4.30pm. so we warmed up in the car and headed home. We had a great day out.
Entrance prices to Stourhead are £15.60 with gift aid for an adult and £7.90 for a child over 2 years old. We think this is definitely worth the money for this wonderful outdoor experience. Stourhead is one of the largest National Trust properties we’ve been to. All it’s lacking is a natural woodland activity play area for the kids, which many other National Trust properties have. However there is enough walking and make-believe to keep children occupied. We loved acting out some of our favourite fairy tales throughout the day. A really magical and breathtaking place to visit we can’t wait to visit in the Spring!
Love Bella x
We enjoy exploring National Trust properties too. Lots of fun. Look at that happy face, looks like lots of fun. loving the snowdrops too x
I don’t think you can beat a good National Trust property, and if you’re members (we are) the entry is virtually negligible!
You have some great photography here, I particularly love the one from Grotto at Sourhead – it’s so beautifully and naturally framed
Ahh thanks! We’re NT members too and it’s great value for money! xx
I love the little buildings dotted around the lake and the Grotto. Your fairy tales games in the grotto sound like a wonderful idea and a perfect way to enjoy the visit. It looks so pretty and peaceful there, definitely worth the drive out and it looks like you managed tomis the rain too. Thank you so much for sharing this National Trust Treasure on #CountryKids
We just went there this week! Looks like you enjoyed it as much as we did. We didn’t go up to the house or cafe will have to next time!:)
Ooo! That’s cool 🙂 we’ll keep an eye out for your post xx
What an amazing day out and love the way that you added magic to it with a little use of the imagination! I can just imagine you dancing and singing in the Temple of Flora (I think I quite like it being called Cinderella Ballroom though!) and despite having been to Stourhead before (my friends got married there five years ago), it hadn’t dawned on me that the Temple of Apollo was the backdrop for that scene in Pride and Prejudice. Love the look of the Grotto too and sounds like you all had a lot of fun 🙂
Thanks Louise we had fun dancing around!
Looks like such a lovely place to visit – so much to explore. All these NT posts that I keep seeing are making me seriously consider getting NT membership! #countrykids
It’s really worth it! xx
What a fantastic place, so full of atmosphere – no wonder it fired up your imaginations. I love those creepy rocks!
What a little adventure you had – it looks lovely there!
This sounds like a lovely place. I love the grottos and temples scattered throughout. I’m hoping to be driving by the end of this year so we’ll be able to visit places like this. Is National Trust membership worth it?
Oh yes, it’s great for us as we have a cluster of properties near us that we visit regularly. Might be worth looking at their website to see what’s near (within 2hrs) before you commit x
Looks beautiful here! We have a National Trust place near us called Saltram and it’s gorgeous. I love National Trust.
Wow, what a beautiful place. We are National Trust members and often visit their properties when we are passing. I will definitely look out for this one if we are travelling that way.x
Looks like a great place to explore. We don’t have many National Trust places near us but the ones we do are amazing
Stourhead has been on my must visit list for ages. I have been told Autumn is the best time to go for the myriad of colours
Aww this looks wonderful. Hope to visit here one day. Great captures and looks like everyone had fun x
What a fab place to get some fresh air. It certainly looks like there’s a lot to do without going in the house. I also like finding out about places we can take In Box Dog too – it makes it a proper family day out! #countrykids
Looks a wonderful place to explore, even at this time of year. Love the photos of all the little nooks and crannies!
We stopped off here on our journey down to Devon last summer (I think it was equally grey although a bit warmer!) and it’s a great place isn’t it, so much to see. The views and temples were gorgeous. I’d love to spend a bit longer there. #countrykids
Stourhead has been on my NT “list” since we joined but not made it there yet. It looks absolutely magical there, especially the grottoes! #countrykids
This looks like a beautiful place to visit, looks and sounds like you have a great day. Love you photos x
Oh my gosh, this place looks so great – lots to see and explore. We love National Trust places and visit our local one regularly. Ickle PIckle x
What a fantastic place to explore. Love your mermaid game, my children would love to play that too. We have National Trust passes, so we must check this out.
Thanks for sharing #LetKidsbeKids
We are looking at getting a National Trust membership and looking at this post and a couple of others it certainly looks worthwhile. We live in Hampshire too and it doesn’t sound like too far to drive for a visit #whatevertheweather
Well you are spoilt for choice 🙂 we have loads in Hampshire! The Vyne and Mottisfont are our faves! Thanks for popping over x
There are some gorgeous national trust properties around and it’s easy to stick to the ones you know but this find looks amazing. I’ve never been to Stourhead before but it’s certainly somewhere I’d add to me list of places to visit. We have NT membership and it’s so worth the money, isn’t it? I love the photo of a very happy and smiley little girl in her pushchair – so cute!
#Whatevertheweather
It’s one of the best things we purchased as a family – our NT membership!! 🙂
It looks stunning- I love the Cinderella Ballroom and the creepy rocks- it looks like you found something magical round every corner. We will definately have to add this to our ‘to do’ list
What an amazing place to be able to visit 🙂 #whatevertheweather
Wow! Looks like a fab place to go with so many different points of interest and beautiful parts. #whatevertheweather
A great review – I’d love to visit with my family. Love the fairy tale angle. I grew up near here so can’t believe I’ve never been!
It looks wonderful!! I love that there are so many little follies around the garden to explore and they are all so different with an interesting history. I especially love the look of the grotto, perfect for little explorers. It looks like a great place for your family adventure with a huge garden to make lots of happy memories together. Thanks so much for linking your lovely adventure up to #Whatevertheweather 🙂 x
Firstly I adore your coat and would love to know where it’s from? This place looks so magical and I love how you used your imagination in the grotto, thinking the little mermaid was in there! What a great game. That’s my favourite film! I can’t get over how much there is to explore. Such beautiful grounds and architecture. Lots to learn about. You are so right too, getting around on daddy’s shoulders is the best! Evie would be constantly doing this if she had her way! Thank you for sharing your adventure on #whatevertheweather x
This is so beautiful! What a wonderful childhood this is – as it should be. Love your fairytales stories. #Letkidsbekids
Another NT must-see added to my list – Stourhead looks wonderful. The lake is stunning. Looks like you had a fab day out – I love starting a visit with a good NT Cafe lunch! Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes