I spent a lovely afternoon the day before yesterday exploring the complexities of Stowe’s garden monuments with Richard Wheeler who for a long time was in charge of them and knows every inch of their history.

We started with the two garden pavilions at the entrance to the estate:-

The Rotunda:-

The Temple of Venus designed by Kent in 1731:

Past the School, with its main façade designed by Thomas Pitt:-

To the Temple of British Worthies:-

The Gothic Temple:-

And the Queen’s Temple:-

It gave me a much better understanding of the layout of the estate – far from straightforward – and the many garden monuments.