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Stately homes of Britain that date from the 18th Century are a national treasure. Many, like Stourhead in the photo above, are examples of Neo-Palladian architecture - classical in style and very popular in 1720 when Stourhead was built. Colen Campbell promoted this trend when he published a catalogue of designs from the 17th Century by such famous architects as Inigo Jones and Christopher Wren. He was also the architect of Stourhead, one of the most famous British stately homes. The grounds, featuring a lake and a temple of Apollo, are especially worth seeing. We had a long walk there in 1984, admiring the lovely views, all carefully planned but made to look perfectly natural.
During our vacation in the Loire valley of France in 1997, we spent several days in Blois. We admired the city very much. It is nicely landscaped and has many beautiful buildings, including the chateau. The history of the chateau is particularly interesting. Within it, in what were the private rooms of Catherine de Medici, the Duc de Guise was murdered in 1588 after he was thought to be planning a Catholic uprising against the French king, Henri III. It is thought that the murder was arranged by the king, himself.
In 1998 we visited Chatsworth with an old friend who I met while living in Birmingham in the 1970's. It was lovely to see her again. The house itself failed to make a very deep impression, but we thoroughly enjoyed strolling through the beautiful grounds. Chatsworth House, in Derbyshire, has been the home of the Dukes of Devonshire since 1549.
