Stowe House

Om museet

Stowe House in north Buckinghamshire is one of the grandest country houses in England. Its story is closely linked with the Temple-Grenville family, whose rapid rise in the 18th century was matched by a spectacular fall in the 19th. A new house was built here in 1677 to 1683 by Sir Richard Temple, designed by William Cleare, who had worked under Christopher Wren. From 1711 Sir Richard Temple, later Viscount Cobham, extended the house and the gardens, employing Sir John Vanbrugh, William Kent and Lancelot "Capability" Brown.

Later owners remodelled the north and south fronts and the state rooms. The Marquess of Buckingham, and from 1822 the Dukes of Buckingham and Chandos, lived here in style. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed for three days in 1845, but the family was crushed by debt, and in 1848 Christie's sold most of the contents of the estate in the Great Sale. The 3rd Duke later restored the family fortunes, and the house was let to the Comte de Paris for some years from 1889.

The house later became the home of Stowe School, which still shares the building. The Stowe House Preservation Trust, an independent charity, now restores and maintains the house and opens it to visitors. The nearby landscape gardens belong to the National Trust and are visited separately. Visitors can take a guided tour of the state rooms, such as the Marble Saloon, State Dining Room and State Library, explore the museum displays and see bronze sculptures by David Wynne.

Højdepunkter

• Marble Saloon, a domed room modelled on the Pantheon in Rome
• State Dining Room, restored in 2023
• State Library with its original mahogany bookcases
• North Hall with a ceiling by William Kent
• Bronze maquettes by the sculptor David Wynne

Permanente udstillinger

• State Rooms tour – Guided tours of the historic state rooms, including the Marble Saloon, State Dining Room, State Library, Blue Room and North Hall.
• Museum displays – Interactive displays on the history of the house and gardens before the state rooms.
• David Wynne collection – Bronze maquettes by the sculptor David Wynne, a former pupil of Stowe School, displayed throughout the building.

Ejer

Stowe House Preservation Trust

Entrépriser & rabatter

Members of Historic Houses are admitted free with a valid membership card; this does not include the National Trust Stowe Gardens, which charge separate admission. The Visitor Centre can be entered free of charge, and on days when the house is closed a discounted ticket gives access to the museum there.

Tilgængelighed

• Kørestolsvenlig
• Elevator
• Handicaptoilet
• Handicapparkering
• Servicehunde tilladt
• Taktile tilbud: findes ikke
• Rundvisninger på tegnsprog: findes ikke
• Letlæste tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Synstolkning: ingen oplysninger

There is wheelchair access to all floors, although some floors are uneven because of the building's age. Two platform lifts serve the Welcome Centre and the upper floor, and there are two accessible toilets on the ground floor. Manual wheelchairs for indoor use can be borrowed free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis, and a mobility scooter can be hired in school holidays. The audio loop is at the welcome desk, transcripts of the tour are available, and there is a large-print guide for self-guided days. Trained assistance and medical alert dogs are allowed in the house. There are no tactile or British Sign Language tours, but guides will point out objects that are safe to touch. The quietest time to visit is between 2pm and 3pm in winter hours and 4pm in summer.

Børn og familie

Velegnet til børn og familier

• Familieomvisninger & workshops
• Opgavehæfte, skattejagt eller audioguide for børn
• Interaktive stationer
• Barnevognsvenlig
• Puslerum

Children under 5 enter free and tickets for ages 6 to 16 cost 3 pounds. The museum has interactive displays, and in school holidays there are trails, crafts and activities, with soft play puzzles on the picnic lawn. The Visitor Centre has baby-changing facilities, seating for breastfeeding and a lift for buggies.

Transport & parkering

From the National Trust entrance the walk from New Inn to Bell Gate is 500 metres and from Bell Gate to the house about 800 metres via the Rotunda and the Grotto.

Service & spisesteder

• Café
• Museumsbutik

The Visitor Centre has a cafe with snacks, cakes, light bites and ice cream, and a shop with souvenirs, books and second-hand books. There are picnic tables in the courtyard and a lawn for picnics. Dogs on leads are welcome in the Visitor Centre but not in the house.

Arrangementer & udlejning

• Lokaler til leje
• Firmaarrangementer

Corporate and commercial events and filming are handled by the Stowe School events team.

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