TOP OF THE CLASS

Magnificent Stowe House has had a tumultuous history, from its days as a ducal palace for one family to its current life as a boarding school that’s home to 900 pupils

ELEANOR DOUGHTY

‘Oh lead me to the wideextended walks, The fair majestic paradise of Stowe! Not Persian Cyrus on Ionia’s shore E’er saw such sylvan scenes.’ So wrote the poet James Thomson of Stowe House, the former home of the Temple family near Buckingham, in 1730. He was right – Stowe is majestic, and it is a paradise. With 400 rooms, it is extraordinary to think that one family once lived at Stowe, since it has been a boarding school for the last century. It is the ultimate diversified country house, and now, the most beautifully restored: in November, Stowe won the restoration of a Georgian country house prize at the Georgian Group’s annual awards. The restoration project for which it has been recognised began over 25 years ago, and to date…

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Britain (Digital) - 1 Issue, Mar/Apr 2024

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