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Click on thumbnail for full size picture of Stourhead Gardens ALFRED'S TOWER TO STOURHEAD
The highlight must be Stourhead Gardens. It's generally rated as the finest landscape garden in Europe. Allow yourself to wander the additional 3 miles around its lake and stop for lunch at a temple or grotto. The gardens are best during May. You will have to pay an entrance fee but I have never known anyone disappointed, don't miss it. Near the end of the walk is Alfred's Tower, a perfect folly if ever there was one. It's a tall four turreted tower that does absolutely nothing. There are no floors inside and only a narrow staircase to the top. You pay to go up and get a fair view, but even after reading the tower's history you are left wondering why it was built, did he just get up one morning and say "I know, let's build a tower on the estate where nobody can see it." GPS length 7.0 miles (excluding the gardens) How to get there:- There is a wide variety of ways to approach the start, I will give the two most obvious ones. From A303:- Turn off towards Stourhead on the B3092 at ST 7927 3230. Almost immediately turn right at a "T" junction then left towards Stourhead. Continue on, ignoring signs to Stourhead, and take the third road on the left by Caldcot Cottage @ ST 7825 3476. Take first left @ ST 7730 3545 and you will find carpark on right 1.8 miles further on. From Bruton:- Take B3081 out of Bruton. Go left at first cross roads @ ST 7025 3340. Fork left at first junction @ ST 7229 3425 and go almost immediately right at "T" junction. Continue on for 1.7 miles to carpark on left.
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