Stowe Gardens, three miles outside Buckingham, is among the most influential landscape gardens in Europe: laid out for the Temple family from the 1710s by Charles Bridgeman, William Kent and Lancelot "Capability" Brown, its 250 acres hold more than 40 temples, monuments and bridges around lakes and wooded valleys. You arrive through the New Inn, a restored 18th-century coaching inn with cafe and shop; the garden proper is an 800-metre walk down the drive, with a free buggy on request. Do not expect flower beds; this is a place for long walks between set pieces such as the Temple of British Worthies, the Palladian Bridge and the Gothic Temple, with sheep grazing the parkland. Dogs on leads are welcome everywhere except the cafe, and parking is free. Tips from regulars: allow most of a day and wear proper footwear, as the paths are hilly and muddy after rain, and the house belongs to Stowe School, so its tours need a separate ticket even for members.
