Stourhead Landscape Garden may seem like a self-contained world, but from it you catch glimpses out into the wider landscape of the estate.

The National Trust owns 1,050ha (2650 acres) of the Stourhead Estate. The rest still belongs to the Hoare family. The estate, set in the rolling beauty of a rich and varied Wiltshire landscape, combines prehistoric hill-forts and burial mounds with ancient hamlets and working farms.

Much of the estate is used for forestry and agriculture, and includes the rural communities of Stourton and Kilmington.

There are four farms on the estate, and their management of the land helps provide for an array of wildlife. Some farm produce can now be purchased in the Farm Shop next to the entrance to Stourhead car park, which opened in 2005.

© National Trust / Mike Collins

Henry Hoare II’s estate tour

In the mid 18th century, Henry Hoare II extended his design for Stourhead garden beyond the circular walk around the lake with a carriage ride.

The ride gently meandered past his buildings on the wider estate, including the Obelisk, Alfred’s Tower and the Convent.

© NTPL / Nick Meers

It was meant to impress Henry’s guests by showing them the extensive amount of land which comprised his estate, and to reveal some of the fascinating buildings he had built throughout.

Apart from Alfred’s Tower, described by Henry as a ‘scheme which will crown or top it all’, there are many other treasures on the estate.

The Convent, now leased privately, bears a striking resemblance to the descriptions of Hansel and Gretel’s ‘gingerbread house’, and is a fascinating Gothic cottage located in the woods near Alfred’s Tower.

Six Wells Valley and St Peter's Pump

This beautiful pastoral valley once formed part of an enclosed deer-park. It is best approached from the road to Alfred's Tower, and makes for a delightful walk down toward Stourhead Garden.

In 1768, two years after it was removed from Bristol, the dome shaped St Peter's Pump was erected near the top of Six Wells Valley to mark the source of the River Stour. It is this natural spring that feeds Stourhead lake.

Prehistoric remains

The Wiltshire landscape is dotted with ancient burial mounds called barrows. Many of these barrows were excavated by Sir Richard Colt Hoare, with some of their contents on display at nearby Devizes Museum.

© National Trust

Some 12 Bronze Age barrows dating from around 1,800 BC are scattered over White Sheet Hill on the Stourhead estate, along with the remains of a Neolithic causeway camp and an Iron Age hill fort.

The hill represents a fine example of history from several periods collected in one location. It is often visited at evening time, when people come for views of the entrancing sunsets.

The Bruton Dovecote

© NTPL / Andy Williams

Although not on the estate itself, the Dovecote at Bruton is managed by the Stourhead estate wardens.

This curious stone building and local landmark dates from the 16th century and may also have been used as a watch tower.

The dovecote overlooks the rural town of Bruton, reputed to be the smallest town in England, and is regularly visited by ramblers on the Leland walking trail.