S t o u r h e a d

T h e  P a l l a d i a n  B r i d g e

In the 18th century, a palladian bridge built in the gardens of a country manor house was said to be a true symbol of the elite. Palladian-ism is an architectural design based on the works of Andreas Palladio, an Italian architect from the 16th century who based his ideas and works on the buildings and designs of Rome.
Henry Hoare built this 5 arched palladian bridge close to the head of the lake in 1762, perhaps to compliment his Palladian Manor House. It has no real function as a bridge as one can easily walk around the 2 lakesides in possibly the same time it would take to cross it, making it simply an object of pleasure. A folly 'eye catcher' bridge perhaps. Indeed, it achieves this, as the Pantheon temple etched into the silhouettes of the trees across the lake, compliments the vista to absolute perfection.
The bridge is neatly turfed, adding to its curiosity, and is the first of Henry Hoare's creations a visitor to the gardens will encounter. Another, grander, example of a "closed" Palladian bridge can be found at Stowe Landscape Gardens,

             

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