Our landscape masterplan for the restoration of the New Inn at Stowe, the National Trust’s newly opened visitor entrance to this unique 18th-century landscape garden, combines exacting parking provision for over 400 vehicles within a former quarry, with detailed design of atmospheric yards and gardens around the Inn.
Car park design is configured to maximise its concealment from Stowe Mansion House and to retain original quarry edges and vegetation throughout much of the car park, preserving wildlife habitat.
Layout design around the restored Inn and new Restaurant, Shop and Plant Sales areas retains historic farmyard and vernacular detail, and creates a sequence of new garden compartments of rustic character in keeping with the 18th-century building.
These variously hedged and picket-fenced enclosures include a tearoom terrace, a rough lawn with flower and herb border, and a vegetable and fruit garden with orchard, nut trees, picnic area and beehives. This gentle country scene is used to provide the framework within which to contain the service yards, land-train pick-up and terraced curtilages of the new buildings.