£1.5 million boost from HLF for National Trust's Stowe Landscape Gardens Project

Howard Lake | 29 September 2009 | News

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The National Trust has received a significant boost to its plans to transform visits to Stowe Landscape Gardens in Buckinghamshire by June 2011 with a £1.5 million award from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The New Stowe project will offer a greatly enriched experience for visitors with the recreation of the historic entry into the world famous gardens and a vibrant new Visitor Centre on the site of a derelict farmhouse and coaching inn used by the earliest visitors to Stowe around 300 years ago.

By transforming the visitor experience, people will enjoy a greater understanding of what it would have been like to visit Stowe in its heyday.

Stowe Landscape Gardens were created by some of the 18th century’s leading architects, sculptors and gardeners, including ‘Capability’ Brown, John Vanbrugh and William Kent. With spectacular views, beautiful lakes, wooded valleys and over 40 temples and monuments, Stowe has been recognised as Europe’s most influential landscape gardens.

The HLF funds guarantee the future of the £8.5 million project first announced a year ago. “We are absolutely delighted with this news,” said the National Trust’s Regional Director Patrick Begg. “The HLF were very impressed with our ambitious and imaginative plans and the extent to which we intend to involve local communities in the project. This funding will help us to deliver our commitments to the highest standard, not only in terms of the restoration work, but also how we bring the site to life in an exciting way and engage with a wide range of people in the area.”

The £8.5 million project was announced a year ago and received planning permission last month. The majority of the funds were already in place but the award from the HLF means that the National Trust has now raised £2.5m of its £3m fundraising target.

Stuart McLeod, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the South East, said: “Stowe Gardens are quite simply some of the UK’s most spectacular landscape gardens. The National Trust’s plans are a practical and imaginative solution to helping transform how people experience them. Our support of £1.5million gives the green light to this restoration project and will ultimately mean that many more visitors can enjoy this magical setting in the heart of Buckinghamshire.”

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For further press information contact:

Alison Dalby, Press Officer, 01793 817780 or 07824 418351 or

Fliss Coombs, Regional Communications Officer, 01494 755537 or 07901 811375

Notes to editors:

Stowe Landscape Gardens

Stowe Landscape Gardens in Buckinghamshire were created by some of the 18th century’s leading architects, sculptors and gardeners, including Capability Brown, John Vanbrugh and William Kent. With spectacular views, beautiful lakes, wooded valleys and over 40 temples and monuments, Stowe Gardens are a stunning example of an English landscape garden. They evolved from an English Baroque garden into a pioneering landscape park which has been recognised as Europe’s most influential landscape gardens.

The Heritage Lottery Fund

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported more than 28,800 projects, allocating over £4.3billion across the UK. Website: www.hlf.org.uk. For more information, please contact Katie Owen, HLF Press Office, on tel: (020) 7591 6036 mobile: 07973 613820.

The National Trust

The National Trust cares for 300 inspiring historic houses and gardens across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. From former workers’ cottages to the most iconic stately homes, and from mines and mills to theatres and inns, the stories of people and their heritage are at the heart of everything it does. People of all ages, individuals, schools and communities, get involved each year with its projects, events and working holidays and over 55,000 volunteers help to bring the properties alive for the Trust’s 3.6 million members.

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.