Stourhead was an absolutely amazing experience. Walking through that landscape completely made me forget that everything was deliberately placed but the it also made me consider everything that I could see in many ways by remembering that the placement of things had a purpose. My absolute favorite part was the Temple of Apollo, partially for the complete magnificence of the building and partially because it’s the location of my favorite part of my favorite movie Pride and Prejudice. It was honestly amazing to be able to experience that area myself and it allowed me to establish many perspectives of the landscape. Specifically the use of the landscape and how many purposes it serves, there is the experience of walking through as a tourist, enjoying the day in a green area, and a movie set. Each provides unique uses for the landscape and establishes many bonds for people to connect to the landscape with.
I agree that Stourhead was amazing and easy to forget that it’s completely fake. I personally haven’t seen Pride & Prejudice so I find that fascinating to think about the landscape as a movie set. That is what I love about landscape and design, it can be a very different experience for different people. I loved the Temple of Apollo because of the vantage point it gave you of the entire landscape. Now if I ever watch Pride & Prejudice I will feel a special connection to that scene.