Stowe Parkland Walk, Stowe

This gentle circular walk winds through the celebrated landscape gardens at Stowe, one of the finest surviving 18th-century designed parklands in England. Starting near the Temple of Concord and Victory, the route follows grassy paths and estate tracks past a sequence of classical monuments and follies set against wide lawns and open pasture.

You pass Home Farm before climbing gently to the Wolfe Obelisk, which stands tall above the surrounding fields and gives long views across the parkland. From there the path curves back through the gardens, taking in the Muse of Pastoral Poetry and the dramatic sculptural group of Hercules and Antaeus. Each feature is framed by careful planting and set-piece vistas typical of the English landscape tradition.

With only 60 metres of ascent over 3.6 km, this is an easy hour's walk that rewards a slow pace. If you have longer, nearby features such as the Stowe Conduit House, the Domed Pavilion, the Queen's Temple, the Grotto and Dido's Cave are all within easy extension of the main loop.