Stourhead garden was created by Henry Hoare II in the 1740s. The River Stour was dammed to form a great lake. Around the lake Hoare laid out a landscape garden for his guests with stunning views and pacify them with serene walking pleasure. The landscape garden, an outstanding example of the English landscape style, was laid out between 1741 and 1780. Classical temples, set amongst rare, mature trees and shrubs, which surround the lake. Stourhead is at the heart of a 1,072-hectare (2,650-acre) estate where chalk downs, ancient woods and farmland are managed for nature conservation.