A Fantastic Folly: Gothic Temple September Open Days

The Gothic Temple is a splendid, historic folly built in the gardens at Stowe in 1741. Inside, the rooms are all circular with the main vault of the central space painted with heraldry and to be on the first-floor gallery is an important architectural experience.

Visit us at National Trust, Stowe to explore this fantastic folly. Information on the building and restoration will be available.

National Trust entry applies on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September.

National Trust Stowe opening times are: 10am-5pm. Gothic Temple is around 20minutes walk from the main visitor car park.

During busy times we will be operating a queue system for visitors.

Children must be supervised at all times.

Dogs are not permitted inside Gothic Temple on Open Days.

There are no visitor toilet facilities at Gothic Temple.

Gothic Temple is also open on Monday 15 September for a Heritage Open Day, when both National Trust entry and Gothic Temple entry will be free.

Finding us

By car follow postcode: MK18 5EQ. This will take you to the parking which is situated at the New Inn National Trust, Stowe. From here, visitors can explore the park on foot or via accessibility buggies.

Open Day entry

Due to the historic nature of our buildings we have a limited capacity for our Open Day events. You may therefore be asked to wait a short time while other visitors finish their visit. Whilst booking is not essential, priority will be given to those who have booked in advance. Thank you for your co-operation.

Accessibility

Gothic Temple is situated in the grounds of National Trust's Stowe, 1.7km walk from the main car park entrance. The paths are rough in parts and the final stretch is up hill that may not be suitable for those with limited mobility or wheelchairs.

Inside Gothic Temple, the ground floor is level with a narrow spiral stairs up to the first floor. There is no lift access in the building.

For more information, visit the National Trust's Stowe website: Accessibility at Stowe | Buckinghamshire | National Trust

Making a donation to Landmark as part of your visit

We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to visit a Landmark for free as part of our Open Day programme, and as such we’re pleased to continue to offer free entry at all our Open Days in 2025.The Landmark Trust is a building conservation charity that relies on donations to support its work. Over the past 60 years, public support has helped us rescue over 200 historic buildings and make them available for all to experience and enjoy. Your support by attending our events, booking a workshop, and making a donation allows us to continue to save buildings at risk and continue to maintain those already in our care. Your donation could help train the craftspeople needed to restore a future Landmark, offer opportunities for young people to experience history first-hand, or provide a charity with free Landmark stay for their service users through our 50 for Free scheme.

Donations can be made when you book your Eventbrite ticket, at the event via contactless donation points, or after your visit via our website under Support.