James Templer a Devonian entrepreneur bought an old 80,000 acre estate in 1765 and established a country seat. He began to landscape the land including building a lake. He replaced the old house, Stoford Lodge, and in 1777 built himself a large mansion house in the Palladian style which he named Stover House.Later an Italian portico was added. Today the building is the home of a private school which started in 1932.

Boddy Collection