About the Temple

Built in 1756, this striking little octagonal building and its 18th century pleasure-garden setting were restored in 1998/99 by the Garrick's Temple Partnership Project, funded in part by a Heritage Lottery grant and donations from a range of other organisations and individuals.

The renowned actor-manager, David Garrick, built the Temple to celebrate the genius of William Shakespeare, commissioning the sculptor Roubiliac to provide a life-size statue of his hero to be placed inside. The recent restoration reinstates the statue in replica and also houses a display which celebrates David Garrick's acting career and his private life in Hampton.

The garden has also been returned to its 18th century layout, complete with the serpentine path favoured by landscape designers of the day.

Situated opposite Garrick's Villa on the Hampton Court Road (near its junction with with Thames Street and Church Street), the Temple and its gardens, owned by the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames, are managed with the assistance of a team of local volunteers.