Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare
A small domed temple built by the actor David Garrick in 1756 as a shrine to Shakespeare, standing on a riverside lawn beside the Thames at Hampton. It is Grade I listed.
- Hidden gem
- Price: Free
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Did you know
The marble Shakespeare statue that once stood inside is now in the British Library, having moved there in 1998 from the British Museum. A British Museum copy fills the niche.
Local tip
The free exhibition is open on Sunday afternoons, 2pm to 5pm, in the summer season (29 March to 25 October in 2026). On other days the lawn around it is a public garden, so you can still see the temple from outside.
Finding it
- Address
- Garrick's Lawn, Hampton Court Road, Hampton, London TW12 2EN
- Nearest station
- Hampton (London) (National Rail), 1010 m away
Details change, so check with the place before you set off.
More places nearby
- Hampton PoolA charity-run, heated outdoor lido in Hampton that is open every day of the year, with a 36-metre main pool and grassy lawns for sunbathing.
- Bushy ParkA 1,100-acre former Tudor hunting park beside Hampton Court, with roaming red and fallow deer, a Wren-designed avenue and fountain, and the Woodland Gardens.
- Hampton Court PalaceHenry VIII's sprawling Tudor palace with a baroque wing for William and Mary, the Tudor kitchens and 60 acres of gardens on the Thames.
- Strawberry Hill HouseHorace Walpole's own "little Gothic castle" in Twickenham, built and expanded from 1749 onward and now recognised as the founding building of the entire Gothic Revival architectural style.