In which one of the great figures of 18th-century London paid homage to one of the greatest of all time.
Out in the far-flung fringes of Greater London, just 40 metres from the Surrey border, stands a classical temple built by one theatrical genius as a monument to another theatrical genius. And it's regularly open to visitors.
This is the Temple to Shakespeare, built by David Garrick in 1756 on the banks of the Thames at Hampton. Here's Garrick and his wife posing outside the temple a few years later:
And here's how it looks today, minus actors and dogs.
What is meant by a 'temple of Shakespeare', anyway? What's inside?
David Garrick (1717-1789) was the foremost actor of the 18th century. His contributions to theatre and the acting profession were profound. He was particularly noted for reviving the plays of Shakespeare, and cementing the Bard as the revered figure he remains today.
Garrick didn't just act in Shakespeare plays, he was a massive fanboy, too. He staged a three-day Shakespeare Jubilee in Stratford-upon-Avon to mark the 200th anniversary of the playwright's birth, a celebratory format we're familiar with today, but which was truly novel in the mid-18th century.
He also collected. Manuscripts, clothing, personal effects — even wood from a mulberry tree that Shakespeare had supposedly planted, which was later shaped into a chair by no lesser figure than William Hogarth.
Garrick needed somewhere to showcase all his merch and so, in 1756, he commissioned this riverside 'temple' from an unknown architect. The dome-topped bauble served not only as a museum, but also as a summer house from which the Garricks, who lived across the road, entertained guests.
The temple's original contents are long-gone, sold off at auction following his wife Eva's death. There is one almost-exception. Upon entering, the visitor is immediately confronted by a beplinthed sculpture of Shakespeare, created by the celebrated Louis-François Roubiliac. The whimsically poised Bard was modelled on Garrick himself, who struck a pose for the artist. This is in fact a copy of the original statue, which today stands in the British Library:
Otherwise, the Temple is now filled with paintings of Garrick and his circle, as well as various etchings and information panels relating to Shakespeare and Garrick.
They even have a small gift shop, where you can by temple-of-Shakespeare postcards, trinkets and even tea towels ("Ay, there's the rub").
How to visit
Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare is freely open to visitors every Sunday 2pm-5pm from late March to late October. See website for further details. Hampton station is a 10-15-minute walk away.
