Name: Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare
Rating: 5.0

Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare

Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare, Hampton Ct Rd, Hampton TW12 2EJ, UK

1-99 Years

Website

Message

Description

Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare, is located on the Riverside at Hampton. The building was commissioned by the great 18th century actor-manager David Garrick in 1756 to celebrate the genius of William Shakespeare.

Garrick’s Lawn is the name of the garden beside the Thames that surrounds the Temple. The garden was laid out in accordance with Garrick's friend William Hogarth's theory of the Line of Beauty. An S-shaped path ran between flowering shrubs in accordance with the theory's preference for serpentine shapes.

Admission to the Garrick Exhibition and many events is free. If you are looking for Best place for day out with kids and families then this is the perfect destination offering fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories for everyone.

Features

Free
Host birthday parties: No

Features

Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare: In 1754, the celebrated actor David Garrick purchased Hampton House (now Garrick’s Villa) which overlooks the River Thames at Hampton. He commissioned Robert Adam to improve the house, adding a classical portico and orangery. At some point in 1755 he decided to build a garden folly by the riverside which he intended to dedicate to his muse Shakespeare as a ‘temple’ to the playwright whose works he had performed to great acclaim throughout his career. Garrick used the Temple to house his extensive collection of Shakespearean relics and for entertaining his family and friends. It now houses an exhibition about Garrick himself, featuring a number of reproductions of works by major 18th century artists, including Gainsborough, Reynolds, Hogarth and Zoffany.
The Garden: Garrick’s Lawn is the name of the garden beside the Thames that surrounds the Temple. The garden was laid out in accordance with Garrick's friend William Hogarth's theory of the Line of Beauty. An S-shaped path ran between flowering shrubs in accordance with the theory's preference for serpentine shapes. Garrick's residence was separated from his newly built Temple and riverside garden by the main road from London to Bisham, now the A308. He found the road to be a hinderance, and a year or two after completion of the Temple he proposed building a footbridge. Offering an alternative idea, his lifelong friend Samuel Johnson is quoted as saying to Garrick "What can be overdone, can be underdone", and instead a tunnel was built.

Facilities

Parking: A308 from Kingston via Hampton Court or from M3, Junction 1. Limited parking in nearby streets.

Website

Price

Price: Free

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Normal opening hours: Sunday afternoons (14.00-17.00) from Sunday 29th March 2026 until Sunday 25th October 2026.
Garden: Daily throughout the year, 7.30am to dusk. Special group visits can be arranged at other times.

Address: Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare, Hampton Ct Rd, Hampton TW12 2EJ, UK

Post Code: TW12 2EJ

Council: Richmond upon Thames

County: Greater London

Car: A308 from Kingston via Hampton Court or from M3, Junction 1. Limited parking in nearby streets.
Trains: From Waterloo and Clapham Junction: To Hampton Court terminus, then walk or R68 bus. or To Hampton on line to Shepperton (do not alight at Hampton Wick) then walk or 111 or 216 bus to “Garrick Villa”.
Buses: The following buses stop close to the Temple at bus stop “Garrick Villa”. R68 Richmond to Hampton Court. 111 Kingston to Heathrow. 216 Kingston to Staines.
Parking: A308 from Kingston via Hampton Court or from M3, Junction 1. Limited parking in nearby streets.