More History and Heritage.....

1820-1841: Gardens in decline

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King William's Temple and Mound

The classical King William's Temple with its Tuscan porticos was built in 1837 by Sir Jeffry Wyatville to complement Chambers' Temple of Victory (no longer standing). Originally known as the 'Temple of Military Fame' or 'The Pantheon', the interior walls are mounted with 18 cast iron or bronze plaques and two stone tablets to commemorate British victories from Minden to Waterloo, 1760-1815.

It was once home to a parade of busts by Chantey; of George III, William IV, Frederick Prince of Wales, the Duke of York and the Duke of Wellington, but these were all removed to Buckingham Palace in 1888. Two life sized Francaville sculptures, Apollo and Zephyr once stood in the portico, but both these are now in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Temple is built on an earlier, 18th century mound, shown on the 1771 map of the Gardens by Burrell and Richardson as having a smaller, flanking mound. Both are shown as being planted with a few trees and they may have been created by Lord Bute, who is widely recognised as having raised several of the 18th century mounds in Kew Gardens.

When King William's Temple was first built, it seems that the mound was significantly enlarged, with the smaller mound probably incorporated into the larger. This enlarged mound is clearly shown on maps of the period, such as the 1st edition of the Ordnance Survey (1861-1871). The 2nd edition of the Ordnance Survey shows the mound has been slightly remoulded, and by the time of the 3rd edition it had been shaped into its current, irregular form. A brick walled terrace and steps were added to the south side in 1923.

King William's Temple is a fine example of a building in the 19th Century romantic tradition. Kew has a collection of temples built at different dates to commemorate events or individuals, of which this and the Temple of Aeolus are the most classical.

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