The unexpected in London: a ‘greek temple’

…Clapham

I’d heard long ago that there was a greek temple in Clapham but had never seen it in all the years I’ve lived here until today. It turns out to be the portico of what was a bigger building, an orangery built in 1791-2 in the extensive garden of a grand house. It is now part of the Notre Dame council estate built in 1945.

This could be the first of an occasional series of blips of the unexpected in London that I discover or revisit.

Here are some of my backdated entries:

Buddhist temple

Hindu temple

Dovecote


A guide book published in the 1790s refers to "Mr Thornton’s ornamental park" with its trees, lawns, shrubberies, venerable oaks, gothic bench in front of the house and the small river running through the pleasure gardens "gently bounded by rising hillocks and smooth slopes. The rock-work grotto is extremely well executed, but in a style too wild for a gentle stream, and [there is] a smooth shaven lawn spotted with shrubs". But the outstanding feature was the 'green-house' or Orangery, which was designed by Thornton’s friend, Dr Burgh of York and built in 1792-3. "The façade is a simple classical design with columns of Portland stone and Ionic capitals in Coade stone. The pediment is decorated with swags of roses, fir cones and leaves and in the entablature is carved a quotation from Virgil, which translates roughly as 'Here is perpetual spring and summer even in other months'. There were glazed sashes between the columns, and the inside was plainly plastered. Two doors in the rear wall led into an extension behind, which comprised three rooms. The orangery, besides being used for plants, was also a place for entertaining".

The façade of the orangery still survives within the incongruous surroundings of a public housing estate. It is now in poor condition again despite several refurbishments over the years, and a recent scheme to refurbish it as part of a community centre has been abandoned.

These words are from London Gardens Online.