The Temple

The Temple is a banqueting house built in 1746, designed by William Kent for the 2nd Duke of Grafton in the Palladian style. It is constructed of white brick with stone dressings, a cornice, and a pediment, featuring unusual rustications in white and pale grey flint. The building has a domed, lead-covered roof at the center with a triangular pediment, which is said to have been reconstructed after a fire, resulting in the loss of some original interior decoration. The structure has a two-storey center with a pedimented small-paned sash window at both the front and back, flanked by two lower extensions that have semi-circular headed niches. On each side, a dog-leg stair with stone balustrades leads up to the principal room on the first floor. Below this room is another, supported by four free-standing Tuscan columns.