The Temple Of Augustus

SU 96 NE EGHAM CP BLACKNEST ROAD

3/126 The Temple of Augustus

GV II*

Roman ruins and road bridge. Remains of Roman buildings from the City of Leptis Magna (now in Libya) re-erected here in 1827 to 1830 by Sir Jeffry Wyatville to form a large artificial ruin divided by a carriage road raised at high level over the Ascot road, constructed so that King George IV could pass under it through an archway from Windsor Great Park to the grounds of Fort Belveders. The ruins on the South side are arranged in a semi-circular apse, the ruins to the north side are arranged in 2 parallel colonnades, the whole forming an artificial ruin about 225 feet long by 100 feet wide with columns 30 feet high. Road bridge of 1827 is built of stock brick in Flemish Bond with curved ends and one horseshoe shaped pedestrian arch. The parapet was rebuilt in 1904. On either side are incorporated bands of stone fragments from Leptis Magna and at the North a Roman archway is attached. To the South are arranged in a semi- circle 15 Roman columns of cipollino marble mainly with Corinthian capitals and some sections of entablature to suggest a temple of Augustus. Some ten feet outside the colonnade Wyatville built a tooled ashlar wall with a semi- circular niche to suggest an outer wall to the supposed temple. To the north of the bridge are a series of Roman red and grey granite columns arranged in two parallel colonnades with some shafts laid on the ground in picturesque fashion. Some have Corinthian capitals, others have plumed capitals and some have entablature above. Built against the road bridge is a stone round headed arch and wall with domed niches probably added by Wyatville. The ruins were a gift from the Bashaw of Tripoli to the Prince Regent in 1816 and originally intended for the Portico of the British Museum. This vast composition is probably the Most impressive artificial ruin erected in this country. (See Linstrum 'Sir Jeffry Wyatville Architect to the King' 1972 (pp 205-207) Pevsner. Surrey P298).

Listing NGR: SU9746568622