Paradise Belvedere

Paradise Belvedere is a gazebo built in the 18th century, likely in the second quarter. It is faced in knapped flint with red brick and stone dressings. The structure is symmetrical with three bays, designed in the Palladian style, featuring a pedimented central bay and a round-arched seating alcove. The lower, recessed wings on either side have blind arches and upswept parapets with scotia profiles, along with impost bands to the arches. The gazebo was constructed to provide a view over the parkland towards Compton Place.

The exact date and designer of Paradise Belvedere are not known, but it may have been built by Spencer Compton, the younger son of the Earl of Northampton, who was made Lord Wilmington in 1728. Compton purchased the estate in 1724, renaming it from Bourne Place to Compton Place. He remodeled the existing Elizabethan house around 1726, likely with the help of the Palladian architect Colen Campbell, through his connection with Lord Burlington, a key figure in the 18th-century Palladian revival. The grounds were developed by Bridgeman between 1728 and 1738. A folly is noted to have been built around 1740, but it is uncertain if this refers to the Belvedere. The building's austere Palladian style aligns with the period of Wilmington's residence.

Paradise Belvedere is of special architectural interest as an elegant and well-proportioned 18th-century garden building in the Palladian style. It also holds historical significance due to its connection with Compton Place, which is included in the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. Although the parkland surrounding the Belvedere is now a golf course and outside the registered area, the building's role as a viewpoint and eyecatcher within the historic landscape remains clear. It holds important group value with the Grade I listed house and the registered garden.