The Naval Temple with surrounding retaining wall is a Grade II listed building in the Monmouthshire local planning authority area, Wales. First listed on 27 June 1952. House.
The Naval Temple with surrounding retaining wall
- WRENN ID
- far-soffit-thrush
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- Monmouthshire
- Constituency
- Monmouthshire MP: Catherine Fookes (Lab)
- Country
- Wales
- Date first listed
- 27 June 1952
- Type
- House
- Address
- The Naval Temple with surrounding retaining wall, The Kymin, Monmouth
- OS grid reference
- SO 527 124
- Coordinates
- 51.80856, -2.68645
- Source
- Cadw listing
Description
The Naval Temple is a neo-classical square stone structure built in 1800, featuring two back-to-back porticos with unfluted and unbased Doric columns. The plain side walls and columns support a moulded cornice and a large plinth. Above, a decreasing roof made of stone slates supports an arch flanked by anchors, which carries a replica statue of Britannia.
Around the sides of the plinth are plaques that commemorate sixteen admirals and their victories in chronological order: Hawke (1759), Rodney (1782), Gell (1793), Hood (1793), Howe (1794), Cornwallis (1795), Bridport (1795), Duncan (1797), Warren (1798), Keith (1799), Mitchell (1799), Parker (1801, existing as of the 1974 resurvey), Boscawen (1759), Vincent (1797), Thompson (1797), and Nelson (1798, replaced in 1987). The plaques are colored red, white, or blue, corresponding to the admiral's squadron.
The entablatures of the porticos bear the inscriptions 'BRITAIN'S GLORY' on the west side and 'GLORIOUS VICTORY' on the east side. There are also two oval inscribed marble panels. One panel explains the monument's purpose, stating that it was erected on August 1st, 1800, to honor the admirals who distinguished themselves in glorious victories for England during the last and present wars and is dedicated to Her Grace the Duchess of Beaufort, daughter of Admiral Boscawen. The second panel refers to two lost paintings that have since been restored: 'The Standard of Great-Britain waving triumphant over the fallen and captive of France, Spain and Holland' related to the Seven Years War, and 'The Glorious and Ever Memorable Battle of the Nile'.
The temple is encircled by a roughly circular retaining wall made of rubblestone, which has a single opening into the temple enclosure. This wall suggests that it once provided a terrace for enjoying a remarkable view, although tree growth has since obstructed this sight.
Local climate
The Naval Temple with surrounding retaining wall receives an average of 820 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 52% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 57% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 42 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 80% of listed buildings. Of these, 19 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
Sign in or create a free account to unlock:
- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- No related consent applications matched
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
Similar buildings
The closest matches to this building from all 493,000 UK listed buildings, by architecture, period and materials.
this building 1 similar nearby listed buildings