S t o w e  G a r d e n s

T e m p l e  o f  C o n c o r d  & V i c t o r y

The Grecian Temple

The Temple of Concord and Victory was originally named the "Grecian Temple" as it presides over the dog legged, and grassy Grecian Valley, landscaped by Lancelot "Capability" Brown in the 1740's. It is for many, the first of the great Temples the visitor to the gardens of Stowe will encounter, it being situated very close to the main entrance. It is a full "life size" peripteral (with a colonnade running all around the exterior), Ionic Temple being partly based on a design similar to the Roman Masion Carrée at Nîmes.

This magnificent building is one of the most grandest of the Stowe temples. Design for the initial construction first began around 1747 possibly by Richard Grenville, - later to become Lord Temple, -although there are other suggestions as who may have designed it, before being significantly altered by Giovanni Borra, a continental archtiect, a few years later. The beautiful roof with its crowning sculpture of Victory was added around 1749, the same year that Lord Cobham died. The interior of the temple, its walls being adorned with fourteen stucco medallions in commemoration of Britain's military exploits in India and North America, were not added for a further ten years later.

In 1762 the Temple was deemed to be completed. It was renamed "Concord and Victory" a year later in 1763 to mark the the conclusion, and victory of the 7 years war.

 

Click photo above for enlarged image

The sculpture seen above on the temple's pediment, 'Brittannia Receiving Tribute" was carved by Peter Scheermakers, a Flemish Roman Catholic sculptor. He died in Antwerp in 1781. The sculpture contains some amusing details, most notably the turtle, -far left. This elaborate carving originally graced the interior wall of the Palladian Bridge at Stowe, but was removed, adapted and added to the temple's pediment in 1762. Above the doorway is a latin inscription by Valerius Maximus.

There were originally six statues placed on the acroteria of the roof, mostly made of lead, but unfortunately many of these were sold in 1921 along with many other statues at Stowe. Happily the missing ones have been replaced with copies, although the stone statue of Victory remains, and dominates the apex of the eastern pediment. The liberal art of painting, and the liberal art of sculpture stand at the western end.

Above: The side colonnade with its carved roof adds sheer grace to the temple's magnificence.

Restoration of this Temple was completed by the National Trust in the Summer of 1996. It was the largest restoration project undertaken at Stowe, at a cost of nearly 1.5 million GBP. More recently, a series of hidden vaults were discovered beneath the temple.

Stowe school now use the temple as a grand concert hall.

 

 

 

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