The Little Temple

Charles Ingram, later 9th Viscount Irwin, came to live at Temple Newsam with his wealthy bride Frances Gibson in 1758 and immediately invited 'Capability' Brown to landscape the park. In 1762 Brown produced a large-scale plan of the park showing the proposed works.

Brown created a 'natural' landscape setting for the house with vistas to the north, south, east and west. He broke the symmetry of the house setting to the east and opened up new vistas to the west and south. The stable block and riding school were obscured by new tree planting and to the east the terraces, lodges and pond were removed to be replaced by a smooth grass slope. A new serpentine road was created from the north arriving through the Sphinx gates.

Existing woodlands were retained and altered to create a 'natural' landscape, the view to the east was enhanced by the 'Little Temple' that can still be seen today.

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The Victorian Gardens