News of the very severe fire at Garrick’s Villa in Hampton is a shock.
Famous actor Richard Garrick bought the house in 1754 and twenty years later employed Robert Adam to make major alterations.
The fire could be seen from the towpath on the opposite bank at midday today.
The grounds are divided by the road so the riverside Garrick’s Shakespeare Temple, which the actor built in 1755 as a tribute to William Shakepeare, is safe.
It’s good to hear that nobody has been hurt. Let’s hope that enough of the building is left to allow for a restoration.
See page 68.