The temple is dedicated to Minerva goddess of wisdom and the arts and was originally constructed between 1754 and 1757.

The niches on each side contained busts of Homer, Virgil, Horace, Milton, Shakespeare, Ben Johnson, Dryden and Pope.

It’s fascinating to see this picture from 2004 when the site was a ruin before restoration.
© Copyright Neil Atterby and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence