6b. The Classic Bridge and Orangery
NARRATOR:
From 1946 until 1992 the Turnham Green Cricket Club played on the pitch at weekends. Celebrity cricket matches were a regular feature in the 1940s and 50s, in which famous cricketers like Denis Compton and Colin Cowdrey took part.
As you continue along the path, you will come to an elegant stone bridge, today known as the Classic Bridge. It was built for the 5th Duke of Devonshire in 1774 and was designed by the architect James Wyatt.
During the Second World War, the gardens were hit by several German bombs. If you take a look closer at the bridge, you can still see shrapnel damage. Today, the artificial lake that the bridge spans is a haven for a wide variety of birds and bats, as well as a group of terrapins and a heron.
As you continue further along the path, you should soon see the Ionic temple again. The towering obelisk in front of it stood at the centre of a circular pool of water, which was once surrounded by orange trees. Lord Burlington liked to grow oranges and created the garden’s orangery around 1726.