Temple Grounds

The Temple Grounds are a historic park in Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England. A house known as "The Green" was built at the west end of Richmond, on the bank of the River Swale, in the early 17th century. It was purchased in 1631 or 1632 by Maulger Norton, and then in 1651 by John Yorke, the house becoming known as "Yorke House". Formal gardens were laid out in the late 17th century, of which some earthworks survive. The parkland was developed in the 18th century, the work including several garden buildings, of which Culloden Tower survives. The property was sold by the York family in 1824, and Yorke House was then demolished. The Menagerie, one of the garden buildings, was converted to become the main house. The gardens occupy a steeply-sloping 15-hectare site with two entrances from Cravengate - the principal, north, entrance with a listed gateway, and the southern entrance which now provides access to Culloden Tower. The highest point is covered by Mill Bank Wood, planted as a pleasure ground with terraced walks, four grottos, and a now-demolished summer house on the peak. The remainder of the site is a mixture of lawns, pasture, hay meadow, and woodland. The grounds were painted by J. M. W. Turner. They were grade II listed in 1994.