The Temple of the Four Winds, constructed 1758, surmounts an ice well. The ice house survives in good condition under the Temple. The superstructure, comprising a flint wall and small stone cupola was obviously built at the same time as the ice house, with the round tower on the top of the mound being added later. The ice house is approached from the west side of the flint building via a tunnel with a dog leg bend.

The Temple of the Winds is an early feature set in direct line with the original carriageway which followed a tree lined avenue up the slope from the cascade before turning through 90 degrees to approach the south front of the house. The structure was built between 1755-59 (probably by Donowell) to resemble Stuart and Revett's illustration of the Tower of the Winds at Athens. Essentially a five storey octagonal tower (to reflect the eight classical winds) in brick, flint and stucco, the structure is considered to be one of the earliest attempts in England to reproduce a monument of antiquity. The main doorway is overlarge, with a broken segmental pediment, and it is thought to have originated as the south entrance to the early (c1710) house. The flint screen of arches and obelisks to the south can be attributed to Donowell as it closely resembles a drawing in his hand entitled 'Temple of Winter at the Bottom'. It provides the entrance to an earlier icehouse retained beneath the tower.
heritagerecords.nationaltrust.org.uk/HBSMR/MonRecord.aspx?uid=MNA130959

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Elevation 150 m

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Thursday 23 October

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Location: West Wycombe, Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, South East England, England, United Kingdom

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