More information : [Name Centred TQ 31208101] Site of The New
Preceptory of Knights Templars (AD 1185) [GT]
A - [TQ 31238106] Temple Church [GT] B - [TQ 31218106] The Round [GT] C - [TQ 31228104] Site of cloister [GT]
D - [TQ 31228103] Cloister Court [GT]
E - [TQ 31228102] Site of cloister [GT]
F - [TQ 31238101] Inner Temple Hall [GT] Scheduled 23
G - [TQ 31178111] Gate [AT] H - [TQ 31148110] Gatehouse [AT] J - [TQ 31218102] Site of St. Thomas a Beckets Chapel [AT]
K - [TQ 31148096] Middle Temple Hall [GT] Scheduled L - [TQ 31198090] Site of Temple Stairs [GT] 24
(9) INNER TEMPLE, hall, and chambers in King's Bench Walk and Fig
Tree Court, lies on the eastern side of the Temple Liberty. The
Society of the Inner Temple together with that of the Middle
Temple first settled on this site at some uncertain date in the
14th century. The two societies held the old precinct of the
Knights Templars from their successors the Knights of St. John
of Jerusalem, having the common use of the Temple church as their
private chapel. The old Hall of the Inner Temple was built probably
in the 14th century but was pulled down and rebuilt in 1868-70,
leaving only two vaulted rooms at the W. end. The other buildings
suffered from a series of fires late in the 17th century, including
the Great Fire of 1666; the chambers in King's Bench Walk and Fig
Tree Court were rebuilt after one or other of these fires and mostly
still survive. The Inner Temple Gateway into Fleet Street was
apparently reconstructed in 1748 and is described under No.
17 Fleet Street (Monument 18) which is built over it.
The remains of medieval work, adjoining the hall, the panelling in
the Benchers' Reading Room and the Chambers in King's bench Walk are
all noteworthy.
The Inner Temple Hall was rebuilt in 1868-70 with the exception of
a small apartment at the W. end which is incorporated in the new
building. It is known as the "buttery" and has a crypt or cellar of
the same date and size below it.
The Benchers' Reading Room (Plate 197) adjoining the E. end of the
Hall is lined with early 18th century oak panelling, but the date of
the structure of this part of the building is indeterminate.
King's Bench Walk. Nos 1 and 2 stand at the N. end and on the E.
side of the walk. The buildings are each of three storeys with attics
and basements. The walls are of brick and the roofs are tiled. They
were built late in the 17th century after the Great Fire. No. 2 was
altered in the first half of the 18th century when the main staircase
above the first floor was reconstructed, and the interior has been
considerably modernised.
Nos. 3 to 6 form blocks of chambers on the E. side of the walk
immediately N. of the way through to Tudor Street, and are of four
storeys with basements; all have attics except No. 3. The walls are
of brick and the roofs are tiled. No. 4 was rebuilt in 1678 after a
fire in the previous year which destroyed this and perhaps the
adjoining blocks of chambers that had been recently erected on
the site.
No. 7, block of chambers, immediately S. of roadway leading to
Tudor Street, is of four storeys with a basement. The walls are
of brick, the roof is tiled. The building which formerly stood
on the site was destroyed by fire in 1683 and the present building
was erected shortly afterwards. There is a later addition at the
back, and the back and end walls appear to have been refronted.
(For further details see Inventory).
(10) MIDDLE TEMPLE, hall, chambers in Lamb Building, the Cloisters,
Pump Court, Elm Court, Brick Court, Essex Court, New Court and Middle
Temple Lane, Middle Temple Gatehouse, Little Gate and Fountain, lies
on the western side of the Temple Precinct. The Hall was built in
1562-73, but the whole of the rest of the buildings to be described
date from the late 17th or early in the 18th century.
The Hall possesses one of the finest Elizabethan roofs in the
country and the screen in the same building is noteworthy. The
Gatehouse and Cloisters were designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
Lamb Building (Plate 190) stands in Tanfield Court immediately S.
of the Temple Church. It is an isolated rectangular building of
four storeys with attics and a basement. The walls are of red
brick; the roofs are tiled. It was built in 1666-7 immediately
after the Great Fire. Alterations have since been made to the roof
and the present parapet probably replaces a former eaves-cornice.
The Cloisters (Plate 191) stand to the S. of the W. end of the
Temple Church and form the E. end of Pump Court. They are of four
storeys. The walls are of red brick and Portland stone; the roofs are
tiled. They were rebuilt from the designs of Sir Christopher Wren in
1681 on the site of the former cloisters which were destroyed in the
fire of 1678-9. The building is rectangular and at the N. end is a
later small semi-octagonal projection containing a staircase; there
is a second staircase on the W. side of the S. end overlooking
Pump Court. Part of the wall to the top floor at the S. end of the
E. front appears to have been rebuilt and the former eaves-cornice
was replaced by parapet walls in the 19th century. There was
originally a small wing projecting eastwards from the N. end of the
building which was taken down in 1825; this no doubt contained the
original N. staircase, the present staircase being modern. The
E. elevation is of red brick with projecting bands between the
storeys. The ground-floor has an arcade of eight open arches in
Portland stone. They are semi-circular with plain keystones and rest
on square piers with plain imposts and bases. Each of the three
upper floors has a range of eight square-headed windows with flush
frames and sashes which have generally been renewed. The W.
elevation to Pump Court is similar but of five bays only, the
remaining three southernmost bays being covered by the S.
range of Pump Court. An inserted panel above the arcade reads
"Vetustissima Templariorum Porticu Igne consumpta Ano 1679. Nova haec
sumptibus medii Templi exstructa Ano 1681. Guilelmo Whitelocke Arm.
Thesauro." A similar inscription is repeated on the E. and N. fronts.
The N. elevation was originally in two bays with semi-elliptical
arches on the ground-floor and square-headed windows above; the E.
bay is now concealed by the 19th-century annexe.
Pump Court (Plate 198) lies betwee Tanfield Court on the E. and
Middle Temple Lane on the W. Chambers Nos. 1, 2 and 3 stand on the S.
side of the court, Nos. 4 and 5 stand at the W. end, and the return
end of No. 5 and No. 6 stands on the W. end of the N. side. Adjoining
No. 6 on the E with the back elevation to Pump Court is No. 1 Hare
Court and across the E. end of the Court are the Cloisters. The
brick; the roofs are tiled. The buildings were erected c. 1680 after
the fire which occurred in the Temple in 1678-9. Later alterations
include the replacing of the former eaves-cornice by a brick-parapet
to most of the buildings, and internally some of the rooms have had
their original partitions removed or later partitions inserted and
others have been considerably modernised.
Elm Court is situated on the S. side of Pump Court. No. 1 Elm Court
stands at the W. end of the N. side of the court in the angle formed
by the meeting of the S. and W. ranges of Pump Court. It is of four
storeys with cellars. The walls are of red brick; the roofs are
tiled. It was built in the latter part of the 17th century, at the
same time as the old buildings in Pump Court. The upper parts of
the external walls appear to have been rebuilt at a later date and
inside the building some of the rooms have been modernised. The
S. Elevation to Elm Court is similar to and a continuation of the
back elevation of the S. range of the buildings in Pump Court;
the string-courses between the storeys, however, are at a slightly
lower level than those to the adjoining building and the walling,
above the string-course at the third-floor level, with the parapet,
appears to have been rebuilt. The doorway at the W. end of the front
is similar to those in Pump Court, but has, above it, a later
elliptical window. The W. front to Middle Temple Lane is a
continuation of the W. front of the W. range of the buildings in
Pump Court; the upper part of the wall may have been rebuilt.
Inside, the building is generally similar to the interiors of
the buildings round Pump Court.
Brick Court is situated on the W. side of Middle Temple Lane,
immediately E. of Essex Court. Nos. 2 and 3 stand on the W. side of
the court. They form a rectangular block of buildings of four storeys
with basements. The walls are of red brick and the roofs are tiled.
They were erected c. 1679 after the fire which occurred in the Temple
in 1678-9. A fire in 1704 caused a certain amount of damage which
necessitated the rebuilding of the staircase of No. 2, and later
alterations include the re-arrangement of some of the internal
partitions and the modernisation of some of the rooms. Owing to the
rise of the ground from the river towards the Strand, No. 3, which
stands to the N. of No. 2, has the floor-levels at a slightly higher
level than those of the more southern building, and there is a
corresponding difference in the levels of the respective string-
courses and windows; otherwise the elevations are continuous. The
elevations have a chamfered plinth, projecting brick bands between
the storeys and below the parapet to the southern half of this
building; this parapet replaces a former eaves-cornice which still
remains on the E. and W. fronts of No. 3 The windows are
square-headed and have flush frames and sashes which have mostly
been renewed. The E. elevation has two doorways of stone and
each square-headed with a moulded architrave and moulded cornice
supported on console-brackets and surmounted by a broken segmental
pediment with a ball on a pedestal in the middle. Above the doorway
to No. 2 is a plain stone panel inscribed "Phoenicis instar
revivisco Martino Ryder Arm. Thesaurario Ano. Dom. 1704."
Essex Court stands on the N. side of Fountain Court between Brick
Court on the E. and New Court on the W. Chambers No. 1 stand on
the S. side and Chambers Nos. 2 and 3 stand on the W. side of the
Court. These buildings are of four storeys with basements; the walls
are of red brick, with Portland stone dressings to Nos. 2 and 3;
the roofs are tiled. Chambers Nos. 2 and 3 were built for the
Society by Dr. Barbon in 1677, and Chambers No. 1 were built shortly
after the fire of 1678-9. Each block of chambers is rectangular on
plan, Nos. 2 and 3 are divided on the ground floor by a central
passageway connecting Essex Court with New Court, and there is a
small rectangular extension on the N.W. angle of No. 1 connecting it
with No. 2, which was apparently added in 1784.
New Court (Plate 199) stands on the N. side of Fountain Court and W.
of Essex Court, the buildings of which form the E. side. The chambers
stand on the W. side of the court and consist of a rectangular block
of buildings of four storeys and a basement. The walls are of brick
and the roofs are tiled. They were built by Dr. Barbon, who conveyed
them to the Society in 1676, shortly after their erection. The E.
elevation, which faces the court, is symmetrically designed. It has a
slightly projecting base with a moulded stone capping, rusticated
stone angles, brick bands between the storeys and a modern brick
parapet. The doorway in the middle of the ground-floor has a round-
headed arch with plain impost-blocks and rusticated stone surround
supporting an entablature with pulvinated frieze and segmental
pediment. The windows are square-headed and have flush frames and
sashes, which have mostly been renewed. The N. and S. elevations are
of similar character to the E. front, but the stone capping is
omitted from the plinth and there are no stone rustications to the
western angles; the W. window of the top floor has solid frame,
mullions and transom.
Nos. 3 to 6 Plowden Buildings, block of chambers on W. side of
Middle Temple Lane, is of five storeys with attics. The walls are of
brick; the roofs are covered with slate. The building is a
rectangular block, detached on all sides above the first floor level
and was erected for the Society by Dr. Barbon in 1687-8. The E.
elevation to the Lane has since been refronted and the interiors of
many of the chambers have been altered. The W. front overlooking
the gardens has brick bands between the storeys and a later parapet;
the roof has been altered. On each floor is a range of eight
square-headed windows with flush frames and hung sashes, practically
all of which have been renewed. Built against the E. end of the N
front is a flight of stone steps to the main entrance-doorway, which
is on the first floor. This doorway is square-headed with a moulded
stone architrave, pulvinated frieze and a moulded cornice supported
on console-brackets and surmounted by a broken segmental pediment.
Otherwise the elevation is similarly treated to the W. front. There
is an old lead rainwater-pipe with a shaped head ornamented with an
'Angus Dei.' A somewhat similar pipe has been refixed on the E.
front. The S. front is of similar character to the N. front, but has
no doorway.
chambers on the E. side of the Lane, immediately S. of the Gatehouse,
is of five storeys with a basement. The walls are of plastered timber-framing with some brick and some weather-boarding; the roofs are
tiled. It was re-built c.1693; the ground-storey of the N. end of the
building was altered in the 19th century, when iron stanchions were
inserted to carry the N. part of the front wall and the interior was
adapted to be used as a modern shop. The interiors of many of the
chambers have also been altered. The W. front to the Lane has, at the
S. end, a brick wall to the ground-floor with a plinth. The upper
storeys, except over the entrance-doorway, which is a little S. of
the middle of the front, projects some way over the stanchions and
wall to the ground-floor. Above the windows to each of the upper
floors is a continuous moulded cornice and at eaves-level is a
modillioned cornice of deeper projection. At the S. end of the
building the cornice is omitted above the third-floor windows and
the two upper storeys are weather-boarded. All the windows are
square-headed and have hung sashes, most of which have been
renewed. The back of the building is plastered and has a moulded
eaves-cornice.
No 3. Middle Temple Lane (Plate 199), block of chambers, adjoining
No. 2 on the S., is of four storeys and a basement. The walls to the
level of the first floor are of brick, above which they are timber-
framed and plastered; the roofs are tiled. It was rebuilt c.1693, but
has been altered internally. The W. front to the Lane has a
projecting plinth. The front above the first-floor level projects,
the sofffit of the projection being slightly curved; at the eaves-
level is a modillioned cornice. The entrance doorway is square-
headed and has a moulded frame enclosing two square-headed lights
above the doorway. The basement windows have segmental heads,
but the remaining windows are square-headed. Two on the first
floor and one on the second floor have solid frames with mullions
and transoms; the others have hung sashes, most of which have
been renewed.
The Gatehouse (Plate 202), fronting Fleet Street at the N. end of
Middle Temple Lane, is of four storeys; the walls are of red brick
and Portland stone and the roofs are tiled. It was built in 1684 and
designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The N. elevation to Fleet Street is
designed to form a tetrastyle Ionic facade standing on a tall
stylobate and finished with a pediment. The four Ionic pilasters are
of stone and the angles are rusticated, as is also the ground-floor
or stylobate. The wall has rubbed brick facings. Between the first
and second-floor windows runs a stone band inscribed in Roman letters
SVRREXIT.IMPENS.SOC.M.TEMPLI MDCLXXXIV. The ground-floor has a square-headed rusticated archway in the centre, on the keystone of which is
the Agnus Dei and the date 1684. Flanking it on either side are two
round-headed openings, that on the E. being a footway and that on the
W. a window to a chamber of the Porter's Lodge. The three upper
storeys have each three windows with stone architraves and square
heads; the sills of the side windows to the first floor are carried
down to the stylobate. In the tympanum of the pediment is a round-
headed window with a stone architrave. The S. elevation to Middle
Temple Lane has plain bands between the storeys, a plain parapet and
a square-headed arch to the roadway. Above it are three square-headed
windows, one to each storey.
The Little Gate stands at the N. end of No. 1 New Court and opens
from New Court to Devereux Court. It is of Portland stone and was
built about 1690. The two side pieces are square with moulded
cornices and bases and each support a large fluted vase with
scalloped base and top surmounted by conventional pine-apple
ornaments. The Fountain, in the middle of Fountain Court, was placed
there in 1681. It has a circular basin of about 21 ft. diameter and
is surrounded by a moulded stone curb. It was originally enclosed by
a wooden palisade of rectangular form which was replaced by a
wrought-iron railing in 1715. This has since been removed.
(For further details see Inventory)
(20) HOUSE (Plate 202) No. 17, and Inner Temple Gateway on the S.
side of Fleet Street, gateway, shop and offices, opposite the S.
end of Chancery Lane, is of four storeys. The walls are of stone,
plastered timber-framing and brick; the roofs are tiled. Facilities
for rebuilding the gateway and the premises adjoining on the E. were
granted by the Society of the Inner Temple to one John Bennett in
1609, and the work was carried out in the years 1610-11. The building
consisted of two blocks connected by a central staircase; the front
block with an elevation to Fleet Street, the back block with a front
to Inner Temple Lane. In 1898 the buildings were about to be
demolished and were bought by the London County Council for
preservation. The back block had already been destroyed and new
offices erected on the site. The front block was restored. Behind a
comparatively modern screen-front which had been erected in front of
the upper storeys fronting Fleet Street, much of the original front
was discovered, mutilated and with its bay-windows missing. This
screen-front was taken down, the old front was restored to as near
its original design as possible and the ground floor front was set
back about 5 feet as necessitated by the widening of Fleet Street.
At the same time the interior was completely restored; the building
was re-opened in 1906.
Though considerably restored, the building is of interest as one
ofthe few remaining examples of a pre-fire London house; the ceiling
of the front room on the first floor is noteworthy.
(7) TEMPLE CHURCH OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN stands on the E. side of
Inner Temple Lane, 60 yards S. of Fleet Street. The walls are partly
of ragstone-rubble, but mostly faced with modern freestone, the
columns, etc., inside are of Purbeck marble. The roofs are covered
with lead.
The site on which the church stands was acquired early in the reign
of Henry II by the Knights Templars, who then began building the new
church; this church, consisting of the existing round Nave and Aisle
with a chancel probably aisleless and apsidal, was consecrated in
1185 by Heraclius Patriarch of Jerusalem; the West Porch is of the
same date. The former Tympanum of the S. doorway (destroyed in
1695) was inscribed as follows -"Anno ab Incarnatione Domini MCLXXXV
dedicata hec ecclesia in honore Beae Marie a Dno Eraclio Dei Gra Sce
Resurectionis ecclesie Patriarcha iiii idus Februarii qi ea annatim
petetib' de ijunta S. Penitetia LX dies indulsit." In the first half
of the 13th century the old chancel was pulled down and a new Chancel
built with North and South Aisles, arches being pierced from them
into the round aisle. This chancel was consecrated in 1240. About
the same time the Chapel of St. Anne was added S. of the round.
Probably in the 15th century an embattled parapet was added to the
nave-clearstorey and its conical roof was perhaps removed at the
same time. In 1678 St. Anne's Chapel was shattered by gunpowder
during a fire, and late in the same century a brick three-storey
house was built over the W. porch and probably at the same time
the buttresses of the nave were 'classicised' and a classic cornice
added to the aisle-parapets. In 1825 the remains of St. Anne's
Chapel were removed except the base of the walls of its undercroft.
The church was restored in 1828 by Mr. Robert Smirke, but the great
restoration took place in 1840-2 under Sir Sidney Smirke and Mr.
James Savage. It included the almost complete rebuilding of the
round and the outer walls of the chancel and aisles, and practically
none of the internal detail work is ancient. Amongst other
alterations, the wooden organ-screen, of 1681, between the nave and
chancel, was removed and all the monuments except those of the 13th
century were placed in the triforium. The organ chamber was built
in 1842 and the choir and clergy vestries added 1868-9.
The church is mainly of interest from its plan which places it
amongst the five 'round' churches still standing in England. The W.
doorway is a fine late 12th-century work and the monuments,
especially those of the 13th century, are noteworthy.
(For further details see Inventory).(2)
Grade A.(3)
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