The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple is defined by its Elizabethan Great Hall, which features an ornate double hammer-beam roof. It is one of the four ancient Inns of Court in London, the professional societies that hold the…
Historic Inns of Court
I'll guide you through the secluded courtyards, Gothic halls, and hidden chapels of London’s historic legal societies. This quiet walk reveals the ancient, collegiate world of barristers that has survived since the Middle Ages.
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1. The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
2. Temple Church
The Temple Church is defined by its unusual circular nave, a design choice modeled after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Built by the Knights Templar and consecrated in eleven eighty-five, this round structure was intended…
3. Royal Courts of Justice
The Royal Courts of Justice is a massive grey stone edifice on the Strand, distinguished by its forest of pinnacles, turrets, and gothic arches. It houses the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales, functioning as the center…
4. The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn occupies an eleven-acre estate defined by its perimeter wall, first erected in fifteen sixty-two. This expanse of land sits apart from the surrounding city streets, enclosing a collection of historic…
5. Staple Inn
Staple Inn is recognizable by its black-and-white Tudor frontage, a rare stretch of timber-framed architecture that survives on High Holborn. Built around fifteen eighty-five, it is the last remaining Inn of Chancery, a type of medieval…
6. The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn is distinguished by its quiet, cloistered squares and private gardens, tucked away from the busy intersection of High Holborn and Gray's Inn Road. It is one of the four historic Inns of Court in London,…