London · South Bank · See
Round 12th-century Templar church, hidden among the lawyers' courtyards.
The Knights Templar modelled the round church on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem; a rectangular chancel was added later. In the round nave, stone effigies of knights lie on the floor, familiar from Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’. The walk there is worthwhile in itself: archways off Fleet Street lead into the quiet courts of Inner and Middle Temple, where barristers have their chambers. There are occasional organ recitals and choral music; details are on the website.
The Temple Church, a royal peculiar in the Church of England, is a church in the Inner and Middle Temples located between Fleet Street and the River Thames in London, England. It was built by the Knights Templar for their English headquarters in the Temple precinct and consecrated on 10 February 1185 by Patriarch Heraclius of Jerusalem. During the reign of King John (1199–1216) it served as the royal treasury, supported by the role of the Knights Templar as proto-international bankers. It is now jointly owned by the Inner Temple and Middle Temple Inns of Court, bases of the English legal profession. It is famous for being a round church, a common design feature for Knights Templar churches, and for its 13th- and 14th-century stone effigies. It was heavily damaged by German bombing during World War II and has since been greatly restored and rebuilt. The area around the Temple Church is still known as the Temple. Temple Bar, a jurisdictional gateway, stood in the middle of Fleet Street in the Temple area. Nearby is Temple Underground station.
Three places nearby, in walking order.
Daily 11.30 am–11 pm (according to OSM, unverified)
Pub on Fleet Street rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1667, with dark parlours and vaulted cellars.
Walk through all the rooms and down into the cellars. Only beer from the Samuel Smith brewery, cheap.
Mon–Sat 11 am–11 pm, Sun 12 noon–10.30 pm (according to OSM, unverified)
Small pub of 1602 behind the Royal Courts of Justice, full of lawyers; ale and simple home cooking.
Very cramped, few seats; come early in the evening. The stairs to the toilet are notoriously steep.
Tue–Sat 10 am–5 pm, last entry 4 pm
Anatomical collection of the surgeon John Hunter on Lincoln's Inn Fields, not for the faint-hearted.
Free, a timed ticket is recommended. Closed Sunday and Monday. Close to the Soane Museum.
Mon, Tue, Sat 11 am–11 pm, Wed–Fri 11 am–11.30 pm, Sun 12 noon–10.30 pm (according to OSM, unverified)
Pub of 1875 with a magnificent art nouveau interior full of friars in marble and bronze.
Be sure to look at the vaulted room at the back. Packed after office hours; quieter from 8 pm.
Daily 10 am–6 pm, last entry 5.15 pm
Manet's ‘Bar aux Folies-Bergère’ and plenty of Impressionism in Somerset House.
Card only, no cash. Tickets online or at the desk, last entry 5.15 pm.
Mon 7 am–10 pm, Tue–Fri 7 am–10.30 pm, Sat 8 am–10.30 pm, Sun 11 am–9 pm
Viennese-style grand café on the Aldwych; breakfast with egg dishes, pastries and coffee.
Open from 7 am on weekdays, ideal before a day of theatre or museums; Sundays only from 11 am.
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