Exploring Inner and Middle Temple

Whenever I walk to campus, I make a point of turning right on Victoria Embankment to walk up Middle Temple Lane all the way to the end of Fleet Street. I have never regretted taking this slightly longer route to LSE.

Each time I am inside either Inner Temple or Middle Temple, I am in awe of the architecture, gardens, history, and atmosphere. In my opinion, these are the most wonderful parts of central London.

In this article, I want to highlight a few of my favourite things to explore in Inner and Middle Temple. It’s a calm, beautiful oasis only a few minutes from LSE.

To get started…

Inner Temple and Middle Temple can be found just to the south of the Royal Courts of Justice, and northeast of Temple tube station. The Inner and Middle Temple are two of the four Inns of Court, the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales – every barrister belongs to one of them. The barristers have ruled the roost here since 1608!

When you first visit, I would recommend walking down Inner Temple Lane under the unmissable black and white Jacobean gatehouse. You get a real sense of going through Medieval London into Eighteenth Century London. Walk on and you’ll soon come to Temple Church.

Temple Church

The Temple Church dates back to the twelfth century. It is absolutely stunning and oozing in history. It has two parts: the Round and the Chancel.  In 1162, the ‘Round Church’ was built to be London’s Jerusalem. During, 1214-19: Magna Carta was negotiated in the Temple. There is so much more!

There are services, concerts and plays put on inside the church regularly. The church is usually open on weekdays from 10am-4pm. 

Inner Temple Gardens

The best place to eat your lunch in the warmer month is not Lincoln’s Inn Fields. It’s in the Inner Temple Gardens. These are three acres tucked away in the heart of the City. Some of the trees are almost 300 years old; meadows across the garden thrive with bulbs, wildflowers and all sorts of wildlife.

The gardens are usually open to the public on weekdays from 12:30-3pm. 

Middle Temple

Let’s return to where I started this piece: Middle Temple Lane. If you walk up the lane, you walk between endless sets of barristers’ chambers, up a cobbled and gas-lit street that makes you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time.

I suggest you take a left at Middle Temple Hall. The exterior speaks for itself. It is a phenomenal building! Inside you can find sumptuous wooden panelling and heraldic stained-glass windows.

Just outside the hall is Fountain Court which lies at the heart of Middle Temple. The fountain is described in a Dickens novel and in Landon poem. This perhaps is my favourite spot of all.

Next time you have 45 minutes to spare, why not take a stroll through the Inner and Middle Temple?