London Walks - The Temple, Fleet Street
Sixteenth Century Buldings in thIs Intriguing and Historic Area
Mar 12, 2007
Inside the Temple grounds are the Middle Temple and the Inner Temple. All of London's barristers work within their walls. Building on the Middle Temple was completed in 1573
London Walks - The Temple - London by Gaslight
Although the city no longer has its dense fogs known as 'pea-soupers', or its hansom cabs, it does have a great number of gas lamps still in use and there are several areas where these soft lights cast their quiet spell. One of the most famous of these is The Temple, home to London's legal profession and home to the Temple Church which features in the movie and the novel, The Da Vinci Code.
A gaslight walk through the lanes and alleys in the Temple area is a step back in time. There is no rush of traffic here to remind us of where we are. All that is needed is a soft mist rising from the Thames, the muffled sound of horses hooves, and you might be tempted to look back over your shoulder and quicken your step. These days, however, gas lit London is as safe as any other part of the city.
London Walks - The Temple - Fleet Street
The Temple can be reached from Fleet Street via l7th century gateways and narrow cobbled lanes. It consists of the Inner and Middle Temples, two of the Great Inns of Court. Many of the buildings here date from the l5th century and their function has changed little in 500 years. In those days there was no roar of traffic from Fleet Street, as there is today, and the area was full of chop houses and coffee houses from which literary figures like Samuel Johnson and Boswell observed the world.
To recapture the atmosphere of bygone days, follow the route of the lamplighter through the dimly lit streets and alleys. Start your walk at dusk, when the rumble of traffic has died down and the office workers have gone home. Look carefully for the entrances into the Temple from Fleet Street, many are discretely hidden from the casual passer-by. Some are small and narrow, often nothing more than a slit through a building. Check your map.
London walks - The Temple - The Middle temple
It was in the magnificent Middle Temple Hall that Queen Elizabeth I was entertained on January 2, 1601 with a presentation of Shakespeare's newly written 'Twelfth Night'. One can assume that the playwright was present; so England's greatest queen and greatest poet have both been in this hall.
Outside, shadows cast by the beautifully ornate gas lamps help quicken the imagination, and it's easy to picture strolling players, lords, ladies, and the Queen herself, wending their way to the performance.
London Walks - The Temple - The Inner Temple
The Inner Temple is a peaceful warren of courts and alleyways, ideal for exploring at leisure. Don't follow a prescribed route though, it's more rewarding to wander at your own inclination, for each corner leads back into the past. The Inner Temple was heavily bombed during the Second World War and the oldest surviving buildings date from the seventeenth century
London Walks - The Temple Church
The oldest building in the area is the Temple Church. Its nave and porch date from the 12th century and it is one of only four round churches surviving in England. It is here that the Holy Grail is thought to dwell in the tomb of one of the Knights of the Temple which, in the movie, is what Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu were looking for.
Retrace your steps in the direction of Fleet Street, where you entered The Temple. If the emergence from the gaslight into the bright lights of the 21st century is a bit of a shock, a visit to some of the traditional old pubs in the area will soften the blow.
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