Take a Trip to Temple, London
Once an area built for the Knights Templar, Temple is a must-see area now known as London’s serious and historical legal district.
Isn’t it wonderful, when you’re wandering around somewhere completely new, and you keep on stumbling upon interesting sight after interesting sight, or impressive building, or charming garden? It’s a lovely feeling, but a rare one.
How much more often do you find yourself somewhere you’ve never been before, but instead of being pleasantly surprised at each corner, you spend a lot of time worrying you’re not seeing the right things, and are taking all the wrong turnings. You might even end up just aimlessly ambling about until you finally see something you recognise, and jump on the tube or in a cab to get to somewhere a bit more familiar and comfortable.
Wouldn’t it be great instead, to have all those surprising and exciting ‘wow’ moments, but to know that at the next corner, you absolutely are taking the right turning, and the next view you see will indeed be spectacular as the one that hit you right before. Comfort in the knowledge you’re making the most of the streets that you’re walking.
This is why I went on a route around one of the main legal districts in London, Temple, and was delightfully surprised.
Our planned walk, taken from Pete Smith’s London Hidden Walks, lasted maximum around two hours, including a stop for lunch and a once round Temple Church.
We started at Temple station with the aim of following the route in the book, which took us a little bit along the Thames and into Middle Temple Garden. This lead us into the courts dwarfed by the noble and outstanding architecture, with some buildings dating from the 16th century. They display their beauty in such a way that each building, whilst grandiose and striking in itself, often largely differs from its neighbour, which makes the squares and courts interesting wherever you look.
We were then guided past Middle Temple Hall through to Middle Temple Lane and Pump Court and gradually, after weaving in and out of these narrow lanes, we ended up just outside Temple Church, which is a unique and austere building very distinct from the more common Gothic churches in London like Westminster Abbey, with the original church constructions dating back centuries from the early 12th Century.
The height and decoration of the chancel’s upper interior is what makes this building really special as it is visually striking. One of my favourite bits about this church, interestingly is actually the fact that you can see there is a copy of the original Magna Carta from the period. I suppose this is quite fitting for its presence within London’s legal district. This was a really significant part of the walk for me because it even further elevated the area and the historical importance that this area of London encapsulates.
Slightly wearied from our way around the Temple area we crossed over Fleet Street, not forgetting to take note of the statue of Queen Elizabeth I of whose upkeep was facinatingly maintained by famous suffragist Millicent Fawcett. We then stopped off at the Old Bank of England Pub used between the late 19th and 20th centuries, whose fantastic interior immediately presents to visitors the building’s important financial history, which was very charming for a sip of Pimms in preparation for the final part of the walk.
After lunch, we meandered along Fleet Street, up Chancery Lane to Holborn were we were struck by the fanastic structures surrounding Lincoln’s Inn Fields, the largest public square in London!
I went to uni right next to Temple, and yet I had never visited these lanes and courtyards, that ironically would have been perfect spots for lunch or drinks. I think that might be what makes London so special, that you can be a lane apart from somewhere and then walk a short while into complete mystery and charm.
So if this summer you find yourself yearning for a bit of ‘newness’ and fancy being charmed by buildings of renown and grandeur, then take a trip to Temple (perhaps on the Circle and District line), and be enjoy a quiet, and thoughtful side of London.
Cara Winters
