Temple Church, London

The Temple Church stands between Fleet Street and the Thames in the City of London. Built as the English headquarters of the Knights Templar, it was consecrated in 1185 by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. The church has two parts: a round nave from the 12th century and a rectangular chancel added half a century later. It served as a royal treasury under King John and later became a meeting place for barons and kings. After the Templars were dissolved, the church passed to the Knights Hospitaller and then to the legal Inns of Court. It remains a royal peculiar, directly under the jurisdiction of the English monarch. The church is famous for its round design, rare in England, and for its 13th- and 14th-century Purbeck marble effigies. These effigies mark the tombs of knights and figures like William Marshal, who negotiated Magna Carta here. The chancel was rebuilt in the 13th century to accommodate Henry III’s wish to be buried here, though he later chose Westminster instead. The church survived the Great Fire of 1666 but was restored by Christopher Wren, who added an altar screen and organ. Later Victorian restorations aimed to return the church to its supposed medieval appearance. Visitors enter through the Round Church, where a circle of Purbeck marble columns supports the vaulted ceiling. The chancel beyond has three aisles and a vault 11 metres high. The church’s damaged columns from the Second World War were replaced but kept their original outward lean. The surrounding Temple area retains its historic name and includes Temple Bar and Temple Underground station. The church remains the ceremonial chapel of the Inner and Middle Temples, two of London’s Inns of Court.