Temple: It's The Law!

London’s legal system follows ancient traditions involving the ‘Inns of Court’. Barristers and Judges, who are lawyers  appointed ‘to the bar’ are members of one of the four Inns - a sort of gentleman’s club (with women these days of course!).

We start outside the Royal Courts of Justice (also known as the Old Bailey) and take a look at the Temple Bar - an ornamental column with a a dragon on top (from the City of London’s coat of arms).

We then make our way to Ede and Ravenscroft, an ancient wig and robe maker for court officials since 1689. As we look in the window we can’t help feeling we could be Harry Potter choosing his Hogwarts robes in Diagon Alley!

Next we enter the Inns of Courts public grounds at Temple, which is named after Templar Church, a home of the Knights Templar. The church (currently being refurbished so I couldn’t enter at this time) ‘starred’ in The DaVinci Code. We’ll head back here another when refurbishment is completed.

The Inns are beautiful buildings in an oasis of peace so close to the Strand, Kingsway, and Fleet Street. Note the names of the people who work in the offices - judges, barristers and lawyers - on name placards listed outside the entrance doors.