Temple Church in London
Temple Church in London is the principal surviving church of the Knights Templar in England, and one of the most important medieval churches in the City of London. Founded in the late twelfth century, the church served as the spiritual and administrative center of the Order in England, and it was the site of the English Templars’ last stand before the suppression. Today, the church is a working church, a popular tourist destination, and one of the most important pieces of Templar heritage in the world.
This cluster page tells the story of Temple Church. It is a companion to Templar Banking and the Temple in London and to the article on the Preceptories and Commanderies.
The Founding of Temple Church
Temple Church was begun in the 1160s by the Knights Templar, on land granted to the Order by Henry II of England in 1161–62. The church was completed and consecrated on 10 February 1185 by Heraclius, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the presence of Henry II’s son Henry the Young King. The site was in the parish of St. Clement Danes, between the cities of London and Westminster, and it was chosen for its proximity to the River Thames and the royal palace of Westminster.
The church was built in two phases:
- The Round Church, consecrated in 1185, was based on the design of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The Round Church is a circular nave, with a central column and a ring of smaller columns, surrounded by an aisle.
- The Chancel, or choir, was added in the early thirteenth century and is a more conventional rectangular structure, in the Early English style. The chancel was completed around 1240.
The Round Church was the most distinctive feature of the building. It was modeled on the rotunda of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the great church built by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine in the 4th century to mark the supposed site of Christ’s tomb. The choice of design was a direct reference to the Order’s mission in the Holy Land and a statement of the Order’s commitment to the defense of the Holy Places.
The Architecture
Temple Church is one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in England. The Round Church, in particular, is a remarkable structure, with its circular nave, its central column, and its ring of Purbeck marble columns. The architecture of the Round Church has been compared to the Tempietto of Bramante in Rome, and to the rotunda of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
The Chancel, completed in the early thirteenth century, is in the Early English Gothic style. The Chancel contains some of the finest stained glass in England, including the famous “Annunciation” window, which dates from the late thirteenth century.
The church is also famous for its marble effigies of medieval knights. The most famous are the effigies of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (d. 1219), and his son William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (d. 1231), who were both interred in the church. The effigies are among the finest examples of medieval funerary sculpture in England.
For the historical context, see The Knights Templar: A Complete History and the military orders of the Crusades.
The Temple Complex
Temple Church was the spiritual heart of the Temple in London, the complex of buildings that served as the English headquarters of the Knights Templar. The Temple included:
- Temple Church, the principal church.
- The Master’s House, the residence of the Master of the Temple.
- The Hall, the administrative center of the Order in England.
- The Dormitory, the residence of the brothers.
- The Treasury, the secure storage for the Order’s cash and valuables.
- The Belfry, the bell tower of the church.
The Temple was a self-contained community, with its own clerk (legal officer), steward, and other officials. It was also a major financial center, serving as the principal place of business for the English crown’s financial activities. The story. See Templar Banking and the Temple in London.
The New Temple
After the suppression of the Order in 1312, the Temple in London was held by the crown. In 1313, the estate was transferred to the Knights Hospitaller, who administered it for the next decade. In 1324, the Hospitallers leased the buildings to two groups of lawyers — the future “Inner Temple” and “Middle Temple” — and in 1338 the two societies were formally constituted as separate Inns of Court, the division that survives to this day.
The two Inns of Court — the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple — still occupy the site today. They are two of the four Inns of Court that have the exclusive right to call barristers in England and Wales.
The Trial of the English Templars
The English Templars were arrested in January 1308, a few months after the arrests in France. The English Templars were tried by the Bishop of London, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and other ecclesiastical officials, and the trial dragged on for several years. The English Templars were treated relatively leniently, with most brothers eventually being pensioned off.
The trial of the English Templars did not result in any executions. The Grand Master of the English Templars, William de la More, was imprisoned in Newgate Prison and died in captivity in 1310. Several other English Templars were also imprisoned, but most were eventually released.
The story of the suppression in England. See The Trial and Suppression of the Knights Templar.
The Modern History of the Church
Temple Church survived the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1540s, although it was damaged. In the early seventeenth century, the church was refurbished in the Gothic Revival style, with the addition of a new gallery and a new pulpit. The Messiah was first performed in Dublin in 1742 and had its first London performance in 1743.
In the Second World War, the church was severely damaged by German bombing on the night of September 10, 1940, during the London Blitz. The roof of the Chancel was destroyed, and the stained glass was shattered. The Round Church survived the bombing largely intact, but the rest of the church was badly damaged.
The church was carefully restored in the 1950s and 1960s, and it was rededicated in 1958. The restoration was a major feat of architectural conservation, and it preserved the original medieval structure of the church.
The Church Today
Today, Temple Church is owned by the two Inns of Court — the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple — that occupy the surrounding site. The church is a working church, and it is open to the public for tours and services. The church is also a popular tourist destination, with tens of thousands of visitors each year.
The church is a major venue for classical music concerts in London, and it is also the site of the Inner Temple’s annual Church of the Templars services. The church is a Grade I listed building, and it is one of the most important medieval buildings in the City of London.
Visiting Temple Church
Temple Church is located in the heart of the City of London, between Fleet Street and the River Thames. The church is open to the public for visits, and it is easily accessible by public transport. The church’s own site is at templechurch.com, and the official Inner Temple and Middle Temple sites are at innertemple.org.uk and middletemple.org.uk respectively.
The Inner Temple and the Middle Temple are also open to the public at certain times of year, although much of the surrounding complex is restricted to members of the legal profession. The Temple Church itself is a must-visit for any visitor to London interested in the Templars or in medieval history.
Conclusion
Temple Church is one of the most important pieces of Templar heritage in the world. Founded in 1185, the church served as the spiritual and administrative center of the Order in England, and it was the site of the English Templars’ last stand before the suppression. Today, the church is a working church, a major tourist destination, and one of the most important pieces of medieval architecture in England. The story of the church is also the story of the Order itself, and it is a major chapter in the long history of the Knights Templar in England.