
Originally Temple Church was where the initiation ceremonies of Knights Templar members were held. To celebrate the 400 th anniversary of Shakespeare’s play, red and white roses were planted in the gardens here at Temple, commemorating this fictional event. Shakespeare wrote that a member of the House of Lancaster and a member of the House of York each plucked actual roses (the symbols of their Houses) in a symbolic gesture of the beginning of this decade-long feud. In Shakespeare’s Play Henry VI, Part I the beginning of the Wars of the Roses (a dynastic civil feud that ran for centuries between the Lancastrians and the Yorkist families in England) takes place here outside Temple Church. The last time the church was renovated and redecorated was in 1958. In fact, effigies of the Knights Templar dating back to the 13 th century are still contained within the nave and can be seen by visitors. Renovated in the 20 th century after damage caused by the Blitz, Temple Church today now sports stone and architectural features spanning over the centuries of its’ existence. The church eventually fell into the hands of a college of lawyers – founding the modern day Inns of Court that are based here: Inner Temple and Middle Temple. Henry’s grandson, Kind Edward II seized control of the church and sold it on. In the 13th century the church underwent extensive renovation under the command of King Henry III – and one of his sons is actually still interred into the church. The church was consecrated on the 10 th of February 1185 in a ceremony that had such prestigious guests such as King Henry II and Heraclius, Patriarch of Jerusalem. The design of the church was based on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and contains the first-ever free-standing Purbeck Marble columns in existence. The structure of the church is divided into two: the original nave, called the Round Church, and an adjoining rectangular building called the Chancel. Temple Church was originally built in the 1160’s, when the Order of the Knights Templar purchased the land here so that they could create a monastic complex to act as their headquarters in England. However, this can vary throughout the year in accordance with Church services and maintenance, so ALWAYS check the website before your visit! Hours: Usually Monday - Friday 10:00 - 16:00.
#Da vinci code travel journal free#
Cost: £5.00 for adults / £3.00 for concessions / Children free.Address: Temple Church, off of Fleet Street, London EC4Y 7HL.We recommend using this link for directions to Temple Church from anywhere in the London area. The closest London Underground Station is Temple (Circle and District lines). It's central location means that it is located close to several popular London attractions, such as St. Temple Church London is located in the City of London. The trio then realise the riddle is leading them to Westminster Abbey – not Temple Church.Ĭheck out our self-guided tour for more things to see in Old London. The characters believe the stone effigies of the Knights which still lay in the church are actual tombs – but they are proved (and accurately so) incorrect. You seek the orb that out be on his tomb. His labour’s fruit a Holy wrath incurred. It is here that the main characters Langston and Sophie, along with Leah Teabing come when trying to solve the riddle: In London lies a knight a Pope interred. In fact, there is a scene set inside the Temple Church in the story that was also filmed for the screen. Easily accessible from Fleet Street on Mondays-Fridays, it’s a bit harder to find it on the weekends as the main entrance into Temple is closed – but it’s worth the effort to eventually find your way! Temple Church came to the publics’ attention a number of years ago at the publishing (and subsequent film) of Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code. Members of the public can not only visit the church but can often attend concerts that take place inside. A hidden gem tucked away inside one of the Inns of Court, Temple Church is a beautiful 12 th-century church.
