Middle Temple, London

Exploring Temple today and the Inns of Court. (March 2019)

The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple is 1 of the 4 Inns of Court, along with Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn.
The Middle Temple and the other three Inns of Court were established by the middle of the 14th century. The Inn's name derives from the Knights Templar who had been in possession of the Temple site for over 150 years prior to that.

After Henry VIII seized the Temple from the Knights Hospitallers in 1540, each Inn continued to hold its share of the Temple as tenants of the Crown for £10 a year, until it was granted to them jointly in 1608 by James I, to be held in perpetuity so long as they continue to provide education and accommodation to lawyers and students and maintain the Temple Church and its Master.

Much of the Middle Temple was destroyed in a fire in 1678, which caused more damage to the Inn than the Great Fire of 1666.

One of the Middle Temple's main functions now is to provide education and support to new members of the profession.