Middle Temple, London

Welcome to Temple, where London's legal elite rub shoulders with medieval ghosts and the spirit of Dickens still loiters by the fountain.

Temple is home to two of the legendary Inns of Court: Middle Temple and Inner Temple. But before the barristers moved in with their powdered wigs and legal jargon, this was sacred turf for the Knights Templar. Yep, the original warrior-monks. Their headquarters were right here, and rumor has it, their initiation rites went down in the crypt of Temple Church. Built in the 12th century and maintained by the Inns since 1608, this church still boasts a mighty Elizabethan organ and 13th-century stone knights lying eternally in its iconic round chapel—forever on break from crusading.

Step into Middle Temple, and it’s like time travel—Victorian fog not included. Charles Dickens himself described the place as having gates that whisper: “Who enters here leaves noise behind.” Over the years, its roll call has included heavyweights like Sir Walter Raleigh (a 17th-century English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer), novelist William Makepeace Thackeray (author of Vanity Fair), and, yes, Dickens himself—because, of course, he couldn't resist a good atmospheric setting.

Also, don’t miss Middle Temple Hall—a Tudor dream with timber for days. Over 100 feet long, 40 feet wide, and topped with a hammer-beam roof that would make any medieval carpenter proud. The walls are dressed in coats of arms and oil paintings that give serious “Game of Thrones meets courtroom drama” energy. These days, it’s mostly reserved for members, fancy receptions, and the occasional concert—so consider it the velvet rope of legal London.

Wander a little and you'll find Fountain Court—a peaceful courtyard where law students dine and Dickens once eavesdropped for inspiration. He even featured the bubbling fountain in Martin Chuzzlewit. And just nearby is Garden Court—a lush square overlooking the Thames, straight out of Great Expectations. This was Pip’s pad, where a stormy night and an ominous message—“Don’t go home”—set the stage for one of literature’s great reveals.

So go ahead, get lost in Temple's winding paths. Just don’t be surprised if you bump into a barrister… or a ghost.