Temple Bar

Temple Bar

Temple Bar stands between London and Westminster, with Fleet Street to the east and the Strand to the west. Before 1878, a stone gatehouse designed by Christopher Wren, known as Temple Bar, stood here.

During the Middle Ages, the jurisdiction of London had already extended beyond the old city walls, and several autonomous areas of London emerged outside the city. To manage trade entering the city, authorities set up checkpoints at several major junctions at some distance from the city gates. Because it was located between the commercial hub of London and the political center of Westminster, Temple Bar became one of the most famous. Like the Temple area south of Fleet Street, it also takes its name from the nearby Temple Church.

In late 2004, the old Temple Bar was given a new lease on life, finding a new home in Paternoster Square. Today, it serves as the main passageway between the London Stock Exchange and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Now, at Temple Bar and other key entrances, you can see winged dragons perched atop plinths continuing to guard the gates of London.

Temple Bar has appeared multiple times in literature. In the mirror-London-themed children's book *The Stoneheart*, Charlie Fletcher brings to life the winged dragons atop the plinths of Temple Bar. In Chapter 3 of Book 1 of *A Tale of Two Cities*, Charles Dickens mentions Temple Bar, stating that it was near Tellson’s Bank; Child’s Bank, located at 1 Fleet Street, once used the second floor of Temple Bar as storage space and may have been the model for Tellson’s Bank. In Herman Melville’s short story *Bartleby, the Scrivener*, he contrasts the elegance and grace of Temple Bar with the hellish environment inside a paper factory.

Temple Bar, London

Why visit: One of London’s most famous historic gateways

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/region where the attraction is located: Britain[Britain]

Province/state where the attraction is located: Greater London [Greater London]

City where the attraction is located: London [London]