The History and Antiquities of London, Westminster, Southwark, and Parts Adjacent, vol. 4
Allen, Thomas
1827
The Inner Temple Hall.
This hall is said to have been built in Edward III.'s reign; the wall between the Thames and garden about the year ; and the hall ceiled in . About which time Mr. Packington, | |
401 | treasurer, built Tanfield court, so called from the chambers of sir Laurence Tanfield, chief baron, being there; till which time it was called Packington court. |
It is very considerable in size; and has been altered, burnt, and rebuilt, from the days of Edward Ill. to the present. The front, facing the Thames, is of Portland stone, with buttresses, and a semi-sexagon turret. The roof supports a small cupola. The entrance is through a very large door, in a western wing, or projecting building, Over the entrance are shields of arms, viz. the royal arms of Richard I., Henry IV., and George IV. Above the whole is a clumsy quaterfoil, enclosing the arms of the Inner Temple. This edifice was repaired in and , as appears by inscriptions on the front. The inside is elegantly. decorated, and the paintings good. These are, the portraits of William III. Mary, judges Coke and Littleton; and the story of Pegasus, the performance of sir James Thornhill. | |
The library consists of upwards of books and manuscripts. The parliament chamber is ornamented with portraits of George II. queen Caroline, lord Hunsdon, judge Twisden, Finch, earl of Nottingham, sir Martin Wright, lord chancellor Harcourt, &c. | |
Anno the kitchen was built; anno , the buildings near the Alienation Office were erected ; in , the great carved screen in the hall was set up; anno , Caesar's buildings, between the church and the hall, were erected, and so called, for that sir Julius Caesar, master of the rolls, gave towards the charge; anno the paper buildings were erected, and, being consumed by fire, were rebuilt, a noble pile of spacious and pleasant chambers; they were finished in , sir Robert Sawyer, treasurer; anno the Inner Temple gate was built; about part of the Inner Temple gate, Fig Tree court, (the east side in ) and buildings near Ram alley, and the King's bench office, were erected; part of the lane also in ; chambers against the west end of the church, built in , and anno . | |
In the year was built the Middle Temple gate, next , which is a fine structure, in the style of Inigo Jones. It has a graceful front of brick work, with large stone pilasters of the Ionic order, and a handsome pediment, with a round in the middle of it, having these words inscribed: Lower, just over the arch, the figure of an holy lamb, . Sir Christopher Wren was the architect. | |
Over the colonnade, at the end of Pump-court, is an inscription in memory of a fire that happened some years ago.
| |
The Temple church, having narrowly escaped the flames in , | |
402 | was newly beautified, adorned, and the curious wainscot screen set up, Anno Dom. , when sir Thomas Robinson was treasurer of the Inner Temple, and sir Francis Withens, treasurer of the Middle house. The south-west part was, in the year , new built with stone: on the wall, until the last repair, was this inscription:
|
