12/16/2023 0 Comments Spiral knights soundtrack![]() Make sure, if it is open, to go to the upper level (there is a spiral staircase on the North side). They would have probably originally been brightly coloured. Look closely at the wall in the nave and you will spot a series of brilliant grotesques. Much of the church was subsequently restored after the war. It then suffered severe damage after incendiary bombs set the church alight on the night of the 10th-11th May 1941. Temple Church survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 but was refurbished by Sir Christopher Wren anyway. The church was also then significantly refurbished over the course of the 19th century. The current Reverend and Valiant Master of the Temple himself, Robin Griffith-Jones Fire and War like Westminster Abbey, is owned directly by the crown.Īs a reminder of the church’s history and special status, the reverend of Temple Church is officially called “Reverend and Valiant Master of the Temple”. The lawyers were allowed to stay as long as they maintained the church, which they still do to this day.Īfter the Knights Hospitaller were dissolved in 1539, Temple Church came under the control of the Crown and today is still what is known as a ‘Royal Peculiar’, i.e. The Inner Temple was located on the consecrated ground around the church and the Middle Temple on the unconsecrated land. Two law institutions, known as the Inns of Court were established here. Much of their wealth and property was then given to the Knights Hospitaller, including Temple Church, or seized by the crown.įrom the late 14th century much of the Temple area was then leased to lawyers. The Templars were suppressed from 1307 and disbanded in 1312. After the book came out in 2003, unsurprisingly the Church saw a huge surge in visitors. Temple Church was also the setting for a famous scene in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code, revolving around these effigies. Others include William’s son (also William Marshal) and Brother Aymeric, Master of the Knights Templar in England, all witnesses to the signing of the Magna Carta. ![]() Today you will find nine medieval effigies of knights in the nave, one of which is of William Marshal. It was agreed at this meeting that the issues raised would be addressed and the Magna Carta was signed at Runnymede just a few months later in June. In January 1215 the knight William Marshall mediated a meeting at Temple Church between King John and the barons. The Templars gave King John protection and, due to their wealth, he used the church as his treasury. A King’s Strongholdĭuring the baronial crisis of 1213-15, that led to the signing of the Magna Carta, Temple Church acted as one of King John’s two bases in London, the other being the Tower of London. But anyway, I am getting slightly ahead of myself. Amongst the accusations were that they worshipped the devil, spat on the cross and kissed each other on the mouths. The secrecy was ultimately used against them by King Philip IV of France to attack the order and have it disbanded. Initiates would enter through the West door at dawn before taking oaths of piety and chastity. It was at Temple Church that the Knights Templar conducted their famously mysterious initiation ceremonies. The current ones are post-war replacements due to bomb damage. The chancel with its beautiful purbeck marble columns: the first known architectural use of this material in London. It is one of only 4 round churches in England. ![]() The round nave was constructed first, inspired by the shape of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. A small stained glass window in the church depicting two crusading knights It was constructed at a point, that was then, just West of the city, outside the walls.Įstablished in 1118, the Knights Templar were a crusading order of knights who took monastic vows and aimed to protect pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land. They were given headquarters on Temple Mount by the King of Jerusalem. It sits nestled within the tranquil warren of lanes, courtyards and gardens of the historic Temple enclave, hidden just off Fleet Street.Ĭonsecrated in 1185, Temple Church was originally built as the English headquarters of the Knights Templar. Built in the 12th century, Temple Church is one of London’s oldest and, in my opinion, most beautiful churches.
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