I love discovering parts of London that are hiding in plain sight. Historic places like Temple and Gray’s Inn are easy to walk past without ever knowing they’re there. But they’re worth taking time to explore, not least because they’re home to fascinating heritage, stunning gardens, and famous filming locations. If you feel the same way I do, read on for my free self-guided Inns of Court walking tour. There’s a map, too.
Inns of Court Walking Tour
Right in the heart of London, the Inns of Court are long-standing professional associations for barristers. Conveniently located near the Royal Courts of Justice, the four inns are Gray’s Inn, Lincoln’s Inn, Inner Temple, and Middle Temple.
The Inns of Court have the important responsibility of selecting, training, and regulating barristers. All barristers in England and Wales have to be members of one of the four, and the inns provide social and educational opportunities for them.
The Inns of Court date back centuries, and there’s a lot of heritage to be found in them. They originated as guilds of law, and later became inns with buildings where lawyers lodged, trained, and carried out their business.
Today they’re thriving parts of London’s living history. My walk will show you the highlights.
Self-Guided London walks
If you’re interested in other tours, you can see all my free self-guided routes on my blog post about London walking tours and my London walking map. This walk starts near where my London pub walk ends, so you can combine them if you want to make a day of it.
There are more walks in the book London’s Hidden Walks as well. You can get it here. There are further ideas in my London walking books blog post, too.
If you’re interested in a guided tour, you can see options and book one here. These historical walks are fun ways to see the area with an experienced local.
Before You Go
Before you do this walking tour, make sure to check opening hours of the Inns of Court and other places along the route.
Many are closed on weekends or at certain times on weekdays, and a lot have limited opening hours. It’s important to do your research and make sure the places you want to explore are open when you go.
Inns of Court Walking Tour Route
This walk starts at Temple station. It’s served by multiple tube lines and local buses. You can also arrive on foot, by bicycle, or via scooter from places like Covent Garden and the City of London.
Once outside the station, head east on Embankment, passing the Victoria Embankment Gardens and HMS Wellington as you make your way along the Thames to Temple.
Temple
When you reach Middle Temple Lane, turn left. You’ll find yourself facing a stunning facade that will give you a taste of the beautiful architecture to come.
Pass through the arch in the building and walk up the narrow lane. This historic pedestrianized street will lead you to Pump Court, a narrow passageway. You can turn right on Pump Court and walk through the tunnel to get to a stunning area lined with brick buildings.
After admiring your surroundings, walk through the arches at the east end of the courtyard and continue your Inns of Court walk by taking in the famous form of Temple Church on your left.
This place was built in the 12th century by the Knights Templar. You might remember the church from Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, too.
The Knights Templar had dominion over this part of London, setting up two halls around the church before their organization’s dissolution in the 14th century.
You can go inside Temple Church if it’s open, or just walk around it. It’s worth admiring the small gardens on the north side, and popping into the courtyard of Hare Court to admire the buildings.
When you’re done, head back to the south side of Temple Church and walk east through the courtyard. Exit via the narrow archway at the end.
Once through it, you’ll find yourself in a larger area surrounded by brick buildings. Turn right and walk down to Crown Office Row. Turn right again, and walk up to Inner Temple Garden on your left.
If it’s open, it’s worth going in to explore. The expansive lawns, pretty flower beds, and picturesque greenhouse will make you feel like you’re a million miles from the city.
Back on Crown Office Row, turn left and walk almost all the way to the archway leading to Middle Temple Lane. Before you get there, turn right into a tunnel leading to Elm Row. This place has pretty gardens with benches, and it’s a nice spot to stop for a rest if you need one.
Once you’ve explored Elm Row, go back through the tunnel to Crown Office Row. Turn right, walk through the archway to get to Middle Temple Lane, and turn right when you get there. Walk up to Fountain Court and turn left. As the name implies, this pretty area is home to a water feature.
Walk all the way to the fountain, then go down the steps on your left. They’ll take you to another beautiful green space called Middle Temple Garden. If it’s open, you can explore it. If not, you can admire the views from above.
When you’re done, head back to the fountain and walk up the stairs to the north of it. They’ll take you to another courtyard, at the end of which you’ll see a small gate on your left. Go through it, turn right, and you’ll find yourself in front of The Devereux pub.
You can pop inside this Victorian watering hole for a drink if you want to, or continue your Inns of Court walking tour by heading north up Devereux Court and following it as it winds its way to the Strand.
Royal Courts of Justice
Once on the Strand, you’ll find yourself across the street from the Royal Courts of Justice. You can head over to admire the striking 19th-century Gothic Revival facade.
The building was designed by George Edmund Street, and it was opened by Queen Victoria in 1882. One of the largest courts in Europe, it’s Grade I-listed.
Lincoln’s Inn
After admiring the large gray stone building, continue your walk by turning right to go east on the Strand. Turn left up Chancery Lane, admiring the historic facades on both sides as you make your way to Carey Street. Turn left when you get there.
When you reach the archway leading into New Square, turn right and pass through it. There’s a historic legal bookshop called Wildy & Sons Ltd here if you want to go inside for a browse.
Whether you do or not, the passageway under the arch will lead you into New Square and introduce you to Lincoln’s Inn, another of the four Inns of Court in London.
While in New Square, you can take in the historic chambers and gardens surrounding you. When you’re done, walk to the north side of the square and go through the arch to get to the square on the other side.
Here you can walk over to Old Buildings, Stone Buildings, Old Square, Lincoln’s Inn Chapel, and the North Gardens. You’ll spot the facades of the Old Hall, Ostler’s Hut, Great Hall, and library as you go.
When you’re done exploring Lincoln’s Inn, continue your Inns of Court walk by heading out to Lincoln’s Inn Fields and turning right to go north along the east border of the square.
As you walk you’ll see the eye-catching facades of the Great Hall and the library of Lincoln’s Inn on your right. When you’re done admiring them, you can exit Lincoln’s Inn Fields by heading to the northeast corner and going up an alley called Great Turnstile. It will take you to High Holborn.
Gray’s Inn
Turn right on High Holborn, then take a left into the narrow passageway leading to Fulwood Place. This skinny lane will take you up and into Gray’s Inn, the fourth of the Inns of Court on your tour.
Once inside, you’ll find yourself in an open area with a garden in front of you. The green space is called “the Walks” and it’s a 5.8-acre (2.3-hectare) garden.
The Walks is one of the largest privately-owned gardens in London. Its design dates back to the early 1600s when Sir Francis Bacon was Treasurer of the Inn.
If they’re open while you’re here, you can take a walk around to explore the gardens. The gate at the entrance dates back to 1723 and features the initials of William Gylby, who was the treasurer at the time.
Whether you explore the Walks or not, continue your tour by turning right and heading through the archway to the east. It will take you into Gray’s Inn Square and South Square Gardens. You can walk around here and admire Gray’s Inn Chapel and the green space.
When you’re done, exit the square through the arch in the southwest corner and have a look around South Square. You’ll find a statue of Sir Francis Bacon here.
After exploring South Square, retrace your steps to the Walks and continue west past the entrance to the garden. Take a right when the path dead ends, and follow the lane around until you reach the west side of the gardens.
To your left you’ll see steps leading up to a gate in the wall. Walk up them and turn right on Jockey’s Fields. It will take you north to Theobald’s Road.
Your walk ends here, but you can continue your explorations further afield if you want to (if you turn right, there are views of the Walks through the gate on your right side).
London Inns of Court Walking Tour Details & Map
Inns of Court Self-Guided Walk
I hope you’ve enjoyed this walk and that my blog post has inspired you to follow the route. It’s a great way to get outdoors and see some of London’s most famous historic sites.
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