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Explore the Inns of Court and the Royal Courts of Justice on a walking tour of London. Learn about the history of the English Common Law and the people who shaped it.

Highlights

• Discover the history of the English Common Law and its global impact
• Explore the Inns of Court, where many influential figures studied and worked
• Visit the Temple Church, a historic site linked to the Magna Carta
• See the Royal Courts of Justice, a stunning Gothic Revival building
• Find out why lawyers wear wigs and why they had to eat 70 dinners to quallifyify

Description

Meet your guide outside Temple Underground Station and set off on a journey through the legal heart of London. Discover how this small area of the city fostered the development of the English Common Law, which spread around the world to the United States, India, Pakistan, Africa, Australia, and many more countries. Learn about the people who changed the world while working, living, and studying in the Inns of Court, including seven of the signatories to the American Declaration of Independence, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Mahatma Gandhi, Sir Francis Drake, and Sir William Blackstone. Visit the Temple Church, built in 1162 AD and consecrated in 1185 AD, which was one of the bases of King John in the Magna Carta negotiations. Over eight hundred years, these Medieval halls and buildings have witnessed many changes. Look at some of the traditions, including eating dinners in the halls, which have endured to this day. Hear how, for seven hundred years, lawyers travelled from here in rowing boats and then steam ferries to the law courts at Westminster. See the Middle Temple Hall, built in 1573 and said to be 'the most perfect' example of an Elizabethan building remaining in Central London. Learn how much of English history revolves around this building. Find out how in the last century women struggled to gain acceptance in the Legal Profession including Helena Normanton's misstep when she had to eat 70 dinners in Middle Temple to qualify as a lawyer. Visit the Inner Temple Hall and Gardens, where Shakespeare's Henry VI Part 1 suggests that the War of the Roses originated with the picking of red and white roses in Temple Gardens. Stop at El Vino's described by Lord Justice Griffiths (1982) in the Court of Appeal as 'no ordinary wine bar. It has become a unique institution in Fleet Street.' Visit the Royal Courts of Justice, opened in 1882 by Queen Victoria. The building was originally designed to house 19 courts, and now there are around a hundred. See Lincoln's Inn, which produced 15 prime ministers including Tony Blair, Margaret Thatcher, Gladstone and Disraeli. The Old Hall was built around 1490, and which was used as a Court by the Lord Chancellor, was the at the centre of Charles Dickens' novel Bleak House. See the stunning building the country's leading architectual historian described as the best example of a Tudor timber framed building in London. Hear about how Shakespeares' company of players (the Lord Chamberlain's Men) performed his plays in the Inns of Court and in one case provoked a riot. Visit Gray's Inn where the American Bar Association helped to restore its ancient hall (built 1558) after bomb damge. Hear about its most famous former member who as Lord Chancellor was convicted of 23 cases of corruption and wonder why there is a statue to him in the Inn's central square. Hear how Charles Dickens worked here as anoffice boy. End your tour at Chancery Lane Underground Station, the nearest underground station.

Includes

Guided walking tour of Legal London Visit to Middle Temple Gates Visit to Middle Temple Hall (outside visit) Visit to Inner Temple Hall (outside visit) Visit Inner Temple Gardens (if open) Visit to Temple Church (outside visit, but can be visited after the morning tour for a fee: £5) Visit to El Vino's/Sergeants' Inn (outside visit) Visit to Clifford's Inn/St. Dunstan's Church (outside visit) Visit to The Royal Courts of Justice (Visit inside and see the courts in action) Visit to Lincoln's Inn: Old Hall and Chapel (outside visit) Visit to Staple Inn (outside visit) Visit to Gray's Inn (outside visit)

Important Information

• The tour involves a lot of walking, so comfortable shoes are recommended. The tour takes place outdoors, so please dress appropriately for the weather. The tour is not suitable for people with mobility impairments.

Easy cancellation

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund