TEMPLE BAR |
One of the original gates marking the entrance into the City of London
Photo © Den99 (CC)
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Dragon Statue
Original Temple Bar (Paternoster Square)
Visitor Information |
The later Temple Bar can be found in the middle of the Strand. The
original Temple Bar be found in Paternoster Square (near St Paul's
Cathedral).
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Temple Bar
was originally one of the entrances marking the westernmost boundary of
London. On the tube you may be able to spot the places where other
boundary gates used to be, such as Bishopsgate, or Moorgate. At first
Temple Bar would have only been a chain, or a bar, but the structure we
see today is made of grand Portland stone. It was supposedly design by
Christopher Wren, and was built in 1672. It takes its name from the
close proximity of the Temple Church.
The original Temple Bar as shown in the Illustrated London News in 1870
Source WikiMedia (PD)
When
the stone arch became a problem in holding up passing traffic, it was
taken down in the 1800s. Yet each stone was carefully numbered and
stored, in the hope that the structure would be resurrected one day.
Ths day came about in November 2004, when the Lord Mayor of the day
reopened Temple Bar by pushing open the two huge gates. These weigh 1.2
tons each, so needles to say he was helped by the 14 stone masons who
had worked on the restoration of the arch.
The smaller version, less restrictive to traffic, as shown in the Illustrated London News in 1880
Source WikiMedia (PD)
Did You Know?
In 1880, the brewer Sir Henry Meux bought the old Bar (at the
instigation of his wife, a barmaid he married amid much scandal) and
re-erected the arch as a gateway at his house, Theobalds Park in
Hertfordshire. It remained there, sitting in a clearing in a wood,
until 2003, when it was purchased by the Temple Bar Trust for £1.
Statue of Queen Victoria on Temple Bar today
Photo © jonworth (CC)
The
tradition has often been enacted at Temple Bar that the Monarch of the
day should approach the gate, and ask permission to enter the city.
Although of course the Monarch does not need anyone’s permission to
enter the city, the Lord Mayor of London presents the royalty with the
pearl encrusted Sword of State. This marks their loyalty to the crown,
and the Monarch then enters the city in peace.
A Dragon is a symbol of the City of London
Photo © Myk Reeve (CC)
However,
Temple Bar has also been used in the past to display those victims who
chose not to swear loyalty to the crown. Grissly disembodied heads of
traitors were put on spikes on top of the Stone arch, as warning to
all. Charles Dickens mentions this practise in his famous work, A Tale of To Cities. He wrote that putting to death was a recipe much in vogue,
speaking of his distaste of the head-displaying practise. Fortunately
for us, the last heads of traitors were put on top of Temple Bar in
1745, and then the practise came to an end.
The restored Temple Bar, now in Paternoster Square (near St Paul's Cathedral)
Photo © Lonpicman (CC)
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