Temple Church

Temple Church
Temple Church, view from south-west, showing the original Round Church, now forming the narthex
Location	London, EC4
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Book of Common Prayer
Website	templechurch.com
History
Consecrated	10 February 1185
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Administration
Diocese	London
Deanery	City
Clergy
Priest(s)	Robin Griffith-Jones (Master of the Temple) Mark Hatcher (Reader of the Temple)
Laity
Director of music	Thomas Allery
Historic site
Temple Church, view from south-east showing the chancel and east end
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name	Temple Church (St Mary's)
Designated	4 January 1950
Reference no.	1064646[1]

The Temple Church, a royal peculiar in the Church of England,^[2] is a church in the City of London located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built by the Knights Templar for their English headquarters in the Temple precinct. It was consecrated on 10 February 1185^[3] by Patriarch Heraclius of Jerusalem.^[4] During the reign of King John (1199–1216) it served as the royal treasury, supported by the role of the Knights Templar as proto-international bankers. It is now jointly owned by the Inner Temple and Middle Temple^[5] Inns of Court, bases of the English legal profession. It is famous for being a round church, a common design feature for Knights Templar churches,^[6] and for its 13th- and 14th-century stone effigies. It was heavily damaged by German bombing during World War II and has since been greatly restored and rebuilt.

The area around the Temple Church is still known as the Temple.^[7] Temple Bar, a jurisdictional gateway, stood in the middle of Fleet Street in the Temple area. Nearby is Temple Underground station.