🏛️LandmarkClosed · Opens 9:00 AMFree

Royal Courts of Justice

Name: Royal Courts of Justice
Rating: 4.5

4.5 ·

Step inside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand, a Victorian Gothic Revival building so grand it's often mistaken for a cathedral. Wander the free-to-enter Great Hall and take in the vaulted architecture, all while England's actual High Court and Court of Appeal carry on business around you.

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Reasons to go

Architect George Edmund Street died in 1881, a year before Queen Victoria opened the building he designed in 1882.
It is the largest court building in the United Kingdom and among the largest in Europe, with a Great Hall open to the public free of charge.
Construction was disrupted by an 1873 stonemasons' strike, and German masons brought in to replace them had to be housed on site for their own safety.

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Full description

Opened in 1882 and designed by George Edmund Street, the Royal Courts of Justice house the High Court and Court of Appeal for England and Wales behind a facade so ornate that reviewers with a 4.5 rating repeatedly describe mistaking it for a cathedral at first glance. The vaulted Great Hall inside is open to the public and free to visit, offering a rare look at working Victorian Gothic architecture without an entry fee, though visitors should remember it remains an active court building with real cases underway.

It's a strong stop for architecture and legal-history enthusiasts on the Strand, easily combined with nearby Temple and Fleet Street.

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Address

Strand, London WC2A 2LL, UK · Covent Garden

Website

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Hours

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Booking

Walk-in

Duration

25 min

Best time

morning, lunchtime or afternoon

Intensity

Moderate walking

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Good to know

Step inside the Great Hall, which is free and open to the public during court hours
be respectful of ongoing hearings, as this is a working court, not a museum
combine the visit with a walk through the historic Temple area just to the south.

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Reviews

(Review is for the building.) We came for the Open Houses days rather than court, so were able to see and photograph the interior. It’s a stunning building - well worth coming for a tour (or case).

Becky T

4/5

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