Landmark
Originally built by Christopher Wren between 1670 and 1672 to mark the ceremonial boundary of the City of London on Fleet Street, Temple Bar was dismantled in 1878 to ease traffic, spent over a century as a private estate feature outside London, and was finally returned and re-erected near St Paul's Cathedral in Paternoster Square in 2004. Its carved dragon, the symbol of the City of London, tops the arch and marks a spot where monarchs traditionally still pause to seek the Lord Mayor's permission before entering the City. Reviewers with a 4.5 rating appreciate the layered backstory more than the structure's modest size, making it a rewarding stop for those interested in the story behind the stone rather than a visual showstopper alone.
✨ Reasons to go
💡 Good to know
⏱️ Typical visit
10 min
🕰️ Best time
morning or afternoon
🚶 Walking intensity
Easy pace
What people say
"Temple Bar marked the City’s western boundary centuries before that threshold was given monumental stone form in 1670–72. At its original Fleet Street site, the sovereign and Lord Mayor met at the boundary, beneath Stuart figures fixed above the road. The heads of people convicted of treason were displayed there, and in 1769 political crowds occupied the same conspicuous entrance during the riot remembered as the Battle of Temple Bar. By the nineteenth century, traffic had turned the gateway into an obstruction, and it was dismantled in 1878. Rebuilt at Theobalds Park as a private estate entrance, it returned to the City beside Paternoster Square in 2004. The gateway now stands near St Paul’s, while a separate memorial marks the original Fleet Street boundary."
— Loo Yeo
