27. The Master’s Lady’s tour of the Middle Temple 21 October

Middle Temple Hall is probably the finest example of an Elizabethan Hall in London, with construction starting in 1562. Our guided tour started on the 1574 carved wooden screen, which had been carefully repaired after severe bomb damage in 1940. From here there was a magnificent view of the Hall - 101 feet long and 41 feet wide, and spanned by a rare double hammer-beam roof.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night was said to have been first performed here on 2 February 1602, at Candlemas, the formal end of Christmastide in the year's calendar.

Our guide described the stained glass windows, the coats of arms, and the paintings which decorated the Hall. At the front were painting of the Stuarts – Charles I (left), Charles II and James II. The tour extended to the beautiful side rooms.

 The Hall still functions as a place of education for the legal profession, just as it has for 600 years. The Masters of the Bench, or Benchers, are responsible for the governance of the Inn. Masters are elected by their peers. The tour concluded with luncheon in Hall. Many thanks to Georgina for arranging the visit.