This neighbourhood area corresponds to the lands of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple (or Inner Temple), one of the four Inns of Courts based in London. The complex stretches from Fleet Street to the north, and down to the Victoria Embankment in the south. To the east is Whitefriars, and the west is Middle Temple, surrounding the area with historical buildings from various eras. The Temples themselves are a secluded community, with very limited vehicular access; the courtyards and tall trees close off the area from the rest of the city, despite two major roads being right outside Inner Temple. Architecturally, the area consists largely of Georgian-era styles, laid out in a collegiate structure, with the exception of the Jacobean stone building on Fleet Street. The northern section close to Fleet Street is packed tightly, as compared to the south, which is dominated by the sprawling Inner Temple Gardens. Law is no longer taught here, with most of the buildings being occupied by barrister chambers. Vehicular traffic is confined to goods vans and limited cars serving the area, with no through traffic; the lanes often see pedestrians walking across from Fleet Street to the Victoria Embankment. The gardens and courtyards, beautifully sculpted, are open to the public.

The Inner Temple has existed since the 14th century, though the complex has existed since the 12th century as the estate of the Knights Templars and later the Knights Hospitallers (St. John of Jerusalem), after the Templars’ order was suppressed, who in turn leased it to the lawyers operating in the area. The Knights Templars were noblemen who protected pilgrims on the way to the Holy Land. The nave, the oldest part of Temple Church, which lies at the heart of the area, is an homage to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. After the dissolution of the monasteries the Temple passed from the Knights Hospitallers to the monarchy but proved to be a drain on royal finance. A deal was made in 1608 for the lawyers to own the land on the condition that they maintained the church as well as the master of the temple.

The Inner Temple has had numerous famous members, including Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement. Called to the bar in 1891, he was disbarred in 1922 and posthumously reinstated in 1988. Another independence fighter was Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaya (which later became Malaysia), who passed his bar exam in 1939, alongside Sir Seretse Khama, the first President of Botswana. India would gain independence in 1950, Malaya in 1957 (later forming the Federation of Malaysia in 1963 with the inclusion of the other Southeast Asian British colonies), and Botswana in 1966, changing its name from Bechuanaland. All three are still revered in their own countries as fathers of their respective nations.

Temple Church was badly bombed during the war – the heat being so intense that one of the stone Templar effigies had its face melted off. The Master’s House was rebuilt as a facsimile of the pre-war structure, as were other buildings in the area. The courtyards are still lit by gas lamps.

Inner Temple Lane features the sole surviving timber-framed Jacobean townhouse in London, which has gone through many uses. The building has been a tavern, a celebrity waxwork exhibition (including a clockwork waxwork which would kick passers-by), a barber show (with a steam-powered hairbrush) and today as a museum.

The area itself is devoid of much to do but enjoy the scenery and watch people walk past – most of the people who frequent the area are lawyers who work there. Nevertheless, the Inner Temple, by virtue of its design, has retained its sense of community as well as character, and remains a secluded oasis in the middle of central London.

The Temple area is largely protected, owing to the nature of the buildings in the complex, and as such not many developments or projects are expected to occur in the area, beyond typical refurbishment works. However, the area is adjacent to the Cycle Superhighway along the Victoria Embankment, which allows cyclists to ride along grade-separated pathways throughout London. The road in front of Summerset House is also currently being pedestrianised and turned into greenspace making the area around Temple more walkable.