Page 144 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - London

142  L ONDON AREA B Y AREA

5 Old Curiosity Christopher Wren in 1680. Its
Shop name derives from an earlier
church built here by the
13–14 Portsmouth St WC2. descendants of Danish invaders,
Map 14 D1. 1 Holborn. whom Alfred the Great had
∑ the-old-curiosity-shop.com
allowed to remain in London in
the 9th century. From the 17th
Whether it inspired the Charles to 19th centuries many people
Dickens’s 19th-century novel were buried here, and their
of the same name or not, the memorial plaques are now in
Old Curiosity Shop is a genuine the crypt. The chain now
16th-century building. With hanging on the crypt wall was
its wooden beams and over- probably used to secure coffin
hanging first floor, it gives a lids against body snatchers who
rare impression of a London stole fresh corpses and sold
streetscape from before the them to the teaching hospitals.
Great Fire of 1666. The shop Outside, to the east, is a statue
maintains its retailing tradition, (1910) of Dr Johnson (see p144), Gothic façade of the Royal Courts of Justice
and currently operates as a who often came to services here.
handmade shoe shop. A Nearly destroyed during nation’s main civil courts,
preservation order guarantees World War II, the church was dealing with such matters as
the building’s long-term future. rebuilt and became the central divorce, libel, civil liability and
church of the Royal Air Force appeals. Cases involving
(RAF). The interior is dominated criminal offences are dealt
by RAF symbols, memorials with at the Old Bailey (see
and monuments. p151), ten minutes’ walk to the
The church bells ring to east. The public are admitted
various tunes including that of to all the court rooms and a
the old English nursery rhyme list details which case is being
Oranges and Lemons, in whose heard in which court. The
lyrics the church features. massive Gothic building was
completed in 1882. It is said
to contain 1,000 rooms and
7 Royal Courts 5.6 km (3.5 miles) of corridors.
of Justice (the
The quaint Old Curiosity Shop on Law Courts)
Portsmouth Street 8 Law Society
Strand WC2. Map 14 D2. Tel 020 7947
6 St Clement Danes 6000. 1 Holborn, Temple, Chancery 113 Chancery Lane WC2. Map 14 E1.
Lane. Open 9:30am–4:30pm Mon–Fri. Tel 020 7242 1222. 1 Chancery Lane.
Strand WC2. Map 14 D2. Tel 020 7242 Closed pub hols. 7 - 8 call Closed to the public.
8282. 1 Temple. Open 9am–4pm ahead 077 8975 1248.
Mon–Fri, 10am–3pm Sat, 9:30am– ∑ justice.gov.uk/courts The headquarters of the
3pm Sun. Closed noon 25–27 Dec, solicitors’ professional body
pub hols. 5 12:30am Wed & Fri, is, architecturally, one of the
11am Sun. 7 See Ceremonies p59. Knots of demonstrators and most interesting buildings in
∑ raf.mod.uk/stclementdanes television cameras can often be the legal quarter. The main
seen outside this sprawling and part, dominated by four Ionic
Sitting proudly isolated on a fanciful Victorian Gothic building, columns, was completed in
traffic island, this wonderful waiting for the result of a 1832. More significant is the
church was designed by contentious case. These are the northern extension, an early
work of Charles Holden, an Arts
and Crafts enthusiast who later
made his name as a des igner of
London Underground stations.
In his window arches the four
seated figures depict truth,
justice, liberty and mercy.
The building is on the
corner of Carey Street, the
site of the bankruptcy court
whose name, corrupted to
“Queer Street”, entered the
language to describe a state
Interior of St Clement Danes, restored as the church of the Royal Air Force of destitution.

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