Description
Today there are two paved courtyards here but the central courtyard was once the garden of Barnard's Inn, one of the Inns of Chancery associated with Gray's Inn. The late C14th Hall survives, which in 1454 was tenanted by Lionel Barnard, hence the name, and the premises were used by law students. The freehold was purchased by the Mercers' Company in 1892 for use as the Mercers' School, which it remained until 1959. Since 1991 it has been the base for Gresham College, established in 1597 by Sir Thomas Gresham whose house in Bishopsgate was the first venue for free public lectures. On his death, Gresham left his estate and control of his benefaction to the City of London Corporation and the Mercers' Company.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Macworth Inne |
|---|---|
| Site location | access from 20-23 Holborn/Fetter Lane |
| Postcode | EC1N 2HH |
| What3Words | ///sharp.locate.design |
| Type of Site | Square |
| Borough | City of London |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | private but has public access |
| Events | Lectures and events |
| Public Transport | Tube: Chancery Lane (Central). Bus: 8, 17, 25, 45, 46, 242, 341, 501, 521. |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Central courtyard that was formerly the garden of Barnard's Inn, one of the Inns of Chancery associated with Gray's Inn; it featured in Charles Dickens' 'Great Expectations'. The late C14th Barnard's Inn Hall survives, once the house of John Macworth, Chancellor to Henry V and Dean of Lincoln; in 1454 Lionel Barnard had the tenancy, hence the name, and the premises were used by law students. Around the Hall are C18th and C19th buildings. The freehold of Barnard's Inn was purchased by the Trustees in 1888 who then sold it to the Mercers' Company in 1891/2 for use as the Mercers' School, which it remained until 1959, after which it was used as commercial offices. The site was redeveloped in 1988-92 by Green Lloyd Architects, when some of the old buildings were restored. Since 1991 Gresham College, which has close associations with the Mercers' Company, has been based at the Mercers' School site. It was set up in 1597 by Sir Thomas Gresham whose house in Bishopsgate was the first venue for the free public lectures given by Gresham Professors. Their salaries were paid out of income from rents on shops around the Royal Exchange, which Sir Thomas Gresham bequeathed jointly to the City Corporation and the Mercers' Company. Sir Thomas had been instrumental in setting up the Royal Exchange in the C16th although the idea for an Exchange modelled on the Antwerp Bourse was conceived by his father Sir Richard Gresham, Lord Mayor of London in 1537/8. Sir Thomas left his estate and control of his benefaction to the City Corporation and the Mercers' Company.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ312815 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.0943 |
| Site Ownership | Great Portland Estates |
| Site Management | Great Portland Estates |
| Dates | C15th on; 1894; 1989-92 |
| Listed Structures | LBII* and SAM: Barnard's Inn Hall & adjacent buildings |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | City of London |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Dyers Buildings |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Strategic Viewing Corridor |
Gallery
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
A place for trading in the C13th and C14th, Staple Inn was used by the legal profession from c.1415 until c.1884, and since 1887 has been the home of the Institute of Actuaries. A 'Staple Hall' is recorded here from at least 1292 and it may date from even earlier. Parts of the surviving buildings date from the late C16th when Staple Inn was enlarged, including the half-timbered Elizabethan range facing onto Holborn with an arch leading to the internal Courtyard. The Garden south of the Hall has existed here since the late C16th and today has fountain, flower beds, trees and shrubs. The Courtyard is paved and has a number of mature plane trees, seats and lamp posts; its well and pump provided the water supply to the Inn until the 1930s.
The garden is a fragment of the former burial ground of St Dunstan in the West, the church located further south facing onto Fleet Street. Bream's Buildings was an C18th close off Chancery Lane that was extended to Fetter Lane in 1882. St Dunstan's was the last medieval City church to be rebuilt. First mentioned in c.1185, it was later known as St Dunstan in the West to distinguish it from St Dunstan in the East. The old church escaped the Great Fire in 1666, but by the early C19th was dilapidated and a new church was built by 1833 further to the north on the part of the burial ground. What remains of the burial ground is now overlooked by 1960s offices, a small public garden entered through a modest gate, from where steps lead to a raised area of grass, trees and shrubs, re-landscaped by 2009. A few tombstones remain inside the boundary railings and in shrubbery on the west perimeter.
St Andrew Street Garden to the west of St Andrew's Church was the site of an old bank destroyed in WWII. The land had been acquired for highway improvements and prior to 1969 was simply laid out. It was later hedged to create a more secluded space, which had a public chequerboard table provided. Re-landscaping post-2004 provided access between the public garden and adjacent St Andrew's Churchyard and a further scheme is now underway to create one public garden, due to be completed in August 2014. Across Holborn Viaduct another area of planting laid out in the 1960s on land acquired for highway improvement was re-landscaped in 2007/8 with planting, seating and a water feature as part of the development of 40 Holborn Viaduct.
