Buttery at Inner Temple Hall

The Buttery at Inner Temple Hall is a building of probable 14th-century origin, substantially restored after damage during the Second World War around 1950. It is constructed of stone rubble with an ashlar plinth, quoins, and window dressings. The roof is flat. The building is two storeys high.

The north side retains, at a lower level, a blocked pointed arch and one blocked four-centred arch. Above is a circa 1950 triple casement window with leaded lights. The west side has two circa 1950 round-headed casements with leaded lights to the first floor and two circa 1950 rectangular windows with pivoting leaded lights to the ground floor, the left-hand window having a lower cill. The south front features one circa 1950 round-headed window with pivoting lights to the first floor and two square lancets. The ground floor has two square circa 1950 pivoting casements and two similar lancets.

The first-floor buttery is a room measuring 16 by 14 feet, with a quadripartite vaulted roof featuring hollow-chamfered ribs springing from floor level. The crypt below has a similar vaulted roof, and a 15th-century stone fireplace in the west wall with moulded jambs and a four-centred head containing blank shields within a foliated spandrel. Above the fireplace is a reset stone bracket, dated approximately 1500, carved with an angel holding two shields; one displaying a chevron charged with a molet between three lions' heads razed, the other five palets on a chief with three lozenges. The west wall also contains a small cupboard with a rebated arched head.

The buttery originally served a 14th-century hall likely associated with the Knights Templars, who were dispersed in 1308 and who had two halls within the Temple. By 1324, their property had been transferred to the Knights Hospitallers, who simply derived income from the land. Lawyers are known to have occupied the site by 1381 during Wat Tyler's rebellion, evidenced by records of lodging and records destruction during the rebellion. The hall was rebuilt in the 19th century, and again after Second World War damage in 1952. As one of only a few 14th-century secular stone buildings in Greater London, and with most examples being royal palaces, the Buttery possesses a significant historic interest.