Temple Bar Corinthian-style capital

This Portland stone Corinthian-style capstone comes from Temple Bar which once stood between the Strand and Fleet Street marking the westernmost boundary of the City of London. After the Great Fire of London, a new arch, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was completed in 1672. It was removed from the site in 1878 because it caused traffic congestion and was expensive to maintain. It was taken down by Mowlem and Burt.

The stones were acquired by Sir Henry Meux, a London brewer, who re-erected it as a gateway to his park and mansion at Theobalds Park, near Enfield. In 2004, Temple Bar returned to the City of London and was installed at the southern entrance to Paternoster Square, next to St Paul’s Cathedral.

It appears that George Burt, the contractor, when he took down Temple Bar in 1878 removed some of the capstones to his garden in Swanage, Dorset. After his death, they were sold and acquired by a tea garden fronting the sea in the vicinity. They were later purchased by a private individual who in turn presented them to the London Museum in 1935.