Two Temple Place has one of the most remarkable interiors in London. Every year, in the early months, you can see inside Two Temple Place for free, when it hosts a free exhibiton.
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Two Temple Place Interiors
William Waldorf Astor gave his architect an unlimited budget to build an estate office with some living space above in 1895. Everywhere you look is ornate wooden panelling and sumptuous stained glass. The central staircase that connects the working and living spaces is crowned with a stained glass ceiling.
William Waldorf Astor liked books and history, we know this because the interior is scattered liberally with literary references. The ornate mahogany carvings on the central staircase depict Shakespearian heroes. But pride of place is reserved for his all time top favourite book; Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers. Each newel post is topped by an eighteen inch high stature of the novel’s characters.
Not content with Shakespeare and Dumas, there are yet more literary references upstairs. The door into the magnificent main room is decorated with nine silver gilt reliefs showing Arthurian heroines.
At either end of this grand room is yet more stained glass. Sunset is depicted in the one at the west end of the room: it is entitled Alpine Lanscape and was created by Clayton and Bell.
Even the entrance to the ladies’ loo is ornate. I had never noticed the discrete brass plate before and felt compelled to go inside. Inside is a vision of yet more wood panelling and ornate tiles. Well worth a visit.
Lives Less Ordinary – Working-Class Britain Re-seen 25 January – 20 April 2025
Lives Less Ordinary promises to take a look at Working Class culture beyond the usual narrative of struggle and deprivation. Work from artists of working class origin drawn from public collections and archives plus contemporary artists. Expect ceramics, film, painting, photography and sculpture depicting humour, love and diversity.
Tours of Two Temple Place
Regular tours inside Two Temple Place take place but on an irregular basis. So I can’t say every Tuesday at 6 for instance. Take a look at the Two Temple Place events page and book the one that suits you best. Tours take an hour and cost £10.
Visiting Two Temple Place
- Two Temple Place WC2R 3BD, is a few hundred yards away from Temple tube station.
Whilst you are in the area why not pop into to see Middle Temple Hall where the first production of Twelfth Night took place or channel your inner knight with a visit to the Temple Church. Check out my guide to London’s Historic Houses if visiting interesting interiors is your thing.
That is quite an office!! Can you imagine being the architect in charge of that! Love the windows especially! :)
I know …… here is a blank cheque please spend it tastefully!
How amazing to visit somewhere so grand
It’s got me wondering if Mr CW would contemplate a stained glass atrium
That’s amazing. so glad I caught this post as I never knew it existed and will definitely visit now. Thanks.
Let me know what you think!
That staind glass window is simply beautiful! #mysundayphoto
Perfectly positioned to catch the light as well
Wow what amazing detail, it looks so grand. The colours in the glass are stunning.
Thank you for linking up
A treat for the eye and the camera
What a beautiful place to visit. I love all the wood carvings and the literacy references and the stained glass is so pretty. I’ve never heard of Two Temple Place and the exhibition sounds really interesting too. Will have to try and visit while it’s open.
The exhibitions are always good
Oh wow, what an amazing place to visit. The architecture is amazing and I love all the stained glass.
Hi Catherine, what an incredibly ornate interior and I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an intracate ladies toilet door. I’m really not sure how I would like my house decorated, but it would have to be something bright, fun and uplifting. Probably more like a theme from a childrens book.
xx
Wols house in Winnie the Pooh?
Wow it’s just so stunning. I’m not sure I’d have got much work done in that office. It reminds me a lot of the ceilings in Stirling castle!
Inspirational interiors!
What a wonderful building. The stained glass is exquisite. You make me want to move back to London!
Job done!
This is an amazing place! You’re so lucky to get free entrance – I’d want to spend all day there.
Everybody gets free entrance!
Beautiful photos, what a gorgeous place.
It is stunning
What an amazing place – and that glass! Wow.
It is incredible, I will try to pop in for a coffee at least one more time before the end of April
Wow what a beautiful building, it’s nice to see them in such a good state of repair. So many are left to ruin. #MySundayPhoto
Those are incredible. What amazing photos. x
Isn’t it fab? We took our students there for a wander once. They were adult students who were sent to London by their companies. Many were lawyers and so this was particularly interesting to them.
Those stained glass windows put mine to shame though! 😄
It is joyful, he seemed to,enjoy his money!
What a fabulous place – i wonder what I would come up with if given a blank cheque and free rein. I am having enough trouble working out which book to pick! I love London’s surprises like this. Thanks for linking up with #citytripping
What an amazing place. Your photos are always stunning, Catherine.
What a great opportunity to see inside this fabulous building, Catherine! I’ll have to go and check it out. The combination of beautiful interiors and Jazz sounds just my kind of thing. Thanks for sharing on #FarawayFiles
It’s amazing what one can do with unlimited funds! The interior looks amazing and I definitely wouldn’t mind visiting! Pinned! #FarawayFiles
Thank you, faced with refurbishing my bathrooms I wish that my funds were less limited!
I love that London has all these gems everywhere – we’re definitely jazz fans so Two Temple Place looks like somewhere we need to check out when we’re back in London! #farawayfiles
Makes you wonder what lurks Behind other doors that are firmly shut to the public
What ornate carvings -true craftmanship at work, I love the china and the shoes. Now if I had to decorate my house in the theme of a novel i can imagine my kids would rule the roost and we’d end up with a Harry Potter house full of cobwebs! #FarawayFiles
I knew my house was themed and now I know which book it is ….. will never remove the cobwebs ever again!
Isn’t it wonderful what can be done on an unlimited budget? I do like the idea of using Spotify to provide a soundtrack to the visit – very cool! #FarawayFiles
I like the idea of walking round looking a beautiful things cocooned in great music
You have to love a splendid ladies’ loo. And HOW MUCH do I want those shoes??!! #FarawayFiles
I know, I was so sad the gallery shop didn’t have the shoes!
That William Waldorf Astor was everywhere, wasn’t he? This looks like a lovely outing, and I love the idea that you can download the playlist and listen while you explore! That’s very cool! #farawayfiles
That stained glass ceiling…. Marvellous! You write wonderfully, Catherine!
Louise x
Thank you …. what a lovely way to start my day x
Great article and photos. One correction: Ruskin didn’t hail from Sheffield; he was born in London and lived in Herne Hill till he moved to the Lake District. But he wanted to make life better for the workers of Sheffield and elsewhere.
Hangs head in shame, thank you for the information… I shall amend.
That building is just stunning and I love Ruskin drawings so much!! #culturedkids
Hard to know which way to look!
This windows is so beautiful! Thank you for great post and beautiful photos!
Isn’t the window fabulous!
Beautiful interior! I love the stained glass ceiling and his Dumas figure ( I love everything French… I admit it)
I have heard about Ruskin before, but I am afraid the birds just dont really catch my interest. The two temple place is however lovely! #culturedkids
Louise x
You really do find the most amazing places. I know all about Hever Castle, which Astor owned and renovated, but I hadn’t appreciated he did much in the UK prior to that. How wrong I was! And how amazing to give his architect an unlimited budget.
I’m indebted to you for letting me know about this place which I shall visit as soon as I am allowed to, i.e. when we are released from lockdown. I am planning a whole week in London (my ex-home, as I’m starved of galleries, museums, and concert halls). I’ve decided that this time I shall abandon the West End and I’ve found a lovely new boutique hotel in Shoreditch which will keep me in an area I’ve long wanted to reconnect with.
Shoreditch has got lots of exciting things going on, looking forward to hearing about your trip