264 LONDON PARKS & GARDENS 
is one of those nooks, the turning into which out of the 
clashing streets imparts to the relieved pedestrian the 
sensation of having put cotton in his ears and velvet soles 
on his boots.” Furnival’s, Thavies’, and all the other 
Inns famous in olden days, have disappeared, and their 
quiet little gardens with them. 
The Temple Gardens are larger now than in the 
earlier days of their history, as then there was nothing 
to keep the Thames within its channel at high tide. 
The landing steps from the river were approached by 
a causeway of arches across the muddy banks. It was 
not until 1528 that a protecting wall was built, and a 
pathway ran outside the wall between it and the river. 
Gardens must have existed on this site from a very 
early date. When the Templars moved there from 
Holborn and built the church in 1185, it was all open 
country round, with a few great houses and conventual 
buildings standing in their own orchards and gardens. 
After the suppression of the Order, it was in the hands 
of Aimer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, and in 1324 
the land was given to the Knights of St. John. As 
they had their own buildings and church not far off, 
they granted it u to the Students of the Common Lawes 
of England : in whose possession the same hath sithence 
remained.” All the consecrated land, and all within the 
City, was included in the grant to the Knights of St. 
John : besides this there was some land outside the City, 
or the Outer Temple, part of which remained in secular 
hands, and in later times was covered by Essex House, 
with its famous gardens. The section belonging to the 
Law Societies, beyond the City, is spoken of in early 
records as the Outer Garden, and from time to time 
buildings were erected on it—at first under protest, 
