Royal Courts of Justice

The West End


Where the Strand joins Fleet St, you’ll see the entrance to this gargantuan melange of Gothic spires, pinnacles and burnished Portland stone, built in 1874. It is a public building and you’re allowed to sit in on court proceedings; the daily 'cause list' of cases to be heard is both on the website and posted on signboards in the reception of the Great Hall.

The building was designed by aspiring cathedral builder GE Street; see his statue in the Great Hall. Apparently the job took so much out of him that he died of a stroke shortly before its completion. The statues at the top represent Christ in Majesty, King Solomon and King Alfred the Great. You can also enter the building from the northern side on Carey St, which offers better views of the awesome interior.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The West End attractions

1. St Clement Danes

0.07 MILES

Christopher Wren designed the original church here in 1682, but only the walls and a steeple added by James Gibbs in 1719 survived bombing in 1941; the…

2. Temple Church

0.12 MILES

The magnificent Temple Church was built by the secretive Knights Templar, an order of crusading monks founded in the 12th century to protect pilgrims…

3. Middle Temple

0.12 MILES

From the Strand, look for a studded black door labelled ‘Middle Temple Lane’, opposite Bell Yard and the Royal Courts building, and you’ll find yourself…

4. Inner Temple

0.15 MILES

Duck under the archway at Old Mitre Court (47 Fleet St) and you’ll find yourself in the Inner Temple, a sprawling complex of some of the finest buildings…

5. Two Temple Place

0.16 MILES

This neo-Gothic house built in the late 1890s for William Waldorf Astor, of hotel fame and once the richest man in America, showcases art from UK museum…

6. Bush House

0.2 MILES

Home of the BBC World Service for more than 70 years, this iconic building at the southern end of Kingsway was built between 1923 and 1935. It has been…

7. Lincoln’s Inn

0.21 MILES

The attractive Lincoln’s Inn has a chapel with lovely stained glass, pleasant square and picturesque gardens that invite a stroll, especially early or…

8. Dr Johnson’s House

0.22 MILES

This 16th-century Georgian pile is one of the few surviving in the City, and it was the home of Samuel Johnson, author of the first serious English…