Historically
Temple Bar divided the liberties of the cities of London and Westminster.
Anciently this boundary was marked by a simple rail, but from medieval
times a great gateway straddled the junction of Fleet Street and the
Strand to mark the boundary. The gateway above is one designed by Sir
Christopher Wren and built in 1670. In the Georgian period it was
used to display the heads of traitors.
Even
in Georgian times Temple Bar was an impediment to traffic flow along
the busy Strand and Fleet Street. It was taken down in 1878 in order
to facilitate increasing late Victorian traffic flow.
See
another
view of Temple Bar from Butcher Row.
