Staple Inn

Staple Inn is the last surviving Inn of Chancery in London. These institutions functioned as medieval schools where young lawyers received their primary training before moving on to the more senior Inns of Court. The site earned its name from the thirteenth century when it served as a wool staple, a specialized trade center where wool merchants had their inventory weighed and taxed. You are looking at one of the city's most impressive timber-framed buildings. The current black and white facade dates back to the late sixteenth century. For centuries, this exterior was hidden under a thick layer of plaster, which property owners applied as a fireproofing measure after the Great Fire of London in sixteen sixty-six. It was not until the nineteenth century that the plaster was removed to reveal the original Tudor woodwork. The building is split into two distinct parts. The five gables on the left were constructed between fifteen forty-five and fifteen eighty-nine, while the two gables on the right were added shortly after. Despite its age, it is not a static relic. The structure suffered significant damage during a German bombing raid in nineteen forty-four, but it was painstakingly restored in the nineteen fifties using salvaged materials. Today, the building functions as the London headquarters for the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. If you walk through the arched central passage, you will find a quiet, cobbled courtyard that feels detached from the busy street outside. You may notice that the shops lining the ground floor of the frontage use much plainer, quieter signage than their neighbors to preserve the historic character of the building.