The weekend of 19th-20th September was a major event, organised jointly by the Inner Temple and Middle Temple, and a highlight of the Inner Temple’s 2015 programme of events to mark the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta.

Over these two days, both Inns opened their doors to welcome around 20,000 members of the wider public to the Temple. Visitors were able to visit the Temple Church and the Halls, Treasury buildings, Libraries and Gardens of both Inns, accompanied by volunteer and professional guides. A number of sets of Chambers, some with significant historical connections, were also open to visitors, and the Education & Training teams of both Inns ran a full schedule of events at the Royal Courts of Justice.

The Inner Temple Library had 2,300 visitors over Open House Weekend. We ran an exhibition of some our important historical manuscripts, including the illuminations of the four courts at Westminster c.1460 and royal letters from the Tudor and Stuart period, as well as mounting displays about Magna Carta, Sir Edward Marshall Hall, the Murder in the Temple of 1733, Library history and the process of researching legal cases. A History of the Library booklet was available for visitors to take away.