No 1 Hare Court Inner Temple
TQ 3118 8104 ;(Ireneo Grosso); watching brief; 10 January - 6 March 2002; HEC02
Three trial trenches were excavated at the site in preparation for the erection of two column bases and one new staircase in the basement of 1 Hare Court.
Natural sandy gravel was recorded at 9.88m OD.
A small pit of possible Mid-Saxon date containing residual Roman material was revealed in the western trench. This is not surprising considering the recent discovery of middle Saxon occupation to the N of Hare Court. It would appear that it was either part of the eastern periphery of Lundenwic or an isolated settlement of some status between Lundenwic to the W and the possible middle Saxon enclave around St Paul's in the old Roman city.
A large undated quarry pit was revealed in the trench to the E , possibly part of a series of quarry pits previously found in Hare Court to the N and in Church Court to the E. They may be part of gravel quarries or an early Medieval terrace levelling for the construction of the 12th century Temple church and other buildings within the Knights Templar Temple complex.
17th century rubbish pits were recorded that are probably associated with the lawyers' occupation of the site. The removal of part of the facing on an internal wall revealed the re-use of earlier building material within the core of the standing walls in the basement of No 1 Hare Court. This is unsurprising considering the long occupation of the site from the Bishop of Ely's Inn in the immediate post-Conquest period, through the Knights Templar establishment to that of the lawyers.
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