Temple Bar Memorial

This statue shows a griffin, and stands in the middle of the chaotic traffic of Fleet Street, with the Courts of Justice on one side and the entrance to the historic Temple neighborhood on the other. The statue marks the historical separation between the City of London and the City of Westminster. In the past, the monarchs who dwelled in Westminster needed permission from the Lord Mayor to enter the City of London, commonly known as the City. The statue that you see today dates back to 1880, and was built on the site of an arch designed by Sir Christopher Wren, which was dismantled because of traffic congestion and now stands in Theobald's Park in Hertfordshire.