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In the courtyard of Somerset House, this has become a Londoner's favorite, although how it will compete with the newcomers remains to be seen. It is preferable to visit at night, when the Christmas tree is lit up.
First used to bury bones to make space at St Paul's, it was designated as a burial ground during the Great Plague of 1665. Notable interments include Daniel Dafoe, John Bunyan and William Blake. This small graveyard is a rarity in central London, and seems oddly tranquil in comparison to the nearby bustling streets of the City. Some 120,000 bodies are believed to be buried here: as the inscription reads, it is a burial ground for 'nonconformists'. Notably, Bunhill Fields contains the graves of William Blake, Daniel Defoe and John Bunyan. The watchful eye will notice that the paved way across the field is actually made up of tombstones.
Gray's Inn
One of the four Inns of Court in London who hold the exclusive right to call qualified legal professionals to the bar, i.e. to become barristers at law. The grand buildings housing the inns are arranged around lovely green gardens. There are records of Gray's Inns operating from this location since the 14th century.
Lincoln's Inn
Like Gray's Inn, one of the four societies of the bar. The wonderful old buildings here are arranged around the open spaces of Lincoln's Inn Fields and a walk around this area will give any visitor a real sense of the history and grand traditions of the legal profession in London.
Nice shady park next to St Marks Church. Small children's playground.
The building holds the High Court and the Court of Appeal, two of the highest courts in the United Kingdom, though only civil cases are heard here. Trials are open to the public, but tourists would probably be more interested in seeing the impressive entrance hall, and admiring the stunning Victorian Gothic exterior.
See the rare range of Tudor half-timbered buildings. Staple Inn was built in 1585 and served as an inn Inn of Chancery (law school). Most of it escaped both the Great Fire and the German air raids, unlike other buildings in the area. The western end is actually from a different, adjoining building—which was incorporated into the Inn with a unified facade during restoration work in 1936, although the difference can still be seen in the roofing and slightly different style. One of Charles Dickens's homes was on the site and it was featured in his Mystery of Edwin Drood.