Editing Middle Temple (section)

==== West of Middle Temple Lane ====

Proceeding south from the Fleet Street gatehouse, Middle Temple Lane passes Brick Court to the west, so called because it is said to consist of the first brick buildings to be built in the Temple, in the reign of Elizabeth I. [[William Blackstone|Sir William Blackstone]] worked here before becoming the first professor to lecture in law at Oxford University. The poet and playwright [[Oliver Goldsmith]] also lived here from 1765 (having earlier resided in Garden Court), and is buried in the Temple Church. Blackstone, living on the floor below Goldsmith's chambers, complained about the noise made by Goldsmith's raucous parties, which were attended by many celebrities of the time, including [[Samuel Johnson]]. Blackstone later moved to Pump Court; whether because of the parties or for some other reason is unknown.<ref>Bellot (1902), pp. 276-280</ref>

Next to Brick Court are the buildings called Essex Court, which actually form part of the same courtyard. The earliest record of Essex Court is from 1640, but the original buildings were replaced in 1656 and 1677.<ref>Bellot (1902), p. 301</ref> Today Essex Court and Brick Court are occupied by barristers' chambers. Through a passageway to the west is New Court, built by Wren, and a gate leading out of the Temple into [[Devereux Court]] and Essex Street. (Another passageway to the north leads through [[Outer Temple]] to Fleet Street.)

{{wikisource|The Vow of the Peacock and Other Poems/The Middle Temple Gardens|'The Middle Temple Gardens',<br> a poem by L. E. L.}}
South of New Court and Essex Court lies Fountain Court. The fountain there was described by [[Charles Dickens]] in ''[[Martin Chuzzlewit]]''.<ref>Bellot (1902), p. 275</ref> In her notes to her poem ''The Middle Temple Gardens'', [[Letitia Elizabeth Landon]] says of it: 'it is the poetry of the place, or, rather, the voice of the poetry with which it is filled'. To the south of Fountain Court are, from west to east, Garden Court (where the old library used to be), Middle Temple Gardens (which extend to the southern perimeter of the Temple), and Middle Temple Hall. The current buildings of Garden Court, which lie along the western edge of the Temple, were constructed in 1883.<ref>Bellot (1902), p. 293</ref> South of Garden Court are Blackstone House, Queen Elizabeth Building, and a gate leading out of the Temple (and a short distance from [[Temple tube station]]).

South of the hall, and east of the gardens, are Plowden Buildings, built in 1831, which contain the Treasurer's office. South of that is the current library, and then, at the end of Middle Temple Lane, are the buildings called Temple Gardens, built on both sides of the lane by both Inns in 1861.<ref>Bellot (1902), p. 294</ref> The western part belongs to Middle Temple, and the eastern part is Inner Temple's. The lane passes through the middle of Temple Gardens via an archway and leads out of the Temple.