Bust

Temple Bar memorial - Chaucer

Inscription

Chaucer

Site: Temple Bar memorial (9 memorials)

EC4, Fleet Street

This is the site of the 17th century Temple Bar entrance to the City of London. Having become an obstruction to circulation it was removed in 1879 and this monument unveiled in 1881, as a memorial to the old Temple Bar and as a marker for the entrance to the City at the point where it was traditional for the Lord Mayor to welcome royal visitors to the City.

This is a typically overwrought late Victorian edifice, topped with a giant griffin (or dragon; there are competing definitions of the differences) by Charles Birch. The north and south sides hold large statues of Queen Victoria and, the soon to be, Edward VII. To east and west are medallion portraits of the Lord Mayor at the time, Sir Francis Wyatt Truscott, and Prince Albert Victor, the King we never had. At the bottom of the west face gilt lettering carved into the granite base announces "City of London".

Each side holds a bronze relief plaque, one of which states that the monument is aligned exactly with the west side the old Temple Bar and specifies the north-south displacement - a good example of Victorian flamboyance married to technical confidence. A carved pillar is placed at each corner, decorated with symbols for arts, science, peace and war.  Arts includes two busts: to the north Homer and to the south Chaucer.

We have treated many of these features as separate memorials and give more details of each one on its own page. Ornamental Passions has a very good post on this edifice.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Temple Bar memorial - Chaucer

Subjects commemorated i

Geoffrey Chaucer

Poet and administrator. Whilst living in the Aldgate, as the ‘Comptroller of ...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Temple Bar memorial - Chaucer

Also at this site i

Temple Bar memorial

Temple Bar memorial

{On the frieze at the top of the monument, above the columns, text runs aroun...

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Temple Bar memorial - Edward VII

Temple Bar memorial - Edward VII

The niche on the north face holds a marble statue of the Prince of Wales, lat...

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Temple Bar memorial - Homer

Temple Bar memorial - Homer

Homer {in ancient Greek lettering}

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Temple Bar memorial - Prince Albert Victor

Temple Bar memorial - Prince Albert Victor

The west face is framed with pilasters each side, decorated with emblems of "...

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Temple Bar memorial - Prince of Wales's typhoid recovery

Temple Bar memorial - Prince of Wales's typhoid recovery

{On the north face, below the statue there is a bronze relief showing Victori...

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Nearby Memorials

National Portrait Gallery - Reynolds

National Portrait Gallery - Reynolds

WC2, Charing Cross Road

This building, 1896, designed by Ewan Christian, has 18 busts contained in medallions around the top of the facades. Starting at the east...

1 subject commemorated
ICI - 2 - Mendeleeff

ICI - 2 - Mendeleeff

SW1, Millbank, 9, Imperial Chemical House

For an idea of what this area used to be like see this 1894ish map. It was all redeveloped following the 1928 flood. This block was desig...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Keats House at Guy's - bust 1 - William Harvey

Keats House at Guy's - bust 1 - William Harvey

SE1, St Thomas Street, 24-26, Keats House

The collar, the hair-line, the facial growths - we hope you agree that this is Harvey.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Bloomsbury House - Thomas Arnold

Bloomsbury House - Thomas Arnold

WC1, Bloomsbury Square, 2-3

Bloomsbury House was built in 1887 for the College of Preceptors.  Designed by by F. Pinches it is Listed Grade 1.  The College, now call...

1 subject commemorated
Unknown bust 2

Unknown bust 2

SW1, South Eaton Place, 26

Bust 1, to the south, shows some damage but, we hope you agree, both busts represent the same man. But who? Only a few months later we c...