Barnard's Inn (Dickens-era site), London
In 1454, Lionel Barnard was the occupant of this place, hence its name. It stands as one of the former Inns of Chancery in Holborn and holds connections to Charles Dickens and his literary works. In "Great Expectations," the protagonist Pip resided in Barnard's Inn with Herbert Pocket for several years upon his arrival in London, around 1820.
In his novel, Dickens describes Barnard's as "the dingiest collection of shabby buildings ever squeezed together in a rank corner as a club for Tom-cats."; "A flat burying-ground [with] the most dismal trees in it, and the most dismal sparrows, and the most dismal cats, and the most dismal houses... the windows of the sets of chambers into which those houses were divided, were in every stage of dilapidated blind and curtain, crippled flower-pot, cracked glass, dusty decay, and miserable makeshift; while To Let To Let To Let, glared from empty rooms, as if no new wretches ever came there, and the vengeance of the soul of Barnard were being slowly appeased by the gradual suicide of the present occupants and their unholy internment under the gravel."
The structures comprise a hall with 18th-century chambers and reception rooms, boasting remarkable architectural features such as 15th-century wooden bays, 16th-century linen-fold wood paneling, and the sole surviving crown posts in Greater London. Since 1991, Gresham College has been situated here, serving as a venue for public lectures.
In his novel, Dickens describes Barnard's as "the dingiest collection of shabby buildings ever squeezed together in a rank corner as a club for Tom-cats."; "A flat burying-ground [with] the most dismal trees in it, and the most dismal sparrows, and the most dismal cats, and the most dismal houses... the windows of the sets of chambers into which those houses were divided, were in every stage of dilapidated blind and curtain, crippled flower-pot, cracked glass, dusty decay, and miserable makeshift; while To Let To Let To Let, glared from empty rooms, as if no new wretches ever came there, and the vengeance of the soul of Barnard were being slowly appeased by the gradual suicide of the present occupants and their unholy internment under the gravel."
The structures comprise a hall with 18th-century chambers and reception rooms, boasting remarkable architectural features such as 15th-century wooden bays, 16th-century linen-fold wood paneling, and the sole surviving crown posts in Greater London. Since 1991, Gresham College has been situated here, serving as a venue for public lectures.
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Barnard's Inn (Dickens-era site) on Map
Sight Name: Barnard's Inn (Dickens-era site)
Sight Location: London, England (See walking tours in London)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: London, England (See walking tours in London)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
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