Garden Court Chambers is delighted to be part of Open House London weekend again on 16-17 September 2023.
The weekend gives the public the opportunity to see our 17th and 18th-century buildings completely free of charge.
The four Grade 1 listed buildings that number 57-60 Lincoln’s Inn Fields (Garden Court Chambers) have a lively history. Originally built in the 17th (59-60) and 18th (57-58) centuries, the buildings were converted internally for use as one during the 20th century. Our buildings have also had a varied list of owners and occupiers including Lord Montagu, the patron of Samuel Pepys, John Forster, best friend to Charles Dickens, and Spencer Perceval, who is the only British Prime Minister to have been assassinated (1812). Famous architects such as Isaac Ware and John Soane have carried out work to the buildings which may still be seen. These include a fine example of one of the few remaining elliptical staircases, built by Soane.
Today, our sensitively modernised premises mix 21st-century office fittings with mid-17th century detail in the heart of Lincoln’s Inn Fields (London’s largest public square) which offers a tranquil haven from the bustle of London.
Garden Court Chambers was founded over 40 years ago and is the largest chambers in London with almost 200 leading barristers, including 28 QCs. Garden Court has a proud history of winning ground-breaking cases of constitutional importance. Our legal challenges have overturned great injustices in many landmark decisions. Equally, our barristers fight hard for clients in countless cases that don’t hit the headlines, but are nonetheless vital for defending the rights of those we represent.
Entry is by guided tour. These start on the hour, every hour:
Saturday 16 September: 10:00 – 16:00
Sunday 17 September: 10:00 – 13:00
This year, Open House is operating a booking system for entry. Please refer to the Open House website and click on the link 'Create a Free Account to Participate in this Year's Festival'. Once you have created an account, search 'Garden Court Chambers' on the Open House website and click 'Attend' on the day you would like to attend. You are not being asked to register for a particular tour, just for the day you would like to attend.
However, if you have not booked, it is still worth seeing whether there are places available, either from the Open House website or by coming along.
As this has proved to be a popular event in the past, and as places on each tour are limited to 25, please arrive as early as you can to avoid disappointment. We suggest arriving about 15-20 minutes before the hour for the best chance of getting in.
Click here to download our Open House factsheet.
Open House London is London’s biggest architectural festival giving everyone the opportunity to visit over 700 buildings, new and old, completely free of charge. Many of these are normally closed to the public. For more details, including other buildings participating in the weekend, please visit the Open House website.
Information about how to find Garden Court Chambers can be found on our website.
