The Temple Bar Memorial stands where Fleet Street meets the Strand, marking the City of London's western boundary with a pillar topped by a dragon (not a gryphon, despite what most Londoners will tell you). This 1880 monument replaced the original Wren gateway, which grew so congested with traffic that it was dismantled and spent over a century in a Hertfordshire park before returning to London.

The spot carries a darker history, too. Before the memorial existed, the gateway's spikes displayed the heads of executed traitors, a grim reminder to anyone entering the City. Today, bronze statues of Queen Victoria and the future Edward VII stand in niches, commemorating the 1872 thanksgiving service at St Paul's that celebrated the Prince's recovery from typhoid.

VoiceMap's self-guided audio tours trace the ancient ceremonial tradition here, where monarchs still pause to receive the City's pearl-encrusted sword before entering, a ritual that dates back centuries.