The Temple Church was founded by Robert of Gloucester (a natural son of Henry I) shortly before 1147 when he made a grant of land to the Knights Templar, a religious military order. The original building, which was circular in plan, was replaced during the course of the 14th and 15th centuries by the present structure, when the church was given to the Knights of St. John and a parish for the citizens was instituted
The church was gutted by incendiary bombs in 1942 during the Second World War.
see http://365project.org/oldjosh/365/2014-03-22 http://365project.org/oldjosh/additional/2014-03-22
