It has been said that there is nowhere else on earth quite like London's four Inns of Court.

Between them Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple harbour some of the most picturesque, least changed and historically fascinating places you could ever hope to encounter.

Their time-locked lanes and tucked away squares have witnessed some of the most important events in English history, and yet they remain a relatively little explored part of London, their existence known only to those who work in them, or those whose curiosity has led them through the sturdy wooden gates that keep the outside world and the modern age firmly at bay.

But, to step through those gates, to set foot on those ancient flagstones that meander between the buildings, and to walk through the picturesque squares, tranquil cloisters and glorious gardens with which the inns abound, is to enter the refined world of the wigged and robed English barrister and, as you pick your way through these secret enclaves of hidden London, you will be walking in the footsteps of some famous, some infamous, some celebrated and many colourful characters.

Men and women whose quick wit and ready repartee poured forth so many memorable quips and barbed ripostes that you could dine out on them for years to come and still have some left over for dessert!