''The round design of the church was inspired by the circular Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century
The round shape was believed to represent resurrection, since Constantine's church was though to stand over the site where Jesus was buried, and where he subsequently rose from the dead.
Four medieval round churches survive; this one, Temple Church in London, St John's in Little Maplestead, Essex, and Holy Sepulchre in Northampton. All were constructed after the First Crusade of 1097, so presumably the returning Crusaders brought back stories about Constantine's church and these ideas influenced the builders of the new church. The circular ambulatory is also symbolic of the circle of life, followed by death, and finally resurrection.