The top quark mass has been measured using the template method in the t (t) over bar -> lepton + jets channel based on data recorded in 2011 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The data were taken at a proton-proton centre-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 1.04 fb(-1). The analyses in the e + jets and mu + jets decay channels yield consistent results. The top quark mass is measured to be m(top) = 174.5 +/- 0.6(stat) +/- 2.3(syst) GeV.