Monument record MLI60735 - Preceptory at Temple Bruer

Summary

Preceptory at Temple Bruer

Type and Period (3)

  • (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1150 AD to 1541 AD)
  • (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1150 AD to 1541 AD)
  • (Medieval to Modern - 1150 AD to 2050 AD)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

A Charter for the foundation of the preceptory at Temple Bruer was obtained in 1150-60, and land was donated by William, Lord of Ashby. Temple Bruer preceptory was a great estate centre, designed to efficiently farm large areas of countryside and to send the profits abroad. They seem to have used a version of the Cistercian grange system, working large blocks of land from specially constructed farmhouses as well as owning strips of land within the common fields in the more usual manorial system. The hard labour would have been carried out by paid servants and tenants. At Temple Bruer it seems that the Templars colonised the waste and deliberately established a village nearby to supply the labour (see 62765). The word ‘Bruer’ derives from Old French ‘bruiere’, meaning ‘heath’. A Charter for a market to be held at the manor was granted to the Knights Templar in 1154. On 20th July 1259 King Henry III inspected this Charter, and, as the market had ‘hitherto not been made use of’, granted a change of day of the market to a Wednesday. A Charter for a fair to be held on the day of James the Apostle (25th July) was granted, also by Henry III, on 20th July 1259, to brother Amadeus, the master and brethren of The Order (Knights Templars), to be held at the manor. The Grand Prior of all England, William de la More was admitted to the preceptorship of Temple Bruer in 1300, when the Knights Templars owned over 10000 acres of land in Lincolnshire. However, in 1309 he was put on trial with his followers, and by 1312 the Order had been suppressed. After the suppression the preceptory passed to the Knights Hospitallers and was re-established as a commandery of that Order before its final dissolution in 1540-41. The Knights Hospitallers added the later buildings to the establishment. The property was subsequently given to Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. All that remains visible today is one of the church towers. Excavations in 1833 and 1908 revealed the foundations of a circular church, typical of the Knights Templars churches. The present farm buildings cover the site of most of the domestic buildings of the preceptory, such as barns and stables. The excavation in 1908 also demonstrated the presence of a second church tower and a crypt. Further alterations and extensions to the building complex were also identified. Foundations were ploughed out to the west of Temple Farm (TF 006 536) in 1921, which may have included the precinct boundary. {1}{2}{3}{4}{5}{6}{7}{8}{9}{10}{11}{12}{13}{14}{15}{16}{17}{18}{19}{20}{21} For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the appropriate List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. {22} Trial trenching at Temple Farm (TF 0900 5373) revealed a general background of medieval material, probably associated with the Preceptory. A crushed limestone floor surface of medieval date was also revealed. The surface was well compacted and very clean which may suggest that it belonged to a building which was well maintained and kept clean, such as a dairy, and was probably also associated with the Preceptory. Fragments of residual medieval tile indicated the presence of a tiled structure, again probably associated with the Preceptory. {23}{24}

Sources/Archives (24)

  •  Unpublished Document: A.J. White. 1981. The Knights Templars at Temple Bruer and Aslackby. -.
  •  Website: Letters, Samantha (Dr). 2003. Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England and Wales to 1516: Counties and Wales. www.history.ac.uk/cmh/gaz/countyframe.html. Temple Bruer.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Edward Trollope. 1872. Sleaford and the Wapentakes of Flaxwell and Aswardhurn in the County of Lincoln. pp.312-9.
  •  Scheduling Record: MINISTRY OF WORKS. MOW 819. -.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Mills, D.. 1994. The Knights Templar in Kesteven. -.
  •  Article in Monograph: Oliver, Rev.G.. 1841. 'Temple Bruer and its Knights' in Lincolnshire Topographical Society: A Selection of Papers. pp.67-86.
  •  Index: SMR FILE. TEMPLE BRUER WITH TEMPLE HIGH GRANGE. TF 05 SW:D.
  •  Article in Serial: St John Hope, W.H.. 1908. 'The Round Church of the Knights Templars at Temple Bruer, Lincolnshire' in Archaeologia. vol.LXI, pp.177-98.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Ekwall, E.. 1960. Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names - Fourth Edition. p.70.
  •  Scheduling Record: ENGLISH HERITAGE. 1994. REVISED SCHEDULING DOCUMENT 22609. MPP23.
  •  Aerial Photograph: 1945-84. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY COLLECTION. JG68-71; AWX4; AWW99.
  •  Aerial Photograph: THOMSON B. 1990-91. Aerial photographs taken by B. Thomson. 13/1/91.
  •  Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. National Mapping Programme. TF05SW; 0053; LI.877.2.1-4.
  •  Index: OS CARD INDEX. TEMPLE BRUER WITH TEMPLE HIGH GRANGE. TF 05 SW:1,1964, BAIRD J.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: William Page (ed). 1906. The Victoria County History: Lincolnshire - Volume 2. pp.212-3.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: D. Knowles and R.N. Hadcock. 1953. Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales - First Edition. pp.238, 247.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris, with Nicholas Antram. 1989. Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Second Edition). p.751.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: ST JOSEPH, J.K.S.. 1958. MEDIEVAL ENGLAND AN AERIAL SURVEY. pp.146-7.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: William White. 1856. History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire - Second Edition. pp.454-5.
  •  Article in Serial: Trollope, E.. 1858. 'Temple Bruer' in Associated Architectural and Archaeological Societies’ Reports and Papers. vol.IV, pp.129-38.
  •  Article in Serial: BROWN, C.. 1985. TRUST FOR LINCOLNSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGY FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. pp.23-4.
  •  Index: Department of the Environment. 1987. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. 3/59.
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. 2005. Archaeological Evaluation on land at Temple Farm, Temple Bruer. TBT05.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. 2005. Archaeological Evaluation on land at Temple Farm, Temple Bruer. LCNCC 2005.195.

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Location

Grid reference Centred TF 0078 5368 (412m by 302m) Estimated from sources
Civil Parish TEMPLE BRUER WITH TEMPLE HIGH GRANGE, NORTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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