Cressing Temple
Encyclopedia
Cressing Temple is an ancient monument situated between Witham
and Braintree
in Essex and was founded in 1137 by Matilda of Boulogne
, the wife of King Stephen
. It was the headquarters of the first grant of land given to the religious order of the Knights Templar
in England. The two barns and the templar well which exist on the site, originate from this period. The Wheat Barn and the Barley Barn are the two finest Templar-built barns in Europe while the Barley Barn is recognised as the oldest timber-framed barn in the world.
In 1310 Cressing Temple was handed over to the Knights Hospitallers who built new stone buildings and expanded the site. Following the Reformation
, in the late 16th Century there was a mansion on the site, now called the 'Great House', but it was demolished in the 18th Century and only the farmhouse, granary, wagon lodge and stableyards remain. The Tudor brick garden also stands and has been developed by Essex County Council who acquired the barns for the people of Essex in 1987. Extensive archaeological investigations were carried out as part of a programme of improvements and updates in the 1990s.
Cressing Temple is open to the public and is host to many conferences and events throughout the year. The website gives extensive details of the history and archaeology of the site.
Cressing was the largest and most important of the Templar Knights landholdings in Essex. Such an estate would have been in the charge of a preceptor
accompanied by two or three resident knights or sergeant-at-arms, together with a chaplain, a bailiff and numerous household servants. The estate would have employed agricultural labourers and craftsmen and thus functioned as a large estate farmed for profit to help the Order pay for the war effort in the Holy Land
.
We know relatively little about the Templar buildings on site as only the two great barns and the stone well survive. The inventory of 1313 gives the clearest picture of the buildings. This mentions a chapel, two chambers, a hall, a pantry, a buttery, a kitchen, a larder, a bakehouse, a brewhouse, a dairy, a granary and a smithy.
The barns appear large and dominating in the landscape when viewed externally but stepping inside is an awesome experience. The open space inside is huge and the roof and wall timbers are a magnificent sight.
Witham
Witham is a town in the county of Essex, in the south east of England with a population of 22,500. It is part of the District of Braintree and is twinned with the town of Waldbröl, Germany. Witham stands between the larger towns of Chelmsford and Colchester...
and Braintree
Braintree, Essex
Braintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
in Essex and was founded in 1137 by Matilda of Boulogne
Matilda of Boulogne
Matilda I was suo jure Countess of Boulogne. She was also queen consort of England as the wife of King Stephen.-Biography:...
, the wife of King Stephen
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
. It was the headquarters of the first grant of land given to the religious order of the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
in England. The two barns and the templar well which exist on the site, originate from this period. The Wheat Barn and the Barley Barn are the two finest Templar-built barns in Europe while the Barley Barn is recognised as the oldest timber-framed barn in the world.
In 1310 Cressing Temple was handed over to the Knights Hospitallers who built new stone buildings and expanded the site. Following the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
, in the late 16th Century there was a mansion on the site, now called the 'Great House', but it was demolished in the 18th Century and only the farmhouse, granary, wagon lodge and stableyards remain. The Tudor brick garden also stands and has been developed by Essex County Council who acquired the barns for the people of Essex in 1987. Extensive archaeological investigations were carried out as part of a programme of improvements and updates in the 1990s.
Cressing Temple is open to the public and is host to many conferences and events throughout the year. The website gives extensive details of the history and archaeology of the site.
Cressing was the largest and most important of the Templar Knights landholdings in Essex. Such an estate would have been in the charge of a preceptor
Preceptor
A preceptor is a teacher responsible to uphold a certain law or tradition, a precept.-Christian military orders:A preceptor was historically in charge of a preceptory, the headquarters of certain orders of monastic Knights, such as the Knights Hospitaller and Knights Templar, within a given...
accompanied by two or three resident knights or sergeant-at-arms, together with a chaplain, a bailiff and numerous household servants. The estate would have employed agricultural labourers and craftsmen and thus functioned as a large estate farmed for profit to help the Order pay for the war effort in the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
.
We know relatively little about the Templar buildings on site as only the two great barns and the stone well survive. The inventory of 1313 gives the clearest picture of the buildings. This mentions a chapel, two chambers, a hall, a pantry, a buttery, a kitchen, a larder, a bakehouse, a brewhouse, a dairy, a granary and a smithy.
The barns appear large and dominating in the landscape when viewed externally but stepping inside is an awesome experience. The open space inside is huge and the roof and wall timbers are a magnificent sight.