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Temple Bruer Preceptory
Also known as, or recorded in historical
documents as; la Bruere
In the civil parish of Temple Bruer With Temple High Grange.
In the historic county of Lincolnshire (Modern Authority of Lincolnshire, 1974 county of Lincolnshire).
A preceptory of the Knights Templars was established at Bruer circa 1150 and richly endowed by a number of people, and an adjoining settlement was also created. A survey of Templars estates in 1185 gave a separate section to Bruer, treating it as a full manor; 37 tenants inhabiting 34 crofts were mentioned. There was also a weekly market. Granted a licence to crenellate in 1306. The preceptory passed to the Knights Hospitallers following supression of the Templars in 1312, becoming one of their richest houses; it was dissolved 1540-1. When Leland visited the site in 1538-9 he saw 'great and vaste Buildings, but an engraving of 1726 shows the ruins of the circular church. Today the only standing remains are a tower, formerly part of the church, local tradition recounting that Cromwell shelled the buildings during the Civil War. Excavations on the site were first conducted in 1833-4, and further work in 1908 revealed a walled precinct occupying most of the field to the west of the church, where building foundations have been encountered subsequently. Cropmarks of the precinct and buildings, together with the former settlement lying to the south east are visible on air photographs. A field system to the south west may be associated. Brooke writes had gatehouse and walls.
This site has been described as a;
Fortified Ecclesiastical site.
The confidence
that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.
A Royal licence
to crenellate was
granted in 1306 Sept 10.
This site is a scheduled
monument protected by law.
This site is a
Grade 1 listed
building protected by law*. (Images
of England number 437791)
The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TF00855370
PastScape number;
349297
Books
- Brooke, C.J., 2000, Safe Sanctuaries (Edinburgh; John Donald) p159
Knowles, David and Hadcock, R. Neville, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Longman) p295, 307
Pevsner, N. and Harris, John, 1964, The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (London, Penguin)
Page, Wm (ed), 1906, VCH Lincolnshire Vol2 p212-3
Journal Articles
- Coulson, C., 1982, 'Hierarchism in Conventual Crenellation: An Essay in the Sociology and Metaphysics of Medieval Fortification' Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p69-100
St John Hope, W.H., 1908, '"The Round Church of the Knights Templars at Temple Bruer, Lincolnshire' Archaeologia Vol61 p177-98
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents
- This section is far from complete and the secondary
sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Calendar of Patent Rolls (1301-7) p462
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
Most of the sites or buildings
recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission
to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant |
The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English
Heritage and other individuals and organisations. |
It is an offence to disturb a
Scheduled Monument without consent. It is a destruction of
everyone's heritage to remove archaeological evidence from any site
without proper recording and reporting. Don't use metal detectors on historic sites without authorisation. |
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*The listed building
may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site
of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.
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