Cressing Temple facts for kids
Cressing Temple is a very old and interesting place in Essex, England. It's located between the towns of Witham and Braintree. Long ago, it was one of the first and biggest properties owned by the Knights Templar in England. Today, you can visit Cressing Temple and explore its history.
This special site is protected as an ancient monument. The Knights Templar built two huge barns here. These barns are so important that they are listed as Grade I listed buildings. One of them, the Barley Barn, is believed to be the oldest standing timber-framed barn in the entire world!
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The Knights Templar and Cressing Temple
The land for Cressing was given to the Knights Templar in 1136. This gift came from Matilda of Boulogne, who was the wife of King Stephen. Cressing was a great location, close to important roads between London and Colchester, and also between Witham and Braintree. This made Cressing Temple one of the very first Templar estates in England.
The Templars received more land nearby over time. By 1185, Cressing was listed as one of their most important properties. It became their largest estate in Essex. Later, King John also gave the Templars more land. He even allowed them to hold a market and a fair in a nearby town.
Life at the Templar Estate
Cressing Temple was a huge farm, covering about 1400 acres. It was a busy place, run by a Templar leader called a Preceptor. He worked with a few knights or sergeants, a chaplain, and many other staff. Around 160 tenant farmers also worked on the land.
The estate had everything needed for a large farm. There was a main house, a bakery, a brewery, and a dairy. It also had a granary for storing grain, a blacksmith's shop, and gardens. There was even a dovecote for pigeons, a watermill, and a windmill. The Templars had their own chapel and cemetery dedicated to St Mary. All the money earned from Cressing Temple helped to fund the Templars' activities in the Crusader states in the Middle East.
Changes Over Time
During the time of King Edward II, the Knights Templar order was stopped in England. In 1309, their estate at Cressing was given to another group of knights, the Knights Hospitaller. The Hospitallers kept the Templars' old documents and continued to run Cressing as a large farm.
In 1381, during the Peasants' Revolt, a large group of rebels attacked Cressing. They took valuable items and even burned books belonging to the Hospitallers. Later, in 1540, the Hospitaller manor of Cressing Temple was closed down. This happened soon after many other monasteries were dissolved.
In 1541, King Henry VIII gave Cressing Temple to Sir William Huse and John Smyth. The Smyth family owned the manor until 1657. After this, a large mansion on the site was pulled down in the 1700s. Today, only the farmhouse, granary, wagon lodge, and stable yards remain.
The beautiful Tudor brick garden, built in the mid-1500s, is still there. Essex County Council bought the barns in 1987 to preserve them for everyone to enjoy. The farmhouse dates back to 1618, and the coach house was built around 1800. Many archaeological digs happened in the 1990s to learn more about the site.
Cressing Temple Barns
Cressing Temple is famous for its two amazing timber-framed barns. These are the Barley Barn and the Wheat Barn. They are both Grade I listed buildings. Historian Michael Haag has called them "the two finest Templar-built barns in Europe." There is also a Granary building, which is Grade II listed. Today, you can visit these barns and the lovely Tudor gardens.
The Barley Barn was built around 1220. It has been changed a bit over the centuries, but it is still the oldest standing timber-framed barn in the world! Its roof was originally made of tiles and would have weighed almost 70 tonnes.
The Wheat Barn was built later, around 1280. It also had some changes made in the 1500s and 1700s. The Granary was built just after 1575. It is the biggest granary in all of Essex.
Tudor Gardens
A beautiful walled garden has been rebuilt at Cressing Temple. It is designed like a garden from the Tudor period and is open for visitors to enjoy.
The barns and the walled garden are also a popular place for weddings and other special events.
