Temple Manor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Temple Manor |
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Temple Manor
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| Location | Knight Road Strood, England |
| OS grid reference | TQ7320768450 |
| Manor granted to Knights Templar | 1159 |
| Built | early C13 |
| Built for | Knights Templar |
| Restored | Early 1950s |
| Restored by | Ministry of Works |
| Owner | English Heritage |
| Official name: Temple Manor | |
| Designated | 20 August 1947 |
| Reference no. | 1011805 |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Temple Manor | |
| Designated | 24 October 1950 |
| Reference no. | 1120910 |
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Temple Manor is a very old building in Strood, Kent, England. It's so important that it's protected as a "scheduled ancient monument" and a "Grade I listed building." This means it's one of the most important historic buildings in the country!
Over 600 years, many different groups and families have owned Temple Manor. It started with religious groups, then kings, and later farming families. The building has changed a lot over time, with new parts added. But you can still see its original shape.
Today, English Heritage looks after Temple Manor. You can visit it on weekends during certain times of the year.
Contents
Discovering Temple Manor's Past
People have lived on this spot since Roman times! An old burial found nearby suggests this.
How Temple Manor Began
A long time ago, in 1159, King Henry II gave this land to the Knights Templar. They were a famous group of warrior monks. The King owed them money after a big fight called The Anarchy.
The Knights Templar built a hall, barns, and stables here by 1185. These first buildings were made of wood, so they are gone now. The stone building you see today was built around 1240.
Historians think it might have been a fancy place for important people to stay. They traveled along Watling Street, a main road between London and Dover.
New Owners: Knights Hospitaller
In 1312, the Knights Templar were stopped from existing. All their lands, including Temple Manor, went to another group called the Knights Hospitaller.
Around this time, the building got bigger. A new hall was added to the north side. Many old farm buildings were removed. This suggests Temple Manor was becoming more of a farm. It helped make money for its owners.
Later, the King took the land back. In 1342, Edward III gave it to Mary of St Pol. She then gave it to her nunnery at Denny Abbey in Cambridgeshire. Since it was far away, the nunnery used it to earn money, not for supplies.
Changes Over the Centuries
About 100 years later, a new part was added to the west side of the building. This new section had a living room downstairs and bedrooms upstairs. The old ground-floor hall became a kitchen.
When monasteries were closed down in England, Denny Abbey was dissolved. Temple Manor was given to Edward Elrington in 1539. He sold it to the local Cobham family.
Later, the King took the property from Lord Cobham. It was then sold to Ludovic Stewart, who later became the Duke of Richmond. He sold it to the Blake family.
The Blakes were a very rich family in Strood. They added brick parts to the manor. They owned it until the 1700s.
Saving Temple Manor
After the Blake family, many different people owned Temple Manor. Over time, parts of the estate were sold off. In the 1930s, the City of Rochester bought what was left.
There was a big discussion about what to do with the manor. The council wanted to build factories around it. But a group was formed to save the house.
World War II stopped these plans. By 1947, Temple Manor was recognized as an important historic site. But it had been neglected and damaged. The roof had fallen in!
In 1950, it was listed as a Grade I building. This stopped any plans to knock it down. In the early 1950s, the Ministry of Works fixed and restored the building. That's why we can see it so well preserved today!
What Temple Manor Looks Like
The main part of Temple Manor has a stone-built basement with arched ceilings. Above this is one large room. This style is called a first-floor hall. The upper room was the most important area. It was for visiting knights and officials.
This original part is about 50 feet long and 22 feet wide. Its walls are very thick, about 2 and a half feet! They are made of flint and ragstone, which are types of local rock.
The doorway to the upper room is fancy. It has special marble columns on the sides. The walls inside were once smooth and painted to look like stone.
The big fireplaces you see in the room were added much later, in the 1600s, by the Blake family. The main entrance led into the western part of the room. This area was used for group activities and eating. The eastern end was brighter and probably a private room for important guests.
The basement (undercroft) has three sections with ribbed, arched ceilings. Light comes in through wide windows. These windows originally had iron bars, probably for safety.
There is also a western extension with three floors. A staircase in a small tower leads to each room. This part doesn't connect directly to the original building.
The eastern extension once had a small storage area below. Above it was a wooden gazebo. This gazebo was an extension of the main hall. It would have had amazing views over the River Medway! Sadly, today, trees and a railway block that view.
The roof you see today was replaced in the 1950s. The original roof had collapsed because the building was neglected during the war.
