THE KNIGHTS HOSPITALLERS
IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
BULSTRODE
BUCKINGHAM -
The Knights Hospitallers in Buckingham: St John's Hospital and Chapel
Tucked within the historic heart of Buckingham lies a quiet but remarkable piece of medieval heritage — the site of St John’s Hospital for the Poor, established in the late 12th century.
Originally founded as a charitable hospital, the institution evolved over time as it passed through the hands of powerful churchmen. By the 13th century, it was under the control of Matthew de Stratton, then Archbishop of Buckingham. He later granted the property to the Master of the Order of St Thomas of Acon, who converted the hospital into a chapel and chantry, serving both religious and charitable purposes.
In 1289, the chapel’s fate took another turn when it was officially transferred to the Knights Hospitallers — a military and religious order dedicated to caring for the sick and poor. Alongside the chapel, the Hospitallers were granted 160 acres of land, strengthening their presence and influence in the region.
Today, the 12th-century chapel still stands as a testament to centuries of service, faith, and transformation. Its southern doorway is original, and later medieval additions remain visible in the architecture. For many years, the building served the town as the Latin School, continuing its legacy of learning and community service.
In modern times, part of the original chapel and chantry has come under the care of the National Trust, while the remainder forms part of a private residence. Together, they preserve the memory of the Knights Hospitallers and their enduring role in the story of Buckingham.
HOGSHAW -
The Knights Hospitallers and the Manor of Hogshaw
Just north of Quainton, in the Buckinghamshire countryside, lies the fascinating — though now mostly hidden — legacy of the Knights Hospitaller at Hogshaw. Once home to a thriving medieval community and a significant religious outpost, Hogshaw was the site of a Hospitaller Commandery, also known as a preceptory, and a centre for administration, farming, and worship.
Origins of the Commandery
The Manor of Hogshaw, located just 1.5 miles north of Quainton’s Church of St Mary (for which the Hospitallers also held the advowson, or right to appoint clergy), was granted to the Knights Hospitaller during the reign of Henry II by William Peverel. The manor, comprising approximately 350 acres of land and including a dovecote, soon became the foundation for a commandery.
At the heart of this site was the Church of St John the Baptist, serving both the medieval village of Hogshaw and the small resident community of Hospitaller knights. This church formed part of the original endowment to the Order and played a key role in the religious and social life of the area.
The Decline and Remains
By the late 17th century, the village and church had fallen into decline. By 1681, the church was only partially standing, and the last recorded burial took place in 1683. Within fifty years, the building was demolished. According to Ordnance Survey maps from 1885, the site of the former church is linked to a building known as the Ox House, where human remains and architectural fragments — including a possible window mullion — have been found.
The Ox House, although largely of brick construction, sits on dressed limestone footings, suggesting reused materials from the demolished church. Though its orientation differs from a traditional church layout, it is believed to stand near or partly on the original church site. A font from the church, once used as a water trough and later a flower pot, now resides in the Museum of the Order of St John in London.
A Scheduled Monument Today
Today, the site of the Hogshaw Commandery is protected as a scheduled monument, preserving a unique landscape of medieval remains. These include:
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A moated enclosure of the former preceptory (52m by 40m) with a moat roughly 11m wide.
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Two fishponds south of the moat, once used for sustainable food production by the Hospitallers.
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Buried remains of the Church of St John the Baptist and associated buildings.
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Earthworks and ditched enclosures believed to represent the layout of the medieval village.
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Traces of a former hollow way — an earlier route of the Claydon Road.
Remnants of the commandery can still be traced near Fulbrook Farm, where the Hospitallers also held lands and influence.
A Forgotten Stronghold of Faith
Though the buildings have long since vanished, the landscape still tells the story of a once-significant outpost of the Knights Hospitaller. Hogshaw stood as a beacon of faith, charity, and rural strength — a place where the spiritual and agricultural missions of the Order shaped the land and the lives of those who lived there.
Radnage
Ludgershall -
Nestled in the Buckinghamshire countryside, just twelve miles west of Aylesbury and near the Oxfordshire border, lies the village of Ludgershall—a place with deep medieval roots and a fascinating connection to one of history’s most famous religious military orders: the Knights Hospitallers.
At the heart of Ludgershall stands St Mary’s Church, a medieval parish church with a rich past. It was one of several churches tied to the Commandery of Hogshaw, an estate held by the Hospitallers. This commandery's endowments included churches in Ludgershall, Oving, Addington, Creslow, and Hogshaw itself.
By the mid-13th century, the Knights Hospitallers had gained the advowson of Ludgershall’s church—that is, the right to appoint its priest. This patronage remained with them at least until 1511, and possibly until the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII in the 1530s.
In 1291, Ludgershall’s church was valued at just over £6 per year. By 1535, that figure had nearly tripled to over £18, reflecting its growing importance and wealth
The Hospitallers here also held Tetchwick Manor, a nearby hamlet assessed in the Domesday Book at 2 hides of land. This estate was likely granted to them alongside Hogshaw Manor by William Peverel, and later confirmed by King John in 1199.
Historical records mention Henry of Chequers, or de Scaccario, as a tenant under the Hospitallers at Tetchwick, holding one hide of land there.
East Claydon -
The Knights Hospitallers in East Claydon
In the 15th century, the Knights Hospitallers received the advowson (the right to appoint the parish priest) of the Church of St Mary in East Claydon, Buckinghamshire. This marked an important connection between the village and one of the most influential religious orders of the Middle Ages.
The Church of St Mary itself is the oldest surviving building in the parish, with its origins clearly visible in the stonework. The chancel dates back to the 14th century, while the robust west tower was added in the 15th century, around the same period the Knights Hospitallers took over the advowson. This transfer would have linked the church directly to the local commandery (or preceptory) at Hogshaw, just a short distance away. Hogshaw served as one of the regional centres for the Hospitallers, managing land, religious affairs, and charitable work in the area.
Addington - Church of St Mary
Cholesbury - Church St Lawrence
The Knights Hospitaller at Cholesbury, Buckinghamshire
Cholesbury, a picturesque village in the Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire, holds a fascinating medieval heritage linked to the Knights Hospitaller, also known as the Order of St John.
Land Ownership and Ecclesiastical Rights
The manor of Cholesbury was originally held by the le Breton family. In 1091, they transferred control of the land and its income to the Knights Templar. Following the Templars' dissolution in 1312, the manor passed to the Knights Hospitaller as an endowment to their commandery at Hogshaw. This transfer expanded the Hospitallers’ holdings in the region and secured their economic influence in the area.
The advowson of St. Lawrence’s Church, located within an Iron Age hillfort in Cholesbury, is also believed to have been associated with the Hospitallers. Historical records suggest that the church’s proximity to the Hospitallers’ landholdings reflects their ongoing ecclesiastical influence.
Historical Records and Documentation
A local heritage study of the Lords of the Manors, past and present, including Cholesbury, provides valuable insight into the area’s history and the role of the Knights Hospitaller. Additionally, records indicate that after 1416, the Hospitallers were actively involved in appointing resident clergy, demonstrating their continued interest in the village’s spiritual affairs. One such record highlights Joseph Neale’s lectureship at Cholesbury, reflecting the order’s efforts to maintain clerical presence and oversight.
Cholesbury’s Unique Heritage
Cholesbury’s development as a manor by the mid-13th century highlights its regional significance. The Church of St Lawrence, uniquely located within an Iron Age hillfort, stands as one of only two such churches in the Chilterns, offering a rare glimpse into the village’s deep historical roots. The proximity of Cholesbury Camp and the Hospitallers’ holdings provides enduring evidence of the medieval order’s presence and influence in Buckinghamshire.
Today, Cholesbury preserves a remarkable historical legacy through its surviving landmarks and documents, allowing visitors and residents alike to connect with its medieval past and the enduring presence of the Knights Hospitaller.
Creslow - Old Chapel Site
The building began as the parish church, originally held by the Knights Hospitaller, later forming part of the Templars’ or Hospitallers’ manorial holdings at Creslow. It functioned as both chapel and parish church until it fell into disuse after the Reformation
The chapel was eventually demolished—or, more accurately, repurposed—during the English Civil War under Cornelius Holland. Since then, the structure has served secular functions, most recently as a storage building
The chapel likely dates from the 13th century, with architectural details such as two-light windows and chevron carvings suggestive of 12th–13th century origins and later 14th–15th century modifications
Oving -
The Knights Hospitallers in Oving
The village of Oving has a long-standing connection with the Knights Hospitallers, one of the most influential religious and military orders of the medieval period. By 1222, the order held the advowson of All Saints Church, giving them the right to appoint the parish priest. This early association reflects the importance of Oving within the Hospitallers’ local network, likely administered through the nearby commandery at Hogshaw
Quainton -
The Knights Hospitallers in Quainton
Quainton, a picturesque village in Buckinghamshire, holds a rich medieval heritage deeply connected to the Knights Hospitallers, one of the most prominent religious and military orders of the Middle Ages. The advowson of the parish church — St Mary and the Holy Cross — belonged to the nearby commandery at Hogshaw until 1223, signifying the Hospitallers' early ecclesiastical influence in the village.
The Church of St Mary and the Holy Cross, as seen today, owes much of its structure to the efforts of the Hospitallers, who are credited with its rebuilding around 1340. This work likely followed a period of decline and marked a renewal of religious life in the parish under the guidance of the order.
Quainton is also home to the remains of a 15th-century preaching cross, believed to have been erected by the Knights Hospitaller on the village green. While only the base and part of the shaft survive, this historic monument would once have served as a public pulpit for open-air sermons and religious instruction.
The village's historical name, Quainton Malet, reflects its long association with the Malet family, lords of the manor from the Norman Conquest in 1066 until approximately 1348. Notably, at least one member of the Malet family is recorded as having joined the Crusades, forging ties with the Knights Hospitallers and perhaps paving the way for the order’s lasting legacy in Quainton.
Together, the church, the preaching cross, and the village's recorded associations with both the Hospitallers and the Crusades make Quainton a place of enduring medieval significance in Buckinghamshire's religious and historical landscape
Widmere (Wydende) - Commandery
Calverton
Chalfont St Peter
Hedgerley
Stony Stratford
Temple Wycombe
BEACONSFIELD
Tetchwick (Manor)
