THE TEMPLARS
IN BERKSHIRE
The Knights Templar in Berkshire
Where the River Thames founded a boundary between the counties of Buckinghamshire and Berkshire, The Knights Templar founded a Preceptory on the Buckinghamshire side, the Preceptory of Bisham. ideal for farming, and its proximity to London, Bisham was to become an important preceptory, playing host to the general chapter. it is from here to the Templars Managed other properties in the area, such as Inkpen, Kintbury andd Sparsholt as described below
BISHAM Preceptory
The Knights Templar at Bisham and Temple Island
In the mid-12th century, the manor of Bisham (then recorded as Bustlesham or Bistelesham), near Marlow on the River Thames, became one of the most important Templar holdings in southern England.
The Grant of Bisham
Bisham was granted to the Knights Templar by Robert de Ferrers, Earl of Derby, during the reign of King Stephen. This gift was formally confirmed in a royal charter issued at Woodstock around January 1154, in which Stephen granted the manor:
“to God and blessed Mary and the poor brothers of the Temple of Solomon of Jerusalem… in perpetual alms… in wood and open land, in meadows and pastures, in waters and mills.”
The following year (January 1155), Henry II reaffirmed the grant, confirming the estate to Brother Osto (fratri Ostoni) and the other Templar knights. This charter is especially significant in naming Osto (Oto) miles Templi, who was almost certainly acting as Master of the Temple in England at that time.
Osto appears in several contemporary documents and may be identifiable with Osto of Boulogne (St Omer), a figure active in Anglo-French politics and possibly in the Holy Land. His tenure reflects the fluid and developing structure of the Templars’ English leadership in the 1150s, before the more stable masterships of figures such as Richard of Hastings.
What the Templars Held at Bisham
The Bisham estate was granted with full manorial rights and liberties, including:
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Arable land, meadow, and pasture
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Woodland and assarted land
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Mills and fisheries on the Thames
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Roads, paths, and all customary rights
Later confirmations, including that of Richard I in 1189, show the Templars also holding smaller parcels of land elsewhere, including 40 acres at Bixlesham (Bisham) free of forest penalties (assarts), reinforcing the estate’s continued importance.
Taken together, these sources show that Bisham was not a minor holding, but a fully developed manorial and economic centre, supporting a Templar preceptory and generating substantial income.
Temple Island: A Satellite Holding
A short distance upstream lies Temple Island, a small Thames island long associated with the Templars.
Although documentary evidence is limited, its name and location strongly suggest that it formed part of the Bisham estate complex. It likely functioned as:
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A small religious outpost, possibly with a chapel or oratory
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A riverine economic site, linked to fisheries and water management
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A symbolic and strategic presence controlling or observing traffic on the Thames
There is no evidence that Temple Island was a full preceptory; rather, it should be understood as a dependent satellite of the main Bisham estate.
Ecclesiastical Rights and Advowson
The Templars’ rights at Bisham extended beyond landholding. A confirmation by Theobald of Bec (c. 1155) secured for them both:
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The manor of Bisham
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Associated church property (including Suntinges)
This indicates that the Templars held ecclesiastical patronage (advowson) in the area, allowing them to influence or appoint clergy—an important extension of their authority.
Bisham After the Templars
Following the suppression of the Templars in 1307, Bisham passed into royal hands and was later granted to the Montacute family, who founded a priory on the site in 1337.
What Survives Today
Today, the site is known as Bisham Abbey, though most visible structures are later medieval and post-medieval.
Surviving elements include:
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Parts of the 13th-century hall associated with the Templars
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Later 14th-century priory and aristocratic buildings
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The historic landscape along the Thames
On Temple Island, the present building is an 18th-century ornamental structure, but the island itself preserves the memory of its earlier Templar association.
TEMPLE LOCK & WEIR
Temple Island: A Satellite Holding
A short distance upstream from Bisham Lies Temple Island, a small Thames island long associated with the Templars.
Although documentary evidence is limited, its name and location strongly suggest that it formed part of the Bisham estate complex. It likely functioned as:
-
A small religious outpost, possibly with a chapel or oratory
-
A riverine economic site, linked to fisheries and water management
-
A symbolic and strategic presence controlling or observing traffic on the Thames
There is no evidence that Temple Island was a full preceptory; rather, it should be understood as a dependent satellite of the main Bisham estate.
TEMPLE PARK
INKPEN - St Michaels Church
Inkpen, a quiet Berkshire village today, once held deep ties to the legendary Knights Templar and the era of the Crusades. According to the Domesday Book, Inkpen originally comprised two manors — Eastcourt and Westcourt. The historic heart of the Westcourt manor is represented by the manor house that still stands near the Church of St Michael.
Local tradition holds that Westcourt was originally granted by King Canute III to a man named Roger, whose descendants included Sir Roger de Ingpen — a knight of the Templar order and a veteran of the Crusades. Sir Roger is believed to have founded the Church of St Michael around 1220, leaving behind a lasting spiritual and architectural legacy.
Inside the church are two remarkable tomb covers thought to commemorate Templar knights. One, in particular, is believed to be that of Sir Roger himself. The stone effigy depicts a knight in full chain mail, with crossed legs — a traditional symbol in medieval tomb sculpture, often interpreted to represent a knight who had fought in the Holy Land. He wears a surcoat reaching his knees, grasps the hilt of his sword, and bears a three-cornered shield on his left arm.
Unfortunately, time has not been kind to the effigy. The lower portion has been severely damaged — not just by the centuries, but by human interference. According to local historians, the tomb was once thrown into a nearby farmyard in the early 18th century by a later lord of the manor, who wanted to make room for his own family pew within the church. Though the monument was eventually returned, it suffered considerable damage.
Today, the Church of St Michael and the weathered tombs within it offer a rare and moving glimpse into Inkpen’s medieval past — a past shaped by faith, feudal power, and the enduring legend of the Knights Templar.
TEMPLETON -
Templeton, a quiet spot in the Berkshire countryside, was once the location of a small hospice and chapel belonging to the Knights Templar — one of the most powerful and enigmatic orders of the medieval world. This modest yet spiritually significant site later passed to the Knights Hospitaller in 1311, following the suppression of the Templars.
The origins of Templeton can be traced back to a grant made by Roger de Beaumont, Count of Meulan, who gave the Templars three hides of land at Inglewood, within the parish. This land eventually became known as the manor of Templeton (also referred to historically as Templeyngeflod). When the Templar order was dissolved, ownership of the estate reverted to the overlord, although records show that in 1327, Robert Hungerford and his wife Geva were granted life tenancy.
Soon after, the manor was formally transferred to the Knights Hospitaller, who retained it until the wider Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII. At that point, Templeton became Crown property.
Today, the site is occupied by a modern residence known as Templeton House. But traces of its medieval past still linger. During alterations to the grounds between 1886 and 1895, three human skeletons were uncovered on the slope above what is now the tennis court — almost certainly the burial site of the original Knights' chapel, which once stood in front of the house. These remains were reportedly reinterred at nearby Kintbury churchyard.
Though little remains above ground, Templeton remains a poignant link to the Knights Templar’s presence in Berkshire — a place where devotion, service, and mystery once quietly converged
CLEVER
SPEEN - Church St Mary the Virgin
In the heart of Berkshire lies the ancient village of Speen, home to the Church of St Mary the Virgin — a site with deep spiritual roots and a fascinating connection to two of the most powerful religious orders of the medieval world.
Before 1219, the advowson (the right to appoint the parish priest) of St Mary’s Church was granted to the Knights Templar by William Marshal the Elder, Earl of Pembroke — one of the most influential nobles of his time. Following the dissolution of the Templars in 1312, the advowson passed to their successor order, the Knights Hospitaller, who held it until 1388.
This would have been a prized holding for both orders, not only due to the church's prominence but also because of its proximity to a revered holy spring known as the Lady Well (or Ladywell). This sacred spring, like many across medieval Christendom, was believed to possess healing properties — particularly for ailments of the eyes and other physical afflictions. Tradition holds that its waters flowed from an enlarged natural spring, sanctified over centuries by local devotion and pilgrimage.
The presence of such a well near the church likely enhanced its religious significance and may have attracted both pilgrims and patrons. For the Templars and later the Hospitallers — orders rooted in both martial duty and spiritual care — sites like Speen were more than just landholdings; they were centers of healing, worship, and influence.
Today, the story of the Lady Well and the church’s connection to these knightly orders adds a rich layer to the historical fabric of Berkshire, echoing a time when faith, legend, and land were deeply intertwined.
BRIMPTON -
Nestled in the quiet landscape of Berkshire lies the little-known site of Shalford Preceptory, once home to two of the most renowned medieval military orders: the Knights Templar and later, the Knights Hospitaller.
Founded around 1198, the original preceptory at Shalford began as a Templar establishment, likely granted by Simon de Ovile. After the suppression of the Templars in the early 14th century, the site passed into the hands of the Knights Hospitaller. By 1338, Shalford had been absorbed into the larger preceptory at Greenham in Berkshire, marking the end of its brief but intriguing independence.
The most significant remnant of this once-sacred site is the Templar chapel in Brimpton — a rare survivor of its kind. Converted into a barn before 1614, the building still stands at Brimpton manor Farm, and is now protected as a Grade II* listed structure. Despite its later use, the chapel retains fascinating medieval features that hint at its original purpose.
Above the Norman doorway, a carved tympanum offers a glimpse into the site's Templar past. The stonework features a cross associated with the order, along with overlapping fish scale motifs — a possible symbolic reference with both religious and heraldic meaning. These subtle yet powerful details preserve the spiritual and historical legacy of the warrior-monks who once served here.
Though time and transformation have taken their toll, Shalford Preceptory remains a quietly powerful reminder of the medieval religious orders that once shaped England’s landscape — both physically and spiritual
WIDMERE END
TEMPLAR FIGURES AT BERKSHIRE
Knights Templar at Berkshire