Amazing Facts about Cressing Temple

CT was the earliest foundation of Templar lands in Britain, dating from 1137.

The Wheat Barn and the Barley Barn are the two greatest examples of Templar Carpentry in Europe and have been dated to around 1256 and 1206 respectively. The Barley Barn is the oldest timber-framed barn in the world.

A Templar seal found in excavations bears the name of a scribe Walter Fitzstephens.

Sir Robert Hales, the architect of the Poll Tax was Head of the Hospitaller Order at CT in 1381. The rioters came to the site to find and hang him but, finding him fled to London, ate all his food and wine got in for a banquet and pulled the buildings down. They later caught Sir Robert in London, dragged him out of the Tower of London and killed him!

Although we know the barns belong to the 13th century there is no mention of them in any document until 1567. Why?

There are some famous stories about ghosts and a disappearing horse read about them here.

During the Second World War the anti-aircraft guns were kept in Pightle Wood some 200m north of the site. The cookhouse was built to feed the men and the midstrey of the Wheat Barn was machined out and filled with gravel hoggin to stand the armoured car on.

Cressing Temple has about 30,000 visitors a year from all over the world.

Among the events are Craft Fairs, Car Shows, Music Festivals, Tudor Schoolrooms and Gardeners Days.

The Templar's Fair. Possibly Europes' best Historical Re-enactors fayre was held for many years at CT. In 2007 we staged our own, hugely successful, St George's Joust and Mediaeval Fayre

After 2001''s success with the Bake House containing the 18th century Brick Oven and the New Forge in 2002 we produced a new exhibition on the archaeology of the site and also recommissioned the Thrashing Drum! For 2003 we worked hard on the stables, ploughs and the pig weighing machine to show off even more aspects of the site. In 2004 we spruced up the seed dressing machines for a visit from HRH Prince Charles.In 2005 we recieved the beautiful Hunt's mill. For 2005/6 we built a new exhibition on old farm machinery throughout the agricutural year.

Cressing Temple is regularly seen in films and on the television. It starred in an episode of Lovejoy, has been on Top Gear and been glimpsed in many local history programs. An internet advert was made in the Barley Barn but our biggest moment came when over 4000 people descended on us for the Antiques Roadshow - one of the most successful ever!

David Dimbleby filmed part of his latest epic documentary here in the summer of 2006.