If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.
| Name: | Remains of the Knights Templar Preceptory, watermill and fishponds, North Witham |
|---|
| HER Number: | 33691 |
|---|
| Type of record: | Monument |
|---|
Summary
Remains of the Knights Templar Preceptory, watermill and fishponds, North Witham
| Grid Reference: | SK 929 205 |
|---|
| Map Sheet: | SK92SW |
|---|
| Parish: | SOUTH WITHAM, SOUTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE |
|---|
Full description
The Knights Templar had a small house at South Witham founded before 1164, dissolved 1308-12. It was one of the smallest preceptories in England, and by 1309 was already in decline. The property passed to the Hospitallers and was later merged with Temple Bruer. In 1563 the lands called Great Temple were granted to Stephen Holford. In 1794 it was still uninhabited, and has since been largely used for grazing. Aerial photographs show traces of associated earthworks around the OS siting. {1}{9}
Excavated by P. Mayes, Interim report in SMR. The excavations revealed chapel, buildings, barns, stables, kitchens, brewhouse, corndrying kilns, metal-working areas etc. {4}
On the east the farmstead was bounded by the river Witham which flows south to north was dammed at the north end to form a mill pond. None of the mill machinery itself has survived, but the mill race and the sluice gates were well-preserved, and in the waterlogged area at the bottom of the mill run, parts of the wooden water wheel were preserved. The millpond downstream of the mill was cobbled to prevent the water eroding the dam. {4}{10}
There is a full description in the scheduling document 22611. {9}
A resistivity survey was undertaken by Grantham Archaeology Group in 2006 at the Knights Templar Preceptory in order to confirm and reiterate the geophysical survey results obtained during poor weather in 2004. The more recent results confirmed and supported the 2004 findings and revealed further evidence of linear anomolies, interpretted as possible walls and structures. {11}{12}
Monument Types
- WALL (Unknown date)
- FARMSTEAD (Medieval - 1164 AD to 1312 AD)
- FISHPOND (Medieval - 1164 AD to 1312 AD)
- PRECEPTORY (Medieval - 1164 AD to 1312 AD)
- WATERMILL (Medieval - 1164 AD to 1312 AD)
Associated Events
- Resistance Survey at The Knights Templar Preceptory at South Witham: Appendum
- Excavation of South Witham Preceptory
Protected Status
Sources and further reading
| <1> | Index: OS CARD INDEX. SOUTH WITHAM. SK 92 SW:5,1965, DA |
| <2> | Bibliographic reference: Knowles, D. and Hadcock, R. N.. 1971. Medieval Religious Houses, England and Wales. - |
| <3> | Bibliographic reference: NAISMITH. 1787. NOTITIA MONASTICA. - |
| <4> | Article in serial: MAYES, P.. 1968. CURRENT ARCHAEOLOGY. VOL 9, P 232 |
| <5> | Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1953. RAF. F21.58.1096.0119-20 |
| <6> | Index: SMR FILE. SOUTH WITHAM. SK 92 SW:I - |
| <7> | Article in serial: WHITWELL, J.B.. 1966. LINCOLNSHIRE HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY. VOL 1 |
| <8> | Index: 1965. EAST MIDLANDS ARCHAEOLOGICAL BULLETIN. - |
| <9> | Scheduling record: ENGLISH HERITAGE. 1994. REVISED SCHEDULING DOCUMENT 22611. MPP 22 |
| <10> | Unpublished document: MAYES, P.. 1966. PARISH FILE. SOUTH WITHAM. INTERIM |
| <11> | Intervention Report: Grantham Archaeology Group. 2006. Resistance Survey at The Knights Templar Preceptory at South Witham: Appendum. - |
| <12> | Excavation archive: Grantham Archaeology Group. 2006. Resistance Survey at The Knights Templar Preceptory at South Witham: Appendum. - |
Related records
| 33695 | Related to: EARLY BRONZE AGE AXE (Find Spot) |
| 33681 | Related to: MILL OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLARS PRECEPTORY (Monument) |
Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.