1833 excavations In 1833
Rev. Dr. Oliver was allowed to excavate the site by Charles Chaplin of
Blankney Hall, who had recently acquired the Temple Bruer estates. Oliver remarks: "The present proprietor, Charles Chaplin Esq. of Blankney, has evinced a laudable anxiety to preserve the present Tower from ruin, by the introduction of a new roof, and by securing the cracks and fissures in the walls." Oliver's account of his excavations paints a lurid account of the discoveries and would appear to be supporting a justification for the charges which were brought against the Lincolnshire Knights Templars who were brought to trial first in Lincoln in November 1309 and later in London in 1310. Subsequent excavation in 1908 showed that Oliver's excavation had misinterpreted the features of the Preceptory and it is possible that Oliver may have encountered skeletons from a
charnel house in his excavations. It was also shown that part of the passage system described by Oliver was a
crypt and the "horrible cavern", the stones of which "had assumed the colour of brick" was a medieval oven structure
1908 excavations In 1908
William St John Hope, together with Col. Reeve of
Leadenham Hall, and with the permission of
Lord Londesborough, the owner, undertook extensive excavations on the site. Hope was a leading medieval archaeologist of the period and Assistant Secretary of the
Society of Antiquaries. Hope appears to have identified part of the precinct wall to the west of the church as that which was authorised by the 1306
licence to crenellate, which referred to "a certain part and strong gate" and which was noted in the 1338 Extent as a
curtilagio. He also discovered a number of slight structures the south wall of the precinct, which were probably the henhouse and stables mentioned in the Extent. A larger building lay to the south of the church. This was 36m long and 11.5m wide, and was probably a barn. Hope was able to distinguish four phases of the development of the Preceptory. The first phase was the church with a round nave, about 15m in diameter, with a ring of eight columns, which distinguished a central area from an outer aisle. To the east was a rectangular
presbytery of two bays measuring about 8m by 4m, with an
apse at the east end. Below this lay a crypt, which may be the feature shown in the bottom left-hand corner of
Samuel Buck 1726 engraving of the Preceptory. No clear indication was found of the
fenestration except at the east end of the apse; and there was no clear point of access to the nave, though this may have lain on the north side where outside several rock cut graves into the local limestone, were recorded. This first phase appears to equate with the initial foundation of the preceptory in the mid-12th century. The second phase dates from the later 12th century. A porch was constructed at the west end. The apse was removed and the presbytery extended two further bays to the east. This was followed by a third phase when towers were added to either side of the extended presbytery. A similar arrangement was adopted at the nearby
Aslackby Preceptory. The northern tower survived as foundations, while the southern tower remains to its full height. Access to the ground floor of the tower is from the north and would formerly have communicated into the presbytery. To the east of the door are the remains of a double piscina which would have served the high altar. Above the door is a corbel that supported the
rib vault of the presbytery roof; while to the right is the triple-shafted respond of the south side of the chancel arch. The ground floor room of the tower is a rib-vaulted chamber with windows in three sides. This room has an impressive blind arcade on its west and south sides, with a stone bench beneath. This bench has had incorporated a double
sedilia and
piscina. There is a further chamber above, reached by a spiral staircase. The fourth or final phase of building was the addition, revealed as foundations on the south side, of a chapel. The roof line of this chapel can be clearly seen on the west face of the standing tower. The photographs published by Hope show that ruinous elements of the upper parts of the tower were extensively repaired at a later date. ==Gallery==