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The Knights Hospitallers in Hampshire – Woodcott, Baddesley & Godsfield

The Knights Hospitallers, or Order of St John of Jerusalem, established a significant presence in Hampshire during the medieval period, managing a network of estates that supported their religious and charitable work.

One of their earliest centres was the commandery at Godsfield, founded through land grants in the 12th and 13th centuries. Here, a preceptor oversaw agricultural land, tenants, and local administration. The estate included several hundred acres, though much of it was of modest value. A chapel built of flint and stone in the later 14th century still survives today on private land, marking the site of the former commandery.

By 1365, the Hospitallers moved their administrative centre from Godsfield to North Baddesley, which became the principal commandery in the region. From here, the Order managed its Hampshire holdings more effectively, including surrounding manors and estates.

Among these was Woodcott, a smaller estate known as a camera. Unlike a commandery, Woodcott was not permanently occupied by brethren but was held in absentia and managed by an agent. It consisted of a modest dwelling, farmland of limited quality, and an appropriated chantry, and was leased out to generate income for the Order.

Together, Godsfield, Baddesley, and Woodcott illustrate the range of Hospitaller landholding in Hampshire—from active administrative centres to quieter income-producing estates. Following the dissolution of the Order in England in 1540, these properties passed into royal control, though traces of their medieval past remain in the landscape today.

For our full Blog report on the visit to Temple Sotherington, please hit the link here

TEMPLE SOTHERINGTON – The Knights Templar at Selbourne & St Mary’s Church

The Lost Legacy of Temple Sotherington

Today, little remains of Temple Sotherington beyond fragments of the old chapel, now part of a private residence. Yet, with a bit of imagination, one can trace the historical footprint of the Knights Templar within the modern landscape, which echoes the layout from centuries past. Although the Templars’ preceptory has long vanished, its presence was once firmly rooted just east of Selborne, in a place called Sotherington.

For our full Blog report on the visit to Temple Sotherington, please hit the link here