The Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller at Barston, Warwickshire

FEBRUARY 2026

The quiet Warwickshire village of Barston, historically recorded as Berstanton, holds a remarkable medieval heritage. Situated in the hundred of Hemlingford, around twelve miles from Warwick and within the parish of Berkswell, this ancient settlement once lay within a landscape shaped by two of the most influential military-religious orders of the Middle Ages: the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller.

Close to Temple Balsall, one of the most important Templar centres in England, Barston formed part of a wider network of estates that funded crusading activity and religious life. By at least 1185, the manor of Barston had already been divided between the two orders, each maintaining lands and revenues there.

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TEMPLE GRAFTON: A HOSPITALLER LEGACY — NOT TEMPLAR

Despite its name, Temple Grafton was never home to the Knights Templar. The “Temple” prefix is a misnomer, born from a clerical error in 1535. The true medieval legacy of this Warwickshire village belongs instead to the Knights Hospitaller of St John of Jerusalem — a powerful military and religious order dedicated to caring for the sick and defending the Christian faith.

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JUNE 2025

Warwickshire may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking about the Knights Templar, but the county hides a fascinating network of medieval Templar sites—including the small yet significant settlement of Temple Herdewyke, whose name alone echoes its historical roots.

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Temple Herdewyke: A Modest Yet Meaningful Templar Outpost

Though not a major preceptory or manor, Temple Herdewyke played a quiet but notable role in the Templars’ presence in Warwickshire. The lands were donated around the mid-12th century by Ralph de Sudeley, a local knight and crusader. Upon returning from the Holy Land, de Sudeley endowed the Templars with around 120 acres of arable land near Burton Dassett, with the intention of establishing a rural preceptory and training ground.

Learn More about the Ralph de Sudeley and the Knights Templar in Temple Herdewyke in Warwickshire further by clicking here

HAMPTON IN ARDEN

Roger Mowbray: Crusader, Templar Benefactor, and the Mystery of the Knight’s Heart Tomb

Roger Mowbray, born in 1118, was a nobleman deeply connected to the Knights Templar, shaped by his own experiences as a crusader. 

A Devoted Benefactor of the Monastic Orders

Mowbray’s deep religious devotion is evident in the generous gifts he bestowed upon various religious institutions.

Mowbray’s final resting place remains a subject of historical debate. While Byland Abbey holds an effigy believed to be in his honor, another intriguing possibility lies at the Church of St. Mary & St. Bartholomew in Hampton-in-Arden.

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