St. Catherine's Church is located in the tiny hamlet of Temple, on Bodmin Moor, and stands on the site of what was the earlier Templar chapel. It formed part of the medieval Preceptory of Trebeigh and was a lonely, remote church on desolate Bodmin Moor, far away from other Templar Preceptories. It was not known to be particularily prosperous; it most likely was a key training centre for Cornish knights.
In 1150 the Lordship of the manor of Trebeigh (Trebythe) was granted to the Order by King Stephen. While it is known "that from 1259 the Master was patron of the neighbouring parish church of St. Ive, it is not certain whether the Templars were concerned with its building". (1) In 1185, the Templars' estate here was described as 'one land on Fawimore', i.e., Fowey or Bodmin Moor.
Local tradition has it that pilgrims travelling from Ireland were in the habit of avoiding the hazards of sailing round Lands End, by going up the Padstow estuary, probably as far as Wadebridge, and then overland to the Fowey river. Padstow was an important port and Fowey probably the busiest harbour on the South coast, from which many travellers from the West Country would have embarked for Europe.
So, perhaps it was natural for the Templars to build their church and refuge on the moor to accommodate travellers who passed over this wild stretch of country on their way to the Holy Land.
It is not known exactly in what year the 12th c. church, dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria, was built. It stands today on the site of the earlier Templar chapel; and after 1312, the Templars were no longer on the property, as it was turned over to the Hospitallers.
Later, particularily in the 16th c., this church became famous as a place where marriages could be performed without banns or license, e.g., similar to Gretna Green today. Many runaway couples must have eloped across the moor before an act was passed in 1753 declaring such marriages to be illegal . After this point, the Temple church lost its congregation and fell into serious disrepair; no services were held for nearly a century. The roof finally caved in, killing a tramp who was sheltering inside.
The church remained under the care of vicars of the neighbouring parishes- Warleggan, St. Neot and Helland- and then in 1850 the Revd. Edward Steele of St. Neot held a service in the ruins, and started a fund for its restoration. The new plans followed as closely as possible those of the original Templar church that formerly stood there. The ancient tower arch was kept and wherever possible, relics and other stones were used. (2)
The base of the old Norman font is preserved in the inner doorway, and various stones bearing the engraved crosses of the Templars and the Hospitallers can be discovered in the fabric of the building. The ancient silver communion cup and plate, dated 1577, which had been removed to nearby Blisland for safekeeping before 1764, were finally returned. Many other gifts were made by local people to assist in the restoration of this important church.
The new church was opened and consecrated on 30th May 1883 by the Bishop of Truro, Dr. Benson, who later became the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Temple church, together with Trebeigh, near Liskeard, together formed the Preceptory of Trebeigh in medieval times.
As far as is known, there is nothing to see in Trebeigh today regarding the medieval Templars, but Trebeigh Wood, alongside the main road from Liskeard, is close to the site of the Preceptory in a wide green valley. (3)
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VISITING THE SITE |
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| Access | P | P = open to public; A = by arrangement; X = private |
| Opening times | Normally open daytime | |
| Comments on Access | Active church:
Services: |
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| Ownership / Management | St. Catherine's Church, Temple, Bodmin,
Cornwall Church of England |
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| Tours | Contact: Rev. Derek R. Carrivick The Rectory Limehead, St. Breward Bodmin, Cornwall PL30 4LU pjc7@tutor.open.ac.uk |
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| Distance from nearest town | approx 6 mls NE of BODMIN | |
| Nearest Trunk Road intersection | A30 / A38 | |
| Where to stay / eat (Templar contacts) |
None known | |
| Where to stay / eat (Other) |
Nothing in Temple. Blisland has a pub. More facilities at St. Breward or Bodmin. | |
| Other local Templar contacts | None known | |
| Places of interest nearby | Blisland Church said by John Betjman to be of specific significance. | |