Cressing Temple :: Barns :: Witham Town Council :: Witham is a pleasant Georgian town with a history that dates back to the time of King Alfred located at the very heart of Essex midway between Colchester and Chelmsford.

Cressing Temple is three miles North of Witham on the B1018 towards Braintree.

History

The manor of Witham was given to the Knights Templar in 1148. Cressing Temple was the earliest foundation of Templar lands in Britain, and is an ancient moated farmstead, rural buildings and two vast oak built barns, built with outstanding craftsmanship over 700 years ago.

Cressing Temple Barns

The Wheat Barn and the Barley Barn are the two greatest examples of Templar Carpentry in Europe and have been dated to around 1250 and 1200 respectively.

Although we know the barns belong to the 13th century there is no mention of them in any document until 1567.

Fascinating Facts

There are some famous stories about ghosts and a disappearing horse read about them here.

During the Second World War the anti-aircraft guns were kept in Pightle Wood some 200m north of the site. The cookhouse was built to feed the men and the midstrey of the Wheat Barn was machined out and filled with gravel hoggin to stand the armoured car on.

Cressing Temple has about 30,000 visitors a year from all over the world.

Facilities for Visitors

Exhibition, plus Tudor walled garden. Tea-room and gift shop also available.

Admission: Adults £3.50 Concessions £2.50
Open: 1 March-31 October, Sun 10.30am-5.00pm. Easter Weekend and Bank Holidays 10.30am-5.00pm. May-September Wed-Fri 10.30am-4.00pm (Not Good Friday).

Cressing Temple
Witham Road
Braintree
Essex CM77 8PD

Tel: 01376 584 903 / 01376 584 453
Email: cressing.temple@essexcc.gov.uk
http://www.cressingtemple.org.uk

Map