Temple is a small village in the parish of Blisland on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, England, UK. It is best known for its 12th century church once owned by the Knights Templar.
Temple derives its name from the hospice founded by Knights Templars who built a refuge for pilgrims and travellers, en route to the Holy Land, in the 12th century. On the suppression of the Templars it passed into the hands of the Knights Hospitallers (in 1314), who held it until the religious houses were suppressed by Henry VIII.
Temple Church was built c.1120 on land owned by the Knights Templar. It became famous as a place where marriages could be performed without banns or licence. This came to an end in 1744 when the church first came under episcopal jurisdiction. By the mid 19th century, it had become a ruin and was rebuilt (by Silvanus Trevail) in 1883. The church is dedicated to St Catherine but contains several references to its links with the Knights Templar, including a cross pattée in the east window and a depiction of a mounted knight in the north window of the church tower.
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All photos © Peter J Morris 2014