The Knights Templar built round churches in imitation of the Holy Sepulchre church in Jerusalem. That holy place of worship is considered the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, making it a central place of pilgrimage and religious importance for Christians. But not all medieval round churches are Templar related – contrary to what is sometimes assumed.
So, for example, here is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Cambridge, England – with me standing outside on a recent visit. I’d often lazily assumed it had a Templar connection but it doesn’t. This church was built in the Templar period – in 1130 – but its owners were the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.
This religious fraternity adopted the Augustinian rule in 1114 and existed during the first decades of the Templars’ existence – after they were founded around 1118. But they seem to have fallen apart after the loss of Jerusalem to Saladin in 1188.
Hardly any medieval round churches survive in England today – in fact, there are only four to my knowledge. And the Knights Templar were not involved with all of them. So we have St John the Baptist Church in Little Maplestead, Essex, which was not built by the Templars – but by the rival Knights Hospitaller around 1186.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Northampton predates the Templars by a couple of decades, dating back to 1100. It was built by the first Earl of Northampton, Simon de Senlis. He had joined the First Crusade in 1096 so would have seen the original Holy Sepulchre church in Jerusalem. De Senlis would also have been party to the horrific massacre inflicted by the invading crusaders on the city’s population when the walls were breached. This war crime was documented in gruesome details by…Christian chroniclers.
The fourth church – the Temple church in London – is a Templar construction. It was in use by 1163 and stood at the centre of a complex of buildings that formed the English HQ of the Knights Templar. It was consecrated in 1185 by Heraclius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, who was on a diplomatic mission to see King Henry II of England. There was a succession crisis in the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the armies of Saladin were menacing.
If you would like to know more about the Knights Templar, then get your hands on a copy of my book: The Knights Templar – History & Mystery. Published by Pen & Sword and available on Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, and WHSmith. Don’t miss out on your copy!
