In the stunning setting of the Yorkshire Dales the Knights Templar had, along with other properties, a fortified farmstead called a Commanderie in Leyburn on Penhill. Land all over the country was donated to them by rich nobles and in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire in particular they acquired vast swathes. The Templars had so much land in Yorkshire that the county had its own Commander in charge based at Temple Newsam.
Unfortunately, not much remains of the Yorkshire Commanderies but there are traces still to be found. I have visited Templar sites all over Britain and Penhill is one of the best. It’s in a fantastic setting and is great to include as part of a walk in the Dales. The Templars were living at the site at Penhill between the 1140’s and 1312, with an older initial location just down the road from this one, of which nothing remains.
The foundation of the Templar chapel dedicated to St Catherine was uncovered and excavated in 1840 and is rectangular in shape.
The base of the altar is still clearly visible although no altar has been documented as found there. (If you want to see a perfect example of a Templar altar, the crypt at All Hallows Church in London has one from a Templar church in the Holy Land which was brought back from Antioch when they were driven out by the Saracens). Two coffins can be seen next to the altar base at Penhill.
When excavated they contained human remains which have long since disappeared, but more interestingly, there is a smaller third grave like stone next to the altar. I believe this to have contained a ceremonial sword or other important relics or ceremonial objects but what purpose it was used for is debatable. The most common theory is that it could have been a child burial which I personally do not agree with because unlike the stone coffins it has no drainage holes for the bodily fluids to drain away. This is one of the reasons why I love Templar sites, there is nearly always a mystery or a puzzle to try to work out!
The rest of the Commanderie has never been excavated and you can see by the shape of the landscape with its lumps and bumps that much remains to be found.
