Temple Manor, Strood, Kent
The manor of Strood was given to the Knights Templar by Henry II in 1159. The Knights Templar was a military and religious order that was established at the time of the Crusades to protect pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land and to defend the holy places there. The hall was built about 70 years after the Templars had acquired the estate and was designed to provide suitable lodging for dignitaries travelling between Dover and London. Probably no more than two knights of the order would have lived permanently at Temple Manor. A bailiff may have run the estate. By the early 14th century the Templars had converted the manor into a farm, which was rented out to tenants. 1336 Edward III gave Temple Manor to the Countess of Pembroke, and the income from it was used to endow an order of Franciscan nuns. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the property was granted to Edward Elrington in 1539. This site is now in the care of English Heritage (2011). Read more.
