Templecombe

The village of Templecombe in Somerset was once a ‘village of the Templars’, where the Templecombe Preceptory was established in 1185. The Knights Templar are the most well known of the Western Christian military orders that existed for around two centuries during the Middle Ages and it was in Templecombe that they had a headquarters. Templecombe was next granted to the Knights of St. John after the Knights Templar were suppressed in 1312.

Templecombe offers some amenities and is within easy reach of other settlements offering additional choices for dining, shopping and leisure. The village is amidst scenic Somerset countryside, with lovely walks in the area to be enjoyed. In Templecombe some history is still evident in the buildings with the Grade II 12^th century Church of St. Mary and the Manor House in the high street that was built on the site of a medieval building in the 17^th century. The Templecombe Railway Station opened here in 1860 and a smaller station on the lower line opened in 1862. The railway closures of the 1960’s closed Templecombe too but community pressure prevailed and it reopened in 1983. The narrow gauge Gartell Light Railway offers visitors a journey back in time through the countryside of Blackmore Vale on delightful half-size trains.