Great Limber ~ Knights Templar & More History
Great Limber in Lincolnshire was where I found myself today.
There was a Knight Templar Preceptory there but I suspect there’s much more to the place than there may initially appear.
Today, Great Limber is a lovely little village but I imagine most people experience it only when driving through on the way to Humberside Airport.
The question is what was it like 100s of years ago ?
My attention was brought to something by Cartographic Guru Neville Sisson. Looking at Speed’s 1610 map of Lincolnshire the symbols denoting towns change in stature.
This seems reasonable enough as it reflects the status of the town one presumes - but why then is Great Lymberghe, symbolically, the size of Grimsby and Caistor ?
I took this picture quickly from the far side of the village for those abroad who visit the site. It’s a fairly typical rural village scene - the local church, probably 800 years old or so looking out over the landscape and village it has so beautifully molded itself into
Classic Lincolnshire Scene ~ A Medieval Church Peeping Out Over Trees
We know the Knights Templar had a Preceptory there so to my mind that suggests an area of reasonable importance anyway - but is there more ?
As to the Templar Knights, below are the earthworks of the original preceptory what a feeling it was standing there.
Back in the 12th century the Templars held the second biggest estate in Lymbergh. It was, as most of their property was, let out to tenants and this continued until the 14th century when the order was famously dissolved with this estate then passing to the Knights Hospitallers
The Site of a Knight Templar Preceptory
Below is a map of the entire site which is now a scheduled ancient monument and a beautifully kept site it is too.
There is public access and it has a superb ‘Conservation Walk’ so you can take in the whole place - really is worth a visit.
It’s on the left hand side of the road just as you enter the village heading towards the airport.
Here is the key to the spots marked on the map
A: Large rectangular banked enclosure thought to represent the site of the Hospitallers camera, where the main house, outbuildings, gardens and possibly a chapel were located between the 14th and 16th centuries The prominent wall foundations visible inside the enclosure mark the site of the 16th and 17th century house
B: Remains of a large, rectangular barn
C Closes defined by banks associated with the occupation of the Templars in the 12th and 14th centuries and reoccupied in the 14th - 16th centuries by the Hospitallers. The closes contain traces or earlier ridge and furrow cultivation. A further enclosure to the east is occupied by the farmyard.
D: Village remains marking the former eastern extent of Great Limber. This part of the village was depopulated gradually: only two houses were occupied in 1676, and the whole area had been abandoned by 1812.
E: Remains of houses and yards.
F: Former village streets visible as hollow ways.
G: Traces of late medieval ridge and furrow cultivation, known as Stone-Pit Furlong in the 17th century.
H: Site of Great Limber House and gardens, bounded on the south side by the earthwork remains of a ha-ha (a ha-ha is a sort of trench marking a boundary with spoiling a view), which formerly separated the gardens from adjacent pasture land.
Weelsby Woods
The Domesday Book
Listed in the 1086 book as Limberge / Linberge it’s King’s Land and the only names mentioned are the Archbishop of York, Ivo Tailbois, Hugh FitzBaldric, Drogo de Beuriviere and Rayner de Brimou.
The only place noted is half a slaughter house so it’s clear in 1086 there wasn’t a great deal going on there - so why the status on some maps ?
Another shot of the earthworks
The final shot above is an attempt to show you how impressive the earthworks are on the site. As always, in my experience, it’s very difficult to get this across in a photograph. The above shows it a bit better than normal so perhaps it gives you some idea.
Obviously there’s plenty more to go at here but I’m concerned this has already got quite long so I think it may be better to cover anything else in the form of comments.
If you know of anything else or you’ve visited the village then please do leave a comment - likewise subsequently there will be a lot more valuable information in the comments that will surely build over time so please do scroll down for more - thank you
All the best
Rod
Rod said,
April 18, 2010 @ 6:46 pm
Great Limber Priory ~ Limber Magna
There was Norman priory there affiliated to the Abbey of L’Aulnay in Normandy.
“An alien priory of the Cistercian abbey of Aunay-sur-Odon in Normandy Grange of Carthusian Abbey of St Anne 1157-1393″
Rod said,
April 18, 2010 @ 7:03 pm
Very Early History
A Neolithic stone axe was found at Little Limber in 1958. It is in Scunthorpe Museum.
Romano British cinerary urn and a 3rd to 4th century jar were found in the vicarage garden at Great Limber in 1949. The finds are in Lincoln Museum
Spearheads and Rapiers from the Bronze Age.
Later History
World War II decoy site
chris keyworth said,
April 18, 2010 @ 8:53 pm
far to much to post up on this place and well scattered but there is everything here from bronze age to more recent times ive seen large amounts of roman and medieval finds the odd celtic and saxon coin and a large viking presence…
regards
chris
Rod said,
April 19, 2010 @ 8:43 am
Chris,
you hit the nail on the head there re far too much to post.
It’s a tremendous historical spot which makes me wonder if there’s not a little more to theplace than is immediately obvious
All the best
Rod
bev stegeman said,
July 16, 2011 @ 8:15 am
Dear Rod The site is great I am doing a One Name Study on the name Quickfall and they were in Gt Limber from 1550. this site helps me see where they lived when I am on the other side of the world.
Bev
Chris Keyworth said,
October 28, 2011 @ 2:52 pm
I was just Trawling through some old Air Photos of great limber and have just noticed somthing that may be of concirerable interest, its always been there but just stairing us all in the face.. THE CHURCH IS ALINED WRONG….
This is shouting out to me that this is not the original site of the church Perhaps there is another hidden away, i dont doubt there has always been somthing on the spot but i could be a converted chaple…
regards
chris…
Rod said,
October 28, 2011 @ 7:01 pm
Chris,
this is well worth looking into - very intriguing indeed, hmmm I wonder how many churches are off the standard axis ?
Best
Rod
Steve... said,
October 28, 2011 @ 8:35 pm
I wonder what you think the standard axis is and why? There is a lot more to the layout and siting of ancient churches than you might think.
Rod said,
October 29, 2011 @ 8:11 am
Steve,
Chris will speak for himself I’m sure but my presumption was that the church doesn’t face east.
That said, I’ve just looked into the ‘all churches face east rule’ . . .
Best
Rod
Chris Keyworth said,
October 29, 2011 @ 2:54 pm
My understanding was that not all churches face the same way as some where aligned to the sunrise of a certain feast day of the dedicated saint of that church most churches face towards the rising sun over jeruselem, Great limber is dedicated to saint Peter so you would think as it is on a different axis it would point to the sunrise on st peters day, 29th of june, but as i am never up at half four in the morning to witness or record this i am unsure what direction this is, any ideas?. its an interesting topic and one worth further investigation.
regards
chris…
James Smith, 12 said,
December 20, 2011 @ 8:01 pm
Rod,
There was a Romano-British burial found in the back garden of the Vicarage in 1949.
Regards,
James
Chris Keyworth said,
December 20, 2011 @ 8:15 pm
Hi James
thats news to me but it does make sense as there is a very large Roman Cemetary in the area not far from the vicarage, ive looked into great limber in some depth and there is far more going on there than that is apparently evident on the ground…
regards
chris…
Rod said,
December 21, 2011 @ 8:23 am
James,
great addition, many thanks - I’ve just looked into it and it was a Romano British cinerary urn and a 3rd to 4th century jar, they are now held by Lincoln Museum.
Great stuff James.
All the best
Rod