Bottesford Preceptory
![A small stone building with wrought iron gates against a long stone wall. Huge yew trees overhang the wall, and a straggly bit of ivy clings to theside of the well house](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/St.John%27s_Well%2C_Bottesford.jpg/220px-St.John%27s_Well%2C_Bottesford.jpg)
The Victorian well house over the medieval well[1]
![A shallow depression in the grass with a stone lined pit in the centre. It is surrounded by railings with a small interpretation board next to the gate. Behind the shallow depression is an earth bank, and behind that a row of recent houses. A large leafless tree is on the left](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/The_Templar%27s_Bath%2C_Bottesford.jpg/220px-The_Templar%27s_Bath%2C_Bottesford.jpg)
The dipping well[1]
Bottesford Preceptory was sited at Bottesford, just to the south of Scunthorpe, in Lindsey, England. It was on low-lying land, near the Bottesford Beck, about 3 miles (5 km) to the west of the escarpment of the Lincoln Cliff limestone upland, and about the same distance to the east of the River Trent. A preceptory was a community of the Knights Templar who lived on one of that order's estates in the charge of its preceptor. A preceptory also referred to the estate and its buildings. The present Bottesford Manor is believed to have been the gatehouse to the preceptory.
Templars Bath, a spring in the field behind Bottesford Manor, is now hardly discernible, being simply a gathering of stones.[1] The bath has been attributed to the Romans but others believe it was a dipping bath or well used by the Templar workers. It was once used as a "magic" health-giving spring. Travellers would drink its waters and leave cloth offerings (a "rag well"). This healing property was probably associated with its position near a Templar hospital. The only distinctive Templar artefact found here was an ancient gravestone with a large cross upon it. It was covering a body buried in a grave that had been placed at the angle formed by the north wall of the chancel and the east wall of the north transept, though this description is inconsistent with a normal Templar round church.
Archaeologists excavated the Templar fields nearby in 1983, but little was found and the land was back-filled.
See also other Lincolnshire Templar Preceptories[edit]
- Aslackby Preceptory, Kesteven (TF0830)
- Eagle, Kesteven (SK875672)
- Temple Bruer Preceptory
- Witham Preceptory, Kesteven (SK928205)
- Willoughton Preceptory, Lindsey (SK923931)
Lincolnshire Templar Camera and Granges[edit]
- Bottesford, Lindsey . Cell of Willougton(SE8907)
- Temple Belwood, Belton, North Lincolnshire
- Grantham Angel and Royal
- Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
- Great Limber, Lindsey (TA1308)
- Horkstow, Lindsey (SE9818) Cell of Willoughton.
- Mere, Branston and Mere. Probably a grange of Willoughton.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Historic England. "St John's well (and the dipping well) (60786)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 20 January 2010.