Templecombe can be viewed through several layers of time: church art and a medieval site tell of the history of the Templars, while surviving village stocks and a well reveal other local features. Two walks with significantly different time requirements are also available to help with your planning. This lets you give cultural history and exercise different roles in your stay.

Church and medieval traces

Parts of the original 12th-century church survive at the Church of St Mary the Virgin. The church also contains an image of Christ’s head painted on wooden panels. It may date from the 13th century and is thought to be associated with the Knights Templar. The date and attribution of this image should therefore be treated with caution: the Templar connection is a possible interpretation, not a confirmed attribution. This makes it a distinctive part of local history, even though its origins cannot be determined more precisely.

The Manor House also has several layers of history. The site was a preceptory of the Knights Templar until 1300; the preceptory at Templecombe was founded in 1185. The Manor House itself is a 17th-century house built on a medieval site. To understand the chronology, it is worth distinguishing the building from the site: the medieval heritage relates to the site, not the age of the present house.

The Templar history thus appears in different forms: as a dated preceptory and as a possible historical interpretation of an image. Together with the surviving parts of the church, these offer several perspectives on Templecombe’s cultural heritage without conflating the evidence into a single story.

Memorials in the village

When it comes to the village stocks, it is important to distinguish the originals from the replica. Templecombe’s original village stocks are being preserved; a replica can be seen outside Stocks Cottage. These are two distinct objects with different roles: the originals are preserved, while the replica stands outside as a visible feature.

Another local detail can be found on Templecombe’s Village Green: a well there sits over a natural spring. The village stocks and the well point to different aspects of the place—a preserved historic object and a spring connected to the landscape. Those interested in local history can therefore discover more than just one point of interest.

More recent railway history

The railway is also part of Templecombe’s history. The station reopened in October 1983 following a local campaign. This clearly dated event adds a more recent chapter to the older associations with the church, preceptory and Manor House. It shows that the village’s history is not limited to the Middle Ages.

Walks to suit your schedule

The official 2023 walking booklet gives the Abbas Combe and Templecombe Trail as around 8 miles (12.5 km) long, taking 4–5 hours. Walk 2 in Templecombe is listed as around 3.5 miles (5.6 km), taking 1 hour 30 minutes; its difficulty is rated easy to moderate. This gives you two walks with different time requirements to choose from, with the easy-to-moderate rating applying to Walk 2.

The stated duration is particularly useful in choosing between them, as well as the difference in distance: according to the walking booklet, Walk 2 takes considerably less time than the Abbas Combe and Templecombe Trail. If your day only allows time for a shorter walk, Walk 2 offers the shorter time commitment; the trail is the longer option. Check the route conditions before setting off, as they can change.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Wedmore, Chiselborough, West Chinnock, Lympsham, Burrow Bridge, Hatch Beauchamp, Puriton, Ditcheat

For the main travel overview: Somerset.