Exploring the Middle Ages through a Site Visit to Temple Church

What was the site visit?

Students visited Temple Church, London, towards the end of the course In the Shadow of the Tower: Crusade, Plague and Persecution in the Middle Ages. Today, the church is tucked away just off Fleet Street and engulfed by buildings providing legal services, but during the Middle Ages it was a key site in the religious and political life of England. Temple Church connects with many of the major events, figures, and changes of the medieval period that were explored in the course: it was built in the mid-twelfth century by the Knights Templar, a military-religious order linked to the crusades (hence it was consecrated by the patriarch of Jerusalem in 1185 and its shape echoes that of the church of the Holy Sepulchre). It was here that Magna Carta was negotiated in 1215, the great chivalric hero, William Marshal, was buried in 1219, and the barons planned the reform of England in 1258. The church was even sacked during the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381.

What was involved?

The session started with an introduction to the Templars, delivered by an NU London PhD student with expertise in this area, which was designed to orientate students by revisiting a recurring theme of the course: the impact and legacy of the crusading movement. Students then explored Temple Church in groups, guided by a workbook that prompted them to consider the significance of certain features of the church. This was followed by a public talk, ‘The Story of the Temple Church from the Knights Templar to the Present Day’, and a group discussion, led by the Course Leader, of the value and limitations of material evidence, how the site connects with multiple aspects of the course, and the role of public history in making the distant past accessible to a wider audience.

How did students learn?

• By analysing the architecture of Temple Church and the physical artefacts held therein, including the tomb effigy of William Marshal, a cast of the tomb of King John, and a facsimile of Magna Carta.
• Through discussions in small and large groups and completion of a workbook that encourages students to assess material culture in relation to textual evidence and topics already covered in the course.
• Through self-led exploration of the church, allowing students to identify aspects of the church and its history that they find interesting.
• By assessing how medieval history is presented to public audiences, both through a public talk and the church’s information boards.

Key benefits for students included:

• Gaining knowledge of key individuals, institutions, events, and changes in the Middle Ages through exploration of a physical space.
• Recapping and reflecting on course content in a much more engaging and stimulating setting than the traditional classroom environment.
• Active learning through engagement with historical artefacts and group discussions.
• Developing analytical skills by individually and collectively examining the features of material culture, supported by faculty and a bespoke workbook.
• Appreciating that there are many ways to study the past, including through a single site.
• Encountering multiple perspectives, not just that of the Course Leader.
• Assessing how, and with what degree of success, historical sites are curated for modern audiences.