Torphichen is therefore the sole Scottish link with an Order whose
name resonates through history: from its formation in the Crusades
to its occupation of Malta in the face of Turkish siege in 1565,
and beyond. The Order of St John of Jerusalem was suppressed in
Scotland after the Reformation in 1560, but it was reconstituted
here in a ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on 23 June 1947.
The Order first arrived in Scotland in 1132 at the invitation of
King David I, and it was granted a charter to build a Preceptory at
Torphichen in the 1140s. This was already a significant site. A
church had been established here by St Ninian as early as 400AD and
was siad to have been visited by King Arthur during the 500s. The
first church built by the Order probably became the choir of the
later church: the now demolished structure to the east of the
crossing, whose roof line and arch can be seen on the exterior of
the current building. During the 1200s the core of much of what
remains today was built: a cruxiform church whose tower and
transepts remain, whose choir has gone, and whose nave was later
demolished to make room for Torphichen Kirk. A number of domestic
buildings were also built.
Before the Battle of Falkirk in July 1298, William Wallace had
his base at Torphichen and used the Preceptory: and after the
English victory Edward I came here for treatment of an injury
caused by his horse. The Order of St John backed the English cause
during the Wars of Independence and the Preceptor fought (and died)
on the English side at Falkirk.
In 1312 another Order of fighting monks, the Knights of the
Temple or the Knights Templar, was dissolved by Pope Clement V for
a range of charges trumped up by King Philip IV of France. All of
their extensive land holdings in Scotland, previously administered
from their monastery at Temple, were passed to the Knights
Hospitaller of the Order of St John, adding significantly to the
property being administered from Torphichen.
The Knights Hospitaller left the country after the Scots'
victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. They later returned
after a reconciliation with Robert the Bruce (see our Historical
Timeline). The Preceptory was extended in the 1400s. The transepts
were heightened to the form you see them in today. At the same time
the domestic buildings were complete in the form of a cloister and
surrounding ranges.
The Reformation in 1560 had less disastrous consequences for
Torphichen Preceptory than it had for most religious establishments
across Scotland. The last Preceptor, Sir James Sandilands, came
from a family with extensive estates in the area dating back to
1348. He backed the Reformation and befriended John Knox.
In 1563 he surrendered the Preceptory lands to Mary Queen of
Scots, but then purchased them back on a personal basis, together
with the title of Lord Torphichen which he added to his existing
Barony of Calder. The Sandilands family seat was, and remains, at
Calder House in Mid Calder, a few miles south east of
Torphichen.
The nave of the Preceptory became the Parish Kirk for
Torphichen, but in 1756 it was demolished and its foundations
reused as the base for the new T-plan Parish Kirk that now nestles
up against the west side of the Preceptory. The domestic buildings
were demolished and used as a quarry for other developments in the
village. The tower fell into disuse over the following centuries,
only being re-roofed in 1947. A visit to Torphichen Preceptory is a
fascinating experience, allowing a glimpse into a little known and
long gone world.
The cache is a camo box placed just off the pathway
if you come here just around dusk you will be privileged to
witness the silent flight of the Bats when we placed the cache we
stood for almost five minutes watching them diving all around us
.
There is a FTF medal please take
