Templeton: Village History and Historic Buildings

Templeton brings together the history of a planned village, church architecture, rural buildings and a play park. The village was founded in the 11th or 12th century, shortly after the Anglo-Norman conquest of southwest Wales. If you are looking for hotels in Templeton, the village’s history, historic architectural features and Templeton Play Park offer concrete points to help you decide whether the place suits your travel interests.

Village and Churches

A large village green and two churches shape Templeton’s village character. St John's Church is east of the A478, on the south side of the village. The green represents an open space, while the churches are religious buildings in the village landscape.

Church Architecture Across Several Phases

Templeton Congregational Chapel was built in 1819 and rebuilt in 1839 and again in 1879. The building erected in 1879 is designed in the Simple Round-Headed Style and has a gabled entrance and tall windows. The building phases and exterior form offer different ways to appreciate the chapel: the sequence of dates tells its construction history, while the gable and windows shape its architectural impression.

Templeton Farmhouse

Templeton Farmhouse is a farmhouse dating from the early 17th century. The two-storey building runs parallel to the road on the west side of Templeton’s main street; it is built of stone and roofed with slate. In contrast to the chapel, the focus here is on building type, number of storeys, materials and orientation, while the chapel is characterised by its building phases and named style. The orientation parallel to the road describes the house’s alignment; its position on the west side of the main street identifies its location.

Medieval Sites

Margaret's Well is a medieval holy well on the western edge of Templeton. Immediately west of the village lies Sentence Castle, a medieval ringwork. Its form suggests it was built in the 12th century. Both sites point to medieval history, but in different ways: a holy well and a ringwork whose form suggests it was built in the 12th century.

Templeton Play Park

Templeton Play Park complements the historic sites with a recreational facility. It is fenced and has picnic benches as well as an adjacent car park. Improvements made in 2014 included a swing seat, a 20-metre running track, a wooden play boat, a climbing frame and rocking toys for toddlers. The running track has a specific length of 20 metres, while the rocking toys are explicitly intended for toddlers. The picnic benches may be useful for a break at the park; the car park is next to the facility.

Layers of History in Templeton

The historic layers can be compared: the village’s foundation and Margaret's Well point to the Middle Ages; Templeton Farmhouse dates from the early 17th century, and the chapel was rebuilt in 1879. Sentence Castle adds to the medieval context, but its form suggests it was built in the 12th century.

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