[Illustration: FIG. 882.--Temple Church. Plan.]
The ancient Church of Temple is beautifully situated in the valley of
the river South Esk, about three miles from Gorebridge Railway Station,
and seven miles south from Dalkeith. As the name implies, this site was
(in the time of David I.) the residence of the Knights Templars.
Before the Reformation there were three churches in the upper valley of
the Esk, which belonged to the monks of Newbotle. One of these, called
Balentradoch, was granted by Pope Clement V., in 1312, after the
suppression of the Templars, to the Knights Hospitallers of St. John. At
the Reformation the three churches were united into one parish, and the
existing structure was used as the parish church till 1832, when a new
church was erected near it.
[Illustration: FIG. 883.--Temple Church. View from South-East.]
The plan of the church (Fig. 882) is a simple oblong, 55 feet in length
by 17 feet 9 inches in width internally. A portion at the west end,
measuring about 17 feet 6 inches externally, has been added since the
Reformation. This portion contained a gallery, entered by a high outside
doorway in the north-west corner. There are in the west wall a
round-headed doorway on the ground level and a high window with two
pointed lights over it. Some doorways have also been opened in the older
part of the structure about the same time--viz., one in the centre of
the north wall and one at the east end of the south wall.
[Illustration: FIG. 884.--Temple Church. East End of North Wall.]
The more ancient part of the building is in good preservation, although
roofless. It contains a large traceried window in the east wall (Fig.
883), and has had two traceried windows, each with three lights, in each
of the side walls. These windows are well preserved, except the west one
in the north wall, which has been practically removed and built up, only
the interior sconsions being now traceable. To the west of the above
windows there occur two narrow lancet windows, one in the north and one
in the south wall, opposite one another. There is an ancient
trefoil-headed doorway in the north wall (Fig. 884), and at the
north-east angle of the same wall a broad set-off is visible at a high
level,
[Illustration: FIG. 885.--Temple Church. Interior of East End.]
indicating that there must have been some structure with a sloping stone
roof (possibly a monument) under it. The wall at this place has been
rebuilt. In the interior of the north wall (Fig. 885), under the
eastmost side window, a segmentally-arched recess is introduced. It is
about 6 feet 2 inches long, and has had good mouldings springing from
small shafts and caps, but is now greatly destroyed. This may have been
an easter sepulchre. In the interior of the south wall there has been a
sedilia with two seats (see Fig. 885), each having a trefoil-headed
arch, with bold roll on edge, of which only a small portion survives.
Externally (see Fig. 883) the building is provided with a buttress at
each side of the east end, and another at right angles to it at the
south-east angle. A similar buttress occurs on the south wall between
the two south windows. These buttresses are all finished with acute
gablets and fleur-de-lys ridges, and the string course and base are
returned round them.
[Illustration: FIG. 886.--Temple Church.