Berkshire History for Kids: Bisham Abbey

Home of Mysterious Soldiers & Spirits!

Bisham 'Abbey' is a big medieval mansion or manor house in East Berkshire. It is near Marlow.
It was not an 'Abbey'. The abbey, or priory, stood next door. It was demolished in the 1530s.
The house is a medieval hall house. It was built for soldier-monks called the Knights Templar in the 1260s.
The Knights Templar lived like monks at Bisham, but they also had to protect pilgrims when they travelled to the Holy Land in the Middle East.
They were very secretive and became very powerful in Europe. The King of France was jealous and made up bad stories about them. So the Pope banned the organization and told the King of England to seize all their land in this country.
Edward II kept the Queen of Scotland prisoner there.
Later, it was given to the Earls of Salisbury. They lived there for many years. The 2nd Earl locked up a princess there. The 5th Earl and his son, the famous Earl of Warwick, were both killed in the War of the Roses.
In Tudor Times, the Hoby family lived there. They built a big tower on the back.
The Vansittart-Neales lived there in Victorian and Modern Times. It now belongs to the National Sports Council. The England Football Team trains there!
The house is famous for its ghost. It is the most haunted house in Berkshire.