On English churches (part 6) - St Mary the Virgin - Welsh Newton

Something of a sequel to Part2 - Garway. In around 1170 - The English King, Henry II granted the Knights Templar the rights to a preceptory at Garway. A preceptory being a local administrative centre both for spiritual needs as well as more earthly matters like getting rent out of farmers and producing food for the knights. As part of that same land grant, the Templars also built some smaller chapels including the church of St Mary the Virgin sometime in the 13th century and kept control until around 1312 when their persecution in Europe meant, even in England, their holdings, including this church, passed to the brother order of the Knights Hospitaller. Along with its association with the Templars (which lets be honest is always cool), its also associated with Mrs Yunzi (also very cool) who has a family connection and its a really quite lovely church in its own right, so we took ourselves down for a visit. St Mary the Virgin church in Welsh Newton The nave, chancel and tower all date…