Graves belonging to members of Knights Templar found in one of 'most nationally important discoveries'
Graves belonging to members of the ancient order Knights Templar have been uncovered at a Staffordshire village church in one of the "most nationally important discoveries" of its kind.
Historian and researcher Edward Spencer Dyas has discovered five more graves belonging to members of the Knights Templar in the churchyard of St Mary's Church in Enville in South Staffordshire.
The discovery of the five medieval tombs follows on from a discovery of three of the 800-year-old graves in 2021 and has led Mr Dyas to say that the area could be one of the most national important Templar churches in the country.
The Knights Templar was a wealthy, powerful and mysterious military organization of devout Christians in the medieval era, formed in 1119 and tasked with providing safety to pilgrims to Jerusalem.
It was believed in legend that their wealth was coveted by the nobility, however, and they were charged falsely with heresy and the order eventually disbanded in 1308.
It is not known why there are Templar graves at Enville although Templars were believed to attach themselves to churches dedicated to St Mary the Virgin.
