In the 15th century the Hospitallers made alterations to the earlier chapel at the preceptory. During the Middle Ages the Knights Templar established a preceptory in 1226 in the villages. The equivalents among the Knights Templar were "preceptor" and "preceptory". A Templar preceptory was therefore a combined monastery and military base. The knights of the preceptory also owned the Manor at Gaddesby. He was a knight in the Mannville Royal Black Preceptory, Number 948. It is close to the location of the former Knights Templar Preceptory of Cressing Temple. Hope was able to distinguish four phases of the development of the Preceptory. The Preceptor was head of the preceptory. It was later united with the Preceptory at Maltby. A similar arrangement was adopted at the nearby Aslackby Preceptory. Faxfleet was the location of the Faxfleet Preceptory, a former community of the Knights Templar. Traces of the historically important Dalby Preceptory are still just visible on the surface. The local preceptory founded in 1217 was at Ribston Park. Castlethorn, on the eastern side of the preceptory, is a scheduled prehistoric hillfort.