QUEST 27 CONTINUED…

Day Three: St Petrox Church and Dartmouth Castle: It was another gloriously sunny day when we arrived in beautiful Dartmouth; a town and civil parish in the county of Devon; we were on day three of this wonderful adventure. This is a designated area of outstanding beauty and one can easily see why. In 1086, the Domesday Book lists Dunestal as the only settlement in the area, and which now makes up the Parish of Dartmouth. Over time it developed as a port and was of strategic importance as a deep water port for sailing vessels. Interestingly the port was used as the sailing point for the Crusades of 1147 and 1190, and Warfleet Creek, close to Dartmouth Castle, which we also visited, is suposed by some, to be named for the vast fleets that assembled there; later it was also the home of the Royal Navy. The narrow mouth of the port is protected by two fortified castles, Dartmouth Castle and Kingswear Castle. In modern times a Royal Regatta takes place annually over three days at the end of August.

Arriving at beautiful Dartmouth in Devon; a well-known tourist destination on the western bank of the tidal estuary of the River Dart.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dartmouth,_Devon

St Petrox Church: So on Friday 3rd May we made our way across beautiful scenery and moorland to this very special church situated right next door to Dartmouth Castle; St Petrox church is packed with ‘hidden histories’ relating to the Knights Templars, the Nevilles and beyond. Both church and graveyard have a powerful and scenic vantage point overlooking the estuary. The church of St Petrox, which is a grade one listed building, perches above the mouth of the river like a guardian, but its exposed position has presented it with problems and challenges. First recorded in 1192 in deeds relating to Little Dartmouth, St Petrox is referred to as the ‘Monastery of St Peter’. There is little recorded history of the church around this time and there is little more information on what the ‘monastery’ was. It has been suggested that the monastery was perhaps started by the man whose name now graces the church: St Petrox. St Petroc was an interesting saint; a Welsh aristocrat who gave up worldly things and travelled to Ireland to study in piety. Later he ministered around Cornwall where legend has him converting the rather evil Cornish King Constantine to the faith. He was based in Bodmin for a while before heading to the continent, where he is supposed to have met the Pope, travelled to India and beyond and had many fantastical adventures before his death. His bones were held at Bodmin and venerated. However their is a lot more to St Petrox than meets the eye…

https://www.bythedart.co.uk/things-to-do-in-dartmouth/what%27s-in-church%3F—st.-petrox/

https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101297086-church-of-st-petrox-dartmouth#.XPfE1497l1s

St Petrox Church with stunning views across the estuary.

This church then is absolutely  steeped in Knights Templar history going back as far as the Crusades and beyond. This part of the castle was built around 1330, yet the history and actual sacred site goes back far beyond that, for many reasons to be learnt about; this really is the only church in the area that is worthwhile to spend time at. It is a must see for anyone interested in templarism and knightly virtues, or indeed who are like us and are actual Templars researching blood lines….

There are many symbols and connections to the Templars here, which you can see explained in detail in the video below. There are connections too, to the Fordham line, which traces back to the Desposyni line and the line of Christ, and to France. There is a very particular tomb in the central isle that screams templarism, displaying a symbol that the Extinction Rebellion group of modern times now use.

There is also reference on one of the windows to Gonville and Caius College in Cambridge (home town of one of us questers) and as what may come as a surprise to many, the city of Cambridge was actually founded on templar money! There is also a plaque near the font displaying the MacAndrew name, which ties us in at this point in time to previous quests. But the most delightful and important discovery is the churches connection to Lancelot! The connection can be seen on the Lancelot stained-glass widow with on the left hand side a German connection, while on the right of the window are the emblems of Lancelot Desposyni himself; one of the ancestors of the Fordham line. As we may already mentioned the Fordhams ‘spawned’ out of Westphalen in Germany and then into France, where they stayed for many centuries, and then from France onto England,  thus linking us into the Arthurian Ledgends and future quests but also connecting us to our up and coming visit to Tintagel

Images above that prove myth and legend have roots firmly in fact & can be traced right back from modern times – exactly what we are doing on these quests! The first two photos connect to Gonville & Caus College in Cambridge, the second two are the stunning Lancelot Desposyni window connecting to the bloodline of our quests, then the familiar Neville sheild & the MacAndrew surname again – all part of the same bloodline! Lastly, the very profound plaque that was hidden behind a curtain in a little ‘cubby hole’ reads “The cup of blessing which we bless is not the communian of the blood of Christ” So lots to pause for thought about..

See our video below for a tour of the church and much more info…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Q5nmKTT14&t=45s

Dartmouth Castle: The castle seems to sit precariously on the cliff edge where the River Dart meets the English Channel with amazing views out to sea. The day we were there was sunny and the views were spectacular. One can enjoy roaming the castle and learning about its history over several levels; while the narrow winding stairway to the top is challenging; it is a must for the views alone! The castle was begun in 1388 to protect the town and harbour of Dartmouth against French raids during the 100 years war and 100 years later it was strengthened with a gun tower, the first purpose-built coastal artillery for Britain! The castle continued to play an important role in our defences of the land throught out the years – see link for further info.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dartmouth_Castle

St Edmund King & Martyr Church, Kingsbridge: Just a short drive along peaceful country roads bought us to our next scheduled stop which sadly on this occasion was closed to us, so a few shots of the outside will have to suffice. The symbols on the windows looked significant so a shame we could not get in – though we did have a good look aound the town, where there were some amazing charity shops!

The church is an Anglican churched dedicated to St Edmund the Martyr: once a parish church, it is no longer is used for regular worship. St. Edmund’s Church, is mainly in the Perpendicular style and retains some 13th century features including a font, but was enlarged and reconsecrated around 1414. The oldest part of the church is the 13th century crossing tower. The rest of the church is much altered with the addition of a large chapel in 1849. Further rebuilding of the nave was conducted in the late 19th century. There are a few other medieval remains in the south chancel chapel. Parts of the Rood Screen have been used to make the pulpit and the readers desk.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Edmund,_King_and_Martyr

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsbridge

Hope Cove: So the last port of call for the day, for a bit of ‘down time’ and the best vegan pizza i have ever tasted, was the stunningly beautiful ‘Hope Cove’. Hope Cove is a small seaside village within the civil parish of South Huish in South Hams, Devon. It has tw beaches and is sheltered by the headland of Bolt Tail. The name ‘Hope Cove’ may derive tautologically from the Old Norse word hóp meaning “bay” or “small inlet”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_Cove

 

  • Bloodline connections: is that of Thomas Neville of Dartmouth, born 25/02/1810 & died 03/01/1893 & our lead questers 4th Great Grandfather. Originally from Tollesbury in Essex & died in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia & a frequent visitor to the area on Templar Business.
  • V. MacAndrew from the plaque in St Petroc’s Church
  • George Fairlie-Clarke from the memorial in church graveyard
  • Lancelot Desposyni of the Fordham line, depictedvon the church window of St Petrocs.
  • Thomas Neville again, connected also to Kingsbridge and Hope Cove

Join us for part three when we discover more secrets of time at Tintagel!

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’ June 2019