“And so Quest 27 sadly draws to a close: Moors, sea & heaven, all spectacular and atop the moors in the sunshine, one could be forgiven for thinking that one was oh so near to heaven, for in reality one actually is. Dartmoor at times was wonderfully moody, wild and desolate and high, high up the rains merged into the clouds. Churches sat alone and serene on top of hilltops reached only by winding lanes. England at it’s best, and when safely tucked up for the night in our converted chapel acommadation, one can only give thanks for this life. Down upon the rocky shores life ebbs & flows with the tides; dreams come true and perceptions change as challenges to reality are met…”

“One is so near the clouds on the top of Dartmoor that one can really get a sense & feeling of being able to reach out & touch the firmament above. Today I felt so incredibly and wonderfully close to it. Reach out & touch the beauty before it is too late.”

Day Five: All Saints Church Okehamton: All too soon Sunday, our last day of this amazing and revealing quest was upon us: the weather was still gorgeous and so we intended to make the most of every moment and as we drove across beautiful moorland we could not help but to be in fine spirits.

Okehampton is a town and civil parish in West Devon and it is situated at the northen edge of Dartmoor with a population of 5,922 (2011 census). The town itself was founded by the Saxons; the earliest settlement on record being from 980 AD, known as ‘Ocmundtune’, meaning settlement by the Ockment, a river which runs through the town, which grew because of the medieval wool trade and there are some noteble buildings in the town. The oldest building is the castle which dates back to the Domesday Book and which was once the largest castle in Devon.

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

The church itself, up a hill at the edge of town is very secluded, peaceful and pretty and is almost set within a woodland setting and yet is still at the heart of its community. A Church has stood on this hill since Saxon times when the little hilltop village of Ocmundtune was closely grouped around its (probably wooden) Church and surrounded on all sides by dense forests. With the building of Okehampton Castle soon after 1066, present day Okehampton began to develop in the river valley and the little Saxon village was progressively abandoned. The church is a grade two listed building, mostly built in perpendicular style and rebuilt in 1842

https://tickets.twomoorsfestival.co.uk/sales/view-venues/all-saints-church-okehampton

 

Inside the very well-kept church is an array of symbolic artefacts relating to Craft and beyond as shown above: <please click on photo to enlarge and view in detail>

The stained-glass windows are also very stunning pieces of art showing much symbolism.

  • Blood line connection: Our lead researcher’s 10 x Great Grandfather, Sir George Clark 1509 – 1580. Born in Holland but registered later in Devon, having connections to Colyton with buisness in Okehampton.

“The oh so peaceful and gorgeous Devon countryside where one can literally hear a pin drop and one gets the reality of being truly in the clouds……”

St Andrews Church Moretonhamstead: We drove through some wonderful and practically isolated countryside where one could actually hear a pin drop, to reach Moretonhamstead (anciently Moreton Hampstead) a pretty market town, parish and ancient manor in Devon, situated on the north-eastern edge of Dartmoor, within the Dartmoor National Park. At the 2011 census the population of the parish was 1,703; the parish church is St Andrews.

The  Domesday Book of 1086 records the manor as ‘Mortone’; which derives from the Old English for a farmstead in moorland, referring to the town’s situation on the edge of Dartmoor. By 1493 ‘Hampstead’ had been added to the name which simply means “homestead”, The Oxford Names Companion (1991) speculates that this may be a family name, or a nearby place. The central region of Devon was occupied by the Saxons soon after 682 AD. It was divided into vast estates, and one of these divisions included all land within the boundaries of the rivers Teign and with Moreton as its major settlement.

Wool and (in later years) the manufacture of woollen cloth, formed the basis of the town’s economy for over 700 years. The economy was evidently healthy when Moreton Hampstead established a water-powered fulling mill before the end of the 13th century.Read more in the link below:

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

This grade one listed parish church is to be found at the eastern end of the town; it was originally built in 1418 and had heavy restorations in 1856 and 1905. It is quite spacious inside with some nice stained glass windows. It is in a rather lovely position overlooking the countryside as are many of the churches we visit. There’s something really special about a cemetry on a hillside with a wonderful view over the surrouding countryside; it can evoke all sorts of feelings and connections inside of one, but sadly, the sacred energies once attached to the church here long ago, are now departed…

St Andrews Church with an interesting plaque just inside the porch

https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101334222-church-of-st-andrew-moretonhampstead#.XT3mJnt7l1s

Interia shots of the church showing some lovely stained glass with some close up detail: <please click on photo to enlarge and view in detail>

St Werburgh’s Church Wembury: This amazing 14th century church sits on the cliff edge overlooking the ocean and the enigmatic Mewstone and it really is the jewel in Devon’s crown.

“The Lifes that meets the sea in hidden and mystical Wembury”

Wembury is a village on the south coast of Devon, very close to Plymouth Sound, located south of Plymouth; it is also the name of the peninsular in which the village is situated. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty with a beautiful beach well known for surfing and rock pooling, and basking sharks can be seen in the summer near the Mewstone. The population of the electoral ward was 4,455 in the 2011 census. The name ‘Wembury’ may derive from a place name containing the name ‘Woden’ and noted by a John Mitchell Kemble that it was called ‘Wodnesbeorh’. Saxons colonised south-west Devon during the 7th century founding agricultural settlements in the area and the church is dedicated to the Saxon saint, Saint Werburgh. Of course it is a delight for holiday makers with it’s sandy beaches and crystal clear sea.

The mysterious triangular Mewstone, which is uncannily similar to the rock just off Tintagel, is very visable from the beach. In the past it was inhabited and has been a prison, a private home and a refuge for local smugglers. It’s most infamous resident was Sam Wakeman who avoided transportation to Australia in favour of the cheaper option of transportation to the Mewstone, where he was interned for seven years. After his internment on the island he remained there paying his rent by supplying rabbits for the Manor House table. It is said Sam Wakeman is responsible for carving the rough stone steps to the summit of the Mewstone. The artist Turner has painted the island several times, after sketching it during a sailing trip. However the island does have many secrets and not everything is as it would seem….

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

The church, standing as it does on the clifftop overlooking the sea and Mewstone is a firm favourite for couples getting wed.

Inside the church, which was built in the 14th century and visited by mesolithic man, is a stunning array of carvings, both stone and marble quite unlike anything i had seen before, ancient, unusual and intriging, including a rarely seen Serpent Goddess holding the ‘Staff of Wisdom’. She is surrounded by a representation of the angels, yet this time shown in their very dark guise; maybe showing their true selves? This brings to mind the phrase, of the angels masking themselves as demons and the demons as angels themselves within the Light and Dark of the world.

Also displayed in oils and gilt is the Neville shield (the Royal Crest), indicating the strong connection to our deepening bloodline quest. The shield always displays the unicorn and lion, but why, leaving much to think about upon the sphere of time. A genuine knights helmet is displayed up high; kind of hidden in plain sight really…  Also, yet again, another connection revealed here to Lancelot Desposyni, taking us deeper into our bloodline quest, with connection to our future quest in Europe, when we will follow in the footsteps of the Knights of the Round Table. The bible here is open on Romans 9:4, (G-d’s Soverign Choice) which if read may bring revelations to the reader…. There is mention too of the ‘Black Rod’ with further connections to Ely in Cambridgshire; much for the astute student to research and discover.

<please click on photo to enlarge and view in detail>

 

Watch the video below and find out so much more of the history of the church and surprisingly of its connection to Ely, our area and to see many of the wonderful carvings in real time (starts at 2.00)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU5qmTaCRbs&t=1s

  • Bloodline Connections: Lancelot Desposyni (our head researcher’s bloodline) was in this area, this place at around 562 AD, in respect of purpose and spirituality.

“I sat around, but was not found, I took a trip and did not fall,
I saw the moon, but not the sky. When time was tough, I reached up high.
A height in time and trip to thee. For in times telling the mystery.>
For seek to find, and trip to rule I saw the sun, with the sky and all”

 

And so sadly this quest 27, has drawn to a close with much to digest and many revelations swirling around like the tides upon the sands. Much then to take on board, but before we depart, why not chew the cud with us, with memories and thoughts of an amazing and wonderful time in Devon and Cornwall….

Devon & Cornwall: A Mythic Quest

Chewing the cud of a very mythic quest!

But time does certainly not stand still for these ‘Questers’, for in the blink of an eye we will be embarking on Quest 28 with a new name and a new look; all a part of our continued evolution on this earthly plane. Those of you with eyes peeled and ears open may have noticed our many references to King Arthur and his Knights (the true men/energies behind the myths). So we are off to Europe at the end of October to travel in the footsteps of those real knignts – please be with us and follow us all the way!

 

“The Keeper of Scrolls” August 2019

Email me at ‘moon.willow@ntlworld.com’