THE MIDKNIGHT GARDEN: Home to The Serpent Priesthood & Knights of the Red Order.

“Quest 31 around the west country of England has proved so far, to have been an amazing quest, despite the very challenging hot weather when we were so thankful for the air conditioning in the car. All the apartments we stayed in have been more than up to scratch, and the places visited and the  knowledge gained has been second to non, life altering and path afirming. One more day then home: lots to write up on, as you see here. I do hope all of you will continue to follow and learn with me as i share knowledge and photos galore. As said, all for an ultimate purpose within the transitioning sphere of time: past, present and future becoming one. Knowledge becomes personal power, when mysteries unravel and ancient codes reveal their truths to the ones whom can truly see….  All the sights we visit on our quests, we do so for very important Craft reasons and although many of the sights are marked ‘in time’ by a church building, it is about what one cannot ‘see’ physically that is the important factor, for in this physical realm, not everything is as it seems….”

‘BENEATH A ROCK ALIVE’

Day Six Wednesday 5th August: Church of St Mary, Templecombe: We left our lovely apartment in Plymouth to travel to pastures new and more adventures. It was to be a long day of traveling through counties galore it seemed! Intercepted by a lovely visit to Simouth Old Fore Street for lunch and retail therapy and then traveling onwards to the Templar church at Templecombe, which yet again was very sadly shut; such a shame as it is a very interesting church with a particular important artifact to be seen inside. Even more of a shame given the church’s Templar history (see below). It has to be said, that yet again G-ds doors were shut to true pilgrims on a sacred journey, something that is becoming all too familiar. No wonder G-d has abandoned this planet! Sacred sites with no access – it makes one wonder! One wonders how the christian church can survive in these times, for they are seemingly still in the ‘dark ages’ and need to move with the times and find ways of inspiring people to attend – which they certainly won’t do with all their doors locked! Mosques for example, are open 24/7 and are full of attendees!

Old Fore Street and Coastline, Sidmouth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidmouth

Templecombe is a village in Somerset five miles south of Wincaton, 12 miles east of Yeovil and 30 miles west of Salisbury with a population of 1,560, forming along with Combe Throop, the parish of Abbas and Templecombe. Templecombe derives its name from Combe Templariorum, after the Knights Templar who established Templecoombe Preceptory in the village in 1185. After they were suppressed in 1312 it was granted to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem who held it until the Dissolution of the Monasteries after which it was acquired by Richard Duke of Otterton, Devon. An attempt to discover ‘the village of the templars’ was made by the ‘Time Team’ television series, in a programme first shown in 1996. Late in the investigation, an old tithe map revealed the location of the Templar site, and an old stone boundary wall was found to be still standing seven feet high.

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

Photos from outside of St Mary’s Templecombe; showing what could have been if we were allowed inside… <click to enlarge>

The Anglican Church of St Mary at Templecombe, Somerset was built in the 12th century and is a Grade II listed building. The parish is part of the benefice of Abbas and Templecombe, Henstridge and Horsington. The church was probably established during the period when the manor was held by Shaftesbury Abbey, but granted to the Knights Templar while it was held by his descendant Serlo FitzOdo, who established a preceptory in the village in 1185. The preceptory served as an administrative centre for the lands held by the Templars in the south west of England and Cornwall. It may also have been used to train men and horses for the Crusades. After the Knights Templar were suppressed following the 1307 order by Pope Clement IV, it was granted to the Knights of St John, who held it until the dissolution of the monastries. Parts of the original 12th-century church remain, the foundations being Saxon, but it underwent a major Victorian restoration in the 19th century, including a rebuilding of the chancel plus a new  vestry.

In the church is a painting on wooden boards of a head, (see photos above) which was discovered in the roof of an outhouse of a local building in 1945. The painting is thought to be from the 13th century, with a connection to the Templecoombe Preceptory (or Combe Templariorum) which was established in the village in 1185. It was given to the church in 1956. For many years the head has been believed to be that of Christ without the halo which was the norm in religious iconography at the time. The Knights Templar were suppressed partly because of their use of the image of Christ without the halo. There has been speculation linking the image to the Shroud of Turin and other suggestions link to the image being of John the Baptist.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St_Mary,_Abbas_and_Templecombe

Grail Bloodline Connections:

• Lancelot Desposyni (520-593) France. 48 x GGF of the Fordham Line.

After an interesting day of visits and travel we arrived at our cosy flat in the suburbs of Southampton, not far from the docks and our home for the next three nights!

‘OF BATTLES DRAWN’

Day Seven Thursday 6th August: St Mary’s Church, Southampton: It was already a sweltering hot morning when we arrived at St Mary’s Church, Southhampton, so we were very pleased to find the doors open and a welcoming coolness greeting us inside. Sadly due to ‘Miss Rona’ and our churches being habitually shut to pilgrims, we are always delighted when we are able to find welcoming open doors, and so it was with St Marys; a chuch full of life and vigor and being part of the modern times with a very forward thinking attitude. A vibrant church totally living in the times with much going on and an increasing attendance, all down to Adam the facillitator of the site whom has bought his enthusiasm and possitive vibes to the church! A huge lesson to be learned by many of those whom are connected to churches on many levels.

Southampton is a city in Hampshire, 70 miles south-west of London and 15 miles west of Portsmouth A major port close to the New Forest, it lies at the northernmost point of Southampton Water, at the confluence of the River Test and Itchen with the River Hamble joining to the south. The history of the area has always been influenced by the sea and rivers. Archaeological finds suggest that the area has been inhabited since the Stone Age.

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

St. Mary’s Church, is a Church of England parish church, and the largest church in the port city of Southampton. This is the mother church to this former county town with its forerunners spanning back to the first Saxon settlements of the 7th century, including a major collegiate church of the European Middle Ages dedicated to the same patron saint. Parts of the church date to the 1880s. Interestingly, in 1914 the sound of its church bells inspired the song, ‘The Bells of St Mary’s’, originally recorded in 1919 by Frances Alda and later sung by Bing Crosby in a film of the same name. The church has listed building status expressly due to its church tower and spire being local landmarks. The interior and walls were gutted in World War II and rebuilt in 1954-6 save for the tower, which was architect designed. There have been up to six other churches on the site, with records entered in the Domesday ook.

The interior is very well looked after with one of the largest organs in South-East England. The church is full of some very interesting artifacts and has a collection of some stunning windows full of meaning, that tell an ancient tale or two.. We were shown around by Adam, a lovely guy, whom considers himself as a facilitator and certainly has his finger on the pulse as far as having a very modern approach, and thus increasing the congregation in leaps and bounds.

Many seafaring references are to be found within the church with an interesting plaque dedicated to the memory of the musicians whom perished on the Titanic, one of whom was of the Craft bloodlines we are documenting; especially poignant to our own head researcher, for this was his own relative on board the Titancic on that fateful night….

Some of the often poignant seafaring references to be found in St Mary’s Church, Southampton <please click to enlarge>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary%27s_Church,_Southampton

Grail Bloodline Connections:

• James Fordham (1697) Ware, Herts  9 x GGF of the Fordham line

Christchurch Priory Christchurch:  A lovely treat as this was not on our official list for today! It was an extremely hot day and we both struggled in the heat, and once again we were very thankful for the air-con in the car. So yes this church was a treat indeed, not on our list but very much a part of our quest and lovely to find it open. A wonderful experience here with so much amazing symbology within the building, telling tales of past truths, still relevant in today’s world; some stunning windows too which were so so full of meaning. Very nice too, to see clear documented reference to the Neville line – the main bloodline of our quests and an extremely important bloodline within history.

Christchurch is a town and civil parish in Dorset which adjoins Bournemouth to the west, with the new Forest to the east. Founded in the seventh century at the confluence of the rivers Avon and Stour, which flow into Christchurch Harbour, the town was originally named Twynham but became known as Christchurch following the construction of the Priory in 1094. The town developed into an important trading port, and was later fortified. During the 18th and 19th centuries it had a colourful history with smuggling! The town’s harbour, beaches, nature reserves and historically important buildings have made Christchurch a popular tourist destination attracting some 1.5 million visitors a year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christchurch,_Dorset

Christchurch Priory is an ecclesiastical parish and former priory church in Christchurch in Dorset. It is one of the longest parish churches in the country and is larger than many English Anglican Cathedrals. The story of Christchurch Priory goes back to at least the middle of the 11th century, as the Domesday Book of 1086 says there was a priory of 24 secular canons here in the reign of Edward the Confessor. The Priory is on the site of an earlier church dating from 800AD. In 1094 a chief minister of William II, Ranulf Flambard, began the building of a church. Local legend has it that Flambard originally intended the church to be built on top of St Catherines Hill, but during the night all the building materials were mysteriously transported to the site of the present priory. By about 1150 there was a basic Norman church consisting of a nave, a central tower and a quire extending eastwards from the crossing. It was during this period that another legend originated, that of the miraculous beam. The legend of the miraculous beam dates to the early 12th century. The story is that a beam was found to have been cut too short when it was hoisted into place. This would have been embarrassing for the carpenters since the wood was expensive and would be difficult to replace. There was however a mysterious carpenter who had worked and eaten alone. The following day the carpenters returned and found the beam was now fitted in place. The unknown carpenter was never seen again, and the story came to be that it was Jesus Christ who had intervened. The church became Christ’s Church in commemoration of the event. The miraculous beam can be seen today and is located in the Priory’s ambulatory.

The church is full of interesting artifacts including a framed family tree chart mentioning Cicily Neville <click to enlarge>

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

Some of the many stunning windows inside the church <click to enlarge>

‘OF  KINGS ATTUNED’

St James Church Poole: After a welcomed lunch alongside the river at Christchurch we felt refreshed and cooled down but sadly the next port of call on this very hot day, St Jame’s Church in Poole was closed to us, so just a few photos from outside was all we managed.

Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, 21 miles east of Dorchester and adjoining Bournemouth to the east. Human settlement in the area dates back to before the Iron Age. The earliest recorded use of the town’s name being in the 12th century when the town began to emerge as an important port, prospering with the introduction of the wool trade, later becoming one of the busiest ports in Britain. In the Second World War, Poole was one of the main departing points for the Normandy landings. Poole is a busy tourist resort with it’s large natural harbour and beautiful beaches. The town is a commercial port with both freight and passenger ferry services, connecting to Jersey, Guernsey, as well as to Saint-Malo in Brittany, where we had visited on Quest 28. The town’s name derives from a corruption of the Celtic word bol and the Old English word pool meaning a place near a pool or creek. The area around modern Poole has been inhabited for the past 2,500 years.

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

St James is a Church of England parish church in Poole on the south coast of Dorset, originally built in 1142. The church is located in the historic quarter of the town, near Poole Quay. It is the parish church for the St James sub district of Poole. The church has long been associated with the local fishing trade and is known locally as ‘the fishermen’s church’. The church has an unusual weather vane fashioned in the shape of a fish. The church was mostly rebuilt around 1820, in Georgian style. The church is seen as a good example of English Georgian religious architecture and it is designated it a Grade II listed building. But without gaining access there is not really much else to mention.

‘….AND KNIGHTS THAT FALL’

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_James%27_Church,_Poole

https://stjameschurchpoole.weebly.com/history.html

Grail Bloodline Connections: 

• Lieut. Ralph Neville (1832) Lews, Sussex  3 x GGF

Before leaving Poole we spent a lovely time relaxing by the historic quayside; it was like a south of France day!

‘SOLDIERS WARS’

Nothe Fort Barrack Weymouth: Although the fort was closed by the time we arrived, the grounds around the outside overlooking the sea were just stunning, so it was enjoyable wandering around and relaxing there, despite the heat. Located at the entrance to Weymouth Harbour and overlooking Portland Harbour, the Nothe Fort was built between 1860-1872 to protect the Naval Harbour at Portland.

Weymouth is a seaside town in Dorset, situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey on the English Channel.  The town is 7 miles south of Dorchester 5 miles north of the Isle of Portland. Weymouth is a tourist resort, situated halfway along the Jurassic Coast; a World Heritage Site important for its geology and landforms. The stunning harbour has cross-channel ferries, and is home to both pleasure boats and private yachts. The history of the borough stretches back to the 12th century, including it’s involvement in the spread of the Black Death, it was also a major departure point for the Normandy Landings. King Henry VIII had two Device Forts built to protect the south Dorset coast from invasion in the 1530s: Sandsfoot Castle in Wyke Regis and Portland Castle in Castletown. Parts of Sandsfoot have fallen into the sea due to coastal erosion. During the English Civil War, around 250 people were killed in the local Crabchurch Conspiracy in February 1645.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weymouth,_Dorset

Situated at the end of the Nothe Peninsula, jutting eastwards from the town of Weymouth and Weymoth Harbour; the coastal defence at the site was built between 1860 and 1872 by 26 Company of the Royal Engineers, to protect Portland and Weymouth Harbours, with Portland becoming an important Royal Navy base. Shaped like the letter D, the fort was built with bomb-proof casemates and deep magazines. Work began on the Nothe Fort in 1860 and the first soldiers to be staioned there were No 2 Battery Royal Artillery (Tatton-Browns) The fort was abandoned in 1956 as it was no longer required as a coastal defence and then used by the Royal Navy as stores, before being purchased by the local council in 1961. It is now a museum and remains one of the best-preserved forts of its kind in the country. The fort and its outer gateway have been Grade II listed since 1974. It’s fusee steps, located in Nothe Gardens, have been Grade II listed since 2000; constructed for hauling trolleys transporting ammunition, spares and stores from the quay to Nothe Fort. In 1978, the Nothe Fort, tramway and searchlight battery at The Nothe, also became scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

Nothe Fort

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

See our video below of the Fort and beautiful surrounding scenery!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-3JA2vuILY

Grail Bloodline Connections:

• William Henry Fordham (1832) Lewes, Sussex  3 x GGF

‘AND KNIGHTS THAT FALL’

Day Eight Friday 7th August: St Pauls Church Ringwood: Today was to prove to be an overwhelmingly hot August Day; a bit too much for me in fact, yet we made our way towards our first destination of the day. Sadly again the church was shut, so a stroll around the outside had to suffice with some interesting roof-dwelling creatures looking down upon us!  The church stands in the market place and is an important landmark, the tower being visible from the top of the hill at picket post on the A31 some three miles east of Ringwood, as well as from high ground at Ibsley Common in the Forest.

Ringwood is a bustling market town in south-west Hampshire, located on the River Avon, close to the New Forest, northeast of Bournemouth and southwest of Southampton. It was founded by the Anglo-Saxons, and a weekly market has been held there since theMiddle Ages. Ringwood is recorded in a charter of 961, in which King Edgar gave 22 hides of land in Rimecuda to Abingdon Abbey. The name is also recorded in the 10th century as Runcwuda and Rimucwuda. The second element Wuda means a ‘wood’, Rimuc may be derived from Rima meaning ‘border’, hence ‘border wood.’ The name may also refer to Ringwood’s position on the fringe of the New Forest, or on the border of Hampshire. Connected to the area is the folklore of a Dragon Slayer, Berkely.

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

The church is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 of 1086. It was rebuilt in the 13th century and survived until 1853, when it was completely knocked down and rebuilt. We could not get inside to discover it’s history or find much on the internet apart from a few bits as bobs, such as the church containing a 15th-century monumental brass of John Prophete, Dean of Hereford and York. The church was built of rough dressed squared Swanage stone, limestone dressings with a plain tile roof and is of a cruciform plan. It is a tall restrained church in late Early English/early Decorated style.  Interestingly, according to the internet, the patron of the parish church of St Peter & St Paul is the Dean of King’s college, Cambridge.

‘…..AND KNIGHTS THAT FALL’

Grail Bloodline Connections:

• Lieut Ralph Neville (1832) Lews, Sussex  3 x GGF

‘TO MOTHER’S WOMB’

St Marys Church Ringwood: A deceptively simple looking grade I listed building set way back at the end of a wide spacious bricked pathway, but with the unusual feature of a large blue sundial set above the entrance to the church, which looked uncannily like a pyramid! The church, which is actually in the small village of Ellingham, west of the New Forest, has a very pretty garden graveyard around the back and some very attractive brickwork on the building itself. Ellingham is most famous for the story of Alice Lisle, who’s tomb can be found inside the church, and whom was executed by the infamous Judge Jeffreys in 1685, on the charge of harbouring fugitives after the defeat of the Monmouth Rebellion. Ellingham church was built in the 13th century. It is thought that there was an earlier, probably Saxon, church on the site. It is described in early charters as the church of St Mary or as the church of All Saints with the chapel of St Mary. It was added to in the 15th century, and the red-brick west wall was rebuilt in 1746. The church was restored in 1869-90 by Thomas Graham Jackson It has a large blue sundial located over the porch of the church.

St Mary’s Church Ringwood, showing it’s wonderful sundial/pyramid, its pretty graveyard and attractive brickwork <click to enlarge>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellingham,_Hampshire

Grail Bloodline Connections:

• Lieut Ralph Neville (1832) Lews, Sussex  3 x GGF

‘IN SALISBURY A WIND DID FALL’

St Marks Church Salisbury: Sadly once again the church was closed, so we had to make do with a walk around the outside of the building. Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately 20 miles from Southampton and 30 miles from Bath; both of which we have visited on this quest. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wiltshire, near the edge of  Salisbury Plain. Of course the area is very well-known for Stonehenge, which has no Craft significance at all, but there are a lot of history and archaeological findings connected the whole area.

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

The church is in quite a built up area on a junction with roads traversing around, yet it nevertheless has a spacious and pretty garden graveyard. Even though it was closed, the church is said to be an active church in Sailsbury. It was built in 1892–94 to the designs of Joseph A. Reeve and has been a Grade II listed building since 1974. St Mark’s was built to serve the northern region of Salisbury, which at a time was undergoing much residential expansion; the foundation stone was laid by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rev. Edward White Benson, on 27 April 1892, accompanied by the Bishops of Salisbury, St Asaph and Truro. St Mark’s exterior is faced with stone from the Hurdcott Quarries, with dressings and window tracery in Doulting stone. Around the exterior of the building are some interesting additions to the architecture, so although we could not gain access we still managed some interesting photos.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mark%27s_Church,_Salisbury

Grail Bloodline Connections:

• Sir John H Fordham (1432) Kelshall, Hertfordshire  18 x GGF

‘THE ROMANS HAD THEIR WAY’

Day Nine Saturday 8th August: St Mary the Virgin Church Gosport: Due to the very intense heat of the last two days, i was too poorly to participate in this day’s agenda, so we changed some of our planned visits and thus my dear Craft brother ventured out on his own. This church turned out to be very relevant to him and he took some great photos too. There is hardly anything on the internet on this church apart from it being an ancient, Grade I-listed church of Rowner, considerably extended twice in the late 20th century, in the 1960’s and again in the 1990’s, to considerable acclaim from architectural writers. It is a Norman church and the oldest building left standing in Gosport. it was extended in the Early English style with Victorian additions added after restoration. There are apparently some fine monuments in the church, including a rare limestone Sepulchre altar tomb to John Brune dated 1559.

Gosport is a town in Hampshire on the south coast of England, situated on a peninsula on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, opposite the city of Portsmouth, linked by the Gosport Ferry. Until the last quarter of the 20th century, Gosport was a major naval town associated with the defence and supply infrastructure of Her Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth. There is a great sea-faring and naval tradition in the whole area, much of which is reflected in the churches and cathedrals, especially in the stained-glass windows. The name Gosport, is purported to derive its name from ‘goose’, but  an alternative etymology of ‘gorse’ is not supported by the regional name for this plant, “furze”. A third theory, claiming a derivation from “God’s Port” is believed to be a 19th-century invention, and yet this is the slogan of Gosport as seeen upon its emblem. The Rowner area of the peninsula was settled by the Anglo Saxons and is mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle as Rughenor (rough bank or slope). Both Rowner and Alverstoke, the name coming from the point where the River Alver entered the Solent at Stokes Bay, were included in the Domesday Book. Rowner was the earliest known settlement of the peninsula, with many Mesolithic finds.

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

St Mary the Virgin Church with gravestones relating to the Clarke bloodline…

‘….TO FACE THE FEW’

Grail Bloodline Connections:

• Baron George Neville (1440) Aberga 14 x GGF

All in all a marvelous quest-listen to Karl sharing the bloodlines and chewing the cud!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_k8KuzYV2s&t=5s

“So thus this marvelous and amazing quest has come to an end, and because of the infamous ‘Miss Rona’ we will be enforced to take a sabbatical from roaming for the time being. Memories are very sweet and long lasting though, and will more than treasured over the winter months with so much to mull over and to continue to digest and learn from, in some cases until the end of time.

During my time as Craft i have given up all my past beliefs. It has been very freeing, they were nothing but manmade chains around my soul. Religions are all a form of control. One can still enjoy all the many myths as good old stories, for hidden within them one can still find the truth if one has faith and looks hard enough, just as in life too, one can, if loyal and steadfast and with faith discover the truth and the Grail….

and so the Grail Quest continues…..”

“The Keeper of Scrolls”

AKA ‘moon.willow@ntlworld.com’

December 2nd 2020