Tag Archive: History


A day of following a trail to find a knight of renown and connecting to a Lady true. The trail took us to Tintagel, via Boscastle where words were spoken on the breeze to those whom could hear. Bloodlines and energy lines all finally making sense…

QUEST 27 CONTINUES…

Saturday had arrived and wonderfully we were still experiencing the most gorgeous of weather, made even the more enjoyable in the knowledge that it was very wet and cold back home, further north. This part of the quest, day four, took us to Clovelly, Boscastle and Tintagel.

All Saints Church Bideford, Clovelly: This pretty little secluded Norman church, not far from Clovelly village is set in a lovely wooded graveyard and on the day we arrived, bluebells and other springflowers were everywhere. It looked very magical. The church actually stands in the grounds of Clovelly Court, and is bounded by the Court’s walled garden. The church was begun in the 12th century on the site of an earlier timber building. The Norman church was a simple cruciform building, consisting of a nave, chancel, and transepts. As the population of Clovelly grew, more space was needed, and in the 14th century a north aisle was added.  The renovation may have been carried out by William Cary, lord of the manor, who received permission to make the church collegiate in 1387. Cary’s plan was to establish a college of 6 chaplains under a Warden, but the plans were never implemented, and All Saints remained a simple parish church.

 

Clovelly Church set in the grounds of Clovelly Court <please click on an image to enlarge>

https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/devon/churches/clovelly.htm

Although there has been a church building at this site from 630 AD, in actual fact there has been a place of actual ‘gathering’ here from the early 500’s AD here. Lancelot Desposyni, who is our lead reseachers x 48 Great Grandfather and of the bloodline we are tracing on our quests, was here in this area around about 530 AD.

We have discovered that the Desposyni line links onto the Fordham line, and the Fordham line links onto the Clark line (with or without an E!). The Clarks and the Fordhams have had a very long association with each other; almost since the dawn of time! References to both lines and the Nevilles too can all be seen in this very church.

See our video for more detail & references, together with explanations on the meanings of church symbolism and so much more. (2nd clip on link at 17.56)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Q5nmKTT14&t=227s

 

Some of the stunning windows that contain references to Lancelot, the Nevilles, the Fordams and to the Lamb of God (a riddle in itself) See much more in our video above…

Clovelly is a totally unspoilt fishing village in Devon that seems to be lost in time, with no cars or traffic of any kind allowed.  It is privately owened and there is a rather steep charge to enter the village, almost as steep as the way down into the village itself! So thus we did not enter…

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

  • Bloodline connections: Lancelot Desposyni (from the Fordham line) Born 520 AD & our head researchers 48 x Great Grand Father)
  • Also references in All Saints Church to the Nevilles, the Clarkes and the Fordhams

Boscastle: For our quest, for Craft and research reasons, this pretty little coastal village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall was certainly on our agenda. But for obvious reasons there is a lot of falseness around, but if one can see past all the fake touristy consumer traps, it is a lovely little spot. In cornish the name means Kastel Boterel and it is part of the civil parish of Forrabury and Minister. Its harbour is a natural inlet protected by two stone harbour walls built in 1584 by Sir Richard Grenville and it is the only significant harbour for 20 miles along the coast.  The village extends up the valleys of the River Valency and the River Jorden. Heavy rainfall on 16 August 2004 caused extensive damage to the village and made all the headlines as water raged through the village in a torrent, washing away all in its path. It was a terrifying ordeal for all those who experienced it.

 

The very pretty albeit touristy village of Boscastle

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

One cannot visit Boscastle without a visit to the infamous Musuem of Witchcraft which draws many folks to the area for a multitude of reasons. It is a strange place seemingly stuck firmly in an earthly time warp of a particular era and earthly perception. There were quite a lot of negative vibes there, but i was pleased to see a few items and symbols that alluded to Enochian and Templar magic and thus to ‘real’ Craft. It is difficult to know just how much of these ‘histories’ of old witchcraft and folk magic are actually real or not, or simply came into being at the time wicca was birthed and have been elaborated upon over the years since. Magic like any path should always evolve, as especially too should the practitioner and not get stuck within the realms of ‘myth and magic’.

 

An array of interesting items from the museum, some of which show a connection to Craft and Enochian magic.

After driving from Boscastle to Tintagel, it was time for a welcomed coffee before visiting King Arthur’s Hall; a site of an ancient and sacred underground spring, and thus we found ourselves in a quaint little cafe on the main street – just up our street in fact!

 

Tintagel: Tintagel or Trevena  (Cornish: Tre war Venydh meaning village on a mountain) is a civil parish and village situated on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall in England. The modern-day village of Tintagel was always known as Trevena until the Post Office started using ‘Tintagel’ as the name, in the mid-19th century. Until then, ‘Tintagel’ had been restricted to the name of the headland and of the parish. The population of the parish was 1,820 people (2001 census), but decreased to 1,727 at the 2011 census. The village and nearby Tintagel Castle are associated with and steeped in the legends of King Arthur. The village has, in recent times, become attractive to day-trippers and tourists, and is one of the most-visited places in Britain. There are many literary and film associations with the village and like Boscastle it attracts more than its fair share of moden-day witches, pagans and role players whom simply fail to see the real truths right under their noses and their swishing capes…

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

King Arthur’s Hall: King Arthurs Hall at Trevena is a substantial building of the early 1930s. It was built for custard powder manufacturer F. T. Glasscock as the headquarters of the “Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table”, behind Trevena House. A variety of Cornish stones are used in the construction, and the 73 stained glass windows illustrating the Arthurian tales are by Veronica Whall; there are several paintings of scenes from the life of King Arthur by William Hatherell. In 1927, the “Order of the Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table” was formed in Britain by Frederick Thomas Glasscock (a retired London businessman, d. 1934) to promote Christian ideals and Arthurian notions of medieval chivalry. Glasscock was resident at Tintagel (in the house “Eirenicon” which he had built) and responsible for the building of King Arthur’s Hall (an extension of Trevena House which had been John Douglas Cook’s residence and had been built on the site of the former Town Hall and Market Hall). The hall is now used as a Masonic Hall, and is home to four Masonic bodies as the photos below show.

 

Masonic symbolism which always feature on our quests; the meaning of which certainly pre-dates modern-day Freemasonary <click on an image to enlarge>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Arthur%27s_Hall,_Tintagel

Since 1952, the building has been used as a Masonic Hall and is home to the King Arthur Lodge No. 7134. In 1962 a Royal Arch Chapte was formed by the Lodge, and the building is used by some other lodges to hold their installation meetings. The hall is now as home to four Masonic bodies:

  • King Arthur Lodge No. 7134 which was warranted on 13 November 1951;
  • St Enodoc Lodge No. 9226 which was consecrated on 30 May 1987;
  • King Arthur Royal Arch Chapter No. 7134 which was consecrated on 31 March 1962;
  • Tintagel Castle Lodge of Mark Master Masons No. 1800 which was consecrated on 23 April 1999.

 

It is certainly a stunning building inside, where one gets a real sense of a ‘Grand Hall’, the sort of hall where King Arthur could certainly have conducted his buisness, feasted and ruled from. The masonic influence is everywhere in the building too; it being an amazing and fitting building to hold lodge meetings. The day we went, a ‘Fairy Fayre’ was taking place, bringing together, the psychic, spiritual, witchy and pagan worlds, which meant entry was free on that day, but clear photos of the halls design were out of the question.

The very striking stained glass windows and the emblems associated with them are the work of Veronica Mary Whall (1887–1967) who was an important stained glass artist, painter, and illustrator and part of the Arts and Crafts Movement. She created 73 windows for King Arthurs Hall, Tintagel, that opened in 1933. As of 1997 it is considered to be the largest collection of stained glass panels of  King Arthur made in the 20th century and a great example of Arts and Crafts workmanship. I have tried to include as many as i can here, together with some of the descriptions.

 

Tintagel is steeped in the tales of King Arthur, but few know of the real Lancelot or King Arthur & that they did indeed walk upon these shores: for everywhere we went we were reminded of the ‘knightly virtues’ by which each knight, then and now always endevours to live by. A true knight must always follow the codes of their life and of course importantly their oaths, for an oath taken can never be ‘untaken’ as it resonates on the metaphysical planes as well as the physical.

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

St Materiana’s Church Tintagel: In St Materiana’s Church, Tintagel; a site sacred and profound on so many levels with deep connections to Mary Magdalene and our quests, are some amazing and sacred artefacts, which although themselves do not go back to the actual ‘dawn of time’, they allude to and tell true stories that do. This church is so relatable to this ‘quester’ on a very personal level, both physical and metaphysical, for very profound reasons; important discoveries were truly made here. There are those rare moments in life (in time) where myth and reality collide head on and time seems to stop and one finds one’s self catching ones breath. Out of this comes an understanding so deep that one’s whole life simply falls into place and nothing can ever be the same again. As those whom have gone before, in who’s footsteps I walk, I will continue to guide those whom seek the light…

The parish church of Saint Materiana, stands on a very isolated, yet beautiful location some distance away from the village of Tintagel. Almost on top of the cliff-edge, it’s rocky headland view commands stunning views across the ocean. The church is a Church of England,  grade 1 listed building; the first church on the sight, thought to have been founded in the sixth century, as a daughter church of Minister

 

St Materiana’s Church on the cliff-top is a peaceful and profound sacred site with connections to both Mary Magdalene and Lancelot Desposyni <click to view>

The existing church may have been created in the late 11th or early 12th century. Art historian Nikolaus Pevsner (writing in 1950) suggested that its Norman-era design includes some Saxon features, while the tower may be 13th or 15th century in date. The most significant change in its design was the restoration in 1870 by Piers St Aubyn which included a new roof. Later changes include a number of new stained glass windows: many of these portray saints, including St Materiana, St George and St Piran. There are three modern copies of Old Master paintings, and a Roman milestone bearing the name of the Emperor Licinius (d. 324).

 

The church has connections to both Mary Magdalene and to Lancelot Desposyni, both whom have walked upon these lands and visited this church in times past. Mary traveled from France to England; to Cornwall in fact before the church was even here but never the less it was indeed a sacred mound and Mary would have known this. This site would have been her first port of call, for she would eventually land in Scotland. Inside the church are many artefacts, some with hidden meanings that connect to Templarism and certainly to Mary Magdalene herself, especially in the lower part of the Lady Chapel. Lancelot, also journying from France was here in Cornwall around 538 AD, almost one might say on a pilgrimage, as indeed some of us are doing today.

 

Often hidden histories lie hidden for years but surface at perfect points in time and maybe just for a moment of earthly time they share…

Saint Materiana’s Church Tintagel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Materiana%27s_Church,_Tintagel

  • Bloodline Connections: Lancelot Desposyni x 48 Great Grandfather or our head researcher, from the Fordham line. Born 520 Ad in France.

For one of our party this quest and indeed St Materianna’s Church with knowledge of Mary Magdalene herself proved to be a revelation of profound importance and significance…

“On sadled shores in time of hands, A riddle for one in all the land, A time to know and a time to learn, A time to sew and a time to burn. That burning sensation of all inside, as one reaches the top of Tintagels perfect site… But what of space and time and fate?”

After a busy day, what better end could there be for a beautiful evening, than a short drive to Port Issac to chill out in the Old School House having a lovely meal…

 

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’  July 2016

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

THE FALL THROUGH TIME.

Angel lost; fell through stone
Blood and clay far from home.
Fell to earth through stormy waters,
Rebirthed in water, Leviathan’s daughter.

A million years, a thousand stars,
Dismissed from heaven at the eleventh hour.
A portal of slaughter or man’s salvation,
Demon hunger, a sacrament waiting.

Blood red flesh
Bound as one.
Blood is truth
Under a sun.

A Messenger spoke of truth or dare
Told the tale to those with no fear.
In chambers deep with no rebirth,
Secrets kept by G-d on earth.

A magic hill,
A golden tomb
Forever hidden,
Mankind’s doom.
Beauty stirred
Within a thought,
A test of time,
Battles fought.
Love was lost,
Grail diluted.
A story done
But never ended.

Time is endless
Existence not.
A waking serpent,
A fire to stoke.
A dark knight waiting,
The church’s curse.

Turn around
Turn around
My little child.
Water is wet
Wind is wild.
Those we shall meet
And meet again,
Brothers, Sisters,
Lovers. Friends.

Within a season
Within a time
A purpose known
Yet living a lie.

Stoke the embers
Raise the flame,
Time has come
And come again.
Cycles repeat
And repeat once more,
We are born to death,
Few reborn.
Dark waters spilled
Under a dome,
Within a thought
Dark beauty sought.

Ice and fire
Carry the key.
A sinking land
Eternally.
Those we have loved,
We will love again
As ‘we’ carry the Flame
Again and again.

 

The Keeper of Scrolls Feb 2019

 

QUEST TWENTY SIX: IRELAND:

  • PART ONE:
  • Angelsey, Holyhead, Dublin, Ballyonan
  • Navan: The Hill of Tara
  • Cavan: St Patricks Cathedral
  • Blacklion: St Patricks Church
  • Belfast Public Records Office
  • Newcastle & the Mountains of Mourne
  • PART TWO:
  • Newry: Newry Cathedral/St Patricks Church
  • The Giants Causeway
  • Derry: St Columbas Church
  • PART THREE:
  • Dublin: St Andrews Church, Christ Church Cathedral (St Patricks Cathedral)
  • Dundalk: St Nicholas Parish Church
  • Belfast: Belfast Synagogue, Belfast Cathedral, St Thomas Church
  • Dublin, Holyhead and home….

And so it was at the end of September 2018, we began our much anticipated week-long quest to that beautiful and magical island: Ireland. With so many mysterious and exciting places on our itinery we were just aching to get there. We travelled by car on the Sunday to Anglesey in Wales where we stopped briefly over night before catching the Irish Ferry ‘Ulysses’ from Holyhead, which ferried us very safely and comfortably to Dublin in Ireland. From Dublin we drove to County Louth, to a small village alongside a beautiful estuary, called Ballyonan, near Lough Tain – a very hard place to find even on a map!

 

Arriving in Ireland at the Port of Dublin wth dust falling along the estuary as we made it to our digs

So begins Quest Twenty Six; Ireland is a very beautiful, deeply religous and spiritual country, albeit with a very chequered history, as is told within the passions and ideals of it’s peoples, clashing over time, within and without.

 

THE CELTIC CROSS: The Celtic Cross is very much symnominous with Christianity and of course  the Celtic lands; yet the symbols history gos much further back in time with much deeper meanings and do infact connect at different levels of understanding to the teachings of The Priory. In Ireland, the spiritual symbol of the Celtic Cross endures throughout Irish history and remains forever  prominent  in the Irish culture; it is an honour to see the symbol in it’s rightful home, just as it should be…

It is popularly believed that St. Patrick introduced the Celtic Cross in Ireland, during his conversion of the kings from paganism to Christianity. Other beliefs are that it was St. Columba or St. Declan who introduced it and that further the circle stands for the Roman sun-god Invictus, thus giving the name of Celtic Sun Cross, while other beliefs connect it to a reprentation the Celestial Sphere. It is also said to represent the halo of Jesus Christ.  Many beautiful Celtic Crosses adorn graveyards and gravestones throughout Ireland and the UK. It is a symbol used by many different cultures across our planet in religous rites and sacerd spaces; different cultures attributing different names and meanings to the four points.

 

The Celtic Cross photographed across the northen part of Ireland; sometimes in surprising and unacustomed formats…

Day One: The Hill of Tara: The Hill of Tara is located near the River Boyne and is an archaeological complex that runs between Navan and Dunshaughlin in County Meath and according to tradition  was the seat of the Hight Kings of Ireland, so a very important part of our Templar Quest in researching the bloodline and origins of the ‘Neville’ surname, as those of you who are following us will be well aware of, so therefore ticked quite a few boxes for us on this visit. The Neville ancestory line can be traced right back through history to the Kings of Ireland; those High Kings who would have been crowed here all those many years ago…

Liathdroim (The Hill of Tara) and the Lia Fail (Stone of Destiny) in County Meath, known as the Seat of the High Kings; the place where the true high kings were crowned. According to legend, the stone would scream if a series of challenges were met by the would-be king. At his touch the stone would let out a screech that could be heard all over Ireland. When touched today, one may receive personal visions from the stone…. The Hill of Tara is documented in certain ancient texts but always from a mythological point of view, yet hidden within those old texts, jumping out from the myths and legends, hidden within the very land itself the truth can always be found…

At the summit of the hill, to the north of the ridge, is an oval Iron Age hilltop enclosue measuring 318 metres (1,043 ft) north-south by 264 metres (866 ft) east-west and enclosed by an internal ditch and external bank, known as Ráith na Ríogh (the Fort of the Kings, also known as the Royal Enclosure). The most prominent earthworks within are the two linked enclosures, a bivallate (double-ditched) ring fort and a bivallate ring barrow known as Teach Chormaic or Cormac’s House and the Forradh or Royal Seat. In the middle of the Forradh is the Lia Fail at which the High Kings were crowned. To the north of the hill is a Neolithic passage tomb Dumha na nGial, aptly named ‘The Mound of the Hostage’ with secrets of its own hdden within time and tellings… The Mound of the Hostages was constructed around 3,400 (cal.) BC. Its is the oldest site at the Hill of Tara.

 

Nearby at the site entrance is the Church of St Patrick with St Patrick’s statue overlooking the land. The “Rath of the Synods” has been partly destroyed by its churchyard; the modern church being built in 1822–23 on the site of an earlier one. The earliest evidence of a church at Tara is a charter dating from the 1190s. In 1212, this church was “among the possessions confirmed to the Knights Hospitallers of Saint John of Kilmainham by Pope Innocent 111. Read more about the site from the link below:

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

 

An important site in respect of the true (now hidden) history of these lands, of our true ancestors (or creators) and from whence the true royal bloodline spread its light across these sacred lands…

Filming atop the Hill of Tara and from the adjacent burial mound: it was so windy up there as you can hear, so no commentatary at this point as i had a job even holding the camera steady. A magical place full of untold history with many hidden conections to the true path as taught by The Priory, and a magnificant view across Ireland

 

The Hill of Tara and The Giants Causeway

 

  • Bloodline Connections: The Neville Line (the Bloodline of the ‘Neville’ surname) “
  • The High Kings List (the Neville line one and the same; )

Cavan: St Patricks Cathedral: The Cathedral of St Patrick and St Felim, also known as Cavan Cathedral, was next on our list for the day. It is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Cavan and is the seat of the Bishop of Kilmore and the mother chrch of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kilmore. In 1152, the Diocese of Kilmore was formally established by Cardinal Giovanni Paparoni at the synod of Kells. In 1454, Pope Nicholas V gave permission for the ancient church at Kilmore (founded in the sixth century by  Saint Felim to be the catherdral church of Kilmore diocese. It was rebuilt and became to be known in Irish as An Chill Mhór (meaning Great Church) and anglicised as Kilmore, which gave its name to the diocese, a name which has remained ever since.

 

Cavan; an Cabhán, meaning “the hollow”, is the county town of County Cavan and lies in Ulster, near the border with Northern Ireland. Cavan was founded by the King of East Breifne, Giolla Íosa Ruadh O’Reilly, sometime during his lordship between 1300 and his death in 1330. During his lordship, a Franciscan friary was established close to the O’Reilly stronghold at Tullymongan and was at the centre of the settlement close to a crossing over the river and to the town’s marketplace.

We were unable to film inside the cathedral as people were praying which of course we respected, but we did manage to tip toe around and take some photos.

 

The beautiful mosaic flooring of Cavan Catherdral

 

The stunning windows and artwork of Cavan Catherdral

 

Is she actually ‘Mary’ or does she represent somethng else? The ‘Holder of Life for example’? She certainly is cluthching the red and white roses; the symbols and colours of the Neville family

You may read more here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavan

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

 

  • Bloodline connection: Our head researcher’s great granfather x 2 Bernard Fordham was born in Cavan in 1870.
  • The cathedral contains references to the red and white rose (and colours) of the ‘Neville Line’

 

 

Wild dramatic scenery and spectacular weather was encountered as we drove to St Patricks Church, Killinnagh, Blacklion

Killinnagh, Blacklion: St Patrick’s Church: The present Church, dedicated to St. Patrick, was built in 1846. It was a thatched structure at that time, a barn church, and would have been used for communal threshing during the week. It was not big enough to accommodate the congregation so it was decided to put in a gallery in 1889. It had to be raised. Money must have been very scarce at that time because second hand slates were bought to roof it and the timber used to construct the gallery was very poor quality.

 

St Patricks Church & graveyard; a stunning church amidst stunning scenery

A very high standard quality of renovation and improvement was carried out between 1930 and 1932. This was funded by Sir Patrick McGovern, a native of the area, who had been very successful as a contractor in America. A basement was built under a new sacristy and a coal-fired furnace was installed to provide central heating. This would have ranked it among the most modern in the country at that time. This lasted until the 1990’s when it needed major renovation. This was carried out in 1995 and the Church now has all modern facilities.

 

 

The sumptuous interior of St Patrick’s Church where marble has been used extensively throughout. More about the rather interesting windows can be learnt by clicking on the video link below:

 

  • Bloodline connections relate to the Neville and Fordham lines
  • Bernard Fordham was born nearby in Cavan in 1870

A little more about the church here: http://www.glangevlin.com/index.php/parish-churches/75-st-patricks-killinagh-church-blacklion

As i was unable to find anything on the internet in respect of Killinnagh itself, you can read about Blacklion here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacklion

 

Follow our link to learn more about the three churches we were able to film at:

Cavan Cathedral, St Patrick’s Church & St Columbas Church

 

Day Two: Belfast Public Records Office:  Lovely sunny weather and a steady drive northwards bought us into Belfast and into The Titanic quarter of the city, to visit the public records office where valuble information was obtained;  yet to be fully incorporated into our quests. We did not stay long in Belfast itself but i did snatch some quick photos from the car! Belfast is a very large vibrant city which like most cities one cannot get a true sense of it from the car, but looking at the brochure i picked up in the record office it is a city of many cultural and arts events all year round and we certainly did see many fine artworks whilst driving through.

Belfast is Northern Ireland’s capital. It was the birthplace of the RMS Titanic, which famously struck an iceberg and sunk in 1912. This legacy is recalled in the renovated dockyards’ Titanic Quarter, which includes the Titanic Belfast, an aluminium-clad museum reminiscent of a ship’s hull, as well as shipbuilder Harland & Wolff’s Drawing Offices and the Titanic Slipways, which now host open-air concerts.

 

  • Bloodline Connections confirming Fordham & linking Neville line.
  • Check Ford line from Ireland from 1700’s

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

 

Newcastle and the Mountains of Mourne: Next we headed south again and to  Newcastle; a magical town nestling right besisde the coast, where the Mountians of Mourne roll down to greet the sea; everywhere one looks is a stunning view, made even more beautiful when the mists roll like tears down the face of the majestic mountains. We stayed a few hours; an afternoon of wandering and chilling and a very tasty meal too! No Craft site as such to visit but checking out the energies and future connections of the land.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newcastle,_County_Down

We drove up high on winding narrow roads to where the mountains met the skies. It felt like being in a time portal for there is no sense of time or space here, just a maginificant sense of presence and peace and of course beauty all around.

The Mountans of Mourne

Newry Cathedral/the Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Colman:  So leaving the mountains and our hearts behind, we made our way to Newry and to the cathedral there. This is a Roman Catholic cathedral which acts as the seat of the Bishop of Dromore, and the head church of the  Roman Catholic Diocese of Dromore. We did not expect it to be open for it was now late in the day, but still managed some good outside shots, but hoped to return.

Newry Cathedral just before nightfall

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

 

  • Bloodline Connections relate to ‘The Land of the True Knight’

“It was never ours
Yet we deemed to own G-ds land.
The rainbow arc shone in many colours
Yet no-one saw
And the price is always paid
When G-D’s covenant is broken…”

 

DSC06239

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’
October 2018

DAY THREE CONT:

  • HOLY TRINITY CHURCH: HADDIGTON
  • HAILES CASTLE
  • HOLY ISLAND

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH: HADDIGTON: Still in Scotland, day three continued with our next visit which was to be the Holy Trinity Church at Haddington in the diocese of Edinburgh.  Set in a kind of small cul-de-sac off from the main street in a heritage area, both church and grounds are beautifully kept; from the outside the church looks quite small yet upon entering it appears much larger than it looks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haddington,_East_Lothian

With funds raised by the congregation and a very generous donation from the Earl of Wemyss, the first phase of the church building was constructed in 1770 on the site of the original ‘Lamp of Lothian’ which, from the middle of the thirteenth century until 1555, had been the property of the Franciscan Friars. It was built of a local stone known as Rattlebags, a volcanic agglomerate (a complex breccia made of fragments of lavas). An article in the transactions of the Antiquaries of Scotland published in 1792 describes the building as a very elegant chapel. Holy Trinity Church is a Grade B Listed building and is in the Haddington Conservation Area.

 

In 1843 the church was ‘Gothicized’ with the addition of the nave parapet, nave south elevation window surrounds (note the lancet shape), porch and shallow apsidal sanctuary, using a different stone, a finer, pale buff sandstone.  The same year, the committee appointed to report on the state of the building described it as being extremely uniform and homely. Following completion of the reconstruction, a service of dedication to the Holy Trinity and of consecration was perfor med by the Rt Rev Charles Terrot, Bishop of Edinburgh, who in 1814 had returned to Scotland to serve as an Incumbent in Haddington.

 

The interior of the church showing ‘The Jesus’ using the now familiar ‘Ninasian Salute’ used by Priory members. Symbols such as the Lamb of God and other Templar symbols are to be discovered throughout the church and a beautiful tapistry on the altar, which is described as three angels, though it could be the ‘Three Marys’.

In 1930, the present Chancel was added to replace the apse and the interior remodelled in neo-Byzantine style by the Scottish architect B N H Orphoot. The Chancel external walls were built of Rattlebags and sandstone but have reinforced concrete detailing such as columns, arches, decorative bands and the corbel course below the gutter.

 

The church also had some interesting detail on its exterior walls <click on all images to enlarge>

Holy Trinity Church had some nice features and details both inside and out; it was a peaceful enough place but i got the feeling that  lot of the older artifacts from the past had been removed or had not stood the test of time and therefore the older ‘energies’ were no longer there

http://holytrinityhaddington.co.uk/

HAILES CASTLE: We paid an unexpected visit to Hailes Castle; one time home to Mary Queen of Scots.The castle is a mainly 14th century castle about a mile and a half south west of East Linton, East Lothian, Scotland and is quite secluded and hidden away. This castle, which has a fine riverside setting, belonged to the Hepburn family during the most important centuries of its existence. The castle was founded as a fortified tower house by Hugo de Gourlay before 1300, making it one of the oldest constructions of its kind in Scotland. The castle has a long and interesting history which one can read more of on the internet and it is certainly worth a visit to look around and explore.

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

 

This is where Mary Queen of Scots was staying as an adult, for it was deemed to be a safe place for her; secluded and hidden away and she had freinds and allies on her side; however this was not to be and history tells us otherwise…..

Just opposite the castle is a hill fort by the name of ‘Traprain Law‘ that rises in an imposing fashion above the horizon. It has an interesting name, yet was only known as ‘Traprain Law’ from the late 18th century, taking its name from a local hamlet. This is etymologically a Cumbric name cognate with Welsh tref ‘farm’ and either pren ‘tree’ or bryn ‘hill’. Law comes from the Old English word hlāw, meaning a burial mound.

It rises about 221m (724 feet) in elevation and is located 6 km (3.7 mi) east of Haddington. It covered at its maximum extent about 16 ha (40 acres) and must have been a veritable town. Whether it was a seasonal meeting place or permanent settlement is a matter of speculation.  Also speculated is whether the site is the site of an actual pyramid or not….  But it was a burial place by around 1500 BC with evidence of occupation and signs of ramparts after 1000 BC and has been ocupied at various points throughout it’s history.

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

 

Trapain Law together with Hailes Castle: an interesting area to stop a while to soak up more history…

HOLY ISLAND: The last point of call for day three was to be Holy Island; more of a winding down visit after a very busy day where many miles were covered. We arrived on the off chance knowing that the tides may not be in our favour and this did prove to be true. The evening sunset was amazing, so no better place in which to unwind whilst watching (and dodging) the beautiful incoming tides. When the tide is out one can pass happily back and forth from the main land to Holy Island and Lindisfarne, but when the tide is incoming one literally has to watch ones back and ones parked car as we discovered!

 

What better way to end the day than to watch the tide coming in…. <click on images to enlarge>

https://www.lindisfarne.org.uk/

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England. It is also known just as Holy Island. It constitutes the civil parish of Holy Island in Northumerland. Holy Island has a recorded history from the 6th century AD. It was an important centre of Celtc Christianlty under Saints Aidan of Lindisfarne, Cuthbert, Eadfrith of Lindisfarne and Eadberht of Lindidfarne. After the Viking invasions and the Normsn conquest of England, a priory was reestablished. A small castle was built on the island in 1550. Much more can be red about it’s history here:-

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

 

“Incoming Tide!!!”

So day three came to an end in a rather beautiful and fun fashion; not much to comment about on ‘The Neville‘ front but suffice to say that the whole area is steeped in ‘Neville’ history and intrigue with a very special day to come on day four…

 

Please feel free to contact us if you are curious to find out much more about our quests; on an England; on a history you thought you knew….

“The Grail Kingship is within the realm of impossibilities”

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’

Aug 2017

 

 

QUEST TWENTY THREE CONT:

  • ST JOHN’S SAXON CHURCH
  • ROSSLYN CHAPEL SCOTLAND
  • DUNBAR PARISH CHURCH

ST JOHN’S SAXON CHURCH: ESCOMBE NEAR BISHOP AUKLAND: Escomb is situated two miles west of Bishop Auckland in the Wear Valley. The church was built around 675AD with stone probably from the Roman Fort at Binchester and is the oldest church in the country. It was originally thought that the church was an offshoot of one of the local monastries at Whitby of Hartlepool, but this is only one of several possibilities as there are no known written records until 990AD.

The church, as one would expect is small and simple, befitting the time in which it was built. It is set amidst a well kept graveyard with some unusual gravestones in the burial ground with an ancient sundial above the porch entrance.

Once inside, one can tell the church is lovingly looked after; it has a beautiful stillness and peace about it and one can still see a few traces of the medieval painting on the archway entrance to the altar area, although some items such as the shield once prominent upon the wall has sadly not stood the test of time, as befalls many original items once prominent in many churches and some of the original paintwork about the church has also fallen prey to the ravages of time.  Thers is also a very ancient cross behind the altar depicting the ‘Fleur De Lys’ which one can barely make out do to age and earthy time… There were beautiful fresh flowers within the church and a tapistry of Celtic design crafted by local people, set in an alcove on the wall. There was a lovely feeling of peace and some very calming energies here. There was also an interesting phenomona of the greenery outside of the church displaying as a beautiful shade of blue through the church windows, which indeed it should be…

 

<click on photos to enlarge>

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

Let Karl explain further in this short video below & show you around to explain the connections to the Neville bloodline.

ESCOMBE SAXON CHURCH

 

 The church is well looked after and well loved, which one can most certainly tell.

 

DAY THREE: ROSSLYN CHAPEL SCOTLAND: Of course everyone is very familiar with Rosslyn Chapel, (formerly known as the Collegiate Chapel of St Matthew) due to it’s inclusion in popular modern fiction and movies. I had visited the chapel previously yet was very much looking forward to visiting it again. The previous time i had visited, the chapel was hidden behind scaffolding; much renevation work was in progress, but as a bonus we did however get to walk around the actual roof of the chapel along the scaffolding itself – an experience not to be missed! So to see the chapel now in all it’s unfettered splendour was to be a treat indeed.

Home

The chapel has strong connections to the Sinclair family, who have been it’s custodians  over the years and also connections, as one would rightly expect, to the Knight Templars, in particular to the ROS and the Scottish Rite. Rosslyn Chapel was founded on a small hill above Roslin Glen as a Catholic collegiate church (with between four and six ordained canons and two boy choristers) in the mid-15th century. The chapel was founded by William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness of the Scoto-Norman Sinclair family. Rosslyn Chapel is the third Sinclair place of worship at Roslin, the first being in Roslin Castle and the second (whose crumbling buttresses can still be seen today) in what is now Roslin Cemetery. The Neville connection here is that the Sinclairs and the Nevilles have ‘been in bed together’ since the dawn of time!

 

Some fine examples of the beautiful stone work of the chapel <click on an image to enlarge>

Over the years many secrets and tales of intrigue have been associated with Rosslyn Chapel; tales that connect to the Knight Templars, the FreeMasons, Secret Ceremonies and indeed even to the Holy Grail and The Ark of the Covernent; one can only wonder as to the real truths hidden below the surface…. Sadly most of the sacred objects and artifacts of importance and significance have now been removed from the chapel for safe keeping and to this end the chapel has lost it’s very sacred energy and is sadly no more than a library of codes and hidden knowledge. I was glad to have visited Rosslyn before the items where removed, especially certain items of a KT connection that i was very drawn towards and of which i noticed imnediately that they were no longer there; i was glad to have felt those energies that were still there, at that time i visited previously. Interestingly the modern day tours of the Chapel do give out a great deal of  ‘misinformation’ to the public ears, but as we know, those who are meant to know will indeed, in time know.

 

Note that ‘The Jesus’ is saluting with the Ninasian salute as used within The Priory by it’s members. The Fleur de Lys depicted here is the only one to be found on the outside of the chapel, the photo from within the chapel is a representation of the ‘Raised Degree’

Sadly we unable to take photos inside of the chapel due to an ‘incident’ that happened there, but i was able to take many fine shots of the external architecture. I was glad to have been able to take shots of the interior last time i visited. As a footnote i did sneak one photo i was drawn too, see above….. 😉

DUNBAR PARISH CHURCH:  This church is renowned as having been the first collegiate church, in 1342, to have been established in the Lothians. The church was situated on the same site as the present-day parish church, on Queen’s Road just south of Dunbar town centre. The first mention of a church at Dunbar came in 1176 in the Taxatio of Lothian when the church was described as Eclessia de Dunbar. This church, dedicated to St Bega, served the parish as a whole until 1342 and its foundation as a collegiate church. On 21 April 1342, Patrick, 9th Earl of Dunbar was granted by charter, his right to the proprietorship of the church. The Dunbars were no strangers to the patronage of religious establishments, with the foundation of a house of Trinity friars in 1218, and then amonastery of Carmelite monks in 1263, by the 6th and 7th earls respectively. Dunbar Collegiate continued as decreed until it became forfeit to the crown in 1435. For a while the church was ‘enjoyed’ by the  Duke of Albany during the reign of King James 3rd of Scotland, before returning to the Dunbars. In 1483, it, once again, reverted to the crown and stayed that way until the Protestant reformation in 1560.