Tag Archive: Kings of Ireland


QUEST 33: ‘THE IRISH LINE’ ‘EIRE THE GREAT’: DAY THREE, FOUR & FIVE

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January 17, 2022

Day Three 14th September 2021:

“Excitedly leaving beautiful Angelsey to catch the ferry to Dublin and onwards to County Kerry to stay for a few nights and then a warm welcome to Ireland!” <click to enlarge>

 

Day Four 15th September: The Gallaunmore Standing Stone: This was a bit of an unusual exprience to say the least, for the standing standing stone was on the side boundary of someones front garden! We had a job to find it from the road, and could not see any signs for it, but in the end decided to follow the ‘sanav’ and drive up what seemed like a private track to private dwellings. We were greeted by excitedly barking dogs but still could see no standing stone. Upon reversing the car and heading back, we saw it across an imaculately mowed lawn, past a big private window. It was tucked between a made-gap in a private boundry hedge. Gallaunmore is a standing stone and National Monument located in County Kerry. Gallaunmore is located 1.9 miles east of Dingle. The stone stands 4.2 m (14 ft) tall and is 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) wide. The northwest and southeast sides taper towards the tip. With the dogs barking and lack of general privacy for visiting, we decided to give it a miss.. It all happened so quickly and strangely that i never even had time to get my camera out….

Grail Bloodline Connection:

  • King Fedlimid Rechtmar (61st GGF)  The Neville Line 95 – 119

 

St James Church, Dingle, County Kerry: It was lovely to arrive in Dingle; a bright and energetic town full of charm and a sense and pride of it’s own locality. Situated on the north east side of Dingle’s main street within the medieval walled town is the site of the 13th century parish church which was appropriated to the Augustinian priory of St Mary’s Killagh, near Milltown. This larger medieval parish church was believed to have been built by Spaniards. Some of the original masonry, including a number of chamfered quoins, was used to build the current structure. Sadly though St James Church was closed, but we had a good walk around its old weathered graveyard and tried to take a couple of photos through the churches windows.There are some very interesting gravestones in the graveyard there.

 

St James Church Dingle – sadly closed <click to enlarge>

Although it was closed it is used by the community for singing and art events and is even renowned world wide for being the venue for ‘Other Voices’. It is said to be a very spiritual place, attracting pilgrims who walk the ‘Dingle Way’, as well as its pilgrimage links to Santiago de Compostella. Pilgrims from Spain in Medieval times were thought to have been instrumental in building the church and, in the following years, many pilgrims set out from Dingle on spiritual journeys to Santiago de Compostella. St. James was rebuilt in 1808 and, like many old buildings, is in need of repair and restoration; an ongoing project for the church.

An interesting graveyard & trying to sneak some interior photos too! <click to enlarge>

St James’ Church was where The Treaty of Dingle was signed on 28 April 1529, by the Earl of Desmond, James Fitzgerald and the envoy of the holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, King of Spain. This treaty incorporated most of southwest Ireland into the Habsburg Monarchy, and gave Irish people citizenship rights in Habsburg Spain, Austria and the Netherlands.

“There is a good historical overview of the church here”

https://www.stjamesdingle.com/history-st-james-church-dingle

https://www.stjamesdingle.com/full-history-st-james-church-dingle

 

Dingle itself is lively and vibrant, and we did stay awhile for one can have a a brilliant ‘shopping experience’ there! The name in Irish is An Daingean or Daingean Uí Chúis, meaning ‘fort of Ó Cúis’, it is a town in County Kerry and the only town on the Dingle Peninsula. It sits on the beautiful Atlantic coast about 30 miles southwest of Tralee and 40 miles northwest of Killarney. A large number of  Ogham stones were set up in an enclosure in the 4th and 5th centuries AD at Ballintaggart. Dingle became a busy and important trading port with strong links to Eurpope and especially to Spain and was also a major embarkation port for pilgrims to travel to the shrine of Saint James at Santiago de Compostela.

 

Lively and vibrant Dingle where one can have that well-needed ‘shopping experience’! <click to view>

Grail Bloodline Connection:

  • Earl William Neville. 4th Earl of Abergavenny (Karl’s 5th Great Uncle) 1792 – 1868

“What a stunning drive to Dunmore Head along the spectacular Atlantic Coast!”

<click to enlarge>

 

Dunmore Head: Lure County Kerry:  Irish: An Dún Mór is a promontory in the westernmost part of the Dingle Penisula,  located in the barony of Corca Dhuibhne in southwest County Kerry. The headland, together with parts of Mount Eagle’s northern slopes is formed from steeply dipping beds of the cross-bedded sandstones of the Eask Sandstone Formation, dating from the Devoian period and traditionally referred to as the Old Red Sandstone. Dunmore Head is the westermost point of mainland Ireland and one of the westermost points of Europe. It also bears a very important physical and metaphysical connection to a location we visited on the previous Irish Quest, an important Craft connection and the most relevant connection on this quest.

 

“The tides and the winds are so strong here at Dunmore Head, as are the energies of the place, not only in the sense of feeling the beauty and power of Dunmore Head but because of the very strong magnetics here, which cause a distortion of time and space connecting one to that which was (almost) lost under the seas….”

<click to enlarge>

Grail Bloodline Connection:

  • Richard Chas Neville (Karl’s Great Grandfather) 1899 – 1985

 

“Then back to our digs in Knocknagashel for one last time and day five (16th September) we were on the road again towards three beautiful sights in County Kerry ”

 

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’  January 2022

<moon.willow@ntlworld.com>

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QUEST 32: ATLANTIC ATLANTIS: DAY ELEVEN & TWELVE

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November 25, 2021

A drive across beautiful countryside and pretty villages bought us to the vibrant and bustling town of Tipperary

Friday 9th June. Day Eleven: St Mary’s Church. Tipperary: Tipperary was very vibrant and colourful; a busy bustling town with lots going on, lots to see and full of people. Before going to the church we had a walk along the high street, found a clasic no frills pub and had a lovely pub lunch. I always find it so refreshing in Ireland to discover and explore all the little independant shops, often full of local produce and craftmanship. I am sure there must be big retail areas somewhere, but the places we went to or drove through had all kept their own indentity and no sign at all, of the big boring retail shops that we have in England which make each town and city centre exactly the same – so bravo Ireland!

<click to view each photo>

Tipperary Town (Irish: Tiobraid Árann, meaning ‘well of the Ara’- a reference to the river Ara that flows through the town) is a town and civil parish in County Tipperary with a population of 4,979 at the 2016 census. The town gave its name to the County Tipperary. The town had a medieval foundation and became a population centre in the early 13th century. It’s ancient fortifications have disappeared, often dismantled to be reused in new buildings. It’s central area is characterized by a wide streets radiating from the principal thoroughfare of Main Street. Two historical monuments are located in the Main Street. One is a bronze statue of Charles Kickham (poet and patriot). The other is the Maid of Erin statue, erected to commemorate the Irish patriots, Allen, Larkin and O’Brien, who are collectively known as the Manchester Martyrs. The Maid of Erin is a freestanding monument; erected in 1907, it was relocated to a corner site on the main street in 2003. It is made of carved limestone. A woman stands on a base depicting the portraits of the three executed men. The portraits carry the names in Irish of each man. She is situated on stone-flagged pavement behind wrought-iron railings, with an information board. The choice of a female figure as the personification of Ireland for such a memorial was common at the time. It is a naturalistic and evocative piece of work, made all the more striking by the lifelike portraits of the executed men. (see photos above)

The town was the site of a large military barracks of the British Army in the 50 years before Irish Independence and served as a military hospital during World War I. During the War of Independence, these barracks were a base for the Black and Tans and on 30 September 2005, the newly refurbished Memorial Arch of the barracks was unveiled in a ceremony in the pressence of dignitaries. However, given the notoriety of the place in the folk memory, few townspeople attended. The Arch is the only remaining porch of what was the officers’ mess and has panels mounted bearing the names of fallen members of the Irish Defence Forces. The Arch was renovated and maintained by the Tipperary Remembrance Trust. We were later given a private tour of this area along with other important sites. (see photos to follow)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipperary_(town)

St Mary’s Church: We did think that yet again, we would be unable to gain access to this church even though the doors were open allowing us to wandered inside, only to be met by the raised tones of the rector informing us that no, were were not allowed in, as he was having some sort of meeting in the church. So thus we had resigned ourselves to a stroll around the graveyard, where i did take some lovely shots of the old iron works depicting fleur-de-lys. It is the oldest graveyard in town with over 1000 recorded burials and the oldest landmark. The grave of Christopher Emmet grandfather of the Irish patriot Robert Emmet is located in the grounds as is the grave of Ellen O’Leary Poet, and sister of the Fenian John O’Leary is also located in the grounds. There has been a military connection with St Mary’s as far back as the 1780’s when it was a garrison church. There are nine Commonwealth war graves and 11 other military related graves dating 1880 – 1920. All very interesting but not really what we were there for, however a chance encounter at the church gates with the new rector, with a different mindset, assured us that yes, we could go in and that he would give us a personal tour of the church and of many interesting areas nearby. Sadly not a lot of info on the internet on the church, so i will let the photos speak for themselves….

http://homepage.eircom.net/~tipperaryfame/stmarys.htm

Although we were lucky and very kindly were shown some of the older and more interesting treasures within the church, they were not actually Craft related, but obvioulsy all well loved <click to view>

As mentioned above, we were very lucky to have been taken on a surprise private tour of relevant and historical sites around Tipperray, ending with a lovely visit to a very old ancient church site, complete with sacred well. But also on this occasion we were visited by one of the ‘watchers’, keeping tracks on us no doubt, for we are never alone, especially as Craft people and obviously our tracks and purpose on this earthly plain is always very closely monitored.

A military arch, old workhouse and barracks, bear tesitiment to different times. The Hills of Tipperary, keep a timeless watch holding onto their secrets and asignations from other times. An imposing modern statue, seems to hold silent court over the etherial essence of the glen. An ancient site and holy well, will keep the secrets of the day…. <click to view>

Grail Bloodline Connectios:

  • John Fordham. 1858 – 1932 Collooney, Sligo. He had a particular interest here. (3 x GGF)

St Mary’s Church. Blessington: So after a little drive, again through pretty towns and villages, past mountains and countryside we arrived at Blessington, which on this occasion would prove to be a very short visit. Sadly the church was shut with all gates locked and chained, so we could not even stroll around the graveyard. So i did the best i could in respect of photos…

Blessington: historically known as Ballycomeen (Irish: Baile Coimín, meaning ‘town of Comyn’, from the Irish surname Ó Coimín), is a town on the River Liffey in County Wicklow, near the border with County Kildare. Evidence of Bronze Age activity in the area is demonstrated by the spectacular Blessington gold lunula now in the British Museum. Blessington was previously called Munfine, and in the Medieval period was part of the lordship of Threecastles. Construction of Blessington House was begun in 1673 and afterwards St Mary’s Church in Blessington, which was completed in 1683. The main road of the town is an example of a planned improvement of towns and villages associated with estates in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Since the turn of the 21st century, Blessington’s population has increased substantially, more than doubling from 2,509 at the 2002 census, to 5,010 by the time of the 2011 census.

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

St Mary’s Church: is situated in Market Square, in the middle of the town. It was built around 1683, having been financed by Archbishop Boyle. While most of the church was rebuilt in the 19th Century, the tower of this old church remains at the west end. The original church, from 1683, was later altered to the design by Joseph Welland (transepts, north aisle). The church is well known in the bell-ringing community for housing the oldest complete set of bells in Ireland. The six bells date to 1682, and were cast by James Bartlet, who was the master founder of Whitechapel at that time. The money for these was also given by Archbishop Boyle. They are still rung twice a week, for Sunday morning service and on Saturday nights, for ringing practice. The cemetery is located within the grounds of St. Mary’s Church, Blessington and four of the graves are for the crew of an RAF Hampden bomber, whose plane crashed near Blessington in April 1941.

The church is a detached six-bay single-storey Church of Ireland Church, built c.1680 but extended in later years. The church is constructed in rubble granite. The three-stage bell and clock tower is finished in roughcast render and a has a castellated parapet with tall pinnacles. The sheeted front door has decorative strap hinges and is set within a small gabled porch projection to the north side of the tower. Window openings are generally pointed-arched and are frequently arranged in pairs; glazing is leaded. The pitched roof is finished in natural slate and has cast-iron rainwater goods. The church is slightly set back behind a low rubble wall with wrought-iron railings and matching gates. This well preserved early 19th-century church is set at approximately forty five degrees to the road; this dramatic siting adds much interest to the streetscape – and that is as much as I could garner from the internet for you all, seeings we could not really get near to the church.

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • King Niall, 342 AD. (46 x GGF) The beginning and origin of the Neville Surname.

More to come: A rainy last day awaited us as we left our Irish digs to return home, but on the road to the ferry many more adventures awaited…..

“My truth makes perfect sense to me. It’s been a life time of knowledge, of journeying towards the truth, but what a fabulous journey it has been, and continues to be. The ‘road less travelled’ certainly, but a road that does reward the ‘brave’ of heart. A journey that will continue through other dimensions, with truths deposited forever within….
Nothing lasts forever in this realm and the truth is there for all to ‘see’, but there is always a guiding L.I.G.H.T. awaiting as The Grail gets ever closer…
Energies flow, energies dissapate, energies find their way home, find those whom will take them home. Nothing is too late to embrace, never too late to learn, never too late to find your way; faith & knowledge of the truth will always shine a LIGHT to those whom can ‘see’“

“The Keeper of Scrolls” 25th November 2021

<moon.willow@ntlworld.com>

 

 

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QUEST 32: ATLANTIC ATLANTIS: DAY NINE & TEN

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November 3, 2021
“It was day nine and we were on the road again. We travel many hundreds of miles on these quests, through many counties (even countries). Through changing scenery and variable weather – yet it all delights the senses and i have perfected the knack of taking photos on the move! So leaving the beauty of County Meath behind us; it was an early start for an epic journey and adventure. We travelled through misty mountains and rugged terrain, a landscape that has inspired inunarable poets and writers over the years. But our part in the annuals of the earthly plain was just begining, in respect of this part of our quest. For we were journying toward the magical and mysterious Achill Island, where time and tide really do keep their own council”

On the road through Ireland to Achill Island. An amazing adventure….

Day Nine: 7th July 2021: Achill Island (Co Mayo) (Irish: Acaill, Oileán Acla) is the largest and most magical (for many reasons) of the Irish isles and is situated off the west coast. It has a population of 2,594 covering an area of 57 sq miles). Achill is attached to the mainland by the Michael Davitt Bridge between the villages of Gob an Choire (Achill Sound) and Poll Raithní (Polranny). A bridge was first completed here in 1887. Other centres of population include the villages of Keel, Dooagh, Dumha Éige (Dooega), Dún Ibhir (Dooiver), and Duggort. Early human settlements are believed to have been established on Achill around 3000 BC. The parish of Achill consists of Achill Island, Achillbeg, Inishbiggle and the Corraun Penninsular. Roughly half of the island, including the villages of Achill Sound and Bunacurry are in the Gaeltacht (traditional Irish-speaking region) of Ireland, although the vast majority of the island’s population speaks  English as their daily language. It is believed that at the end of the Neolithic Period (around 4000 BC), Achill had a population of 500-1,000 people. The island would have been mostly forest until the Neolithic people began crop cultivation. Settlements increased during the Iron Age and the dispersal of small promontory around the coast indicate the warlike nature of the times. Megalithic tombs and forts can be seen at Slievemore, along the Atlantic Drive and on Achillbeg. Although the population has increased, Achill Island is still a very wild and rugged island with much of it’s very early history forever lost in time and legend…
St Dympna’s Church and Holy Well: Achill Island. When one enters into this graveyard by the shoreline, one can not help but notice the ‘energies’, for it feels almost ‘otherworldly’, dreamlike, between the worlds and with very good reason too…
The sense of ‘otherwordliness’ is extremely strong here; a feeling of being between the worlds permeates. Could it be the most profound and magical place in the world…?
St Dympna’s 17th century church is built on the south-east coast of Achill Island. An early church was founded here by St Dympna in the 7th century. The placename is derived from ‘Cill Damhnait’ meaning ‘ Church of Davnet (Dympna)’. After crossing the bridge from the Irish mainland onto Achill island, a most magical drive awaits you, as the forgotton history of these lands seeps into one’s veins. The roofless church is situated in Kildownet cemetery, about 250 metres north of Kilavnet Castle. Kildownet old cemetery is located near the southern tip of Achill Island, and about a quarter mile from Grace O’Malley’s 15th century castle. The Old Cemetery extends from the edge of the main road to the shore of the bay and encompasses the partially restored ruins of St Dympna’s Church, originally founded in the 7th century.There is a T-shaped altar at the eastern end of the church and an aumbry can be found in the north-east corner. Scattered around the graveyard are a number of medieval stone crosses, two of which have been cemented into the cemetery gate-posts. St Dympna’s Holy Well sits on the shoreline to the east of the church.In the graveyard are also some of the ‘famine graves’, very poingnant and sad to see, an echo of hard times once lived (and died) through. There is also a memorial to the thirty-two young people who died in the 1894 Clew Bay drowning tragedy, and buried in the cemetery, They had been heading across Clew Bay for the Steamer in Westport that was to take them to Scotland for potato picking, when their boat capsized in a sudden gust of wind. The tragedy is remembered in the song ‘Hills of Mayo’.
There are energies of a different kind here at St Dympna’s <click to enlarge>
Of course this is a Craft site and part of our quest,  so hence why we are here, but the energies here are very special; almost of another dimension, one gets a feeling of being outside of time here, not of the current timeline at all. It felt like looking through a mirror into the outside world, time moved at a slower, different pace in that graveyard. On a personal note, i also had some revelations there; experiences of a very metaphysical nature, peronal to me…
A sense of time and tide and ‘other lands’coming to the surface…. <click to enlarge>
Grail Bloodline Connection:
  • John Fordham 1823-1895 (Collooney, Sligo) Had a particular interest here (4 x GGF)

 

Achill Henge: Keel East: It was with a lot of sadness that i left St Dympna’s behind for i could have stayed and soaked those beautiful energies up all day…. but time and tide wait for no man (or lady), and so it was, into the car again and off on the road to find a modern-day henge. We drove along the shore line, but all the time, going up and up the high cliffs, almost tottering over the edge in some places – but the veiws were magificant! We eventually reached a point where we could drive no further, so walking up the boggy mountainside was the only option. It was hard going and my feet were saturated, frequently dissapearing into the boggy ground. Goodness only knows how the sculptor managed to get his henge up there!

What beautiful views over ancient lands that time and history have somehow lost sight of, maybe some of our ancient legends can provide answers…? <click to enlarge>

 

Achill-henge is a concrete modern structure on Achill Island off the northwest coast of Co Mayo. Achill-henge is over 4 metres (13 ft) high and 100 metres (330 ft) in circumference. It consists of a circle of 30 concrete columns topped by a ring of stone. It’s not a replica of any ancient structure and does not pretend to be. It does not pretend to be anything other than what it is and love it or hate it, it is certainly impresive and is a scuptoral huge feat. Achill-henge was constructed over a weekend in November 2011 by Joe McNamara, a property developer and convicted criminal. A team of workers hauled the large concrete slabs up the hill and sank them in the bog. Mayo County Council requested a court order to force McNamara to remove the edifice as it had been built without planning permission. McNamara claimed that the structure was exempt from planning rules as an “ornamental garden”. Theresa McDonald, Director of the Achill Archaeological Field School, also raised objections on the grounds that the structure may be less than 500 m (1,600 ft) from a Bronze-Age archaeological site. The High Court required McNamara to cease further work on the site, and, as he was found to be in breach of this, he was jailed for three days for contemp of court. The Court referred the planning decision toAn Bord Pleanala, which in July 2012 upheld the Council’s decision. Some local people have expressed admiration for the work as a feat of engineering, and a newspaper poll found a majority of locals in support of keeping the structure. On 8 January 2012, it was featured as part of the Prime Time programme on RTE 1 in Ireland.

Achill Henge is still standing as of August 2021.

A shame the henge wasn’t being very well looked after and is now covered in graffitti, a sad sign of our times. Of course it had been a place of power, of immense energy (pyramid energy) and even had a connection to the metaphysical realms; hence why we were there…

As always on these quests, it is what lies beneath that is important

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achill-henge

Grail Bloodline Connection:

  • John Fordham (1823 – 1895) (Collooney. Sligo) Had a particular interest (4 x GGF)

 

Dooega: Dumha Éige (anglicised Dooega) is an old fishing village in the south west of Achill Island on the west coast of Ireland in County Mayo. It is in the Gaeltacht and is the home of  Colaiste Acla. The scenic area is part of the Achill Atlantic Drive. Dumha Éige/Dooega has a Blue Flag beach, a church, a pub and a guest house. We were there to round off the day and to relax before our long drive to our next digs. Dooega Beach is a small and sheltered beach set in a small coastal inlet at the south west tip of the Minnaun cliffs, located on the south side of Achill Island and is perfect for summer sunbathing due to its south facing location. It is within the Keel Machair/Minaun cliffs Special Area of Conservation. The beach and surrounding area is habitat rich in birds, plants and insects and is a special area for protection and conservation. The beach backs onto low grasslands and the old fishing village of Dooega, one of the last native language speaking villages on Achill; its a lovely bay with a very ‘old fashioned’ feel to it. Going way back in time it was home to one of the very first settlements of mankind on this planet.

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

Chilling out before our big drive to our next digs, but sad to leave this special island, forever wondering as to what could be under those waves…

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • John Fordham (1823 – 1895) (Collooney. Sligo) He had a particular interest (4 x GGF)

 

Day Ten: 8th July: Galway Cathedral. Galway: (or it’s rather lovely full name of Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas, Galway). (Irish language: Ard-Eaglais Mhaighdean na Deastógála agus Naomh Nioclás), commonly known as Galway Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral and one of the largest and most impressive buildings in the city of Galway, although in the past not always liked by everyone.

Galway is a very vibrant lively city, full of street art, resturants, pubs and lots of old interesting streets – and of course the magificant cathedral. It is in the West of Ireland in the province of Connacht. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway bay, with a population at the 2016 Census of 79,934. Located near an earlier settlement, Galway grew around a fortification built by the King of Connacht in 1124. A municipal charter, received in 1484, allowed for the citizens of the then walled city to form a council and mayoralty. Controlled largely by a group of merchant families, the Tribes of Galway, the city grew into a trading port. Following a period of decline, as of the 21st century, the city is a tourist destination and is known for hosting numerous festivals, celebrations and events.

The city’s name comes from the Irish name Gaillimh, which formed the western boundary of the earliest settlement, Dún Gaillimhe “Fort Gaillimh”. (Mythical and alternative derivations of the name are given in History of Galway. Historically, the name was Anglicised as Galliv or Gallive, closer to the Irish pronunciation. The city’s name in Latin is Galvia. Residents of the city are referred to as Galwegians. The city also bears the nickname “City of the Tribes” (Irish: Cathair na dTreabh) because of the fourteen merchant families called the “tribes of Galway”who led the city in its Hiberno-Norman period.

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

Construction of the cathedral began in 1958 on the site of the old city prison. It was completed in 1965, making it the last great stone cathedral to be built in Europe. It was dedicated, jointly, to Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and to St Nicholas. A very modern cathedral then, it was opened on 15 August 1965. The architect of the cathedral was John J. Robinson who had previously designed many churches in Dublin and around the country. The architecture of the cathedral draws on many influences. The dome and pillars reflect a Renaissance style. Other features, including the rose windows and mosiacs, echo the broad tradition of Christian art, yet not only christain art, the cathedral is full of deeply symbolic art, that not everyone would know the meanings too and one often has to look twice for hidden in the art are many significant meanings to true history on earth. The cathedral dome, at a height of 44.2 metres (145 ft), is a prominent landmark on the city skyline. The beautiful connemara marble was used in the construction of the cathedral, on the floors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Our_Lady_Assumed_into_Heaven_and_St_Nicholas,_Galway

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QUEST 28: WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF KING ARTHUR: DAY ONE & TWO

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December 5, 2019

THE GRAIL QUEST

“The Grail has often been seen as something un-tangible with many different opinions on what it actually is. Is it an ideal, a physical object, something metaphysical, or something else entirely? Does it relate to the philosopher’s stone? Is it a mystical and transformational experience? Is it a link or a key? Is it a blue-print for something? Has it a connection to immortality? Whatever it is, it is very elusive, yet like a magnate draws folks towards it, keeping out of reach to most, but why is it on this earthy plain and why so sought after? King Arthur certainly travelled phyically on a journey to discover it; his Grail Quest. Here we journey in his footsteps trying to find and unravel the clues on our own particular Grail Quest – Quest 28.”

QUEST 28: EAST OF ENGLAND & THE NETHERLANDS

SUNDAY 27TH OCTOBER 2019

This quest was to be the quest of all quests and was to take us around Europe on the trail of King Arthur and his own quest for the holy grail. Indeed five countries awaited us as we expectantly made our way from Cambridge, England across the North Sea to Europe, taking in Holland, Germany, Luexembourg, France and Belguim on this very exciting epic  adventure; a road trip of a lifetime!

map

What an epic journey awaited us!

St Mary’s Church, Holton St Mary: Holton St Mary is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. Located on the B1070 around five miles south-west of Ipswich and half a mile from the A12 (which forms the parish’s south-east boundary), it is part of Babergh district. The western end of the parish is part of the Dedham Vale Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty and the Higham meadow nature reserve. The name of the village is probably derived from the Anglow-Saxon ‘Holan Tun’ or ‘Hola’s Farm,’ It may also mean ‘farm in the hollow.’ It is likely that Holton experienced some Roman influence, being so very close to main Roman road north from Colchester, approximately along the route of the present-day A12. Holten is mentioned in the Domesday Book Survey of 1086 as having a population of 19 including 4 slaves.

http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/holtonstm.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holton_St._Mary

St Mary’s Church is a peaceful church, with some lovely energires there; built in a very rural setting amidst open countryside and small villages. There is a connection at this church, to Cornwall, Mary Magdalene and to Lancelot Desposyni, so tying in with the ‘grail’ aspect right away. This church, like so many others is built upon an original pagan, sacred site and thus hidden within the rocks of the tower, built into the north-west buttress there is a large glacial boulder, a ballast used by pagans of the day in rites for sacrificial purposes. Yet even before those pagan times, going back to the so called ‘dark ages’, pilgrims would have visited this site on their wanderings. So more here is about what is below than what is above and of there being a very special sacred reason why churches are built precisely where they are built; it was never random….

The buried sacred glacial stone area, used for ritual purposes, overwhich the font now stands. In the same area we have some interesting symbols including the rose and the fleur de lys, both of which scream templarism.

The church, even though small does contain a great sense of spirituality and spiritual wealth as our video and photos show. There are connections here to Lancelot and his emblem; the lion. There are some very interesting depictions on the windows – not be overlooked, such as two crossed feathers and the rest of the church contains symbols to The Lamb of God, the Alpha to Omega, the Motherland and the Dove of Peace holding an acacia twig and some subtle references to Mary Magdalene via the Flue de Lys and thus to the Knights Templars and to the Fordham line via Lancelot Desposyni. Also seen is the Neville shield and the Merkabah; all of the Templar lineage.

Some of the very subtle images and windows within St Mary’s Church, Holten St Mary that relate to Mary Magdalene, Lancelot Desposyni, the true bloodlines and to Templarism. All a part of a knights journey – a modern day quest. <click on an image to enlarge>

Bloodline Connections:

  • Mary Magdalene.
  • Lancelot Desposyni
  • King Arthur
  • The Fordham line
  • The Neville line

Lancelot Flag

Lancelot’s flag in battle: The Desposyni Line; most of it is worn through but one can still make out his symbol, the design very reminiscent of a knights head.

All Saints Church, Great Oakley: Great Oakley is a village and  civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex. It is a long, narrow parish lying on the top of a low (25 m) ridge south of Ramsey Creek which drains northeast towards  Harwich. The parish extends south to Oakley Creek, a branch of Hamford Water, where stood Great Oakley Dock, now disused. The church, dedicated to All saints, contains some Norman work. The living thereof is in the gift of St  John’s College, Cambridge. The Domesday Survey does not distinguish between Great and Little Oakly, but records two manors there.

The church stands at the west end of the village and consists of a nave and chancel of pebble and flint rubble with limestone dressings, a west tower of septaria and red brick with a weatherboarded upper storey and a pyramidal roof, and a south porch of red brick. The nave is 12th century, lengthened at a later date, the chancel is early 14th century, and the west tower 15th century, rebuilt in 1766. The only Romanesque feature recorded here is the Purbeck font. Again it is set in peaceful rural surroundings with much more on the inside than one would ever guess from the outside appearance. Another small church with some lovely energies and some very meaningful artifacts inside; there are Dutch connections both inside and out, especially in the architecture.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Oakley,_Essex

https://www.crsbi.ac.uk/site/1501/

A peaceful church with calming energies and straight away, once inside the church we could see from a commemorative war plaque upon the wall mention of one of our ‘bloodline families’ (a Coporal E. Clarke) bold as brass, reiterating the fact that this is indeed a true bloodline quest. Interestingly not that many miles away from where we have previously researched the Fordham & Clarke lines in Hertfordshire. Again some lovely stained-glass windows, but very interestingly this church sports two gold Triquetra (similar to a triskelion) both on a green background; one as the altar cloth and one on the lectern. This symbol is often known as a ‘trinity knot’ when parallel doubled-lines are in the design. The design is used as a religious symbol adapted from ancient Pagan Celtic images by Christianity. It is similar to the  Valnut, a Norse symbol. The symbols here appear to be composed of of three overlapping Vesica piscis symbols. The green here represents Ireland, the colour of Ireland thus connecting us back to the quests and to the bloodlines of to the Kings of Ireland.

The Triquerta symbol, connecting our quest & this church to the Kings of Ireland <click to enlarge>

An intertersting artwork behing the altar depicts ‘The Jesus’ symbolically upon the cross (not actually for he never was crucified) and he is shown with his hands in the sign of the Ninasian salute and with a Templar cross upon his head. To the left side of the altar is a lovely stone carved ‘throne’ within the church walls, where special visiting folks would have sat, around the area are carvings of knights (crusaders) and crowns, albeit very worn in time now, but original and importantly still in place. Again symbolism that connects to the Knight Templars and to Lancelot Desposyni. The intricate metal work across the altar area depicts the red and gold rose, within black scroll work, with fleur de lys and red pillars; the black, red and gold of Craft. To the right of the altar, a stone upon the floor to a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, a Reverend John Townson of York; so a few connections here and i ponder upon the ‘trinity’ connection of the altar cloth…

Many connections in this church across the ‘ley lines’ or ‘energy lines’, connecting the physical to the metaphysical and to those beings whom have previously been upon this earthly plain….

See our video to take a tour around these two peaceful churches

St Marys Church & All saints Church, Essex

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • The Forham line
  • The Kings of Ireland
  • Lancelot Desposyni
  • King Arthur
  • L.C. E Clarke

So day one is complete and it is now off to Harwich for an evening pub meal at the Alma Inn, Harwich and then to board the (almost) midnight ferry over to Holland (it was actually 11pm!) The sea was calm but expectations were high; the cabins were warm and cosy though sleep came and went in a flurry of excitement as Eurpope awaited in the morning…..

Day Two: Holland: Monday 28th October 2019

So after a very calm and relaxing overnight ferry crossing we arrived upon the shores of a very busy and bustling Holland. The roads and style of driving there are very different from the UK and not just because of left-hand driving either, they all seem to drive extremely close to one another and very scarily too! Driving straight out of the ferry into this ‘other world’ was indeed a baptism of fire! So thus we drove through Holland to reach our first stop of the day of our exciting adventure – Rotterdam which was about a forty-five minute journey from the ferry.

St Lamburtus Church, Rotterdam, Holland: The neo-gothic Saint-Lambertuskerk stands in Kralingen on the corner of the chic Hoflaan. The church was built between 1875-1878 by Evert Margry, a pupil of the renowned P.J.H. Cuypers. Saint Lambert is the patron saint of Kralingen. During the war the church and its distict of Kralingen suffred damage during the bombing on 14th may 1940 and the Germans took the church bells and removed them to Germany. In 1947 the parishioners from the district donated two church bells to the church.

St Lamburtus Church, Rotterdam, Holland, almost ‘cathedral-like’, with a connection to King Pharamond. <click on photos to open up & enlarge>

A rather stunning church set in a pretty area with lots of trees and cycles, inside is to be found some amazing Craft related windows and a connection to Cambridge. We would have loved to have stayed longer to have a really good look around, but sadly we could not as a ‘lady in charge’ insisted that our visit be cut short and that we leave pronto, due to a funeral shortly taking place. A lovely feel to the actual church (if not her attitude) with a connection to King Pharomond.

A selection of some of the beautiful windows containing such Craft & Templar symbolism such as the All Seeing Eye, the Chiro, the Rose, The Alpha to Omega and the Dove. <click on photos to open up & enlarge>

DSC09271 (1)

Grail Bloodline Connection:

  • King Pharamond (50th Great Grandfather to our head researcher) 430-499 Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
  • King Arthur

We said farewell to Rotterdam as we continued our travels through Holland making our way towards Utrecht, about one hours drive in theory, but with a stop for a delicous meal along the way in a lovely resturant that opened up it’s kitchen for us early- a most welcomed gesture!

DSC09288 (1)

Cathedral of St Martin: Utrecht, Holland: Whilst a beautiful building to look at, both inside and out, sadly this cathedral had lost much of it’s spirituality and it’s artifacts, two things that often go hand in hand for various reasons over time. However at both the front and back entrances were placed over the doorways two rather splendid knights on horseback carvings. Utrecht itself is the fourth largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. The city centre has many ancient buildings and structures dating back to the High Middle Ages and has been a religious centre since the 8th century.

Knights on horseback above the two entrances <click on photos to open up & enlarge>

St. Martin’s Cathedral or Dom Church is a Gothic church dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, which was the cathedral of the Dioces of Utrechtduring the Middle Ages. It is the country’s only pre-Reformation cathedral, but has been a Protestant church since 1580. It was once the Netherlands’ largest church, but the nave collapsed in a storm in 1674 and has never been rebuilt, leaving the tower isolated from the east end. The building is the one church in the Netherlands that closely resembles the style of classic Gothic architecture as developed in France. All other Gothic churches in the Netherlands belong to one of the many regional variants. Unlike most of its French predecessors, the building has only one tower, the 112-metre-high (367 ft) Dom Tower, which is the hallmark of the city. Architecturally this cathedral was very stunning to look at, with some interesting items inside, it was set in a lovely area with some interesting buildings and symbols around.

Cathedral of St Martin: Utrecht, Holland; beautiful to look upon with a connection to Nascien Desposyni <click on photos to open up & enlarge>

Inside were some wonderful plaques and memorials often featuring skulls and skeletons as was the ‘fashion’ of the times and some significant tomb carvings upon the floor….

Some of the architecture and remaining artifacts still to found inside the cathedral

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Martin%27s_Cathedral,_Utrecht

Grail Bloodline Connection:

  • Nascien Desposyni; 49th GreatGrandfather. 450-494 Somnant, France & ancestor to Lancelot.
  • King Arthur

The area around the outside of the cathedral was historic with an old gaol house and some interesting sun symbols on the buildings.

There is a deep purpose and meaning to all our quests and if you have been following you will by now, maybe have discovered that it is at these particular points in time that one can discover the sacred energies that run through our lands, energies that have often lain undiscovered for centuries…”

 

‘At Grail Castle with four aligned, Hidden Knowledge for us rewind’

 

Knights of the Red Order December 2019

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’

‘moon.willow@ntlworld.com’

 

 

 

 

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