Tag Archive: Knights Templar


QUEST 29: THE TEMPLAR CHURCHES OF SUFFOLK

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April 17, 2020

QUEST 29: MARCH 2020

It is always so exciting to go on a surprise quest and Quest 29 into Suffolk was most certainly that! It was March 29th and a gorgeous springtime day, a bit chilly but the sky was blue and clear; it was also just before ‘lockdown’ in the UK and so upon looking back i was doubly glad we were able to get out and about when we did. Suffolk is a beautiful area of East Anglia with many pretty, unspoilt villages and beautiful old churches too, with many surpises when it comes to our quests. The churches we visited were of course all Knight Templar related, all a part of, and with connections to our grail quest; the whole area being part of a large Roman encapement in its day.

  • All Saints Church Icklingham
  • Saint James Church Icklinham
  • All Saints Church Wordwell
  • Saint Mary the Virgin Church Cavendish

 

All Saints Church Icklington: The church is set in a pretty landscaped area with wide views across the countryside. All Saints Church is a redundant Anglican church, it is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade 1 listed building and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It is of Norman and English Gothic architectural style built in the fourteenth century. The church stands in the highest point in the village, adjacent to the A1101 road between Mildenhall and Bury St Edmunds; this was formerly the ancient trackway of the Roman Empire, the Icknield Way, in 120AD. The church was almost completely rebuilt in the 14th century with a south porch added in the 15th century. Sadly the church has been unused for over 100 years, being declared redundant in the 1970s. The roof has been re-thatched in the traditional manner with the rest of the church being constructed in flint rubble with freestone dressing. Read more about the church below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints%27_Church,_Icklingham

The church has a wonderful feel to it when one enters, no surprise as Icklingham has a important connection to our previous quest to Autun in France. Obviously there was a huge Roman presence in Autun too, which you will know if you have read our previous quest, Icklingham would have been a pathway into East Anglia for the Romans. The whole area here was a very large Roman encampment with thousands and thousands of troops being present in 124 AD, reaching all the way up to Wordwell. It was not only an invasion, but a transformation of the whole area too.

 

The interior of All Saints Church Icklingham <click to enlarge>

There are some stunning medieval tyles on the floor, with very well peserved Templar Symbolism, some with ‘the flowers and the petals of life’ connecting to the Knight Templars, whom would certainly have used this church. We are looking at the year 1314 here, when Jaques de Molay was burnt at the stake; yet the Templars did flee from France to survive in other areas, and Icklingham was one such area where they recieved some kind of unofficial Sanctuary. The tiles on the floor are original and of course we did not walk on them, but they were amazing to see, one that caught our eye, had a great depth of detail on it, which can be seen in our video and photos.

 

The original floor tyles with Templar symbology

The church is still in an original, natural state and has not been ‘victorianised’ at all. It still has most of its original features from the thatched roof, the pulpit, the original spiral stairs (now leading nowhere) and even an old original wrought iron funeral cart with original wheels and spokes, still in working order. One can certainly imaging the pall-bearers pushing it along with its coffin on board, entering the service, with the noise of the iron wheels reverberating upon the stone floors, echoing throughout the chambers of the church. Nearby is a wonderful church organ by W. Howlett and Son, an item any musical person would simply love. Even though it could have done with a very good clean it did add to the ascetics of the church, rather than being of any functionality. The pews of course are original complete with by-gone graffitti, from a time when folks would have sat there in the church listening to the sermons of Reverend, one can well imagine bored tots sittng there and picking away at the wood. So much history here; so many stories to be told.

The recently thatched roof is beautifully crafted allowing straw to fall naturally to the ground, just as it would have all those many years ago. There is a fairly modern, yet lovely stained-glass window depicting two of the saints, with many theories abounding in the area as to who they actually are; our understanding is that they are James and Peter – James to the left and Peter to the right. Almost under the window is an original wooden built up pew, which one enters by a hinged and brackets door in order to be able to sit down, and with its high bible-rest in front, it is almost like being in the dock! The stone pulpit (or font) is also original and in good condition, save for a bit of wear and tear. We were unable to find the stone carvings we were interested in, neither on the inside or outside of the church, so sadly maybe they never survived the test of time. A very interesting church with lots of references to the Templars, the Roman Empire, but very importantly, let us not forget King Arthur himself. Our Templar history informs us that Lancelot Desposyni was in this area on his travels, journeying through the area, visiting St James Church. King Arthur and Lancelot, when one separates them from the ‘myths and legends‘, did not just travel to one area, they moved around, changing things, transforming things during the times that we know as the ‘Dark Ages’. An amazing church with many untold stories to tell…. This would have been the most ‘energetic’ church of the day.

DSC01193

Standing in front of the old funeral carts

See our video below to take a stroll inside the church:

ALL SAINTS CHURCH ICKLINGHAM

Saint James Church Icklinham: Sadly when we arrived at this church it appeared to be well and truly locked up and maybe closed for health and safety reasons , so just a quick write up with a few shots from outside. It looked a peaceful church on the outside with some important items for us to see inside, but in a fairly built up area and a shame it was closed.

 

 I am including a link which contains several photos of the interior of the church which we did not get to see: http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/icklingj.html

In brief, it is a Medieval Church, which has been restored, in an area where there would have been a Roman encampment on land occupied by the Romans in 120 AD. It would have been a Knights Templar preceptory in times past, 1066-1539 AD, even more reason to have been able to go inside. The Knights Templars did exist beyond the burning at the stake of Jaques de Molay in 1314. The namesake of the church St James, was the first disciple of Jesus and the patron saint of Spain, he was sadly executed by sword in 44 AD at Judea, Jerusalem and importantly was linked to Lancelot of Valencia, Spain.

All Saints Church Wordwell: After going slightly off course through the countryside and down a small lane, to end up at a completely different church, we finally arrived at this still out of the way church at Wordwell. All Saints is a redundant Anglican church, it is recorded in the National Heritage list for England as a designated Grade 1 listed building and is under the care of the Churches Conversation Trust. It was established in 1129 AD, prior to a Roman Empire encapement. The present church is a tiny Norman church, restored in the Victorian period and containing some superb medieval and Norman carvings.

‘Wordwell’ is an interesting name, with various meanings just crying out for some further research. All Saints Church at Wordwell still has its original construction; it was established at the time of the Templars, being used frequently by the Knights of the area at the time, and further going forwards into the midpoint of the thirteen hundreds, it was used as Sanctuary for the Templars, as they fled from Europe during the time of their demise, thus the church has so much history attached to it.

The church had a very nice feel to it, good energies were present. There were some interesting windows; one showed a triskellian and upon looking closer a pyramid within a petaled flower, shown in the form of a triangular pyramid ascending within a petaled flower, which is unusual. At first gance this could be seen as very masonic, but one must ask, which came first, the chicken or the egg? As we have learnt previously, the Freemasons were formed after the Knights Templars, lest we forget.

The old original church organ, here in the church with its big square paddles, is now being used as a table for leaflets, but it looks like it may be in good working order. However nearby and just above the organ, is indeed the prize catch of this church in every way, shape or form, in the form of a wonderful oiginal wall carving, which could almost be mistaken for being Sumerian, in style, being very reminiscent of the clay tablets. The people shown in the carving are of quite a short build; the carving having been viewed differently by different people over time; some folks thinking it is of St Catherine or the other saints, but it is non of them; there being other reasons for it being what it is. What is interesting is that the figures are both male, not as in male and female as often thought. One figure is holding a ring which is being given to the other male, but not in a context of marriage, more of in a binding ceremony, a binding with G-d context. A very interesting find indeed, of which one does not often get to see in an English church in this day and age. One cannot help but wonder why it is there and the full story behind it.

The interior of the church, showing the very unusual carving <please click to enlarge>

Moving around, the wooden pews are all beautifully carved with animals and folaige, and have aged wonderfully over the years. The atmosphere of the church, its age and how it has been set out certainly brings to mind that famous Knight Templar painting entitled ‘The Acolade’. The scene here before us, is very reminiscent of that particular painting with the steps acending as the Templar comes forward, to bow and drop three times before reaching the altar (thrice the times). The church is very well looked after and has very well preserved tyles on the floor, with many Galic symbols represented. One can see represented in the tyles;  earth, air, fire and water, with the most important symbols being fire and water, (south and west)  (the water and the fire), which gives us ‘pure light’. We know from history that the south-western quadrant is always the most important; in Masonic terms a candidate is asked ‘Why did you leave the west to travel east?‘ and later on on ‘Why did you leave the east to travel west?‘ The response would be ‘In search of Light in Craft’, however when they reach the west they dont find the Light in Craft because then, in the west, the candidates are later on informed in their degrees (from the 42nd degree upwards), that they need to head south to find the Light in Craft. They have to then journey from the east to the west, and thence instructed to go south, (south-west), which is most important, as it is the ‘pure-light’ of the compass-points.

There are some interesting restored artworks on the other window with a cow emblem at the top, albeit a very intricate stylised design, but i saw it clearly, although some may not see it at all. Also there is the ‘fan-fare‘ wheel in the window and a ‘triklesite’ aspect to the right and to the left. On the high altar is a lovely red and gold altar cloth with some nice old guilding from around the 1900’s, probably replaced at some point, but lovely non the less. At the back of the altar on the wall carvings, one can see the ‘flowers of life’, being the daisy and the tulip, there are other schools of thought on this subject, but this is correct. There are some wonderful quotes upon the wall behind the altar, one in particular from Exodus, see the photo below for the full quote.

Truth and religion in the UK today, has become a very flexible subject and often open to many interpretations, yet for those whom profess to follow the faith and the path; it says very clearly here, that thou shall have non other gods but me, no other gods, apart from G-d; we know already that there are angels and djinn, but no other gods which is very important to not forget. For a small church there is a lot going on here, a lot of history; this church being on a par I noticed, with the one we visited in Mepal recently on our Fenland Quest, the same level and size etc. Much to take away with us from this visit, much to pause and think about. This was probably the best church of the day from a conservation viewpoint, the most enigmatic church.

See our video below to take a stroll around the church:

ALL SAINTS CHURCH WORDWELL

Saint Mary the Virgin Church Cavendish: This was the last church of the day, in the pretty village of Cavandish. St Mary the Virgin Chirch is a grade 1 listed parish church in  Cavandish, Suffolk. It was built in the 1300’s, thus only 700 years old, yet built on much earlier foundations over earlier buildings, earlier temples etc. This church is mostly 14th-century, with building dating from about 1300 to about 1485, with some 19th-century additions and alterations. The oldest parts of the church, dating from about 1300, are the Tower, the Porch and the lower parts of the walls of the aisles. In 1350 the South aisle walls were rebuilt to their present height and new windows were inserted. The exterior of the church is dressed in flint, as are many of the churches and buildings of the area. While we were there extensive renovations were being carried out and much of the church, including the tower were hidden under scaffolding; we were lucky it was actually open to us. Some beautiful artworks are in the church and although it has been modernised over its 700 years of time, this does not distract from its interest and it is kept beautifully clean and tidy. What we noticed straight away upon entering, was the baptismal roles for folks of the area on the wall, showing a Lynne Clarke baptised in 1964, (so could be still alive). Clarke is one of the blood-lines we are tracing, so an interesting find, and on another listing , on the roll of honour from the Cypress Regiment dated 1956, a Cuthbert H. Clark, so maybe her grandfather?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary_the_Virgin%27s_Church,_Cavendishhttp://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/cavendish.htm

The Knights Templar had a preceptory here in Cavandish from 1308-1312, just before the demise of the Templars;  just before the Papal Bull was released from Rome, but they were here for only  a short period of time. The reason being is that they would have been in transit and moving artifacts along ‘upstream’ as it were, up through the country. The church would have been used as a holding place for the movement of treasures and various artifacts.

The church contains an amazingly beautiful piece of carved artwork showing the Knight Templar ‘two swords’ with an inverted challace; the pyramid, the ship, the sea, the ocean are all included.  ‘Pure Light‘ as mentioned before is represented here by the sword (fire) in the water. (Fire in the Water to make Pure Light) The ‘Jesus’ here has sadly lost a finger but would have been showing the ‘Ninasian Salute‘ (the salute of Ninasu)

There is so much Templar symbolism to be discovered in the above artwork <click to see in detail>

There is a small Lady Chapel area to the left hand side, with curtains above its altar, and interestingly, nothing at all behind them which is unusual as normally the curtains are open with a painting or something on display. A window on the right-hand side of the church contains many clues and symbolism to the fact that the knights were indeed here; non more so than the red cross of the Nevilles (our main research blood-line) with the rose in the middle of the Neville cross clearly defined. The window also shows the ‘Flower of Life‘ and moving upwards we see the ‘Lamb of God’ (Agnus Dei), all beautifully depicted, and very much of standard Knight Templar symbolism.  However on moving across to the next panel, we see imagery that is far removed from standard, in the form of what appears to be a bull with wings, amazingly depicted. We also have the cow, the ram and the stag symbolised here in the window, with interestingly a symbolic circle reference to the ‘Fisher King’, which on closer inspection could be a shell, again referencing The Fisher King. In the earlier writings of the Fisher King ‘the winged animals’ are referenced, but suprisingly, not the infamous unicorn of myth and legend as one would expect. Also adjacent on another window we can clearly see the Chi-Rho, a ‘star’ which we are now refering to as ‘The Pyramid of Intergration’, a translation from an earlier language; this symbol has had many names over the years, and is probably best known as ‘The Star of David’, which is not relevant here; also shown is the ‘IHS’ symbol. Moving down the window one can see various other symbols, such as ‘The Jesus’ showing the Ninasian Salute, and also shown with his hands ‘open to all’. At the side of the altar, behind blue curtains, just in front of the vestry, are to be found some very historic paintings, portraits and photographs upon the walls, some of the choir, some of old scenes from outside the church.

The windows contains a language of symbols relating to the Knights Templars and the true history of this earthly plane – just waiting to be de-coded! <click to enlarge>

See our link below to take a stroll around the church:

ST MARY THE VIRGIN’S CHURCH CAVENDISH

Quest 30 in May 2020 would have been another exciting European trip but due to the outbreak of the corona virus, we have had to cancel and put everything on hold for a while. Hopefull in the spring of 2021 we can get on the road again, but in the meantime,watch this space, as they say!

 

acolade

The Acolade by Lord Leighton

The Knights of the Red Order

Author ‘The Keeper of Scrolls’

April 17th 2020

 

 

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WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF KING ARTHUR: DAY TWELVE & THIRTEEN

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March 25, 2020

THE GRAIL QUEST

” Even in our modern times, the Grail still represents hope to people, yet still remains something unattainable, something still very much an enigma. Many of the tales trace it, as a vessel, back to Joseph of Arimathea, whom it was said collected Jesus’s blood from the cross and whom was said to have bought it to England. Yet as already stated, the lineage of the grail goes back to much earlier times,  and as we already know, we can discount the tales of a challice collecting blood from the cross, for we know the crucifixion tales to be untrue. Yet if Joseph was of the ‘pure bloodline’, which Templar knowledge indicates he was, the tales take on another meaning, Over time many and various churches and religions have claimed different successions and connections to the Grail and there are claimed to be many ‘resting places’ for the Grail, some believable, some not, but of course that does depend on what the Grail actually is. It could be resting/hiding within Time itself (within a ‘cloak of time’), maybe hidden in secret underground chambers of sacred buildings, kept watch over by guardians. Some say it found its way to Scotland and has a connection to the enigmatic Neville family whom may have guarded over it themselves.  Mary too, is said to be connected to it, in her own right and through her relationship with Jesus, and she too found her own way to Scotland. Lots of accounts refer to the blood of Christ or the flesh/DNA of Christ as being of pure blood, of being the Grail, and Christ certainly knew and kept the secrets to his grave.  So, did Christ possess the Grail or was it the ‘knowledge’ of the Grail he possessed? If Lucifer’s secret is the Holy Grail, that would certainly mean that Christ/Jesus/Lucifer knew the secret; that unattainable secret of the Holy Grail.”

QUEST 28: FRANCE, DUNKIRK & BELGUIM

12TH  NOVEMBER 2019

After three great days in La Boussac, our amazing trip was almost over and we left France to begin our journey towards Belguim via Dunkirk. Luckily yet again the sun was shining and it was a gorgeous Autumn day when we set forth. We journeyed all the way from the south of France up to Dunkirk and i managed to take some quite good shots on the way.  The drive was interesting and very scenic and the weather was good.  It was a long journey, of gorgeous autumn colours, dramatic skies and an amazingly huge suspension bridge that crossed a wide, wide estuary somewhere along the route. It was very windy and high up so not all lanes were open. The nearer we got to England though, the more horrid the weather became, settling down later.

Our last big road trip of the quest taking us out of France, towards Belguim, Dunkirk and back to good old Blighty! That bridge was so high and scary in the windy conditions – much higher than it looks! <click to enlarge>

Catholique Collegiale Notre-Dame-de-la-Crypte a Cassel: Cassel France: Quite late in the day we arrived here at Cassel, France. It had become quite chilly now and was getting dark, but there were shops still open and folks around, so we had a nice stroll and bought in supplies for when we reached our digs.

Cassel, from the Dutch meaning Kassel is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Built on a prominent hill overlooking French Flanders, the town has existed since Roman times. It was developed by the Romans into an important urban centre and was the focus of a network of roads, which are still in use today, that converge on the hill. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Cassel became an important fortified stronghold for the rulers of Flanders which was repeatedly fought over before finally being annexed to France in the 17th century. It was the headquarters of Marshal Ferdinand Foch during part of the First World War. In 1940, during the German invasion of France, Cassel was the scene of a fierce three-day battle between British forces and German forces which resulted in much of the town being destroyed. Today the town, which was rebuilt following the war, is a popular destination for visitors to French Flanders.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassel,_Nord

As the hour was late and the skies darkening, we half expected the church to be closed and spent dilligent time wandering around the seemingly closed building until at last we found a way in via the big stiff old wooden doors! Our efforts were well worth it as the church is beautiful inside and like a lot of these seemingly plain on the outside churches, what greets one inside is often amazing!

Sadly i could not find much on the internet in English about the churches history apart from a few lines from the above link, so most of my comments are from pure observation. The Collégiale Notre-Dame de la Crypte is Cassel’s main church, built in brick. Parts date from the 11th century but the main part is a 16th-century  Gothic structure of a design known as a hallekerk or hall-church, peculiar to Flanders and Artois. It comprises a huge rectangular space with three gables, three aisles, three apses and a square tower over the transept.

Many interesting symbols inside the church & the  ‘All Seeing Eye’ is prominent, together with relevant heraldry & shields. Some beautiful windows are here too & ornate artworks. A nice feel to the church connecting to the Desposyni bloodline.

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • Galains Desposyni (48th GGF) 480-551, born in Sommant, with Grail connections.
  • Nascien Desposyni(49th GGF) 450-494, born in Sommant, with Grail connections.

The hour was late, dark and very wet when we arrived in Dunkirk and visability in respect of driving was very confusing. We were staying right in the middle of Dunkirk, near the river, in a very built up area with  lots of traffic lights, bus lanes and one way systems. It took us several tries to find a way out of the one-way system in order to reach our apartment – which we could see but not actually get too! Well done to my dear driver though for his persistence and patience! Tomorrow we are venturing into Belgium.

St Peter’s Church, De Panne, Belgium: So the day had arrived – Friday 8th November and the last day of this amazing quest and fabulous road trip. We found the church fairly easily and it looked quite inviting and very well maintained from the outside with planted flowers and a nod to it’s fishing history by way of the historic fishing vessel outside. However once we gained access and got inside through the main doorway, it was dissapointing to find a vast and very locked glass screen acoss the entrance barring any access into the rest of the church. So sadly the only photos i have are of the outside and taken through the glass screen. A shame as there were very relevant artefacts and info to be seen there. Based on a design by the Veurne-based architect Joseph Vinck, this aisled neo-Gothic hall church in yellow brick was built in 1891, at a time when De Panne was still a fishing hamlet of Adinkerke and a chapel built circa 1878 stood on this site. The tower was added in 1936, by which time the church was no longer located in the centre of town due to the construction of the Dumont Quarter.

St Peter’s Church, De Panne showing the historic fishing vessel <click to enlarge>

De Panne is the westernmost Belgian coastal town, sharing a border with France. It has a population of almost 10.800 people. Its history is closely linked with Adinkerke, nowadays a small village, situated about 3 kilometres from the sea.  The situation used to be reversed, for during the late 18th century, De Panne was part of the larger parish and municipality of Adinkerke. Because of the growing importance of coastal tourism from the late 19th century on, De Panne eventually transformed into a larger town than Adinkerke, beoming independent in 1911.  Originally De Panne was primarily a fishing place, founded in 1783. The fisheries, especially the small herring fisheries close to the coast, in De Panne flourished from the middle of the 19th century, and the fishing community steadily grew. Around the turn of the century, a number of shipyards were active in De Panne, while several small fish smoke houses were also present in the village. By courtesy of the local history and heritage club ‘De Panneboot P1′, the town possesses one of the last traditional inshore fishing vessel of the Flemish coast, also named the ‘Panneboot P1’. The vessel is an example of a ‘pannekotter’, the smaller successor of the famous ‘pannepot’, now on display in front of the Saint Peter’s Church of De Panne. On occasion, the ‘Panneboot P1’ still sails and from time to time, the ship is used for educational purposes

http://www.coastalwiki.org/wiki/Fisheries_in_De_Panne

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

Very selective views through the huge secured glass panel

Grail Bloodline Connection:

  • Associated with King Marcomer (51st GGF) 387-458 Cologne, Germany.

Sadly, our very last day of this wonderful experience has come upon us all too soon. Lots of pieces of a very large puzzle to ponder over and put together but it will all be revealed in time, as they say. We have visited amazing places and met many folks – some friendly, some not, sadly often ‘church’ folks were not welcoming, but that’s for another day.

Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium: When we arrived in Ghent it was certainly a lovely day and the city was full of life with lots of hustle, bustle and energy; trams and buses busily swung around the narrow city streets. Ghent is a city and a  municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in size by Brussels and Antwerp. The city originally started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Leie and in the Late Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of northern Europe, with some 50,000 people in 1300. It is a port and university city. Around 650, Sain Amand founded two abbeya in Ghent: St Peter’s and St Bavo’s. Around 800,  Louis the Pious, of   Charleymagne, appointed Finhard, the biographer of Charlemagne, as abbot of both.  The city grew from several nuclei, the abbeys and a commercial centre. However, both in 851 and 879, the city was plundered by the Vikings. Within the protection of the County of Flanders, the city recovered and flourished from the 11th century, growing to become a small city-state By the 13th century, Ghent was the biggest city in Europe north of the Alps after Paris, bigger than Cologne or Moscow. Within the city walls lived up to 65,000 people.  Lots about Ghent in the link below:

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

 The main city square of Ghent; full of life with lots of shops and resturants nearby!

The Saint Bavo Cathedral, also known as Sint-Baafs Cathedral, an 89-meter-tall Catholic Gothic Cathedral is the seat of the dioces of Ghent, is named for Saint bavo of Ghent and contains the well-known Ghent Altarpiece. It is built on the site of the former Chapel of St. John the Baptist, a primarily wooden construction that was consecrated in 942 by Transmarus,  Bishop of Tournai and Noyon. Traces of a later Romanesque structure can be found in the cathedral’s crypt. Construction of the Gothic church began around 1274. Continuous expansion, in he Gothic style were carried out from the 14th through 16th centuries. In 1539, as a result of the rebellion against Charles V, who was baptized in the church, the old Abbey of St. Bavo was dissolved. Its abbot and monks went on to become canons in a Chapter that was attached to what then became the Church of Saint Bavo. When the Diocese of Ghent was founded in 1559, the church became its Cathedral and construction was considered complete June 7, 1569. Sadly in the summer of 1566, bands of Calvinist iconoclasts visited Catholic churches in the Netherlands, shattering stained-glass windows, smashing statues, and destroying paintings and other artworks they perceived as idolatrous. However, the altarpiece by the Van Eycks was saved. It was a beautiful looking cathedral but sadly yet again had lost much of its ‘energy’, not helped by the negative attitude of one of its human ‘religous’ helpers, trying to bar me from taking a photo of a sheild relevant to our quest. A beautiful building with many stunning works of art, but sadly with no actual spirituality…

There were some stunning marble memorial carvings that made good use of the skull imagery. There were some beautiful oil paintings, along with relevant Craft/Quest related heraldry and sheilds <click to expand>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Bavo%27s_Cathedral,_Ghent

Grail Bloodline Connection:

  • Bloodline connection associated with King Marcomer (51st GGF) 387-458 Cologne, Germany.

All that remained now was just one more view from our apartment window aside the river in Dunkirk before setting out on the road again in the morning and back home to the UK via the channel tunnel!

“On this epic journey we experienced the different energies of many lands as we followed in the footsteps of King Arthur around Europe and found out that churches are not what they seem;  I also found an amazing light inside me that I never want to dim. Putting aside the spiritual aspect of our quest and all the knowledge gained for a moment, this was the most amazing road trip ever. We journeyed through 6 countries including the uk; the experience of a road trip is mind-expanding in itself; an experience that I fully embraced. So that was it; an amazing quest fullfilled and I for one cannot wait until our next adventure.

Many of you have followed our quests since the very beginning and have read my in-depth write-ups on these pages, so have a good idea of what the quests are all about and why. It is always from a physical, spiritual and more importantly a metaphysical purpose that we partake of these quests and now we have bought ‘the grail’ into the mix.

The buildings we visit are built on very sacred sites, yet it is not the buildings as such, as to why we are there. The sites are of sacred, pyramid energy; the buildings atop have come and gone over the centuries, leaving no clues in the buildings since, as to their purpose and real reason within the rhyme of time; except of course to those whom can decode the symbols. The churches could be describes as ‘markers’ in time and space.

The quest, the King Arthur quest, traces his journey to these sites, it was his quest then, just as it is our important quest now; a journey of learning sacred knowledge, that has often been hidden within very time and the landscape itself. But yet most importantly never told of in history, yet the links are now appearing, like the colours of a magic painting book when the water is added, for when knowledge and understanding is added to our life, magically the truth appears.

We have visited many pyramid sites, some where the earth magnetis were so strong, that the so-called ‘sat-nav’ (which works via earth-based communications anyway), was caused to spin around in circles; going crazy due to the pyramid energy. The energy can often be overwhelming causing one to lose balance and feel a bit ‘woozy’ at times until one tunes into it and finds one’s balance. There is always so much more to space and time than meets the eye.”

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“The Keeper of Scrolls” March 2020

‘moon.willow@ntlworld.com’

The Knights of the Red Order

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WALKING IN THE FOORSTEPS OF KING ARTHUR: DAY ELEVEN

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March 18, 2020

THE GRAIL QUEST

“Consider then, this special DNA thread, can it be awakened and utilised through Craft knowledge? The word ‘Templar’ relates to time, as in temporal, so the Grail with its history of connections to the knights and the apostles upon the earthly plane could also relate to time or even dimensions? So with that knowledge in mind is ‘The Universal Templar Complex’ fact or fiction? If humanity actually found the Grail, (were allowed to find it) what one wonders would they do with it? Giving humanities track record I don’t think they are ever destined to find it, for they could never ever be trusted with the knowledge of it and could do unfortold damage. If it was found, as in Craft quests of today or as the Knights of the Round Table quests of old or the Apostles, then once found, the knight usually passes over, (although not always) for there is no longer a purpose for living (in this world). So could the Grail be the answer to everything and the passport to heaven? Sadly though, not everyone whom sought the Grail would/will use it’s divine powers for good; hence why humans (i dont mean Craft) are never, ever destined to find it”.

QUEST 28: NORMANDY: FRANCE

4TH NOVEMBER 2019

Mont Saint-Michel: Today we set off on a two hour journey to reach Mont Saint-Michel in lower Normandy; i was very excited about this trip, having already been to the English counterpart Mount Saint Michael in Cornwall. The actual town, rather than the abbey is located about 0.6 miles off the country’s northwestern coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches and is 17 acres in area. As of 2015, the island has a population of 50. The commune’s position, on an island just a few hundred metres from land, made it accessible at low tide to the many pilgrims to its abbey, but defensible as an incoming tide stranded, drove off, or drowned would-be assailants. The island remained unconquered during the Hundred Years War; a small garrison fended off a full attack by the English in 1433. Louis XI recognised the reverse benefits of its natural defence and turned it into a prison. The abbey was used regularly as a prison during the Ancien Regime. Mont Saint-Michel and its bay are on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. It is visited by more than 3 million people each year. Over 60 buildings within the commune are protected in France as monumental historiques. Now a rocky tidal island, yet the Mont occupied dry land in prehistoric times.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont-Saint-Michel

The original site was founded by an Irish hermit, who gathered a following from the local community. Mont-Saint-Michel was used in the sixth and seventh centuries as an Armorican stronghold of Gallo-Roman culture and power until it was ransacked by the Franks thus ending the trans-channel culture that had stood since the departure of the Romans in 460. Before the construction of the first monastic establishment in the 8th century, the island was called Mont Tombe (Latin: tumba). According to legend, the archangel Michel appeared in 708 AD to Aubert of Avranches, the then bishop, and instructed him to build a church on the rocky islet.

The Church at the base of the ‘Mont’ and its treasures <click to view>

The abbey is an essential part of the structural composition of the town the feudal society constructed. At the very top, God, the abbey, and the monastery; below this, the Great halls, then stores and housing, and at the very bottom (outside the walls), fishermen’s and farmers’ housing. The abbey has been protected since 1862. Since 1979, the site as a whole; the Mont and its bay has been a UNESCO world heritage site. The monks there durung first century of their institution, venerated the archangel Michael. The Mont became a place of prayer and study, but the stability period, during the reign of  Charlemagne ended when he died.  At first, pilgrims kept coming to the Mont but after the Vikings captured the Mont in 847, the monks departed. But, as an island, it offered some protection for the local population and thus never stayed empty. The abbey has had a rich and varied history (see link below) and starting in 1922, Christian worship was again practiced in the abbey. In 1966, with the celebration of the abbey’s first millennium, a few Benedictine monastries sent monks to spend the summer there. At the end of the summer a few stayed, but they slowly started to leave after 1979.

The steep walk up to the top & its magnificant views <click to view>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont-Saint-Michel_Abbey

A fabulous place, a community of its own merit and accord. Not as easy to get access to, as its namesake, St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, as one cannot walk across the low waters, needing to wait for a shuttle bus, of which there was standing room only on the lovely autumn day that we visited. Once alighted from the shuttle there was still a good walk across a boardwalk to get to the mount. It is very, very high with winding streets full of resturants, a church and shops, taking one up to the foot of the actual mount. Old stone steep steps take one to the very top, but believe me it is a long old way and one (unless a super hero) has to take many a rest along the way – indeed i felt like a hero simply for making it to the top. Once however at the top the views are stunning and the abbey complex is much bigger than one would imagine with many facets to it. In times past one can easily imagine what an isolated life the monks and visiting knights here, would have led… However sadly all the sacred ‘energies‘ that would have been there at one point it time are now no more; probably eroded away by mankinds unspiritual interactions; interactions that are as much about ‘giving back’ as ‘receiving’ (taking) upon the shores of time, which most folks fail to realise for time and tide wait for no man and energies dissipate and move as and when they need to…  There is so much more to this world than folks realise….

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • Associated with Knight Alain De Bretagne (42nd GGF) 660-740

Back on the road again after a lovely few hours browsing, lunching and participating in Knights Templar retail therapy at Mont Sain-Michel, we had a forty minute drive to our next destination.

 

Eglise Notre-Dam des Champs Avranches: The time was getting on so we were pleasantly surprised to find the church here open. It is in quiet a busy built up area, in the middle of a busy town and we needed to cross a well used bus lane to get to the church.

Avranches is a commune  in the Manche department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Avranches is situated at the southern end of the Cotentin Peninsula on the road connecting Saint-Lo with Brittany.  The town was founded on high ground overlooking the dunes and coastal marshes along the bay forming the corner between the peninsulas of the Cotentin and Brittany. From Avranches, it is possible to see the Mont Saint-Michel, where we had travelled from, which was founded by Saint Aubert, Bishop of Avranches in the 8th century.

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

Although i was unable to find out much info, in English, to share we did mange to gain access to the church and take plenty of photos. Formerly located outside the city, the  church Notre-Dame des Champs dates from the end of the 17th century. The major church Notre Dame des Champs was constructed in Gothic Revival style in the 19th century to restore the religious life of the town after the destruction of the cathedral. Very simple, it was completely redone in the second half of the 19th century because it became too narrow. Severely damaged by the bombings of 1944, it was reopened to the public in the early 1960s.  I found this interesting quote on Trip Adviser “Despite its neo-gothic style this was a special visit because the church introduced us to what the town experienced during the liberation of Normandy in 1944. There was a painting of the church in flames from Allied bombs. And suddenly we were made aware that we had crossed into Normandy. The Nazi occupation and subsequent liberation are very much a part of this region whether or not you are looking for it”

 

Again, as seems the norm in this part of the world, the ‘All Seeing Eye’ is very prominent, and an alternative ‘Lamb of God’ here too.  Note the interestng inscription upon a lintel ‘De Movie 1677’ translated as “I moved”  <click to enlarge>

The Craft/Quest connection here would be Alan Fitzflaald 1078-1124, whom did leave the area and sailed to Lanarkshire in Scotland with his young son Simon. However it is said that he took ‘important items’ to Scotland with him; so whar were these important items he took with him when he travelled to Scotland?

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • Alan Fitzflaald (31st GGF) 1078-1124
  • Flaald Fitzalon (32nd GGF) 1043-1086

As a footnote it is interesting to note that in many of these French churches and cathedrals, the ‘All Seeing Eye’, a symbol that many folks recognise today as a pagan symbol is very prominent. This begs the question as to how much the old form of christianity differs from what is known as christianity today. It would seem that the old ways of christianity are very much more ‘pagan’ and of ‘magic’ than todays modern pagan paths. Old christian knowledge it seems has been well-hidden in todays pagan paths, but if we keep seeking we shall find all the ture meanings for what they fully are….

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’ March 2020

‘moon.willow@ntlworld.com’

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WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF KING ARTHUR: DAY SEVEN & EIGHT

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March 7, 2020

“Within Craft teachings many acronyms are used for the purpose of the Craft Journey, thus keeping infomation secure and safe for those whom are meant to ‘know’ and ‘see’,  and those whom are meant to truly do. Of course, the word G.R.A.I.L. could be interpreted as such, as an acronym, which would make sense in respect of our teachings and codes. The original meaning in Latin, (which of course could be a giant red herring if the word is an acronym) means cup or vessel, but not necessarily a cup or vessel as we know it, but in a metaphorical sense, adding meaning to any story. It is portrayed as a chalice type of vessel for story-telling purposes, but a vessel can refer to a living vessel too…”

QUEST 28: INTO FRANCE: DIJON & AUTUN

2ND NOVEMBER 2019

So on Saturday the 2nd Nov we made an early start as we bade farewell to Luxembourg and its lovely old churches and very wet weather! One last look from our very modern apartment window and we were off on the road again on a very long journey; a four hour drive this time, yet exciting non the less! We were on our way to Dijon, France!

Saint Michael’s Church, Dijon, France: As soon as we arrived in the old part of Dijon and parked outside of St Michael’s Church, i knew i would love it here. Dijon is the capital city of the historical Burgundy region in eastern France and one of the country’s principal wine-making areas. It is known for its traditional mustard, vineyard tours, autumn gastronomic fair and building styles ranging from Gothic to art deco. Most folks would know of Dijon because of the mustard made in the region and of course one could not visit without sampling and buying some of the lovely mustards sold there, which we certainly did; both traditional and more modern varieties. The buildings are old and traditional and no attempts are made to modernise them; they just blend effortlessly into the landscape as if they have always been there. The earliest archaeological finds within the city limits of Dijon date to the Neolithic and later Dijon became a Roman settlement named Divio, located on the road from Lyon to Paris. The province was home to the Dukes of Burgandy from the early 11th until the late 15th centuries when Dijon was a place of tremendous wealth and power, one of the great European centres of art, learning and science. It now holds an International and Gastronomic Fair every year in the autumn.

I felt very at home in the quaint old streets of Djion <click to enlarge>

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

This church is a very imposing building in an Gothic/Renaissance architectural style with an amazing frontage. The first building on the site of the Church of Saint-Michel was a chapel, dedicated to the Archangel Michael. It’s first mention was found in urban Chronicles dating back to the IX century and was built of wood, being located in the cemetery. In the beginning of XI century, the chapel already had the status of a parish church, yet could not accommodate all the parishioners in the hours of worship. It was therefore decided to build a more spacious building, it was consecrated in the year 1020 by the Bishop of Dijon. The majestic façade of this flamboyant Gothic style church was completed at the peak of the Renaissance period and reflects the three classical styles. On the tympanum of the main doorway is the Last Judgement by the Flemish painter, Nicolas de la Cour.

From a Craft point of view there was very strong ‘pyramid energy’ there with connected symbolism within the church; it was also very interesting to see a knights memoriam from 1573, that has a direct connection to the Fordham surname; (the Fordham line) which was an amazing find, and of course connections once again to our ‘Quest for the Grail’. Also lots of emphasis here to the ‘All Seeing Eye’, proving that christianity as we know it today, is quite different from what it used to be a few centuries back in the past. Christianity has certainly evolved but one can not help but think – has it evolved for the better…?

Some of the symbolic artifacts in St Michaels Church, Djion, with emphasis to the ‘All Seeing Eye’ and a Knights Memorial connecting to the Fordham Line. <click to enlarge>

http://worldtourisminfo.com/france/3349-The-Church-of-StMichel-photo-description-Eglise-SaintMichel-de-Dijon.html

http://dijoon.free.fr/bestof/stmichel.htm

Stopping off at Djion on our long journey from Luxembourg to Autun in France proved to be a lovely and very interesting stop; after the church we wandered around the old town, browsed in old shops, bought some mustard and other treats, and even saw a little bookshop that seemingly could have come straight out of the movie ‘The Ninth Gate,’ and had lunch in a very funky bar in the new part of Djion 😉

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • King Arthur found his info here on his Grail Quest.
  • Fordham line connection re knights memoriam from 1573

Sunday 3rd Nov: Autun, Bourgogne: Back on the road again, we made our way, driving for several hours through France to the large (as once was) Roman stronghold of Autun, which would have been thriving back in the day. When we arrived at our accomodation we could not have been more pleased ansd amazed for it was like a mini chateau with beautiful views from the inside windows.

Our beautiful chateau in Autun France; as beautiful inside as out 🙂

Autun is a  commune in the Saone-et-Loire department, France. Located in the Boudgogne-Franche-Comte region, it was founded during the Principate era of the early Roman Empire by Emperor Augustus as ‘Augustodunum‘ to give a Roman capital to the Gallic people. In Roman times the city may have been home to 30,000 to 100,000 people, according to different estimates. Nowadays, Autun has a population of about 15,000. Yet back in the day, Autun was a huge transient community, with blocks and blocks of Roman soldiers, businesses and trades passing continually through; an extra 70 thousand people; phenomenal really. Augustodunum was a planned foundation replacing the original oppidum Bibracte, located some 25 km (16 miles) away. Several elements of Roman architecture such as walls, gates, and a Roman theater are still visible in the town.

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

The Temple of Janus: On the agenda today was to be the Roman temple of Janus (Nergal), only just up the road from where we were staying,and very imposing and dominent upon the landscape with a great feeling of power with human sacrifices being made here. Janus is usually shown with two faces, looking into both the past and the present: The god of doorways, new beginings, new transitions and gates; hence in Roman mythology; the Gatekeeper and Nergal. Janus was able to assist folks on their journey (from a spiritual point of view), unlike the more modern St Christopher whom assisted upon the physical journey. A stautue of the Gatekeeper (usually holding keys) is to be found in many churches far and wide; usually on the left hand side of the church or in the north/east quadrant, guarding the entrance. Interestingly, England takes one of it’s months, January from the cult of Janus; very appropriate for the first month of the year.

The very impresive Janus Temple <click to enlarge>

The  temple, a Romano-Celtic religious structure lies in the center of a vast sanctuary, whose extent and complexity was revealed by excavations conducted between 2013 and 2016. The site’s history dates back to Neolithic times and underwent an important phase of monumental construction in the 1st century CE. The temple was abandoned at the onset of the Early Middle Ages, and its structures were later reused in the fashioning of a Medieval defensive work. The temple has retained two sides of its square cella at a height of over 20 meters, as well as vestiges of its ambulatory and side structure foundations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Janus_(Autun)

The Roman Ampitheatre: The next port of call was the very well preserved Roman ampitheatre where great public events would have been staged in past times and if one were to close one’s eye today and listen carfefully, one can almost here the roar of the crowds and the rumbling wheels of the racing chariots! The semi-circle of stepped seating is very well preserved and one can see underground ‘caves’ presumably for holding animals and gladiaters (maybe poor slaves too) Discovered a few years back by accident, concerts and gigs are now held here and nearby is the House of the Warden of the Roman Theatre. The link below contains a lot of extra info to the theatre and to the whole area, so well worth a look.

https://www.romeartlover.it/Autun.html

The Roman Ampitheatre and Wardens House <click to enlarge>

The Pyramid of Couhard: The pyramids of the area, which we visited next, two more being nearby of which there is not much written about, hold great energy and power within the landcape, obviously from a templar point of view, one reason why we are questing here and one reason why Arthur, on his own Grail Quest would have also been here in the area. The pyramid we visited is different to the ones we have aforetime visited, and unlike the ones found in Egypt either, for this one had funerary connections. When the land was being excavated and being prepared for farming, thousands and thousands of cremated ashes were found in urns, all dotted around the area. When further excavations were carried out, a big pillar/marker was found dating from about 100 AD. This turned out to be the marker post of a memorial garden, similar to todays modern rose memorial gardens; a very fascinating place with more than a hidden secret or two…. The views from atop the pyramid area is amazing, one can see the cathedral in the distance and of course the mystery more pyramids in the landscape.

http://worldtourisminfo.com/france/2994-The-pyramid-PierredeKuhar-photos-description-Pyramide-de-Couhard.html

The Pyramids and views <click to enlarge>

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • Arthur (real name-Lucius Artorius Castus from the family Artoria) passed through Autun, as part of the Roman army and as a military commander
  • Nascien Desposyni; our head researcher’s 49th GGF (480-551)

Next a total delight, not part of our quest as such but a rare find indeed, because of it’s mystery, history and heritage, this little church just in the vicinity of the pyramid at Couhard, just drew us inside. Ancient and full of amazing energy, it harks back to a time when christianity was more magical and ‘pagan’ than modern day paganism and the rites performed were so very different from todays christianity.

There were symbols here that connected to magic, the enochian ways, the All Seeing Eye, the Alpha to Omega in true magical context, proving that what is be refered to as ‘the occult’ in many circles is certainly deep Craft or old christian knowledge, waiting to be dicsovered here; but hidden within plain sight and never actually ‘seen’…

Please click on each image to fully reveal the symbolism here

We stopped at a lovely town for a lunchbreak and a spot of food shopping, but i have completly forgotten where!

Eglisse, Church of Saint Ferreol, Le Bourge, Curgy: After lunch and another short journey, still remaining very much in the area we found ourselves at what was without a shadow of a doubt, a true Templar church. Geographically one of the most prominent places in the area, this church was originally built and owned by the Knights Templar, as the surroundings and building would indicate and one of the most truest templar builds that one could see in one’s lifetime. The Templars would have operated from out of this religous building until the year 1369, until it all suddenly came to a halt due to the Papal Bull and the subsequent arrest of the Knights Templars. Moving forward in time Pope Clement VII (1478-1534) performed a marriage ceremony for Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) (his niece) to King Henry II of France. The wedding took place here, in this church, on 28th Oct 1533. What an honour and how wonderful to actually go inside where kings, lords, ladys etc had been to what was certainly a major wedding of that time.

Sadly not much on the internet, especially in English that i can share but did find a mention to the series of statues, the very wooden polychrome of the XVIIth century and in the cul-de-four of the apse, and to the splendid wall painting of the XIIth century of the Christ in glory in a mandorle, above the altar, surrounded with the tétramorphe, the four evangelists represented by the symbols of the book of Ezéchiel and of the Apocalypse.

A wonderful church, steeped in Knights Templar history and most certainly a place, at the left side of the main altar, where knights would have received their ‘accolade’, would have been made knights; very much like the famous painting entitiled ‘The Accolade’ but for real here. See our video below for much more detail. At the other side of the altar, hidden behing a curtain, is an original painted fresco featuring the Archangel Raphael with a sun disk above and very much worn away, an ascending Benu Bird. On the way out we stopped near a modern representation of the Maddona or Ava Maria or Mary Magdalen or the Black Maddona, to ponder upon the many names used for this Lady within time and space, yet all one and the same within history.

Thje Templar & Roman sites of Autun

 

 

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  1. Desposyni connections to the area, both Nascien (450-494) and Galains (480-551) (48th GGF)

 

Putting aside the spiritual side of our quest and all the knowledge gained for a moment, this was the most amazing road trip ever. We journeyed through 6 countries including the uk; the experience of a road trip is mind expanding in itself; an experience that i fully embraced and will never forget. A sense of being ‘on the road’ is mind expanding, a great and can be likened to Life’s Great Journey – a true gift indeed. Many friends and followers have followed our quests since the very beginning and have read my in depth write-ups, so have a good idea of what the quests are about. It is always from a physical, spiritual and metaphysical purpose that we partake of these quests, which deepen with every new journey.

 

“The Keeper of Scrolls”  March 2020

Knights of the Red Order

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

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QUEST 28: WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF KING ARTHUR: DAY FOUR.

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January 6, 2020

THE GRAIL QUEST:

“Some sources say the Grail Bloodline came from Christ, but we of Craft know it to be much older, yet ‘the’ Jesus was still a carrier of the royal bloodline in this timeline. We have been taught in later degrees that the dynasty of kings whom descended from this royal bloodline were known as sorcerer-kings, some of whom hinted or even stated outright that they were in fact descendants of Lucifer. There is much speculation too of the royal/grail bloodline being connected to Cain/Samael/Lilith and Asmodeus; far too much to write about here but maybe for another day?  We can of course pause for some dot connections here; why sorcery? What is the connection to the Knights of the Round Table? What is the connection to the Templars? What is the connection to the Apostles? Could they all be one and the same; i.e. all have the same source?”

QUEST 28: GERMANY

30TH OCTOBER 2019

St Nikolaus Church, Dusseldorf, Germany: a dull, slightly wetter day today, but certainly not cold as we drove an hour from our digs, to reach St Nicholaus Church in a very quiet suburb of Dusseldorf; the capital and second-largest city of the most populous German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, after Cologne. The city lies in the centre of both the Rhine-Ruhr and the Rhineland Metropolitan Regions; most of the city lies on the right bank of the Rhine (as opposed to Cologne, whose city centre lies on the river’s left bank). “Dorf” means “village” in German  but of course these days Dussledorf is now a large city. There are strong Roman connections here, and thus to King Arthur, yet when the Roman Empire was strengthening its position throughout Europe, a few Germanic tribes clung on in marshy territory off the eastern banks of the Rhine. In the 7th and 8th centuries, the odd farming or fishing settlement could be found at the point where the small river Dussell flows into the Rhine. It was from such settlements that the city of Düsseldorf grew.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%BCsseldorf

St Nikolaus Church is a beautiful church and it was such a shame to find it locked, for it was the place of instruction for King Arthur, which is interesting for us and our quest; it is also the very same place where our head researcher’s grandfather recieved his instruction, for he was here in the area in relation to ‘religious’ reasons. A place of intruction too, in our current time frame, for holders of the quest/grail bloodline. So who know what treasures lie waiting inside but sadly the church was locked so those treasures inside were not for our eyes on this occasion, and we could find no telephone number to make contact with anyone.

This is an older-style church which has been here for the last 300 years, but obviously as we know with churches, built upon a much older and sacred site. There are some really nice Roman/Knights Templar connected artworks in the grounds of the church; a lovely peaceful feel to the site and a great shame we could not get inside. There is very little on the internet about this church, although it does have a facebook page, but more for social activities rather than history, so this church will remain an enigma…

The grounds and artworks at St Nikolaus Church, Dusseldorf <click on an image to expand>

St Nickolaus Church, Dusseldorf; last video on link

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • King Arthur; his place of Instruction
  • Place of instruction also of our head researcher’s grandfather
  • Frotmund (Frotherius) link to the year 794 AD

Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany: An approximately 50 minute drive bought us to the hustle and bustle of Cologne; one of Germany’s most well-know and much visited city. It is the largest city of Germany’s most populous federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the fourth-most popolous city in Germany. With slightly over a million inhabitants (1.08 million) within its city boundaries. Cologne is the largest city on the Rhine and also the most populous city both of the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region.  Centered on the left bank of the Rhine, Cologne is about 45 kilometres (28 mi) southeast of North Rhine-Westphalia’s capital of  Dusseldorf, where we had just driven from.

Cologne was founded and established in Ubii territory in the 1st century AD as the Roman Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, the first word of which is the origin of its name. An alternative Latin name of the settlement is Augusta Ubiorum, after the Ubii. “Cologne”, the French version of the city’s name, has become standard in English as well. Cologne functioned as the capital of the Roman province of  Germania Inferior and as the headquarters of the Roman military in the region until occupied by the Franks in 462. During the Middle Ages the city flourished as being located on one of the most important major trade routes between east and western Europe. Cologne was one of the leading members of the Hanseatic League and one of the largest cities north of the Alps in medieval and Renaissance times. Prior to World war two, the city had undergone several occupations by the French and also by the British (1918–1926). Cologne was one of the most heavily bombed cities in Germany during World War II, with the Royal Air Force (RAF) dropping 34,711 long tons (35,268 tonnes) of bombs on the city. The bombing reduced the population by 95%, mainly due to evacuation, and destroyed almost the entire city. With the intention of restoring as many historic buildings as possible, the successful postwar rebuilding has resulted in a very mixed and unique cityscape.

The hustle & bustle of Cologne with many styles of architecture

Cologne Cathedral or the Cathedral Church of St Peter: is a Catholic cathedral whch lies right in the heart of Cologne and it’s famous spires can be seen from right across the river and makes for a compelling sight. It was actually built upon a past Roman Temple and a Roman museum is nearby full of fascinating history and finds. It is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and has the second-tallest spires. The towers for its two huge spires gives the cathedral the largest façade of any church in the world. Construction of Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 but was halted in 1473, unfinished. Work did not restart until the 1840s, and the edifice was completed to its original Medieval plan in 1880.

When construction began on the present Cologne Cathedral in 1248,  the site had already been occupied by several previous structures. The earliest may have been for grain storage and possibly was succeeded by a Roman Temple built by Mercurius Augustus. From the 4th century on, the site was occupied by Christian buildings, including a square edifice known as the “oldest cathedral” commissioned by Maternus, the first bishop of Cologne. During excavations of the present cathedral, graves were discovered in the location of the oldest portion of the building; including that of a boy that was richly adorned with grave goods and another of a woman, popularly thought to be Wisigard. Both graves are thought to be from the 6th century.

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

Sadly there is no actual spirituality left at the cathedral, yet it is non the less a very splendid and impresive building, loved and visited by thousands. There is a bloodline connection here to King Marcomer 38-458, and there is much meaningful Templar symbology contained within this beautiful building.

Cologne Cathedral is full of beautiful & meaningful peices of art upon the floor and above… <click on an image to expand>

Grail Bloodline Conections:

  • King Marcomer 387-458 (51st GGF) born here, though a prior building.
  • King Arthur; the place of apprenticeship

St Paul’s Cathedral, Munster, Germany: With night-time almost upon us it was hit and miss whether we would make it to Munster on time to gain access to the cathedral as it was a two hour drive from Cologne, but made it we did by the skin of our teeth. The cathedral is a very imposing building set in a big square in the heart of the city and with festive lights sparking from the nearby shops, it cut quite an impresive sight. The name Munster is said to derive from Latin and Greek words meaning monastry and the building does indeed have a very monastry feeling to it. It is an independant city  in North Rhine-Westphalia,  Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Munsterland and is today it is known as the bicycle capital of Germany. The city’s built-up area is quite extensive. There are no skyscrapers and few high-rise buildings but very many detached houses and mansions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCnster

Munster Cathedral; very impresive looking in the dark.

Münster Cathedral or St.-Paulus-Dom is the cathedral church of the  Roman Catholic Diocese of Munster in Germany, and is dedicated to St Paul. It is counted among the most significant church buildings in the city and along with the City Hall, is one of the symbols of the city. The cathedral stands in the heart of the city, on a small hill called Horsteberg, which is encircled by streets and the and the Munstersche Aa river. Today the cathedral is the parish church for this area. The cathedral had two predecessors. The first cathedral (called the Ludgerus Dom, 805-1377) stood to the north of the current cathedral; the second cathedral was built in the tenth or eleventh century and was demolished during the construction of the third and current cathedral between 1225 and 1264. The imposing westwek with its nearly identical towers was built as part of the second cathedral around 1192 and was incorporated into the current building. As a result, the cathedral is a mixture of styles, combining the Romanesque westwerk, old choir and west towers with the Gothic nave, transepts, high choir and ring of chapels.

Some rather nice artifacts inside the cathedral including the mechanical clock, that found us ‘stealing’ our photos of it, much to the disgruntlement of the cathedral ‘holy man’ and ‘jobsworth’!

As it was dark outside, there seemed to be a lovely warm glow inside the cathedral and there were one or two lovely items that needed closer examination but time and the lateness of hour were not in our favour. However it has to be said that both my brother and i objected to being hurried along in quite a ‘gruff’ fashion by one of the so called ‘holy men’; the priest ‘on duty’ there who was intent in getting us outside of the doors as quickly as possible for the ‘witching’ hour of 7pm was striking. We were at the door, having finished our historical research and just wanted to take a quick photo of the beautiful clock and its mechanism, just inside the door, but he was having non of it, making sure we knew they were now closed! So we just had to take the photos anyway. My brother and i are both ordained as priests and we were treated disrespectfully, but other than this it is no way to treat anyone whom has travelled from afar to visit a sacred building; ‘jobsworths’ are everywhere it seems and holy buildings are no exception, we were not expectng clergy to act like this. A lovely building yet sadly again with no spirituality.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCnster_Cathedral

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • King Marcomer 387-458, whom was educated here.
  • King Arthur

‘The Red Cross is the coded symbol used within the Grail teachings and you will see this symbol in many places around the globe’

X

The Knights of the Red Order January 2020

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’

moon.willow@ntlworld.com

 

 

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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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THE SACRED SITES OF DEVON & CORNWALL: PART FOUR

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August 27, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

St Andrews Church with an interesting plaque just inside the porch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

Devon & Cornwall: A Mythic Quest

Chewing the cud of a very mythic quest!

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

 

“The Keeper of Scrolls” August 2019

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

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THE SACRED SITES OF DEVON & CORNWALL: PART THREE

Filed under: The Quests — 2 Comments
July 6, 2019

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’

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IRELAND: THE LAND OF THE TRUE HIGH KINGS: PART TWO

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October 15, 2018

QUEST TWENTYSIX: IRELAND:

Day Three: The Giants Causeway: Three wonderful days had already passed and time was indeed flying by in Ireland; we had travelled many miles northwards today, two miles from Busmills village in county Antrim, to one of the many stretches of coastline very near to Scotland and to the very mysterious place known as The Giants Causeway; a place of many legends and tales; see links below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant%27s_Causeway

The wonderful and beautifully rugged coastline that surrounds the causeway in Northern Ireland is a joy to behold; the day we were there the seas and wind were amazing and certainly were displaying their natural power! This is an energetic and magical place that makes one’s heart sing! The sea roars loudly and one can make no mistake of it’s powers – the greatest giver and taker on the earth; the power and might of the ‘Walvbane’….

“How beautiful it is by the sea and the Line…” KN

There are many tales of rivalry between the Irish and Scottish giants of long ago, when the world was very different from today; after all for any aspiring giant worth his own tellings, Scotland is only a mere hop, skip & a giants leap away, over to the left in fact! But be well advised to remember that giants (especially baby giants) and history are never ever what they seem to be…..

https://giantscausewaytickets.com/finn-mccool

Nothing on this planet is ever what it seems, often time is the biggest secret keeper of all; unlock it’s mysteries and time will reveal all.. What beautiful yet strange shapes; natural, manmade or something else? You decide…..

The Giants Causeway; far from being natural….?

Filming at the Giants Causeway, Ireland: see link below. Again another very windy day, so lots of noise and camera wobble as i perched precariously atop these amazingly constructed columns, with my dear tutor hanging on to me while i moved around filming, to prevent me falling!
I walked much further out than i thought i would with my balance probs, and hung on to my camera for dear life!
Look closely at the very precise enginnering of the hexagonal columns and how they all fit together; truths that belong to another time and space within history…..
Scotland is just off to the right – a mere hop and a skip for any reputable giant!

The Hill of Tara & The Giants Causeway

  • Bloodline Connection: Lord of the Isles and tied into Greenland and Iceland

Derry and St Columba’s Church: Derry today (named Londonderry by the British is a million miles away from what it was during the troubles, yet the echoes of those times still remain in areas such as the ‘Free Derry Corner’. Derry is the second-largest city  in Northern Ireland and the fourth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name Daire (modern Irish: Doire) meaning “oak grove”. In 1613, the city was granted a Royal Charter by King James 1 and gained the “London” prefix to reflect the funding of its construction by the London guilds. While the city is more usually known colloquially as Derry, Londonderry is also commonly used and remains the legal name. Read more about it’s history below;  from the tourist site one can see that the city is a very vibrant and upcoming city to visit and an absolute mecca for the arts!:

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

http://www.visitderry.com/

Amazing, yet deeply poignant & meaningful urban street art in Derry, alluding to a time when raw passion and ideals overflowed with a desire for what was righteous.

St Columba’s Church: We drove around the church a couple of times before we found our access to it and a parking spot, but once there and insde the sght that grreets one upon enterng is amazing to say the lest.  St Columba’s Church, Long Tower is a Roman Catholic church in the Diocese of Derry and is located in the heart of Derry.

The outside of St Colunba’s Church, Derry

The present church is built on the site of Roman Catholic worship which goes back as far as the 12th century. The current Long Tower Church began life in 1783 in a much smaller scale than seen today. Father John Lynch, a parish priest in Derry started action to raise funds for building the Long Tower Church and he received finance not just from Roman Catholics but also Protestant people in Derry at the time. The church was opened in 1788.

The suptuous wood & marble interior of Derry Church

The church was extended and refurbished in 1810 with the introduction of gallery seating, nave and the changing of the Altar to the northern side of the church. The High Altar was constructed with marble and supported by four pillars. The four pillars were first made of wood put proved to be not strong enough to hold the large and heavy marble altar and so the pillars were changed to be made out of marble. The layout of the church from 1810 onwards has remained largely unaltered. However, in 1908 a full refurbishment of the Long Tower took place which included addition of new stained glass windows, statues, shrines, baptismal font and the reposition of the High Altar and the introduction of a new sacristy. The church’s refurbishment was completed in 1909 and the church was then officially opened to the general public.

The stunning works of art & treasures inside St Columba’s Church, Derry

The current parish population as of December 2015 is 6,761. The church overlooks the Catholic Bogside of Derry which has seen many instances of violence such as Bloody Sunday of 1972 and so would have been at the centre of the troubles, but this church ensures that people find peace and quiet there no matter what is going on outside the church grounds.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Columba%27s_Church,_Long_Tower

See video for more info: starts at 11.09

Three Irish Churches

      • Bloodline Connection: Takes one to the time of ‘The Troubles’ and links to ‘previous experiences’

    “A journeys rewind
    Derry’s riddle, Derry’s rhyme
    Blood secrets hidden…
    In corners land a stone shall shine.
    In motion s time, a stone shall rhyme.
    Within a corner with a seed.
    In corners land, for all to sea…” KN & JF

    GOING BEYOND THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR & MASONIC SYMBOLISM: On our quests around the uk and now in Ireland too, we have come to understand and acknowledge the significance and history of the vast array, and purposefully placed in time, templar and masonic symbolism. The two paths of Templarism and Free Masonry do have some commonalities within history yet are not to be confused for they are two entirely different paths. Understanding the symbols and emblems placed within time by our ancestors, the original inhabitants of this planet, can unlock the secrets to time and space and can bestow hidden knowledge upon those wishing to seek answers. Big clues to the past, present and future have been left all over the Celtic Lands and they are all just waiting to be discovered and decoded.

    Here to wet your appetites are just a small selection of the symbols we discovered in Ireland; symbols which go back to our dawn of time and relate to our true ancestors; our creators. There were many Celtic Crosses too, which i have featured in part one. Many of the symbols here are extremely well-know and well-used within Craft Circles, Preceptories, Rites and Teachings etc. Those folk of the Craft path today and especially within the Priory will have the keys to decode and understand these mysterious symbols and emblems that crop up all over our planet; it is indeed a fascinating and elightening pursuit, unravelling these mysteries. A symbol can say a thousand words and can therefore replace a thousand  words, thus  crossing all language and cultural divides. Symbols can and will, when correctly interpreted speak to those of Craft whom truly seek to know.

    ‘The Keeper of Scrolls’

    moon.willow@ntlworld.com

    DSC06459

    October 2018

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THE FENLAND CHURCHES

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July 16, 2018

The Priory Investigates: Quest Twenty Five: It had indeed been a while since our wonderful wintery quest to the Isle of Wight, and here in the heat of the summer, in complete contrast, we ventured literally just down the road and out into the open countryside of the fens, right on our own doorstep! We had five sites/churches planned for this day quest, yet as anyone following our quests will know, things do not always go as planned and we actually managed to get into three of them and took outside photos and videos of the others

  • St Andrews Church Witchford
  • St Andrews Church Sutton
  • St Mary’s Church Mepal
  • St Nicolas Church Manea
  • St Mary the Virgin Church Doddington

St Andrews Church Witchford: Our first visit of the day was only three miles, W.S.W. from Ely, the modern-day capital of the fens and thus took no time at all to arrive. Witchford is a pretty and peaceful village, full of fenland character set amidst an entirely agricultural landscape.

The name of the village means the ‘Ford of the Wych Elms’ (Wych meaning weeping: Weeping Elms-cf Weeping Willows) and refers to the tree Ulnus glabra. Other spellings of the name have been ‘Wycheford’ and ‘Wicceford’. The village was once important enough to give its name to the Anglo-Saxon Government division, the ‘Hundred’. This was the rural district of North Witchford and the Petty-sessional areas of South Witchford. As we have discovered upon many of our quests up and down the length and breadth of the UK, many sites that today appear as unimportant, being no more than small villages, hamlets and churches, way off the beaten track, were in their heyday, places of very high importance, energy and power. Yet over time, the reasons why they were built where they are, have become lost in time, with commercial reasons also changing the shape and meaning of the past.

The church of St Andrew, as appears from the mandate of Bishop Arundell, dated at Downham 4th December 1376, and preserved in the diocesan registry, was consecrated on the 12th December in that year. But an unconfirmed tradition says that a church has stood here since 607. It was originaly Norman, going back to the times of the Norman conquest, and incorporates the materials of the ancient structure, but is chiefly an edifice of stone in the Early English and later styles, consisting of a chancel, nave, north porch and an embattled western tower containing three bells, dated 1671, a possibly Norman font and there is also a memorial window to the Rev, B.M. Lloyd, vicar 1884-1911. Interestingly an entry from the Domesday Book, from the Abbot of Ely’s records, records 8 slaves amongst a listing of possesions of which the total vaue is £10 all told!

Never underestimate the importance in time and space of sleepy fenland villages: more on the symbology and significance of these windows are explained in the video below. As always please click on each image to enlarge and to see all the beautiful detail.

Bloodline Connection: Is that of Rose Eagle 1808-1876 who married Lord Gowler Neville in 1820 in this very church. Lord Gowler travelled all the way from Essex to marry Rose; a very long way in those days. Rose is our lead researchers 5 x G GM.

More about the church and village can be found here:
http://www.crsbi.ac.uk/site/438/
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/cambs/vol4/pp176-179
http://www.cambridgeshirehistory.com/cambridgeshire/TownsandVillages/Witchford/index.htm

St Andrews Church Sutton: A very short drive across open fenland scenery bought us to St Andrews Church in Sutton; known rightly as one of the great churches of the fens and like all medieval churches in this corner of the world, it was built on an island; those mounds of land that rose from amidst the damp fens. These isands were safe havens for both fishing folk and wildife alike. Of course those days are long gone and the once miles of waterworld are now some of the best agricultural land in the country. There are some that say, that one day the waters will rise again and once more transform the land. Many will welcome these changes and it is said that much will endure including St Andrews here, which will once again become an island.

Sutton’s island is the same one that Ely sits upon and so it is hardly urprising that St Andrews Church has enjoyed the patronage of the Abbots and then the Bishops throughout history. The present buiding dates from the later half of the fourteenth century, mostly having been built by Bishops Barnet and Arundel. The fine west tower, the final part of the church to be built, can be seen from miles around and is a very familiar landmark for the local folk. The church is surprisingly large for a smallish parish, yet no surprise to learn then that it is also known as the ‘Cathedral of the Fens’ being more significant that the more well-known cathedral at Ely; also worth noting is the strong connection between Scotland and this area of the fens. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, identified as Sudtone. There were then 9 sokemen, 8 villeins (each with 7.5 acres), 15 cotters and 7 serfs. In 1109, the charter 51 of Bishop Hervey included Suttune in the lands recorded as being conferred upon the Cathedral Priory of Ely. According to the Ely Diocesan Register, the Manor of Sutton was established in 1292 and belonged to the Priory. In 1312, Sutton was granted the right to hold a street market each Thursday; this was held on the wider part of the High Street, outside what is now the One Stop Shop.

Once inside the church one gets a sense of the vastness and cathedral-like feel of the building. There are some stunning artifacts, artworks and symbolic carvings here, that we have come to expect from churches connected to the Neville bloodline; and for the eagle-eyed the Neville sheild puts in an appearance too. Outside in the peaceful burial ground is a beautiful old gravestone; a Templar cross, the grave of James Neville in fact.  More can be seen in the video below.

Please click on all images to enlarge

You can read much more on the history of Sutton & St Andrews Church here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton-in-the-Isle
>http://www.druidic.org/camchurch/churches/sutton.htm

Bloodline Connection: James Neville 1850-1912 born in Witchford with connections also to Witchford and Sutton, and our lead researchers 3 x G.GF. A small Neville shield can be seen inside the church with Jame’s Templar gravestone peacefully set in a corner of the burial ground.

St Mary’s Church Mepal: After picking up a very ancient key and driving through ripened fields we arrived at St Mary’s Church in Mepal, which nestles just off the beaten track somewhat, in a very beautiful setting. So we turned the key and entered in…

Mepal is a small fenand village, part of the East Cambs district, located just north of the A142 road between Ely and Chatteris. First recorded at the start of the 13th century, Mepal’s history has always been tied up with that of the fens with the village being less than ten metres above sea level. One of the smaller villages of the Isle of Ely, Mepal lies at the western end of the Isle on what was once the shore between the fenland and the higher ground of the Isle. The Old Bedford River and the New Bedford River (also known as the Hundred Foot Drain) run very close on the northwestern side of the village, and the only important bridges of the rivers are found in Mepal. The old and new rivers, originally modified by the Victorians, offer the main drainage route for the Fens and retain a major flood plain between the two river beds. The flood plain typically floods between November and March of each year. A major fire devastated the village in the 19th century, leading to a drop in population from 510 to 397 between 1861 and 1871. There are thus very few remaining buildings dating from before the 19th century. Listed as ‘Mepahala’ at the start of the 13th century, the village’s name means ‘Nook of land of a man called Meapa’

The church of St Mary sits in its own secluded little churchyard with a gate to enter in. It is just on the northern edge of the village, far enough away from the traffic of the main road. The exterior of the tiny building is fairly simple, being built of flint and stone in the Early English style; the building is not much bigger than a chapel really but with a lovely energy both inside and out. There is no tower, just a little bell-cote on the west wall plus nave, south porch and the western turret containing one bell. The chancel was restored by the Rev. Charles S. Harris LL.M. Rector (1876-84), and dates from the early fourteenth century, but successive restorations in 1849, 1876 and 1905 have sadly stripped away almost everything old from the inside. However upon the walls outside are carvings very reminiscent of those seen in Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland. The small graveyard itself would have originaly been a Saxon burial ground.

As said, there is sadly not much left of the orignal artifacts inside the church yet one is drawn to one of them almost instantly;  a beautiful wooden carving of ‘Ave Maria‘ which looks almost life-like. There were some rather beautiful tiles on the floor and an interesting plaque upon the wall with several Templar connections contained within its design and wording and upon the floor under the carpet a tomb of a previous rector with the initials J.F.

Please click all images to enlarge and see our video below to find out much more on the history, Templar symbology and so much more previuosly unpublished knowledge

Bloodline Connection: James Neville 1850-1912 was born in Witchford but involved wth Mepal Church. He was our lead researchers 3 x G.GF

Read more about this tiny church and Mepal itself here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mepal
http://www.druidic.org/camchurch/churches/mepal.htm
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/CAM/Mepal

St Nicholas Church Manea: Sadly we were unable to gain entry today, but do plan another visit in the near future and have added a few short comments on the video as much as standing outside the front porch allows for. The church has a rather lovely natural woodland burial ground around the back with a public footpath passing through. I would suspect though that the graveyard was not always surrounded by trees and nature in its day, but over time nature has cast a green shroud over the area.

Manea was formerly a parochial chapelry and hamlet of Coveney but it became an ecclesiastical parish in 1883 when a change occurred in the patronage of Coveny. The first building, a ‘Chapel of Ease’, was rebuilt in 1791 and this consisted of a nave, chancel and north porch, all of which were thatched. There was one bell in the turret at the west end, under which stood a small stone font. The bell was given in memory of some of the parishioners, before the turret was built; it hung in an old witch elm tree near the chapel. Interestingly there are no inscriptions inside the chapel, as the dead were buried at the mother church of Coveney. At this time Manea was a hamlet of only 36 dwellings and 14 cottages, yet it held a fair or wake on the Tuesday before Midsummer Day. The village stands near the Old Bedford river, in the middle of the Fens of the Isle of Ely, 6 1/2 miles SE of March. The church, erected in 1875 partly on the site of an earlier building, is a structure of stone in the Early Decorated style.

Even in the 17th century King Charles 1st had a bold plan for the drainage of all the fens, yet more importantly, he envisgaed a new town or rather a city here in the Isle of Manea called Charlemont. The manor which belongs to the Porter family; an incipient strong building, stood on a hillock or small mound, designated Charlemont and was the nucleus of an intended palace, some say a summer palace founded by Charles 1, but was relinquished at an early stage in consequence of his public troubles. The hillock is still to be seen in the centre of the village. Ancient earthen jars and urns containing burnt bones have been frequently found in the parish. However troubles in the country as a whole, and of course Chares 1st’s imprisoment on the Isle of Wight (our previous quest) and untimely end, put an end to his plans and sadly the new fenlnd city never materialised. For a small village Manea does seem to have some very interesting history which you can read more about by clicking on the links below:

The wild woodand burial ground behind Manea church <click on an image to enlarge>

Bloodline Connections: Lord Gowler Neville 1795 – 1864 (5 x G GF to our lead researcher). Lord Gowler was born in Uckfield, Essex yet lived in Manea and was involved with the church. His father was Earl Henry Neville.

St Mary the Virgin Church Doddington: Again another church we sadly coud not get into on this day, but it does have beautifully kept large grounds surrounding it with an almost ‘park-like’ feel about it. So at this particulaer point in time a few photos of the outside of the church and its grounds will need to suffice.

Historically, Doddington was one of the largest parishes in England. The population of the civil parish as of the 2011 census is 2,181. Under the Doddington Rectory Division Act of 1856 it was divided into seven rectories, Benwick, Doddington, Wimblington, Mrch,  Old Town, March St Peter, March St John and March St Mary. In the centre of the village is a clocktower built in 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Set in Fenland, between Chatteris and March, Doddington has two churches, St Mary’s Parish Church and the Methodist Chapel. The village has almost 1000 dwellings. The Parish of Doddington has existed for almost a thousand years when the manor of Doddington was owned by the monastery at Ely and a short while afterwards a Bishop’s palace was built in Doddington. The Parish included Benwick, Wimblington and March until the 1870s and covered an area of 37,000 acres making it one of the largest parishes in England, and it was one of the richest parishes in the country. It is believed the most famous Rector of Doddington was Christopher Tye, who was a musician to Queen Elizabeth 1st and composed the familiar tune, ‘While Shepherds Watched.’

Inside the church some lovely stained glass panels have been incorporated into the porch screen and were brought from Benwick Church after it was demolished due to subsidence in the 1980s. Some interesting headstones can be found in the Churchyard and the ancient Calvary cross which stands near the lychgate, was found in a field close by where it had been buried for centuries. The Church we see before us today stands on the site of an earlier building and dates back to 1250. This building was mainly completed by the 15th Century and experienced extensive restoration work during the 19th and 20th centuries. The Church has lots of fine features some of which date back to long, long ago and others are more recent. The nave roof displays some beautiful examples of angel carvings. The chancel is in the oldest part of the Church. The windows date back to the 15th century as does the screen which has been extensively restored. The tomb-stone of Sir John Peyton who succeeded Sir Walter Raleigh as Governor of Jersey and Guernsey, and who was granted the manor of Doddington by Queen Elizabeth 1st in 1601 lies in the floor in the sanctuary. On the north side of the chancel and at the end of the choir stall, there is a very small carving of a bloody hand which reflects an incident involving one of the Peyton family who accidently killed his man servant. A recently restored altar frontal hangs on the north wall of the chancel. The east window in the north aisle is an early work by William Morris and Rosetti which was given to the Parish of Doddington in 1923. The Church has a font at the back of the building which dates back to the 13th century and holds a plain octagonal bowl. On the west wall, quite high up, a coat of arms can be seen. The organ was given to the Church in 1938 and stands beneath the tower. Hopefully photos of what sound ike an amazing interior will arrive here shortly!

The extensive park-like grounds of Doddington Church <click to enlarge>

Bloodline Conections: James Neville 1824 – 1861, son of Lord Gowler Neville of Manea whom married Rose Eagle. (Our lead researcher’s 4 x G GF)

 

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’ August 2018

To contact me please email me at ‘moon.willow@ntlworld.com’

Our next quest: Quest 26 is Ireland in September so please stay tuned!

 

 

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