Ley Hunter - 1970 no 13

Magazine Overview

Title: THE LEY HUNTER
Issue: NUMBER THIRTEEN
Date: NOVEMBER 1970
Publisher: Paul Screeton (edited and published from 5 Egton Drive, Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, County Durham)
Price: 1/4

This issue of "The Ley Hunter" delves into the mysteries of leys, ancient sites, and unexplained phenomena, blending personal anecdotes with historical and archaeological observations.

Articles and Content

LEAD-IN

The editorial section previews upcoming coverage, including a report on the British Unidentified Flying Objects Research Association symposium on leys and orthotenies. The editor, Paul Screeton, mentions his participation alongside John Michell, Jimmy Goddard, and Philip Heselton, discussing leys in the context of UFO behavior. Another development to be covered is an evaluation of propositions made by John Michell and Screeton to engage professional archaeologists in ley research, aiming to make leys a more respectable subject for scientific inquiry.

THE FRONT COVER

The cover illustration is described as an attempt to depict a ley, though not a specific one. It is based on an illustration from the October 30 issue of "Friends," published by the TF Much Company Ltd. The editor acknowledges the publishers' permission to use the drawing.

AN ELEMENTAL & ITS EFFIGY IN STONE by CIRCUMLIBRA

This article explores features found on leys in North Derbyshire, such as stones and mounds. The author highlights a cut in a rock slab near Bradley Rocks, possibly on a ley line from Robin Hood's Stride. A similar cut is noted near the Toad's Mouth, Longshaw. The Ox Stones near Ringinglow are presented as an example of older, narrow gaps between boulders, with the local road known as 'The Whim' potentially related to 'Whin'.

The author then recounts a personal experience in Austria, where they encountered a non-physical entity, an 'elemental,' in a large bedroom. This entity approached the author's bed with snuffling and laboured breathing, extending a limb. The author concludes it was not on the normal physical plane but on another level of matter.

Returning to Froggatt Edge, the author describes walking up a road and realizing they were on a ley line, influenced by a brilliant star. They discovered a gap in the rocks that appeared man-made and shaped like an unknown animal. Studying a photograph of this gap later, the author realized it closely resembled the elemental encountered in Austria. The article suggests these shaped rocks might represent elementals and that ancient people may have been aware of them and their function, dedicating leys for specific purposes.

THE PENDRAGON SOCIETY

A brief note corrects an error regarding the date of a talk by Keith Critchlow, stating it was on November 14, not November 7, and clarifies that the editor, not The Pendragon Society, was responsible for the mistake.

LOCAL ANTIQUITIES by F. R. WATTS

This article explores portions of Wychwood Forest, rediscovering double lines of entrenchments that Dr. Plot suggested were part of Grim's Dyke. These earthworks extend from Chilson to the Waterman's Lodge, running parallel to the Chadlington-Leafield road and reappearing on the Leafield-Finstock road. The author speculates on their purpose, questioning if they were part of a fortified area or a Roman military demonstration.

The article references a 1947 magazine issue that mentioned a track from Northleigh Church to Gagingwell Cross. It details the discovery and excavation of a stone block in the alluvial plain of the Evenlode, which a farmer had demolished. The author provides instructions for locating this stone using Ordnance Maps, linking it to ancient trackways and a Roman villa near Northleigh. Another stone, incorporated into a wall, is also mentioned, located by drawing a line from Northleigh Church to Combe Church.

Further examples of ancient stones are discussed, including one indicating a prehistoric ford near the river bed at Charlbury. The article suggests that ancient surveyors may have named the river 'Char' and speculates about a connection between the Hawk Stone and Horus. It proposes two types of ancient trackways: original straight-line sightings between ridges, and a later type associated with pagan ritual sites.

The telephotograph of Black Heath Clump from Taston is mentioned, with observers from the Whispering Knights potentially viewing pagan sites. The article questions if a beacon mound had a connection to local sites and if the Rollright Circle was contemporary with Avebury. It also notes that mark stones on grass tracks were sometimes used for road repairs.

JOHN MICHELL'S DREAM

This section quotes an extract from an undated copy of "Antiquity," presented as a dream from the future. It discusses a North American legend of a hero who flew to the moon and back in a 'giant fire cracker,' returning with pebbles, possibly indicating a sacred stone cult. The author relates this to early man's aspirations and contrasts it with findings in North America, where excavations revealed primitive technology, settlements destroyed by fire, and evidence of endemic warfare, suggesting these were explained by natural religious and superstitious beliefs rather than an industrial society.

UFO CHRONOLOG BOOB

This short piece highlights a question from the American magazine "UFO Chronolog" asking after whom straight lines of archaeological formations, called leys, are named. The answer provided is Willie Ley. It then contrasts this with a light-hearted glossary of UFO definitions from the COS-MOS journal, where 'orthoteny' is defined as a crow's flight path and 'leys' is humorously described as what a crow does in its nest.

REDMIRE by Paul Screeton

Paul Screeton expresses his fondness for Wensleydale and the village of Redmire, recalling childhood memories of nature and village life. He notes how the village has changed, with modern amenities and increased tourism. He also now recognizes the work of 'Megalithic Man' in the landscape.

Screeton recounts a vivid childhood memory of seeing a UFO, a golden disc, in the valley when he was about nine years old. This sighting performed an arc manoeuvre and was the first in a series of occurrences that led him to research UFOs and leys. He believes no one else saw it.

During a recent visit to Redmire, Screeton investigated a conical mound in a field, which cows seemed to favor. He also noted a peculiar juniper tree. The mound's history is linked to the Royalist-Roundhead conflict, where Cromwell's men used it to bombard Castle Bolton.

He also mentions a report of a stone circle near Redmire, which he found to consist of short, stocky quartz pieces forming alignments, but which had disappeared by his next visit. He notes a steep escarpment to the north with quarries and a possible dolmen, where he disturbed a grouse and its eggs. Two caves are mentioned, one formerly inhabited by a hermit and the other containing wreckage from a crashed aircraft.

Screeton speculates about a connection between Pen Hill and serpent legends, referencing John Michell's work. He has not found definitive ley evidence in Redmire but intends to investigate further. He concludes by discussing a patch of four-leaved clover, suggesting that leys might increase fertility or cause mutations, and notes the discovery of five-leaved and six-leaved clover stems.

BACK COPIES

This section lists available back issues of "The Ley Hunter" with brief descriptions of their contents and prices. Issues include articles on ley controversy, SCEMB line systems, leys and tides, stone circles, allotechnology, ley power, Atlantis, local antiquities, and Egyptian alignments. The prices range from 1/- to 1/4 per issue, with postage costs specified.

"I SAY, I SAY, I SAY, I SAY..... A FUNNY THING HAPPENED TO ME ON THE WAY TO STONEHENGE" by PAUL SCREETON

This is a humorous piece by Paul Screeton, suggesting that prehistory, often considered a serious subject, has become a source of jokes, with prehistoric man being a character used for laughs by humorists. The article implies that ley hunters and others are also subjects of such humor.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores the intersection of ancient landscapes, folklore, and unexplained phenomena, particularly focusing on 'ley lines'. The editorial stance, as expressed by Paul Screeton, is one of open-minded inquiry, encouraging personal experiences and observations while seeking to bridge the gap between fringe research and more orthodox academic disciplines. There is a clear interest in validating ley research and UFO studies through rigorous investigation and by engaging with established fields like archaeology. The tone ranges from serious analysis to personal reflection and occasional humor, reflecting a broad approach to the subject matter.

This issue of Megalithic World, identified as issue number 10, delves into the often-overlooked aspects of ancient cultures, focusing on their potential sense of humour and the sophisticated practices of geomancy and ley lines.

The Humour of Ancient Britons

The issue begins by examining how serious researchers into prehistory must approach the subject with an open mind, acknowledging that ancient peoples may have had a sense of humour. This is illustrated through various cartoons that playfully interpret ancient sites and practices.

A cartoon from "The Listener" by Barry Fantoni is mentioned, depicting a magician explaining how the roundabouts on the M4 are built on ancient burial mounds, with a headless motorist visible on clear nights. This sets a tone of lighthearted speculation about ancient beliefs.

Stonehenge is presented as a frequent subject of cartoons. One "Punch" cartoon imagines it as a monorail railway with a steam locomotive hauling carriages, while another depicts ancient Britons dragging the massive blocks, with one remarking, "they'll do anything to support the performing arts." Another "Punch" cartoon shows forefathers dragging blocks, with one saying, "they'll do anything to support the performing arts."

Other Stonehenge cartoons are cited with captions like "That reminds me, how did we manage it?" and "Don't worry about it kid, I don't know either, and I designed the damn thing." A "T.V. Times" cartoon is noted for its anachronism, showing a man looking through a hole at Stonehenge with the words "What the Dinosaur" on a block, suggesting a humorous conflation of Jurassic monsters and prehistoric times.

Another cartoonist depicted an Ancient Briton chipping the words "Romans go Home" onto a stone wall. The author's personal favourite cartoon features two Ancient Britons watching the sunset, with one commenting, "there must be thousands of those behind the hills now," prompting reflection on whether Megalithic Man possessed a sense of humour, and if it was similar to modern "intellectual" humour.

The author muses that if ancient peoples knew what modern orthodox archaeologists thought of them, they would be dismayed, hurt, and hopefully amused.

Voices from the Past and Present

Two quotes are presented that offer perspectives on archaeology and ancient sites:

• T. C. Lethbridge (Witches) states: "Archaeologists are mostly like sheep. If one digs the entrance to a camp, all must do so."
• Donald Maxwell (A Detective in Essex) comments on Alfred Watkins, suggesting he was treated by the archaeological world like Galileo, but asserting that "leys" or "sighting lines" still exist despite expert ridicule.

Geomancy and Ley Lines

The second major section, authored by Nigel Pennick, explores "Geomancy." This ancient art is described as divining centres of energy on the Earth's surface and the alignments that link them. Geomancy was historically used to find optimal locations for places of worship, considering their relationship with roads, wells, burial sites, high points, beacons, and astronomical observatories.

The author argues that observations of alignments in churches, wells, tumuli, and crossroads today reveal a highly advanced form of ancient surveying. Many medieval churches, it is noted, were built on sites of much older pagan temples or stone circles, preserving ancient alignments within Christian structures.

Alignments, or leys, are described as criss-crossing the country, with some extending for hundreds of miles. "Roman" roads are suggested to be of pre-Roman origin, following these leys and changing direction at their intersections. Similar phenomena are observed in features like the Devil's Dike and Offa's Dike, which exhibit right-angled turns at ley points.

The fact that these alignments were established in antiquity, possibly around the same time as Stonehenge, suggests that ancient technology was far more sophisticated than commonly believed. The capabilities of the Druids are highlighted, and it is posited that their predecessors might have achieved even greater feats. Examples include hill figures visible from afar, large zodiacs, and leys along which "dragons flew," aerial lights were seen, and now UFOs are sighted, all laid out with remarkable accuracy.

Religious centres were often chosen for their position on energy lines, particularly at intersections. A system of siting from other points and a form of divination akin to dowsing was used to find these energy points. It is claimed that these energy lines can still be dowsed, and some people report feeling vibrations at intersections, which might explain the "atmosphere" of modern churches, even those without correct solar alignments.

Dowsing these points was necessary due to the time required for ordinary surveying. Intersections of lines would show an increased energy flow. At ancient sites like Stonehenge, Callernish, and Wandlebury, solar energy injection into the ley system would occur at sunrise, with these events now preserved as saints' days, equinoxes, and solstices, celebrated by priesthood for various powers.

Dragon saints (Michael, George, Martha, Katherine, Margaret, and Andrew) were incorporated into the Christian church, their festivals being important for maintaining the ley system.

At the Reformation, geomancy was suppressed, surviving only in a truncated form. Its use of cosmic power to revitalize the earth was lost, and it was only later, in Freemasonry, that its potential began to be rediscovered for applications like flight, astral projection, and telepathic communication.

The editor acknowledges John Nicholson for permission to reprint this article from "Cambridge Voice."

Readers' Forum

Paul Braczyk, Webster, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Paul Braczyk writes as a member of the New England Antiquities Research Association (NEARA), which investigates unusual stone structures and artifacts across New England and the country. He mentions "Mystery Hill" in North Salem, New Hampshire, nicknamed "America's Stonehenge," and notes that NEARA has identified over 150 other mysterious stone sites in New England. Braczyk expresses interest in ley theory and its potential application to these New England sites, seeking information.

Janet Gregory, Leicester

Janet Gregory shares two items from her recent UFO reading. The first is from Otto Binder's book "Flying Saucers are Watching Us," which describes an "enormous network of old straight tracks" or leys. These are ancient paths marked by rocks, trees, and mounds, some converging at a central point. Eleven leys are said to converge on Warminster, a site of recent saucer sightings.

Gregory quotes Dr. M.K. Jessup from "The Expanding Case for the UFO," who states that these country-spanning designs would be visible from 25 to 100 miles high and were likely markers designed by "saucermen" as guide posts to their earthly saucer-ports. Gregory expresses doubt but asks if aerial photographs of the British Isles have ever revealed such a "vast geometrical design."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue consistently explores the intersection of ancient history, archaeology, and unexplained phenomena. There's a recurring theme of questioning conventional archaeological interpretations and suggesting that ancient peoples possessed advanced knowledge and capabilities, possibly including a sense of humour. The concept of ley lines and geomancy is presented as a sophisticated ancient system that has been largely overlooked or dismissed by mainstream archaeology. The connection between these ancient alignments and modern UFO sightings is also a prominent theme, suggesting a continuity of mysterious phenomena across millennia. The editorial stance appears to favour open-minded inquiry into these subjects, challenging orthodox views and encouraging further investigation into ancient mysteries and their potential links to contemporary unexplained events.