Touchstone - No 008 - 1986 01

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 8
Date: January 1986
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group

This issue of Touchstone delves into various aspects of earth mysteries, focusing on geographical alignments, ancient sites, folklore, and ley line research. It features articles on a deliberately aligned street in Milton Keynes, ancient stones and rituals in Farnborough, and a detailed computer-aided analysis of ley lines across Britain.

The New Straight Track in Buckinghamshire

This article by Michael de Styrcea (as reported by the author) discusses the alignment of Milton Keynes' main street, Midsummer Boulevard, with the midsummer sunrise. The street extends for about a mile and ends at a mound called the Belvedere. The author notes the parallels between the mounds, ponds, and tracks of the Old Straight Track and ley hunter interests. A search for coincident leys revealed little, except for a junction named Wood End. Parallel roads, Silbury Boulevard and Avebury Boulevard, are also mentioned.

The author further explores leys passing through the Open University campus, noting an oak clump and St. Michael's church. Several potential leys are described, including one that passes through Castle Farm, Lavendon church, and Walton Hall. The author expresses a desire to learn more about the design origins of Milton Keynes.

The Old Stones of the Surrey/Hants Borders

Authored by Chris Hall, this section focuses on Farnborough, specifically the old parish church which stands on a tumulus. The site is considered a ley marker due to its hilltop location, tumulus, and ancient Christian site status. A dowser claimed a buried stone circle exists on the churchyard's circumference. Two prostrate stone blocks, approximately 16-17 inches wide, are found outside the churchyard gate, with the upper stone estimated to be 55 inches high if upright. While lacking notable markings, they resemble parts of a moorland stone circle. The author expresses doubt about a stone circle ever existing in Farnborough but suggests it's a site for potential investigation. Local lore offers explanations for the stones, including mounting stones, coffin rests, steps, glacial deposits, or sacrificial altars. An annual fair formerly held in Farnborough involved a procession, a service at the church, and sports, suggesting an earlier ritual enactment. The symbolic green theme was also present in May Day festivities with a maypole and a Queen of the May. The article also touches upon the historical growth of Farnborough, from its original village at Farnborough Green and Farnborough Street to the modern town, and speculates about ancient peoples using stone and landscape to communicate.

The St. Michael's Mount Ley

Richard Pywell presents an analysis of a purported ley line from St. Michael's Mount through Glastonbury Tor and Bury St Edmonds Cathedral. This line is associated with burial mounds, tumuli, standing stones, bridges, and crossroads. A computer search using the HMSO List of Ancient Monuments was conducted. The initial search revealed a slight curve bowed to the north, with an error of less than a mile over 310 miles. The line passes through several counties, including Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Suffolk. The analysis found a concentration of about 40 sites in Wiltshire, particularly around Avebury, and very few sites east of Wiltshire, except for three in Buckinghamshire, leading the author to question Bury Cathedral's role in defining the line.

A second computer program tested if the three sites lay on a great circle line, which they did to within a kilometre. The puzzle of few sites east of Wiltshire and the proliferation around Avebury remained. Further analysis of Wiltshire sites revealed many lines with at least 20 sites, all passing close to the Avebury Ring. These lines generally pointed ENE, aligning with the Great Ley's direction. The original ley line passed within 700m of Avebury Ring. Redrawing the ley through Avebury Ring instead of Bury Cathedral resulted in a line passing 3km south of Bury Cathedral, making it a less accurate great circle. The author questions the significance of a 600-meter discrepancy at Avebury Ring, considering the distance involved.

A table lists ancient sites (stones, mounds, bridges) within 500m of the ley line passing through St. Michael's Mount, Glastonbury Tor, and Bury Cathedral, categorized by county.

Notes and News

This section provides brief reports on various earth mysteries events and publications:

• Sheffield Moot: A meeting of the Northern Earth Mysteries Group featured talks on triangle of stones near Whitby marking moonrise points, an earth mysteries project in Northumberland, the significance of Scots Pine trees on the Old Straight Track, and a tour of Sheffield area sites.
• A Lancashire Clump: A visit to Clayton Brook, Lancashire, highlighted a compact clump of Scots pines next to a Roman Catholic church, noted for its unusual stone design and copper spire.
• The Brentford Griffin: A book review discusses Andrew Collins' research into a reported sighting of a griffin (half-lion, half-eagle) over Brentford, noting local place-names and traditions associated with griffins.
• Goddess Guidebook: Tsultrim Alliare is collecting information for a traveler's guidebook on places associated with goddesses worldwide, seeking information on locations, history, and unusual occurrences.
• Dodman?: An anecdote about a son using two sticks like a 'dodman' and chipping slate to create a Neolithic-type arrowhead.
• Folklore Frontiers: A review of the first issue of a new magazine by Paul Screeton, former editor of 'The Ley Hunter', which deals with 'urban belief tales', including one about spiders and a policeman allegedly in league with the Devil.

Exchange List

A list of publications and organizations for exchange is provided, including Quicksilver Messenger, Caerdroia, Earthquest News, Common Ground, Fortean Times, Northern Earth Mysteries, Stonehenge Viewpoint, The Pipes of Pan, Folklore Frontiers, Word Spirit, and The Ley Hunter.

Subscription Information

Touchstone is published by Surrey Earth Mysteries Group. Subscriptions are two pounds for four issues. Cheques should be made payable to J. Goddard. All articles are welcome, as are attendees at monthly meetings in Addlestone.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the investigation of ancient landscapes, ley lines, and folklore through both traditional research and modern methods like computer analysis. There is a clear interest in identifying and understanding the purpose of ancient sites and their connections to natural phenomena and historical beliefs. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, presenting findings and encouraging further investigation, as evidenced by the call for information for the goddess guidebook and the suggestion for investigating the Farnborough stones. The magazine serves as a platform for sharing research, news, and discussions within the earth mysteries community.