Touchstone - No 038 - 1994 01

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 38
Date: January 1994
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group

This issue of Touchstone delves into various aspects of earth mysteries, with a strong focus on ley lines, UFO sightings, and local history and folklore.

Some Finds in Shropshire

The issue opens with an article detailing findings from a holiday in Shropshire. The author describes the 'split-level' town of Bridgnorth, situated on a red sandstone cliff and by the river, noting its strategic importance in the Civil War and its parish church designed by Thomas Telford. The author's cottage was near the hamlet of Eardington, approached by a narrow lane between sandstone cliffs. Ley lines were found to be present, centring at Dudmaston Hall, a National Trust property whose original name was 'Dodemannestone'. A rounded stone, about three feet high, at the entrance to the Dingle, is also noted as having a ley leading towards the house. In Bridgnorth, several churches are observed to stand at the end of straight roads, aligning with other landmarks. St. Mary's church, designed by Telford, aligns with St. Leonard's, a red sandstone building. St. Leonard's can be seen from the end of Whitburn Street, and the North Gate, High Street, and Town Hall align with St. Mary's. To the north, the hill 'The Wrekin' has a centre at its south-west end, near 'The Needle's Eye' outcrop, with a ley running along it through 'Hell Gate' and 'Heaven Gate' embankments.

Chasing the Dragon by Chris Doherty

Chris Doherty shares his experiences following ley lines, particularly the 'L' line which passes through Diana Fountain in Bushy Park and ends at Sheerness. He discusses his theory on deriving place names from ley lines, noting the prevalence of 'Lant' and 'ley' in village names. His dowsing around Wimbledon revealed a line crossing Kingston Road as predicted. He also found lines through Church Road, Langley Rd, and various other roads in Beckenham, noting Beckenham Park as having significant ley line energy. At Shepperton, the line was found again, though difficulties were encountered at Halliford and Littleton, possibly due to M3 construction. A strong line was found at Halliford roundabout, with nearby streets having ley-associated names.

A Spider's Web

Doherty describes energy spots indicating criss-crossing ley lines in his local area around Wandsworth Common and Clapham Common. He warns about 'dragon lines' and circles on commons, which can be misleading. He notes that many energy spots seem to lead to trees. Coulsdon Downs is mentioned as an area with frequent ley lines. Purley is identified as being close to several towns with ley-associated names, and strong lines are noted crossing Brighton Road south of Purley.

Devilsden Wood

Devilsden Wood on Coulsden Down is described as being fenced off with warning notices. Dowsing around the outskirts revealed a strong line heading northeast, possibly towards Beckenham Church. The entry point to the wood is marked by Scots Pines.

The Spider in the Web

While dowsing on Tooting Bec Common, two strong E-W lines were found near the Lido. A ley line was also found going towards Streatham Church. Two N-S lines are also near the Lido. At Streatham Church, four crossing lines were found at the northeast corner, with lines running to churches in various directions. The author notes that many lines intersect, forming trisections, though these do not always occur at significant place names. A particularly interesting line runs E-W through many significant roads, and a list of these roads is provided.

Leys through Streatham Church

A list of roads and churches associated with ley lines passing through Streatham Church is provided, including Longley Rd, Trevelyan Rd, Sellin Court Rd, Himley Rd, Thrale Rd, Streatham church, Angles Rd, Leithcote Gdns, Glennie Rd, Lansdowne Hill, and Ildersley Grove.

St. Columba's, Woking

This section details a weekend study visit to St. Columba's retreat house and conference centre in Woking. The site is described as beautiful, with various trees and walks, situated adjacent to an old convent building. The author notes the presence of three chapels on the site: an imposing one in the old convent, a modern one in the new convent, and another new one at St. Columba's. The building housing St. Columba's is described as having a powerful atmosphere, with large windows. The author ascertained that the three chapels are in alignment, and this line also passes through St. Peter's Church, Old Woking, an ancient church site celebrating its 900th anniversary. The Norman architecture of St. Peter's is described, with the west and north walls of the nave dating to around 1090. The chancel is thirteenth century, and the south aisle is two hundred years younger. A Norman door, one of only three in the country, is highlighted, with Saxon ironwork and symbols thought to be Scandinavian pagan. A representation of a spider with a web is mentioned, with Aubrey's 1712 book noting its presence.

The ley connecting the chapels at St. Columba's and St. Peter's Church runs south, passing through the Maybury Hill cross-roads to St. Peter's. It then crosses the multijunction at Send Grove and a meeting point of roads on the A3 north-east of Guildford, passing through the level crossing at Chilworth, skirting the edge of a wood, and reaching the multijunction at Barnett Hill, near Wonersh.

Letters

From Tony Ellis, Perth:
Tony Ellis thanks the magazine for a video on 'Mysterious Guildford' and expresses interest in ley lines crossing to Stag Hill. He mentions a theory that a shrine to Herne was once on Stag Hill, evidenced by a small brass deer's head in the Cathedral. He also inquires about the removal of a large stone, about 2'6" high, by the Pilgrim's Way in Weston Wood, which was present in 1987 but gone by 1989. He recalls a similar stone on the other side of the wood that disappeared into a sand pit. These stones were rumoured to have religious significance, and the Weston Wood stone is mentioned by Martin Tupper in 'Stephen Langton' as the burial site of a drowned maid and her brother.

UFOs in Bristol

This section reports on a significant amount of UFO activity over Bristol during June of the previous year. Cigar-shaped objects, which were frequently reported in the 1950s and early 1960s, had returned. In contrast to later decades focused on 'abductions', the earlier reports described extraterrestrials as benevolent. Lee Winterson, a witness, described sightings based on a triangle in southern Bristol, reaching from Dundry Hill to Maes Knoll hillfort, with a third point in Headley Park. A crop circle on Dundry Hill in 1991 and sixteenth-century legends of fairies in 'the hollow hills of Dundry' are also mentioned. Terry Veale, a subscriber, sent newspaper cuttings about the sightings. Patrick Moore suggested the lights were a freak showing of the Northern Lights, but witnesses refuted this. Terry Veale recounts speaking to witnesses who described a huge white circle that flipped over into a cigar shape, along with multi-coloured lights. The sightings occurred in the Hartcliffe area and near Dundry Hill, an Iron Age fort site with previous sightings and a 1991 crop circle. Bristol is considered an important power centre, with references in 'The Old Straight Track'.

Robert Fisher reports on UFO sightings over Bristol from the Bristol Journal, mentioning a formation of seven oblong objects with flashing lights observed by families in Hartcliffe and a former RAF engineer. Andrew McDonald and his sister Ann saw seven oblong objects with red and orange lights hovering above Ashton, filming them as silver discs flashed. A large ball of white light appeared over Stockwood. Mr. Fisher also notes a corn circle at Dundry on July 14th, 1991, preceded by white flashes the night before. The history of Dundry Church and the Iron Age fort Maes Knoll is provided, along with the Wansdyke. The author had previously found a ley running along Dundry Hill.

Notes and News

London Meetings: Information is provided for upcoming meetings of the London Earth Mysteries Circle, including topics like 'The Star-Lore of the Druids', 'The Celtic Vision', 'English Community Customs', and 'Interpretation of Runic Stones'. The circle will also have a stall at a Magical Conference.

Subconscious Siting on Jersey: A cutting from The Observer describes a huge prehistoric temple, La Hougue Bie, constructed of granite slabs and later hidden under clay, with two chapels built on its summit.

Mars and Avebury: A SIGAP meeting in Guildford featured a talk by David Percy on the similarities between objects in the Cydonia region of Mars and features around Avebury, including a crater representing a circle and a ridge representing Silbury Hill. The speaker suggested a propulsion system for spacecraft using a magnetic field and discussed the implications for life in the universe, suggesting Earth might be unique. The author expresses caution regarding these far-reaching implications.

TEMS Meetings

Details are provided for upcoming meetings of TEMS (Travel & Earth Mysteries Society), including topics such as 'Puzzling Claims at Las Vegas UFO Conference', 'Psychic Animals and Strange Journeys', and 'Dowsing Energy Lines'.

The Hidden Unity and Beginnings

Two new booklets from Surrey Earth Mysteries Group are announced: 'The Hidden Unity', which explores subconscious siting of ley points and the significance of places of worship, and 'Beginnings', which covers discoveries in earth energy detection, natural antigravity, and cognitive dissonance. Both booklets are available for £1 plus 30p postage and packing.

Exchange List

A list of exchange publications is provided, including Fortean Times, Northern Earth Mysteries, Folklore Frontiers, The Ley Hunter, Magonia, Gloucestershire Earth Mysteries, MEYN MAMURO, and London Earth Mysteries.

Touchstone Subscription

Information on subscribing to Touchstone is provided, costing TWO POUNDS for four issues.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are ley lines, their detection, and their connection to ancient sites and place names. UFO sightings, particularly in the Bristol area, are a significant focus, with detailed accounts and witness testimonies. The magazine also touches upon ancient history, folklore, and the broader implications of earth mysteries research, including connections to other planets. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into these phenomena, encouraging readers to explore and share their findings, while also maintaining a degree of critical assessment, as seen in the caution advised regarding the Mars and Avebury comparisons.