Touchstone - No 057 - 2002 01

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 57
Date: January 2002
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group
Focus: Earth Mysteries, Archaeology, Folklore, Ley Lines

The Negen Stones

The main article, "THE NEGEN STONES," delves into the history and significance of Staines, a town whose name is believed to derive from a group of nine stones mentioned in a twelfth-century charter of Chertsey Abbey. These stones were used to delineate the boundaries of the Abbey lands. The article quotes Christina Lake's report in "Up Pontes," describing the location of these stones along the Thames. The Saxon term "Negen stanes" translates to "nine stones."

The settlement of Staines has a long history, with evidence of habitation from Mesolithic times. The Romans established an important town here called "Ad Pontes" (meaning "by the bridges") because it was a crossing point for the London to Silchester road over the Thames and Colne rivers, approximately halfway between the two cities.

Staines has continued to be a place associated with stones. Beyond the ancient ones, it features the 13th-century London Stone (distinct from the older London stone), which marked the authority of the City of London over the river; a replica now stands on site. The town also had coal tax posts in the 19th century and remnants of sarsen stones, though these have largely disappeared due to modern development. The twentieth century saw the erection of the Jubilee Stone in 1977 to commemorate the Queen's Silver Jubilee, located where the High Street crosses the Roman road.

The article discusses the potential site of the Negen Stones, marked by a rough circle of trees, and its unusual ley centre characteristics. It references Nick Merriman's "Prehistoric London," which mentions Neolithic sites in the Staines area, including a causewayed camp and cursus at Stanwell. Research using the Surrey Sites and Monuments Record helped to enhance the understanding of ley alignments connected to these sites.

A striking alignment is noted with the Roman road from London to Staines (now the A30 and Staines High Street), which passes through the proposed Negen Stones site. The article speculates whether the Romans bypassed the stones, suggesting they might have been quite sizeable. The Roman road's path on the other side of the river is less certain, with theories suggesting it followed Egham Causeway, a 13th-century raised route. The road continues towards Sunningdale and across Swinley Forest.

The London stretch of the Roman road is also identified as a ley, confirming the Romans' use of ancient alignments. This ley passes through the postulated Negen Stones site, along Staines High Street (including the Jubilee Stone), and continues towards Feltham, Hounslow, Chiswick, and Hammersmith.

The Egham Causeway is another alignment converging on the Negen Stones site, passing through Neolithic and Bronze Age sites near Runnymede. It continues through Coopers Hill and a Neolithic site near the southern approach of the Runnymede motorway bridge, and along the Egham Causeway itself. This alignment passes through a crossroads and the Spelthorne moot site, a medieval meeting place.

Another alignment coincides with the A308, passing through Sunbury Cross. This route, once a major junction for several leys, is now the terminus of the M3, with a mound resembling Silbury Hill on site. The alignment continues through Bushy Park, churches in New Malden, and Morden.

A third alignment runs up Thorpe Road, Egham Hythe, near St. Paul's Church. It passes through Chobham church, a tumulus near Longcross, and the B388, before reaching the Negen Stones site. It then crosses the Stanwell cursus and goes through churches in Hayes and North Harrow, and a crossroads at Stanmore, where the name "Stan" might also suggest stones.

When aligned with St. Mary's Church, Staines, which has a tradition of stones, the ley line extends south through St. Peter's Church, Chertsey, and northwards, skirting Gerrards Cross and continuing to the ancient church at Amersham.

The Neolithic causewayed enclosure mentioned in "Prehistoric London" is now Junction 13 of the M25. Excavations in 1961-63 revealed inner banks and pottery from Windmill Hill.

An alignment passing through the Negen Stones site also goes through Weybridge Church, and continues through a crossroads at Painshill, then Weybridge Church again, and the Negen Stones site, before proceeding through a crossroads in Slough and a church at Farnham Royal.

Four sites identified from the Surrey Sites and Monuments Record form another alignment: the causewayed camp, the Runnymede Bridge Neolithic site, a Bronze Age/Iron Age enclosure on Staines Moor, and a Bronze Age enclosure ditch at Petters Sports Field, Egham. This alignment extends through churches in Hayes and Borehamwood.

The Stanwell Cursus, a long linear feature of parallel ditches, runs along the western edge of Heathrow Airport. Initially thought to be a Roman road, it was identified as a Neolithic cursus. Its southern stretch aligns with a Neolithic ring ditch at Shepperton Green and a church at Cobham. Its northern stretch crosses the Causeway ley at Ashford and continues through Weybridge, skirting St. George's Hill, and meets the St. Mary's, Staines ley at Amersham Church.

The Staines area's prehistoric landscape is compared to Wiltshire's, with the Negen Stones and cursus potentially paralleling the Stonehenge arrangement. Names like Tothill Road and Knowle Park also suggest ancient sites. The modern environment has largely eradicated these sites, but their investigation and recording were timely.

Along the energy centres of the Valley of the River Vecht in the province of Overyssel, in the Netherlands

This article describes a tourist route organized by the UUV, focusing on ley centres and ley lines in the Netherlands. The route is sold with copper dowsing rods and aims to familiarize the public with these phenomena. The ley system is described as part of the living Earth, with ley centres used since Neanderthal times. Churches built before 1350 were often located on ley centres, and their power can be dowsed. A national study group, Leycentre Research, maps these centres and investigates their effects.

The term "ley" was popularized by Alfred Watkins, who used the old English word "leah." Old Dutch words like "hleta" or "hleo" mean "slope" or "tumulus." Towns ending in "lee," "leeuw," or "le" are often associated with ley centres.

Old churches from before 1350 were built on ley centres, using a "holy line" as the church's axis. While initially thought to be aligned towards Jerusalem, Dr. Jorg Purner suggests that builders sought the nearest ley line to the west-east direction. This practice also applied to "hunebed" (long barrow) builders. Purner is noted as the first dowser to receive scientific recognition and holds the title of Professor Radiestesie at the University of Innsbruck.

The article explains that the knowledge of leys was largely forgotten after the Black Death in the mid-14th century, as the church sought scapegoats and Pope Clement IV suggested it was due to the appropriation of pagan holy places. Churches were no longer built on ley centres after 1350. In 1870, Henry William Black rediscovered ley centres but was ridiculed. The 1970s and 1980s saw renewed interest, and in 1992, Wigolt Vleer published "Leylines and Leycentres in the Low Countries" and founded a study group.

Power and effect of a ley centre: Ley centres are naturally positive but can become negative due to historical events like battles or bloodshed. Proximity to a centre can cause headaches or irregular heartbeats. The energy typically spirals clockwise. The power is stronger during a full moon. Boulders placed on a centre can absorb extra energy. The core of a ley centre is a perceptible circle, 0.5 to 3 meters in diameter.

Ley centres can offer relief for sufferers of asthma, bronchitis, and arthritis, but those with heart disease should avoid them. Being on a centre can stimulate daydreaming and visions. Some centres may promote sports and playful behaviour. Unique wildflowers or fairy rings of mushrooms might be found at centres. Historically, oxen were used to find ley centres.

• Specific Locations:
• Beerze: A small ley centre near an old farmhouse, with a sphere of influence of about 3 km. Psychics believe it was a prehistoric sun worship site. Archaeological findings confirm prehistoric activity, and prehistoric stone tools were used for medicine.
• Church Heemse: Built on a moderately strong ley centre with "nine church lines." The main ley runs along Oldenzool-Heemse-Ruinen. Restorations revealed that the church walls rested on large granite boulders and ironstone, suggesting a pagan sanctuary predated the church. A large boulder outside the church is thought to have been used for sacrifices.
• Memorial Ane: A memorial placed on a strong ley centre, commemorating a battle in 1227 where about 400 knights and the bishop were killed in an ambush. This is not the actual battlefield site.
• Battlefield Ane: The actual site where archaeological evidence was found.
• Castle Coevorden: A ley centre is situated below the castle's small tower. The tower is reportedly haunted.
• Gramsbergen: The church tower is on a ley centre, experienced as unpleasant by many. Psychic Dick den Dool suggests it was a sanctuary for Woden in prehistory, where sacrifices occurred.
• Balderhaar: Located near the Dutch-German border, this ley centre is considered the strongest in the province of Overyssel, with a 14 km sphere of influence. It is believed to have been dedicated to the Sungod Balder, with a possible 24-meter circle around an old oak tree. A cross was placed on the centre after Christianity arrived.

WELL DRESSING IN DERBYSHIRE IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM by Norman Darwen

This article details the author's visits to dressed wells in Derbyshire during the summers of 2000 and 2001. Well dressing is a tradition that takes place annually between May and mid-September, with the peak occurring from late June to early August. The custom's exact age is unknown, but it is thriving.

The author observed the preparation of tableaux, which are elaborate pictures often featuring Biblical or water-related themes, created on wet clay backgrounds using natural materials and ingenuity. The process involves women clipping materials from the surroundings. While the preparation was once secret, the author witnessed it at the Great Batch Well and Top Pump Well.

Tradition suggests the custom has pagan origins, but its modern purpose is to give thanks for water and raise money for local charities. The linking with Paganism is downplayed, echoing explanations found in Roy Christian's book, "Well Dressing In Derbyshire." Completed tableaux are erected at a specific time, often at dawn, by a team of men, a process that involves tension due to the fragility and weight of the boards.

The tableaux typically last about a week and attract many visitors. From an Earth Mysteries perspective, well dressing draws attention to little-known or overlooked sites. Some well-sites are dry, capped, or disguised. The author found a board near a church in Hope that covered a small stone trough.

Not only "Holy wells" are involved; all wells, pumps, and troughs are used, often with names that would please Alfred Watkins. Sacred sites are in the minority, with "the Holywell" at Youlgrave being an example. However, in villages where the custom is new, the site may have no significance beyond visibility to passersby.

The tradition is expected to continue, with children encouraged to participate. The author mentions "The Children's Well" in Ashford, decorated in 2001 with a depiction of "The Wizard of Oz." The article emphasizes that seeing well dressings "in the flesh" is the best way to appreciate their beauty and artistry.

Derbyshire Tourist Information Service provides a leaflet with event dates, and can be contacted at 01246 345777/8.

TEMS IS TEN

This section reports on the tenth anniversary celebration of The Travel and Earth Mysteries Society (TEMS) on January 27th. Nick Kollerstrom gave a talk on crop circles and their mathematical correlations, followed by Rick Gibson's presentation on ancient underground cities in Cappadocia.

A gourmet supper was followed by a visit from a "silver-suited alien." TEMS co-ordinator Lionel Beer presented a slideshow of healing and holy wells, including Lewis Carroll's Treacle Well, turf mazes, modern maize mazes, green men, wildmen, grottos, strange tombs, and the enigmatic pyramid in Hampton's parish churchyard. A notable mention is the strangest underground chamber in England at the junction of two Roman Roads – Royston Cave.

TEMS has hosted over 150 meetings and organized 30 field trips. Six of the seven original founders attended the anniversary. Members created "TEMS Commandments," such as "Seek Treacle Mines in the most unusual of places" and "Do not worship false gods or they might abduct you!" Ann Hopkins wrote a song for the event.

TEMS was founded in January 1992 as a branch of ASSAP. Lionel Beer, TEMS Co-ordinator, was a founding member of BUFORA in 1962. TEMS holds monthly Sunday lectures and mid-week meetings, with about three field trips annually. TEMS NEWS is an illustrated newsletter issued quarterly, available to non-members. The subscription for 2002 remains £8.00.

• TEMS Meetings:
• Sunday, February 24th: Geography of Celtic Myths, by Ken Rees.
• Sunday, March 24th: Dragon Legends from around the UK, by Kevin Matthews.
• Sunday, April 28th: The Megaliths of Brittany, by Christine Rhone. Venue: 115, Hollybush Lane, Hampton. Contact Lionel Beer (020-879-3148).

• London Earth Mysteries Circle Meetings:
• 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at The Diorama Centre, London NW1.
• February 26th: Psychic Questing and Alignments in London and Elsewhere, by Simon Pelling.
• March 12th: The Nature and Nurture of Terrestrial Energies, by Bill Redwood.
• March 26th: Earth Energies and How the Pyramids Work, by Simon Michel.
• April 9th: Open Forum and Social Evening.

Light Box in the Jerusalem Temple

This brief piece explains the orientation of the Jerusalem Temple at the equinoxes, allowing the rising sun to shine through the east gate into the holy of holies, symbolizing the entrance of Yahweh's glory and marking the New Year enthronement ritual.

Some Web Sites to Visit

Provides a list of web addresses for SEMG (presumably the publisher or a related organization), Fringe Archaeology, Buckingham Palace Ley, Tony Wedd, Ley Structure, and The E-Line.

MEYN MAMVRO

An advertisement for "Meyn Mamvro," a magazine on ancient stones and sacred sites in Cornwall, priced at £2.00 for the current edition or £6 for a year's subscription. It also offers four different "Ell Guides" to ancient sites in Cornwall and Scilly. A quote from Paul Devereux recommends the magazine.

THE HIDDEN UNITY and BEGINNINGS

• This section describes two booklets available from Touchstone:
• The Hidden Unity: Explores subconscious siting of ley points and the tendency for places of worship to be on leys. It discusses environmental and philosophical implications, with examples like the Shah Jehan Mosque in Woking and the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple, Scunthorpe. Includes an appendix by Eileen Grimshaw on Paganism and is illustrated with photographs, maps, and line drawings. Price: £2 plus 30p p&p.
• Beginnings: A collection of discoveries by Jimmy Goddard over twenty years, including earth energy detection, natural antigravity, subconscious siting, ley width, and the solar transition effect. It also features a chapter on cognitive dissonance and concludes with an account of Alfred Watkins' discovery of leys. Price: £2 plus 30p p&p.

EARTH PEOPLE, SPACE PEOPLE

Details a manuscript by Tony Wedd from 1961, "Earth Men, Space Men," concerning extraterrestrial contact claims. Though never published, it has been located. This booklet offers a more modest presentation of prominent contact claims, articles on the STAR Fellowship, evidence for life in the Solar System, and extraterrestrial language. Price: £2 plus 30p p&p.

THE LEGACY OF TONY WEDD

Describes a CD-ROM of Tony Wedd's travelling exhibition, featuring his research on flying saucers, landscape energies, and lost technology, using his voice, writing, photographs, and drawings. Price: £12.

TOUCHSTONE Subscription

Information on subscribing to TOUCHSTONE, the newsletter of the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group. The cost is £2 for four quarterly issues. Contact J. Goddard at 25, Albert Road, Addlestone, Weybridge, Surrey, KT15 2PX.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of Touchstone are ley lines, ley centres, ancient sites, prehistoric landscapes, and earth energies. The magazine appears to promote research into these areas, encouraging public engagement through field trips, meetings, and publications. The editorial stance is one of exploration and investigation into phenomena often on the fringes of mainstream science and history, with a focus on ancient mysteries, folklore, and anomalous phenomena. The inclusion of various websites and publications suggests a network of like-minded individuals and organizations.