Touchstone - No 085 - 2009 04

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 85
Date: April 2009
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group
Focus: Earth mysteries, leys, ancient sites, archaeology, and historical investigations.

Leys at Wells Cathedral

The lead article investigates a ley line passing through Wells Cathedral, with contributions from Pat Toms and Sheila Broun. The investigation is partly inspired by Tom Brooks' book, 'The Hand of Man: Britain's History Decoded,' which highlights spirals of church sites in the west of England radiating from Wells Cathedral. Each segment of these spirals forms the base line of an isosceles triangle connecting to a third site. The article notes that the cathedral is situated by a major spring that gave Wells its name. Excavations in the Camery Garden have revealed evidence from Neolithic, Iron Age, and Roman periods, including a Roman mausoleum and other Roman buildings. The city may have been called Fontanetum in Roman times.

The ley being followed runs north-westerly, crossing Worminster Sleight, an area associated with a legend of a dragon killed by Bishop Jocelin in the 13th century. A mosaic depicting this story, created by local primary school children in 2001, is located near the Bishop's Palace.

The ley then proceeds through a chapel in Dulcote, now a private house, which contains another spring visible in a grotto. This spring feeds a fountain and its water can be heard running under the road. The line continues across the Bishop's Palace grounds and adjacent to the cathedral's Chapter House and its undercroft information centre. It is suggested that three leys meet under the pulpit in the cathedral choir.

Other leys mentioned include one from Beacon Hill, Shepton Mallet, running along the cathedral's north aisle, and another at a right angle, originating from a tumulus at Whitnell Corner and passing through various sites including Fenny Castle Hill and churches at Moorlinch and North Newton.

The investigated ley then passes through the entrance to Wookey Hole cave, then to a tumulus on the Mendips, followed by five more across the plateau, and Shipham Church. The article details a visit to Tor Hill in Wells, noting the ley runs across its lower slopes. It then proceeds to the entrance of Wookey Hole cave, described as a spectacular and powerful place. From there, the ley goes to a tumulus on the Mendips near Ebbor Gorge, where a stone wall crosses it. Views from this location extend to Brent Knoll and the Bristol Channel. Two leys are noted to cross here, with another ley heading towards Glastonbury Tor.

The line then follows a track between Easton and Haybridge, and Wookey Church, before reaching Ben Knowle Hill. A climb up this hill offers a view of Wells, including St. Cuthbert's Church and the Cathedral. Ben Knowle Hill is halfway between the tumulus and Glastonbury Tor. The energy at Wookey Church is described as gentler than at Wookey Hole. Wookey Church is located by the River Axe, with a field nearby that may have been the site of an earlier bishop's palace. The ley was measured to be 16 paces wide here.

Returning to the Cathedral, the article describes a visit to the undercroft of the octagonal Chapter House and a history exhibition. An unusual basin-like piscina with a sculpture of a dog is noted, possibly indicating an etheric influence. A dowsing survey suggested an etheric 'bubble' filling the room, with a 'tail' extending into the Cathedral. A diagonal cross is mentioned, relating to St. Andrew, to whom the cathedral is dedicated, and a St. Andrew's holy well. The author realised that two leys also form a diagonal cross on the building.

The Lovekyn Chapel & The "Triple L"

By Lionel Beer, this section celebrates 700 years of the Lovekyn chantry chapel in Kingston. The author discovered an alignment of ancient sites running almost West to East, with the Lovekyn Chapel on this alignment. The chapel, built in 1309 during the reign of Edward II, is believed to be the last surviving free-standing chantry chapel in England. Its history is recounted, including Edward Lovekyn's provision for Edward I and Margaret of France's wedding feast and subsequent payment issues. The chapel was later converted into a Royal Grammar School and has survived through various events.

The "Triple L" ley line is named after Eileen's discovery of the "E-line." The Lovekyn Chapel is near the middle of this alignment. A key point at the western end is Littleton Church, possibly dating back to Roman times. The alignment also passes through the Diana Fountain in Bushy Park, Fountain Court in Hampton Court, and other churches. The "Triple L" hits Kingston near the "Bishop Out of Residence" pub, formerly the Bishop's Palace. It also passes the erstwhile St. Mary's Chapel, the site of the Kingston Coronation Stone, and the Hall in Cleaves Alms Houses.

The article mentions that the line has not been traced beyond the Victorian dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park. A video of the "Triple L" line, featuring Lionel Beer and TEMS members, is available.

William of Malmesbury and Tony Robinson

This section discusses three television programmes presented by Tony Robinson on paranormal events impacting history and archaeology. One programme focused on Frederick Bligh Bond, an architect and archaeologist who made discoveries at Glastonbury Abbey, reportedly through automatic writing advised by medieval monks. The article mentions Tim Hopkinson-Ball, author of 'The Rediscovery of Glastonbury,' and a group of bones unearthed near the high altar.

Dr. Mary Lewis, an osteoarchaeologist, examined the bones and found they were of appropriate size for a human, but two were animal bones. Cut marks indicating a violent death were not apparent. Tony Robinson also experimented with automatic writing with automatist Elleni Laine. Questions posed included whether the bones belonged to Abbot Whiting and the name of the medieval monk who communicated with Bligh Bond.

The automatic writing yielded phrases like "A top pig" and "An abbot not Whiting." Further analysis suggested interpretations such as "Emmanuel Christ, Macedonia Wallace, William, Angel," potentially identifying William of Malmesbury as the sender, based on historical accounts of St. Patrick visiting Glastonbury and meeting twelve monks. However, the word "Macedonia" remains anomalous.

Two other investigations tested the Bligh Bond messages: one with an Early English expert who found words not in use at that time, and another using geophysical equipment to locate a potential sacristy adjoining the north side of a church, which had never been excavated.

Letters

Norman Darwen from Lancashire writes about the Mormon Temple in Chorley, noting its striking lighting and proximity to the M60. He mentions the temple's visibility from the West Pennine Moors and its location on high ground, chosen due to Chorley's history of providing converts.

Tony Charlton from Romford, Essex, mentions a St. Aldheim pilgrimage route from Doulting to Malmesbury, with seven ancient crosses located at various sites including Frome, Bradford-upon-Avon, Bath, Cirencester, and Stoney Middleton.

Notes and News

London Earth Mysteries Circle Meetings: A schedule of Tuesday meetings in London is provided, featuring topics such as Puddingstones, leys, Grail legends, Theosophy, and American Rock Art.

TEMS Meetings: A schedule of Sunday meetings in Wimbledon is listed, with topics including sacred sites, orgone energy, field trips, fossils as magical objects, leys, NDEs, and Christmas party details.

King Herod's ley: This section discusses an alignment attributed to King Herod, known for his architectural achievements like the port of Caesarea and the palaces at Herodium and Masada. An alignment at Herodium, discovered by Professor Ehud Netzer, is described, with Herod's tomb believed to be on this line. Rubble excavation revealed pieces of three sarcophagi.

Roman road junction at Chertsey: The article notes a junction of three Roman roads at Chertsey, with ley associations found on most Roman road stretches. One road is described as previously mentioned in Touchstone, and another is linked to a Roman finds 'hotspot'. A third road is mentioned as a possible Roman road, with a coincident ley and alignment with Church Path and Guildford Street.

A cropmark on Abbey Mead, Chertsey, is noted as being similar in pattern to a Roman villa found by Time Team at Tockenham, Wiltshire.

Publications

The Hidden Unity and Beginnings: A booklet exploring subconscious siting of ley points, the significance of Pagan religion, and discoveries in earth energy detection, antigravity, and cognitive dissonance.

Earth People, Space People: A booklet detailing claims of extraterrestrial contact, the history of the STAR Fellowship, and evidence for life in the Solar System.

The Legacy of Tony Wedd: A CD-ROM of Tony Wedd's travelling exhibition on flying saucers, landscape energies, and lost technology.

Touchstone Subscription: Information is provided for subscribing to the newsletter.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of Touchstone revolve around the exploration of earth energies, ley lines, ancient sites, and historical mysteries. The magazine appears to adopt an open-minded approach to investigating phenomena that lie outside mainstream scientific or historical understanding, encouraging readers to explore these topics through personal investigation and research. The editorial stance seems to be one of curiosity and a desire to connect historical events, local legends, and geographical features through the lens of earth mysteries. There is a strong emphasis on dowsing as a tool for investigation and a belief in the significance of ancient alignments and energies.