Touchstone

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 96
Date: January 2012
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group

This issue of Touchstone, a newsletter from the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group, delves into various aspects of earth mysteries, archaeology, and ancient sites, with a primary focus on a pierced standing stone in Wells, Somerset.

A Sighting Stone at Wells

The lead article, "A Sighting Stone at Wells," investigates a standing stone with two holes located on the lawn of Wells and Mendip Museum. Initially thought to be a recent gatepost due to iron fixings, research by Barry Lane, Hon. Curator of the Museum, suggests it is likely a prehistoric standing stone. The stone, approximately 1.60 m high and roughly shaped from Chilcote limestone, has a large sub-rectangular hole (100 x 130 mm) and a smaller, less noticeable circular drilled hole. Two iron pintles were added later, likely to convert it into a gatepost in the 19th century. The stone is recorded in the Somerset Historic Environment Record (number 24790).

Historical Background of the Wells Stone

Herbert Balch, founder of Wells Museum, first recorded the stone in 1924, noting its pierced aperture and suggesting its connection to prehistoric sites and ceremonies. He speculated that human bones found nearby at the Golf Links might be from a Bronze Age burial. Balch later consulted Dean Armitage Robinson of Wells Cathedral, who linked the stone to the "Hokerstone" mentioned in 14th-century manuscripts, supposedly located on Cathedral Green. However, evidence for this theory is lacking. In 1949, Balch moved the stone to the museum's garden. Lane suggests that the stone was originally erected on Tor Hill so its pierced hole offered a view of Pen Hill, where a Neolithic long barrow is situated. The orientation of the holes may have been deliberate, similar to other standing stones on Mendip that align with specific landscape features.

Landscape Context and Ley Lines

The article explores the landscape context of the Wells stone and its potential connection to ley lines. The large hole on the stone, when oriented north, aligns with a ley that passes through various points, including a multijunction on the Fosse Way, St. Michael Line, and eventually to the long barrow at Pen Hill. The small hole ley, pointing north-west, aligns with another long barrow west of Priddy. These alignments are described as "good leys."

The issue also features a section on "Theories on the Structure of Ley Energy" by Rienk Noordhuis. Noordhuis proposes that ley width can indicate the ley's size and its vertical position. He suggests that leys are flattened vertically, with a dense core of high energy, approximately 6-8 paces wide. He also notes that wider leys (e.g., twenty paces) are significant on a regional scale and provide a sense of space and timelessness, while narrower leys (6-8 paces) can sometimes be felt as vibrations. He theorizes that leys might be crucial for keeping the earth together, and weakening them could cause disruption.

Archaeological Discoveries

Pagans Hill Temple Site: The magazine details the excavation of a Romano-British temple site on Pagans Hill by Philip Rahtz between 1949 and 1951. The site, overlooking the River Chew, yielded temple foundations, a well (17 meters deep), and artifacts indicating occupation before the Roman period, including Iron Age pottery and a coin from c335-7. Evidence of post-Roman use was also found. Initially thought to be a beacon, the double-octagonal temple building had an inner cella and an outer ambulatory. Among the artifacts found in the well was an unusual sculpture of a dog made of Doulting Stone.

Glastonbury Abbey: The issue includes information about the "vetusta ecclesia" or "old church" at Glastonbury Abbey, based on a charter of Abbot Robert of Winchester. The conventual seal provides the only known representation of Glastonbury before the great fire of 1184, showing the monastic church and the wattle church with its distinctive turrets and pyramidal roof.

Other Articles and Features

The Invisible Pyramids: This section reports on the discovery of seventeen "lost" pyramids and numerous tombs and settlements in Egypt, identified using satellite imagery that combines infra-red and high-resolution photography to reveal hidden structures beneath the sand. Egyptologist Dr. Sarah Parcak led the research.

Book Review: "The Bones of Avalon" by Phil Rickman is reviewed by Norman Darwen. The novel is described as a stand-alone work dealing with earth mysteries, featuring Elizabethan mage John Dee searching for King Arthur's bones in Glastonbury.

Notes and News: This section announces two upcoming "moots" (gatherings) at Avebury organized by the Network of Ley Hunters and the Society of Leyhunters in March and April 2012, featuring various speakers and walks related to ley lines and ancient sites.

Book and CD-ROM Promotions: Several publications are promoted: "The Hidden Unity and Beginnings" by Jimmy Goddard, "Earth People, Space People" by Tony Wedd, and a CD-ROM titled "The Legacy of Tony Wedd." These cover topics such as subconscious ley siting, earth energy, antigravity, extraterrestrial contact, and lost technology.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of Touchstone are the investigation of ancient sites, particularly standing stones and their landscape alignments, the exploration of ley lines and earth energies, and the connection between archaeology and historical records. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into earth mysteries, presenting research and theories from various contributors while encouraging further discussion and investigation. There is a clear emphasis on the historical and geographical context of these phenomena within the British Isles, particularly Somerset.