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Trip to
the Wessex Astrum (Photos here)
Our trip
this year was to the Wessex Astrum, which is a geometric figure of leys on the
landscape making a hexagram.
We all met
in Wotton under Edge to begin our trip to look at the Wessex Astrum. Our
first stop was to look at the outside of the Ram Inn, which is no longer an inn
but a private house. There are dark and mysterious tales about this building. It
is reputed to be 12th century and was used to accommodate the
builders of the church of St Mary Virgin in the town.
Nearby is a
footpath alongside a stream which leads to more than one well or spring. We
found the spring we were interested in, but it had litter in it and had not been
very well looked after.
We next
walked to the church and found possible remnants of a stone circle in which it
had been built. The site of a standing stone was found near the west end of the
church and fault lines were found, one running east/west the length of the
church and another coming in at an angle from the south. Several parallel lines
were also found along the path from the town and there were other lines running
parallel to the church and crossing the path. The grave with a pyramid had been
removed from the churchyard (this was the grave of a mason who had worked on the
church). We wondered why it had been removed.
Two of our
number visited the gate house at Kingswood, which is all that is left of
the abbey there, and saw the outside of the church which was closed for
re-decoration. However they did spot a rose window hexagram and a star of David
as well as Masonic symbols in the windows (which were painted glass not
stained).
Our next
port of call was Hawkesbury, a small hamlet deep in the countryside near
a high hill on which there are barrows. Unfortunately it was by this time
drizzling and therefore not very safe to climb the steep hillside. The church
was opened up for us by Mary Beresford who kindly gave us a short talk on the
history, and let us see the priest’s room over the north porch. We found two sun
dials scratched onto the stone near the south door with a hole above each to
insert a thumb, in order to tell the time. Underneath it looked as if an old
grave stone had been incorporated into the wall. We found some water lines, one
of which started east of the little door in the north east of the building and
came under the church at an angle through the pews and disappeared by the
pulpit. We wondered if a channel by the soggy ground outside could be dug to
prevent the water making the church damp. Another water line ran east/west and
another came in at an angle, and yet another crossed under the altar. These last
two were 48 feet deep. We also found three ley lines running in parallel.
After all
our activities we were ready to find our accommodation for the night in
Beckington and met later in the Woolpack for a meal.
The next morning we drove to Bathford where we spent the morning. By
chance two people came to do some jobs at the church and opened the tower for
us. This gave us a wonderful view over the surrounding countryside, towards Bath
to the west and over the Avon valley. Two sight lines coming at right angles to
each other were also ‘visible’. One of the group observed that all the houses
near the church were new, and, taking into account that the frontage of the
churchyard was curved wondered if the yard had been at one time a full circle,
taking in all the land of the new buildings. A ley line was found coming over to
the church from the stone on the corner of Ostlings Lane, through the lych gate
to the northeast corner of the church and beyond to about two thirds of the way
northwards along the church wall on the south side. The church was full of
interest: a black line was found near the pulpit and positive energy found in
the pulpit. Strong spirals of energy were found by the font, the strongest where
the vicar would stand to baptise. The spirals were clockwise in the centre and
anti-clockwise at the corners where there were carved faces. In the churchyard
we were fascinated to find a grave stone commemorating a Christian wife and
Jewish husband. We also found an old stone carving of St Swithin, the patron
saint, on the back wall of the churchyard. This was saved from the previous
church when it was rebuilt in the 19th centuary.
In the
afternoon we visited Tellisford, where there is a delightful church and
also an old pack horse bridge, said to date back to at least Roman times. The
church was interesting. Again a black line was found near the pulpit but this
was accompanied by a parallel white line, maybe yin/yang balance? Later on
white bands were found on either side of the black line. High energy was again
found by the font and a wide band of energy running north/south was found to be
the width of the church.
Our final
place of the day was Rode, where the church was opened especially for us.
This church has an interesting tradition of ‘clypping’ which takes place every
other year. The congregation hold hands and surround the church and dance around
the building. It is also performed at Painswick and a church in Yorkshire. Again
high energy was found near the font and also at the four corners of the tower
base, three anti-clockwise spirals and one ‘yes’ line. We also found a
north/south energy line acorss the nave, west of the north porch, which was
picked up outside the church on both sides, and a detrimental line was found at
the foot of the chancel steps.
By this time
we were all tired and went to our various lodgings for a rest before meeting for
an evening meal.
Day three
started at Stoke St Michael. So far we had been working our way along
part of the central axis of the astrum, but today we went along part of the
Michael line, or Beltaine alignment. We visited the church and also the
spring/well. The feeling was that this was an ancient site where the community
had become split. An ancient water line ran from the spring to a Holy Well, the
site of which could now be under a property. Strong energy was found round the
font and an energy line was found parallel with the altar wall all across the
churchyard. The Michael Line was also found going through the church and in the
cemetery, and was really wide northeast of the church. There was a line running
east/west with bands of colour in it.
In the
afternoon we went to Beacon Hill through which the Fosse Way runs. In
this wood we found some ancient circles and a standing stone which had strong
energy of a pentagon with six pointed stars within. Two crossing leys were found
and nodal points up the megalith. The stone was thought to be 1,800 years old by
more than one person and placed as part of a building, perhaps for religious or
community use. We then went to another site where the Fosse Way and the Michael
Line intersect, but we could not find this.
Finally we
went back to Rode, which is the central hub of the astrum, to Christchurch
which is privately owned, to look at a nearby stone where the Beltaine and
Samhain lines intersect. In fact there were two stones about two yards apart and
both had two lines intersecting through them. One line went through the larger
stone, across the road and into the corner of the church. There was a parallel
line from the smaller stone. Energy spirals were found round the larger stone.
We wondered when the stone was put there, but no-one dowsed to find out.
Our final
evening was happily spent over a meal and a drink discussing the day’s doings.
We started
the fourth day, which was spent on part of the Samhain line, at Norton St
Philip where we visited the church and the spring/well. There was an
attractive pathway between the pub and a house from the main street leading to
the church, from which we could see a good view of the church.
Before
travelling home we looked at St Andrew’s church in Chew Magna with its ancient
preaching cross in the churchyard.
Some members
of the group went to Brockley church which is one of the western nodes of the
astrum. Several of the windows in this church feature the astrum above the
figures in the glass. There is also an unusual pulpit made of stone and set
quite high in the north wall. There is a stairway to it from a room behind. The
pews in the eastern half of the nave are all box pews and to the south side
there is a room which appears to be used for meetings. It is furnished with a
table and chairs and an electric fire. The church is looked after by the Church
Conservation Trust as it is redundant.
We all
enjoyed the trip but several sites had to be omitted each as the organiser had
been a little ambitious! Our thanks go to our two excellent drivers of the
minibus, Rob and Glan.
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