The atmosphere of the place was almost tangible

Now the evenings are light until 9pm I often make little excursions on my way home.  One day during the week I went to look round a village in the south west corner of the county.  It wasn't much out of my way, and saved me going back there at the weekend.















Above:  the Ordnance Survey map shows evidence of crusader activity to the north of the village, and this is supported by records and archaeological excavations.  Note the way the bulge of the hill overlooks a little valley.  Also the plentiful supply of water.

Above:  the village itself has an enclosed, slightly claustrophobic aspect, with terraces of stone cottages arranged in narrow little streets.

Above:  I had to ask for the church to be opened (the church is dedicated to John the Baptist, often associated with Templar sites).  The door was decorated with medieval heads and flowers.  On either side of the door (not immediately apparent) are obscene carvings of the male and female genitals. 

Above:  inside there were a number of clues that suggested a Templar presence.   The building was small, but had transepts which indicate the existence of chapels for guilds and confraternities (useful in raising money and recruits for crusading activity).  The font has carvings of lilies, which are a Judean symbol of Jerusalem (as well as a symbol of the Virgin Mary).

Above:  most interesting of all is this huge grave stone behind the organ, surrounded by clutter.  The crusader cross is unmistakeable.  At the top of the stone there is a very crude portrait of a head (the head of John the Baptist, supposedly one of the Templar symbols?). 

Above:  a display board had details of the excavations on Temple Hill, which took place in the 1960s.  As you can see, the site included its own chapel.  Why the name "Temple" Hill - was this supposed to imitate the Temple Mount in Jerusalem?

Above:  I drove out into the countryside to the north of the village.  I was able to easily identify the site by the location of the streams.  It was about 7 o'clock, the evening beautiful, the air humid.

Above:  you can see my car parked down by the stream.  I walked back up the hill looking for a gap in the hedge.  Lush wild flowers covered the roadside verge.

Above:  dog roses in the thick hedge.  The exertion of walking up the hill in the humid air made me feel enervated.  Eventually I got into the field by climbing over a gate.

Above:  the field was completely overgrown with weeds and undergrowth.  I had been hoping to see the outline of the site in the ground, but this was not possible.  The atmosphere of the place was almost tangible - secretive, sagacious, presentimental.

Above:  later at home I reread Professor Jonathan Riley-Smith's article on Confraternities in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.  Much work still needs to be done in this area.  For instance, there are thousands of medieval wills that have not been published, and I am sure that they some of them will show donations to confraternities supporting crusader activity.