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Royston
Cave is a man-made cavern in the shape of a bell, with a small aperture at
the top for ventilation and is believed to be unique. It is renowned
for the extensive range of wall carvings which represent, among other
things, the Crucifixion, the Holy Family and a number of saints, including
St Katherine, St Laurence and St Christopher. They bear a strong
resemblance to Knights Templar carvings found in other parts of the world
and indicate that the cave may have been used by them. |
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Please click on images for larger
versions
The car ving
believed to be King David has an unmistakable similarity to this
initial letter from an illuminated psalter illustrating the 69th psalm in
which he makes an impassioned plea to God for forgiveness and strength:
Save me, O Lord, for the waters
are come into my soul.
I sink in the deep mire where there is no standing;
I am come into the deep
waters,
Mine eyes fail as I wait
for my God.
It shows him in great distress pointing at the carving said to represent the
Grand Master of the Templars who had been prevented from rebuilding the
Temple of Solomon.
Legend has it that St Katherine, an accomplished lady of high
birth and great beauty, was
tortured by being stretched on four wheels and then beheaded for her
steadfast faith and virtue.
St Christopher, the Patron Saint of Travellers, is said to have carried
the Christ child across a fast-flowing and hazardous river, and this gave
him his name - The Bearer of Christ. In due course he suffered
martyrdom, probably in the third century. Situated on the northern
side of the Cave, his image was usually to be found in mediaeval churches.
Travellers would enter by the south door and look upon the image of St
Christopher.
The identification of Richard 1, who was closely associated with the
battles of the Crusades, and his Queen Berengaria, is based largely on the
position of Berengaria's crown; this is suspended over her head rather
than resting on it, which suggests that although she was a queen she was
never actually crowned.
St Laurence was a deacon in Rome and when he was commanded to pay tax
on any collection or bequest to the Church he refused, claiming that he
regarded the people as being the riches of the Church, not gold, silver or
jewels. Consequently in 258 he was condemned to be bound to a griddle
and roasted to death. An early Christian saint, he bears the gridiron
as seen in the carving as a symbol of his martyrdom.
The carving of Two knights on one horse is a symbol representing the
vow of poverty which was undertaken by the Knights Templar as individuals.
It applied only to personal possessions for they were not in the least poor,
that is to say, they may not have actually owned horses but the Order was
well supplied with them and was in fact extremely wealthy.
The cave is administered by Royston and District Local History Society and
is open on Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays from 2.30 to 5 pm (last
entry 4.30 pm) from
Easter to the last Sunday in September, and during August is also open on
Wednesdays between 2.30 and 5 pm (again, last entry 4.30). The cave is prone to flooding
and is liable to be closed without warning if there has been heavy rain,
so it is advisable to phone The Town Hall (tel: 01763 245484) between Monday
and Friday for the most recent information. Up-to-date
information will also appear on the
Royston Cave
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