Published: 17/04/2023
I had known about Royston Cave for years but only visited recently. It’s a man made cave eight meters below the centre of Royston at the crossing of Icknield Way and Ermine Street. It appears to date from the fourteenth century and remains something of a puzzle.
As you descend underground, you enter a very different world. The stone walls of the cave are filled with medieval carvings. These are mainly Christian and include saints and depictions of the crucifixion. There are also symbols relating to the Knights Templar and freemasonry. In contrast to the Christian carvings, there are a few pagan ones, notably a pagan fertility goddess.
The eighteenth century graffiti serve as a reminder that the cave fell into disuse and was rediscovered in that period. What it was is the subject of debate - hermitage, private chapel, meeting place for the Knights Templar, freemasons’ lodge?
The cave took me back on a journey to the Middle Ages and gave me the opportunity to see something I had intended to visit for a long time.
More information can be found at https://www.roystoncave.co.uk/
