Haunted Isle of Sheppey by Neil Arnold

Author:Neil Arnold
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780750956987
Publisher: The History Press
Published: 2014-03-28T04:00:00+00:00

Beware of the gatehouse ghouls!

Mr Slade, after extensive research, revealed a trio of wells in the surrounding area of the gatehouse. The area was believed to have sat on a ley line (ley lines are rumoured to be ancient trackways which run across the landscape joining certain sites of historical and geographical interest), with Slade’s research based on theories made in the 1950s by author Robert Goodsall, who published details of the Minster Abbey ley line, said to stretch across Kent, ending its course in the neighbouring county of Sussex. The ley line was said to have passed right through three ancient wells on the island and end at Minster. According to Slade, there may have been an ancient stone structure similar to Stonehenge, but this was destroyed by St Sexburgha’s husband and the stones were used to build the current building. According to Eason, ‘The large boulder at the Abbey entrance, embedded in the wall of the King’s Arms public house in Minster, is said to be all that remains of the ancient temple.’

Brian Slade excavated the three wells of Minster, and at the first, the Well of the Triple Goddess, he discovered ‘an image that may date back to pre-Celtic times’. According to rumour this image was handled by an archaeologist whose wife had struggled to conceive a child resulting in several miscarriages; nine months later, however, she gave birth to a beautiful daughter. Eason adds that, ‘Five other “miracle” babies have been born to parents who were experiencing fertility or pregnancy difficulties and who have handled the image.’

In the second well an emblem representing Diana Triformis was unearthed. Diana was known as the triple goddess, represented by a young woman (maiden), a birth-giving matron (mother) and an elderly woman (crone). These three variants were said to represent three differing phases of the moon with the maiden signifying the new moon, the matron characterising the full moon and the crone as a sign of the waning moon.

In the third well a bronze ritual object was discovered, and was believed to have given the waters of the well curative properties.

‘But what has all of this got to do with the woman in white?’ I hear you ask.

Well, in 1996 Mr Slade had a peculiar encounter whilst sitting up in bed. Mr Slade’s home at the time was situated close to the ley line, and he had been pondering a summary he had written for a book in regards to an ancient Celtic goddess when his attention was suddenly drawn to a woman standing at the foot of his bed. The figure was glowing in white, dressed in white robes and yet vanished before his eyes. He recalled, ‘I have seen the White Lady before several times out of the corner of my eye and beyond the field of vision, an indistinct shape beyond my bedroom door.’

Brian wondered if his archaeological forays at the wells had somehow triggered this motherly goddess. However, whilst some could argue that maybe, just maybe,

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.