Royston Cave
Beneath a busy crossroads in an English market town, workmen found a hidden bell-shaped cave, its walls covered in strange medieval carvings.
What was reported
In 1742, workmen digging in Royston, Hertfordshire, at the crossroads of two ancient roads, found a millstone covering a shaft. Below it was a bell-shaped chamber cut into the chalk, about 8 metres high, its walls carved with figures: saints, a crucifixion, knights, hands, hearts and symbols.
No one knows who made it or why. Theories include a secret chapel of the Knights Templar, a hermit's cell, a storeroom or a place of worship.
Explanations offered
Most historians think the carvings date from the Middle Ages, but the cave itself may be older. The Knights Templar theory is popular but unproven. It's open to visitors in summer.
- When
- Found in 1742
- Where
- Royston, Hertfordshire, England, UK
- Witnesses
- Workmen, then historians
- Status
- Origins debated
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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