an elaborate network of secret tunnels and
passages beneath Hertford, the ancient
county town of Hertfordshire. These revelations are
restoring Hertfordshire to its rightful place in
Templar legend, and literally put Hertford on the
map in the Quest
for the Holy Grail, and there is more to
come.
Local historians were aware of only one part of
the network which was mapped in a document on
public record dated 1898. The newspaper details
numerous tunnels, many of which were blocked during
the last century, and shows photographs of two
other entrances. The existence, extent and purpose
of the tunnels were leaked to a journalist by
members of a mysterious secret society in the area
said to be related to the Knights Templar and the
Illuminati. Members
of the Knights Templar, a secret society
which still has members in the town, have spoken
for the first time about the underground lair used
by their forebears almost 1,000 years ago.
Emanating from the dungeons of Hertford Castle and
from Fore Street, stretch from Bluecoats to
County Hall, according to the group. Today,
many of the entrances to the subterranean
passages’ have been bricked up but, according
to the modern-day knights, some are still in use
&emdash; and may even be booby-trapped. THE labyrinth of “booby-trapped”
tunnels beneath the streets of the county town may
hold clues in the hunt for the Holy Grail,
according to Hertford members of a secret society.
The warren was used by the Knights Templar, a
society of warrior monks believed to be the keepers
of the Grail and the Ark of the Covenant. At the
heart of the maze of tunnels is Hertford
Castle. It was there, in 1309, that four of six
Templars from Bengeo were imprisoned following
their arrest by King Edward II, who believed they
were holding a lost treasure. Ben Acheson, a
modern-day Templar, said: “There are treasures
of immense importance underneath Hertford. The
people of Hertford should now be told something of
the labyrinth beneath them. “They have an
extensive, ancient and mostly secret Templar
heritage under their feet and it has been there for
hundreds of years. “It is time for Hertford to
begin to wake up to the shocking truth. The
labyrinth is important in unravelling the mysteries
of the Templars and the Grail.” Interest in
the legendary cup of Jesus, said to have been used
at the Last Supper and by Joseph of Aramithea to
catch Christ’s blood while he hung on the
cross, has been renewed by Dan Brown’s
best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code. . KNIGHT OF PASSION: Templar Ben Acheson says
the labyrinth of tunnels underneath Hertford is
important in unravelling the secrets of the
Templars and the Holy Grail. Templar faces East
holding large sword in ritual grip outside a
building at night. Sword held against chest like
metallic cross, blade points downward, butt by
chin, point by shins. White gloved hands hold sword
either side of hand-guard forming the horizontal
bar of the cross; left-hand holds handle,
right-hand holds blade.]
Tunnels under Threshers off license, left, and
Pizza Express, right, both in Fore Street, lend
weight to the idea that Hertford has a true
labyrinth of tunnels beneath the surface. SOURCE:
Hertfordshire Mercury, "The secrets of underground
Hertford", pp 16-17, 8 October 2004. The Order of the Knights Templar was founded by
a French Nobleman, Hugh de Payens and eight
companion knights in Jerusalem in 1118 or 1119 AD
as official protectors to pilgrims as they
journeyed to Jerusalem. And, whilst this principle
of protection was laudable, historic chronicles
have proved pitiless to their memory.
In 1308, the disbandment of the Templars was
demanded by the King of France, Philip the Fair,
and a significant part of the demise of the English
Knights Templar in the 13th Century, took place in
Hertfordshire under the orders of King Edward
II. ... A parchment
written in a Latin code, derived from the
eight-pointed Templar Cross, exists in the Mark
Masons Hall Library in St James’s, London. It
surfaced at a bric-a-brac sale in London in about
1911. It claims to list the Grand Masters through
the next five centuries. But none of the Templar
legends are yet to pass the tests of rigorous
scientific and academic proof. But, what we know of
the truth is fascinating enough in itself.
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means Court on the Heath. It has arisen from the
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Knights
Templar sword - Knights
Templar dagger - Knights
Templar history
AT a secret location in the town, Tim Acheson
declared: “We are now prepared to reveal a
secret we feel the people of Hertford should be
made aware of. There is an extensive labyrinth
right under their feet.
“We are talking here about a largely unknown,
indeed mostly secret, ancient underground network
that stretches beneath the town’s main street
and extends to Fore Street, Market Square,
Parliament Square, Hertford Castle, Church Street,
Bluecoats, Priory Street &emdash; and in fact
many, many other places. “It reaches beneath
well-known central Hertford locations, including
the tourist office, the Castle, Monsoon,
Threshers, the post office, Bayley Hall, and the
council offices, both within the Castle and in
County Hall.” One of these passages once
connected Shire Hall, now home to Hertford
Magistrates’ Court, to the Salisbury Arms in
Fore Street. Mercury photographer Mike Poultney was
there the day it was sealed 25 years ago.
Tim’s twin brother Ben said: “The Fore
Street section once extended to a substantial
section beneath Bluecoats School, which is still
accessible from certain buildings. “The
Bluecoats section has many secret side-chambers and
passages, one of which leads to chambers beneath
the old pub the Dolphin, as well as a massive
section beneath Priory Street. “The Priory
Street section was used by Templar mystics
operating secretly among the Christians of the
former long-gone Priory, which gave Priory Street
its name.” And Ben, who lives in Hertford,
claims that two secret societies still meet in the
tunnels. “The ancient subterranean labyrinth
beneath Hertford is quite extensive, although most
of it must for now remain secret &emdash; and some
chambers are still in use,” he said.
“Much of the network was made by the Templars
and secret societies linked to them. “Some of
this work took place long after the Order
officially disbanded in 1307. “Hertford’s
labyrinth could in fact provide the final proof
that the Templars disappeared underground &emdash;
both literally and metaphorically.” With so
many of the tunnels bricked up, it is hard to
verify all the Achesons’ claims. But the
Mercury, with the help of Hertford Museum, has
uncovered an old map showing a tunnel running from
Bailey Hall, which was said to run to what is now
Lussman’s restaurant in Fore Street, where
another secret society met. We have also found
blocked entrances to tunnels in Threshers in Fore
Street and in the tourist office. Ben said:
“All the sections of the secret Templar
labyrinth were once linked. Here are the parts that
I can tell you about. “Fore Street was once
the hub of the only part of the network that you
know about. No 42 Fore Street was once linked to
numerous chambers beneath Fore Street. “It is
still linked, via a passage recently blocked by the
previous owners of 42 Fore Street, reaching to
Bailey Hall and beyond. “This section also
branches out to the Old Vicarage, where the
Templar-founded Theosophical Society
co-founded a cell of another secret society, the
Knights Templar of Aquarius, via a local
mystic and medium whose ancestors once owned Bailey
Hall as well.” According to Ben, the chambers
host meetings not only of the Templars, but of the
Illuminati &emdash; a shadowy and powerful group
said to be bent on world domination and boasting
President George W Bush among its members. A recent
Sky TV documentary suggested that members of the
dark sect live in the town. “Some remain in
use by the Templars and the Illuminati,” said
Ben. “In places you can see where passages led
from some of the still-accessible parts of the
labyrinth, linking all of the above sections
together and leading to several still secret
tunnels and chambers. “We cannot yet reveal
details of these. There are also long-forgotten
sections beneath other parts of Hertford, as well
as in Royston and Temple Farm, near Bengeo.”
He said there are also branches beneath Church
Street leading to chambers around the dungeons and
vaults of Hertford Castle &emdash; one leads all
the way to County Hall. Sections of it are now
blocked and partially occupied by a Cold War
nuclear bunker under what is now Elbert Wurlings
bar and restaurant. “These once led to
sections beneath and around the crypt of All
Saints’ Church, as well as St Andrew Street
and beyond,” added Ben. Margaret Harris, of
Hertford Museum, said: “I only know for sure
about the Bailey Hall tunnel, which I believe was
used by the judges when it was a law court so that
they could get to All Saints’ Church nearby.
“That’s all I know and I’m quite
sceptical about this until I can see more proof.
But they are supposed to be secret.” A brief
history of the Knights Templar The Templars were an
international military order who formed during the
crusades in 1118 and grew in power and wealth until
their downfall in 1307, when King Philip arrested
all the Templars in France. Many escaped to England
and some settled in Hertford. Said to be the power
behind many of medieval Europe’s thrones, they
created the first ever banking system. Clients
could take a note to any Templar church in Europe
and withdraw money. Arguably no less important, the
knights also invented the biscuit during the
crusades. They would make a large flat bread and
bake it twice, to prevent it from becoming mouldy.
Some believe that the association of Friday 13th
and bad luck dates from when the Pope rounded up
all the Templars and accused them of heresy,
putting many to torture on that day in October
1312. The Templars are today a registered
non-governmental organisation (NGO) with Special
Consultative Status with the United Nations.
Local Templars still meet at Shire Hall in
Hertford.
Labyrinth points to Knight
moves and the Holy Grail
Some believe the grail proves that Jesus married
Mary Magdalene and bore his children, and that
their dynasty carries on today. As the Mercury
reported last month, Hertford has been put on the
grail trail due to its historic links with the
Knights Templar, who were believed to own a
legendary lost treasure. It was following a royal
order in 1309 that six Templars based at Temple
Dinsley near Hitchin were arrested. Two were sent
to the Tower of London and the remaining four to
Hertford Castle. According to earlier records,
dating from 1216, Temple Dinsley was “a small
and poor foundation”, but King Edward II
believed the Templars had a massive hoard of gold,
silver and precious jewels in a casket, said to be
buried nearby. The lost treasure, which some
believe to be the grail, has never been recovered.
Mr Acheson said cryptically: “There are some
things which we are able to reveal and some things
which we are not. “This is particularly true
in relation to the labyrinth. Most of it must
remain secret.” For security reasons, the
Mercury cannot reveal the locations of all the
tunnels as some connect to bank vaults in the town.
According to Mr Acheson, some may even be
booby-trapped, as in the Indiana Jones movies. He
said: “Some of the passages and chambers are
highly secret and a few are still in use. Some
parts may also have been rigged to collapse.
“If you do stumble upon any hidden entrances,
passages or chambers please do steer well clear, if
only for your own safety.” A cryptic clue was
left at Hertford’s tourist office this month
with a picture of a chalice accompanied by a note,
which read: “You may wish to display this to
your customers. The reason why will become clear in
due course. If it has not already.” It was
signed ‘The Order’.
HISTORICAL SNAPSHOT: Taken from an 1898 map
advertising the sale of Bayley Hall, a
'Subterranean passage' is clearly marked within the
grounds. Also visible are Bell Lane, leading north
from Bayley Hall, Church Street, leading north from
the top right of the picture, land to the South of
Bailey Hall, which is now the A414, and the Old
Vicarage, now a private residence(s).
Legends - England - Beds, Herts and
Bucks - The secrets of underground Hertford
... There are no
remains of the Templars’ Preceptory above
ground, but chance finds have been made, including
skeletons, a chalice, and the grave slab pictured
here. These were found during works to the east
wing of the house, which seems to have been the
location of the Templar chapel, at some point in
the 1880s.
Knoppenburg Manor in Belgium "Knoppenburg
Manor for sale "
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