Because, honestly, it looks pretty much like an ordinary rabbit hole.However, the tunnel actually unearths untouched caves which were used by followers of the Knights Templars – a medieval religious order that fought in the Crusades.
The first mention of the Templars refers to the era of King Henry II.
King Henry II (1154–1189) granted the Templars land across England, The Templar estate at Cressing Temple in Essex was one of the very earliest and largest Templar estates in England.
In 1200, Pope Innocent III issued a Papal Bull declaring the immunity of persons and goods within the houses of the Knights Templar from local laws.
King Richard I (1189–1199) confirmed the Templars' land holdings and granted them immunity from all pleas, suits danegeld and from murdrum and latrocinium.
In 1312, under further pressure from King Philip IV of France, Pope Clement V officially disbanded the Order at the Council of Vienne. In 1314, the Templar leaders in France were executed, some by being burned at the stake. Clement issued a Papal Bull which granted the lands of the Templars to the Knights Hospitaller, but this was ignored until 1324. Starting in 1347, the priests started letting (renting) part of the Temple to lawyers, from which the evolution of the Inner Temple and Middle Temple as Inns of Court derives.
Templars were forced to hide, including in dungeons. The Hertford Mercury newspaper reported a warren of Templar tunnels beneath the town of Hertford.
Modern tradition has it that after the persecution began the Templars were forced to meet in caves, tunnels and cellars in Hertfordshire and elsewhere in southeast England.
In the August 1742 workmen accidentally stumbled upon Royston Cave, hidden under a heavy millstone and a covering of soil. The cave's discovery created much excitement. Today, it still awes and inspires visitors who can see carvings depicting, among other images, knights, Saint George and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Before the brief persecution, the Templars, assuming the cave was theirs, had no reason to hide below the ground, and they had wealth and access to stonemasons if they required religious carvings. It is thus suggested by storytellers and a few historians that Royston Cave is evidence 'fugitive' Templars continued to meet and worship in secret after the disbandment.
There have been some highly questionable claims made about Royston Cave and its history, including the suggestion that its Templar builders may, in effect, have been early Freemasons. However, no evidence of this link has been produced at this time.
More information about the Templars:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar_in_England
The incredible caves are hidden less than a metre beneath a farmer’s field.Photographer Michael Scott, from Birmingham, set out in search of the historical wonder after seeing a video of it online.
The unassuming hole reveals a cave which is hidden less than a metre beneath a farmers field (Picture: Michael Scott/ Caters News)
The untouched caves, in Shropshire, date back 700 years (Picture: Michael Scott/ Caters News)
They were used by the Knights Templars (Picture: Michael Scott/ Caters News)
The Knights Templars are a medieval religious order that fought in the Crusades (Picture: Michael Scott/ Caters News)
Candles light up the cave (Picture: Michael Scott/ Caters News)
Photographer Michael Scott, from Birmingham, set out in search of the historical wonder (Picture: Michael Scott/ Caters News)
The 33-year-old said: ‘I traipsed over a field to find it, but if you didn’t know it was there you would just walk right past it.
‘It’s probably less than a metre underground, so it’s more into the field than under it.
‘Considering how long it’s been there it’s in amazing condition, it’s like an underground temple.’
The tunnel leads to a network of walkways which are ‘completely untouched’, and filled with beautifully carved arches.
Michael added, however, that the cave was quite cramped – so those nearing six feet tall would have to bend down to fit in.
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