June 2005 - Maker and Rame

Peace and War

Layers of lifetimes on the Rame Peninsula

From stone-built churches on ancient foundations, to recycled WWII nissen huts, Maker and Rame are about as English as you can get.

On a bright Cornish morning, a gentle south-westerly breeze wafted across Whitsand Bay and 16 TDs turned up to investigate this (thankfully) largely undisturbed corner of our patch.

We gathered at the 13th century Rame church. The energy present in the graveyard was evident - in the church itself it was almost tangible. For those, like myself, for whom deviceless dowsing is a distant aspiration, this little sanctuary is as close as you can get to touching another world.

The tower of the church marks the crossing of two major ley lines, indicating the importance of the site way back into pre-history. The interior is resplendent with crossing earth energies and their associated spirals - and the whole atmosphere is quietly electric.

Several members found two entities in the building - one male, one female, both of whom seemed comfortable enough with their timeless lot. Larry and Jen even managed to name one of them - with the assistance of the list of former rectors displayed on the wall. A real first for the TDs on tour.

There were a number of downward vortices in the church, easily sensed without rods, grounding the passing congregation and providing that virtual bridge to another plane, inherent in a sacred space.

In amongst this esotericism, new arrivals Henry and Linda were finding their feet, after diving into the deep end of divining. Some passing tourists were also encouraged to join in - and they made surprisingly good progress. People were turning up to aimlessly pass away a few minutes on their way to the pub - and emerging half-way to another reality.

A peregrine falcon came to investigate the featherless visitors.

There was much more to see and sense here, not least the traces of former buildings on the site - perhaps even those relating to St Germanus (circa AD400). But more of this another day - time for lunch.We adjourned for refreshment to the Maker Camp Outdoor Centre - a very different sort of dowsing. This windy ridge overlooking Plymouth Sound has long been a military installation, with gun emplacements and redoubts from Napoleonic times, right up to the concrete and nissen huts of the Second World War - which now provide accommodation for young people with a more hopeful prospects.

After an excellent buffet, courtesy of Tony the Centre Manager, we were rapidly absorbed into the site, in a way that has become something of a trademark of the TDs. People wandered off in all directions to investigate the shadows of former buildings - some from the 1940s, others dating back to the round houses of the Bronze Age. With its magnificent panorama and defensible approaches, this place has seen human activity and habitation since the dawn of time.

Some people found bands of earth energy - both positive and negative, wells were located, ley lines identified and the remanence of past occupants noted. Allan found sculptural artifacts in a bonfire - with the perceptive eye of the intuitive artist.

The solidly built nearby Barrack block was in a sad state. The centre hopes to bring it back into useful occupation, if funding and agency interest can be located. In the meantime, it stands abandoned and vandalised. Possibly a former hospital, it seemed to emanate uncomfortable energy. Cleansing on a number of levels is long overdue for this potential peoples' Parador .

As we gradually reconvened in the car park, a passing cyclist was encouraged to 'have a go' - and turned out to be something of a star performer. Tony, the Centre Manager, proved to have a natural talent for dowsing, which will hopefully result in him too joining us - out of season.

Maker and Rame really are sites for all seasons - from the sublime to the serious, the sensual to the spiritual. We didn't have time to visit the ancient Rame Chapel, the sister church at Maker or the nearby Iron Age fort - so much to do on another visit!

Many thanks indeed to Ruth (some of whose ancestors lie in Rame churchyard) and John for organising the day and providing the script, to Tony for the catering and for making us welcome - and to all those who helped the new and temporary group members.

Nigel Twinn

Tamar Dowsers

June 2005