Oct 2022 - Lewannick to St Clether

This quest began as a result of attending Lewannick Village Hall for weekly recuperation exercises following a serious lung operation I experienced in 2016. The group was always happy and well motivated, and I regained my core strength successfully. Towards the end of the nine weeks, I mentioned how good it had been to one of the physiotherapy nurses, and I asked if their other groups elsewhere were so happy and successful. She replied that she always looked on this Lewannick group as her best by far. Ah ha! I thought, having dowsed a strong and nurturing line in the church adjacent to the hall!

Also around that time, I visited my favourite local site, St Clether Holy Well and Chapel, to give thanks for my healing - and it struck me that the energies felt nearly identical. Over the next few years, I occasionally map dowsed the area between both and marked out a possible line travelling thtough Trewen Church, Laneast Church and then on to St Clether. Thus, this quest was born.

We began our journey at Lewannick Church in inclement weather, and thus we had a low turnout, but were gratefully joined by two new Tamar Dowsers members Claire and Vanessa.

The church has been built on an ancient pagan site (a lan), and was quite possibly dedicated to the Goddess, as there were many symbols of the divine feminine - the Venus Star prominent on the font, and also a spiral, a labyrinth etc. The line was identified by all, and found to encompass most of the width, with a power point before the chancel, probably where the original sacred centre had been located. The church has a very nurturing south aisle, which is being used as a place of quiet prayer - with a beautiful altar cloth, soft comfortable chairs and the Mothers Union banner...all very feminine! Also, there is a Venus Star symbol in one of the stained glass windows. Above, it has a tall tower (as does Laneast) almost out of proportion to the small church.

This was a place of gentle energy dedicated to St Martin, who, it was told, had given his cloak to a beggar, who turned out to be Jesus (more nurture!). Near the font, there is a curious seven-holed sacred oil burner - that number representing the Venus Star - and there are lilies, yet another symbol of the divine feminine, carved into the stone screen beyond the altar table at the east window. We also noticed the ancient ogham stones - the one outside dowsed as having been moved, but only by a few yards.

We then walked down a track nearby to visit Blaunders Well. This was once quite famed for never running dry, but was in a sorry state, with a concrete cover. However, when I lifted the cover, many orbs were released - and seemed delighted to be free. A magic moment (see right).

Following the energy line, we left Lewannick and, following the map-dowsed points, we arrived at Trewen Church, which has had additions and alterations over the years.

It is dedicated to St Michael and All Saints, with two wells opposite by the side of the road. On a grassy area nearby, there is yet another well, but this water may have been drawn from one of the other wells.

This simple, modest ancient church with only a small bell tower has the line passing through it, which David Lockwood confirmed. Also of considerable interest, we spotted many stars and also, again, the Venus Star carved into the ancient timbers of the roof of the porch. There is also a flower of life carving over the south door. Again, a very peaceful and nurturing vibe was felt.

Then it was time for a well-earned lunch and a rest at David and Denise's charming, ancient and most definitely once-religious home, almost adjacent to the church, before driving on, via the map-dowsed points to Laneast Church, dedicated to St Sidwell.

She was killed with a scythe on the orders of her stepmother, and is always shown carrying a sheath of corn (a symbol that had also been seen at Lewannick). She is the patron saint of Exeter Cathedral, where she is buried. Her well, now called 'Jordan's Well', is on private land nearby - and it was known as a wishing well by the local folk.

There are Green Man carvings on the roof and pew ends - also symbols of the feminine Flower of Life on the font, and a Venus Star in a window. The bench ends, as at Altarnun Church, are beautifully carved and the font is almost a replica of the one at Altarnun. We felt a strong energy connection here between the churches at Altarnun and Trewen, and a sense of peace - also that they were part of a special geomantic energy alignment.

The line was identified again here at Laneast - and we set off for St Clether.

At St Clether church, some dowsed and found the site non-energetic. We went on down into the Inny Valley to the Holy Well and Chapel (pictured below) - a beautiful and favourite sacred place, where we were joined by Sheila and Jim. After a short ceremony to celebrate Sawhain, we sat in peace and surrendered to the vibe of the place and today's journey's end and to give thanks .... The well water was quite low, but it was still magical.

On returning to the cars, we dowsed and confirmed the line again, and Sheila noticed that the line, after passing a suspiciously energy-bent pine tree, divided before the west tower, avoiding entering St Clether Church itself - and instead passes either side of the church. We were shown by Sheila, who had been dowsing there previously, a strange feature in the north wall - a small ground-level filled-in arch, at the base of an annexe and on a level with the path - another mystery yet to be solved. The divided lines happily joined up once more at the east of the church.

A successful day’s questing. Now we can definitely say that those sites are intimately connected energetically.

A lovely, interesting and sharing day of dowsing and discovering. Blessed be.

Stuart Dow and Helen Fox

A full collection of pictures from the day can be found via this link https://photos.app.goo.gl/gYQ28PZz3vRUJZ3BA