Bell-shaped chamber carved into chalk bedrock beneath a crossroads in Royston, England, discovered in 1742 but believed to date to medieval times. Wall carvings include a figure matching the Oak Island lead cross, a brick dated 1347, and a depiction of Melusine connected to the Rochefoucauld family.
About This Site
Royston Cave is a bell-shaped artificial chamber carved into the chalk bedrock beneath the crossroads at the centre of Royston, Hertfordshire, England, a town founded in 1184 that was once part of the Roman Empire. The cave was first documented in 1742 when workmen discovered it beneath a market stall. The chamber's centre circle measures close to 13 feet in diameter, and its walls are covered with carved figures, religious scenes, and symbolic imagery that researchers have attributed to the Knights Templar. The cave is widely interpreted as a Templar initiation chamber, hidden beneath a commercial building to conceal its ritual function during and after the suppression of the order. The carvings include crucifixion scenes, figures of saints, and symbols that connect to Templar iconography found across Europe.
Connection to Oak Island
In Season 10, Marty Lagina, Alex Lagina, and Charles Barkhouse visited Royston Cave with researcher and author Gretchen Cornwall. Marty noted that the chamber's centre circle of close to 13 feet matched the diameter of the original Money Pit, and the group discussed similarities to the Initiation Well they had observed at Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal.
Gretchen pointed out a carving she believed depicted the figure portrayed on the lead cross found on Oak Island, noting the tilted head and the longer arm on one side, details that also echoed a carving found in the Templar prison at Domme, France. She then showed them a brick inscribed with the number 1347, the same date that appeared on Zena Halpern's Templar map of Oak Island, which Marty suggested could be a commemorative stone marking the Templars' departure. Gretchen identified another carving as a representation of Melusine, a half-human, half-fish goddess from the sixth century whom the Rochefoucauld family claims as an ancestress. She showed the group a photograph from the Château de Rochefoucauld where Melusine holds up a platform for a bust. Alex observed that a connection to the Rochefoucaulds would represent another link to Zena Halpern's map, tying the cave's carvings to both the Templar tradition and the specific French noble family whose name has appeared repeatedly in the Oak Island investigation.
Fieldwork Notes
Visited during Season 10 by Marty Lagina, Alex Lagina, and Charles Barkhouse with researcher Gretchen Cornwall. The team documented the 13-foot diameter matching the Money Pit, a lead cross figure carving, the 1347 date brick matching Zena Halpern's map, and the Melusine carving connecting to the Rochefoucauld family.
