Joseph Beldam, The Origin and Use of the Royston Cave

First published 1858. Scanned from the 5th edition, Warren Brothers, Royston, June 1904.

The author of this short book argues that the carvings in the Royston Cave date from the late 12th century, and that some of them commemorate events of that period. His conclusions provide an alternative to the theory best known today, that the Cave was associated with the Knights Templar.

In the scanned edition the publishers added a memoir of the author and a couple of footnotes, but the main text has only trivial differences from the first edition.

The Royston Cave, though unique in Britian, has some resemblance to the rock-cut chamber at Svojkov in the Czech Republic. See the article by E. Gebauer on this Web site, and the more recent article by Philip Coppens.

The digitized version contains the following Web pages:

TEXT
Prelims:	A brief memoir of the late Joseph Beldam, F.S.A.
	Contents
Web §1:	Introduction
	The town of Royston and its vicinity
	The old cross
	Discovery of the Cave, and its first appearance
	Subsequent alterations and present appearance
Web §2:	Later examination and further description
	The grave
	Original contruction and purpose of the Cave
	Comparison with Oriental caves
	Conversion into a Christian oratory
	Decorations of the oratory
Web §3:	Explanation of the sculptures [part 1]
Web §4:	Explanation of the sculptures [part 2]
Web §5:	The Hermitage
	Continued use and final abandonment of the oratory
	Recapitulation
	Description of plates

TEXT

Prelims:

A brief memoir of the late Joseph Beldam, F.S.A.

Contents

Web §1:

Introduction

The town of Royston and its vicinity

The old cross

Discovery of the Cave, and its first appearance

Subsequent alterations and present appearance

Web §2:

Later examination and further description