Stiffleaf's photos with the keyword: cave

crucifix at top, and one of the figures at right seems to be a bishop, with mitre, staff, and pallium. most of the figures in here are just tokens, or unfinished.

figure marked with cross and holding a sword, probably st.george, as being a favoured image of the late middle ages. in the man made cave under royston in herts. covered in late mediaeval religious carvings

looking up into the roof of the bottle shaped man made cave under royston in herts. covered in mediaeval religious carvings. one of these holes in the roof was the original entrance, so this was no shrine or chapel. the current passage was cut in georgian times. there is no sign of there having been an upper floor; claims that one stood on posts are ridiculous and impractical, as the obvious means of support would have been to cut joist holes into the soft chalk. so access had always to be via rope or ladder; if long term use was considered then something easier would have been sorted out. I lean more and more to its having been a prison, and the rustic carvings the work of bored prisoners of the c15 or c16.

man made cave under royston in herts. covered in mediaeval religious carvings of images common in churches of the time, albeit rather amateur versions. this could be the holy sepulchre, with the angel seated on the end of christ's tomb.

hand releasing dove, in the man made cave under royston in herts. covered in mediaeval religious carvings, some 10 cm. deep reliefs, some just graffiti. none are stylish enough nor formally enough designed to be anything to do with organised religion, nor the templars or freemasons.

figure claimed as a sheela-na-gig in the man made cave under royston in herts. covered in mediaeval religious carvings. not from the period when most of these warnings against sin were carved in the mid c12, nor does the figure hold herself as they do. this could just as well be bored prisoner's graffiti: being in a hole in the ground that was only accessible through a hole in the roof it is hardly in the best place to teach of the dangers of sin.

st.lawrence with his gridiron, a favourite c15 image carved here in the man made cave under royston in herts. which is covered in mediaeval religious carvings up to head height. also here are crowned figures marked with crosses.

man made cave under royston in herts. covered in mediaeval religious carvings

man made cave under royston in herts. covered in mediaeval religious carvings

man made cave under royston in herts. covered in mediaeval religious carvings

some of the crowds of religious figures carved in the man made cave under royston in herts. in the late middle ages.

christ's tomb with an angel sitting on the end , and st.christopher carrying the christ child, with a row of 15 saints below. in the man made cave under royston in herts. covered in late mediaeval religious carvings.

some of the many rough token mediaeval figures carved in the bottle shaped man made cave under royston in herts. covered in what seem mostly to be religious carvings

figure marked with cross holding up sword in the man made cave under royston in herts. covered mostly in mediaeval religious carvings

man made cave under royston in herts. covered in mediaeval religious carvings

crowned figure with arms up in prayer or praise in the man made cave under royston in herts., which is covered in mediaeval religious carvings. most are of rough execution and are unfinished; they seem to date from anywhere between 1350 and 1550, are unofficial, home made as it were, and are in a bottle shaped cavern difficult of access until a modern entry was cut.

horse, figure, sword nad target. the figure is claimed to be a sheela-na-gig, but whilst it is possibly meant to be a woman, this was carved later than most, and hasn't the same positioning of the arms. this man made cave under royston in herts. covered in mediaeval religious carvings attracts all sort of nutty speculation that it does not need to be of interest .

man made cave under royston in herts. covered in mediaeval religious carvings