Alfred Watkins
Encyclopedia
Alfred Watkins was a businessman, self-taught amateur archaeologist and antiquarian
who, while standing on a hillside in Herefordshire, England, in 1921 experienced a revelation and noticed on the British
landscape
the apparent arrangement of straight lines positioned along ancient features, and subsequently coined the term ley line
s because they passed through places whose names contained the syllable
ley.
to an affluent family which had moved to the town in 1820 to establish several businesses including a flour-mill, a hotel and brewery. Watkins travelled across Herefordshire
as an 'out-rider' representing the family businesses and so got to know the area intimately.
Watkins was also a respected photographer. He made some cameras himself and manufactured an exposure meter
called the 'Watkins Bee Meter' due to its small size and efficiency. An example is in the Museum Resource & Learning Centre, Hereford, and one accompanied Robert Falcon Scott
to the South Pole. He was an active member of the Photographic Convention of the United Kingdom
and served as its President when the Convention was held in Hereford in 1907.
On 30 June 1921, Watkins visited Blackwardine
in Herefordshire when he had the idea that there was a system of straight lines crossing the landscape dating from Neolithic
times. He presented his ideas at a meeting of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club
of Hereford in September 1921, and published his first books Early British Trackways in 1922 and The Old Straight Track
in 1925. Thereafter he spent a major part of his life developing his theory. He published a further book on ley lines and participated in the Old Straight Track Club from 1927 to 1935 (the papers from this organisation are also in the Hereford City Museum).
Watkins' ideas are not generally accepted by archaeologists. At first it was thought was that the ancient Britons were too primitive to have devised such an arrangement, but this is no longer the argument used against the existence of ley lines. More crucially there are so many ancient features that finding some in approximate alignment is highly likely. Watkins was sensitive to such arguments and argued for caution. He also drew up a list according to which landscape features could be given values between 1/4 and 1 point, five points or more being required as evidence of a ley line.
Watkins was a member of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
, an authority on beekeeping
and a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society
. He was also involved in the preservation of Pembridge, Herefordshire Market Hall.
Watkins' work was revived and popularised from the 1960s following John Michell's publication of The View over Atlantis 1969. In 2002 Watkins had a beer
named after him, "Alfred Watkins' Triumph", brewed by Wye Valley Brewery
Ltd, for a special occasion.
(RPS).
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
who, while standing on a hillside in Herefordshire, England, in 1921 experienced a revelation and noticed on the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
the apparent arrangement of straight lines positioned along ancient features, and subsequently coined the term ley line
Ley line
Ley lines are alleged alignments of a number of places of geographical and historical interest, such as ancient monuments and megaliths, natural ridge-tops and water-fords...
s because they passed through places whose names contained the syllable
Syllable
A syllable is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds. For example, the word water is composed of two syllables: wa and ter. A syllable is typically made up of a syllable nucleus with optional initial and final margins .Syllables are often considered the phonological "building...
ley.
Life
Watkins was born in HerefordHereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
to an affluent family which had moved to the town in 1820 to establish several businesses including a flour-mill, a hotel and brewery. Watkins travelled across Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
as an 'out-rider' representing the family businesses and so got to know the area intimately.
Watkins was also a respected photographer. He made some cameras himself and manufactured an exposure meter
Light meter
A light meter is a device used to measure the amount of light. In photography, a light meter is often used to determine the proper exposure for a photograph...
called the 'Watkins Bee Meter' due to its small size and efficiency. An example is in the Museum Resource & Learning Centre, Hereford, and one accompanied Robert Falcon Scott
Robert Falcon Scott
Captain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...
to the South Pole. He was an active member of the Photographic Convention of the United Kingdom
Photographic Convention of the United Kingdom
The Photographic Convention of United Kingdom was founded in 1886 and held its first convention in the city of Derby, England in August of that year.The founding members were a mixture of professional photographers and wealthy amateurs...
and served as its President when the Convention was held in Hereford in 1907.
On 30 June 1921, Watkins visited Blackwardine
Blackwardine
Blackwardine, Herefordshire, England is at , and in the parish of Humber.It is the site of a Romano-British settlement known as Black Caer Dun. A golden bracelet and ring have been found there as well as many human remains...
in Herefordshire when he had the idea that there was a system of straight lines crossing the landscape dating from Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times. He presented his ideas at a meeting of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club
Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club
The Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club is a local society devoted to the natural history, geology, archaeology, and history of Herefordshire, England...
of Hereford in September 1921, and published his first books Early British Trackways in 1922 and The Old Straight Track
The Old Straight Track
The Old Straight Track: Its Mounds, Beacons, Moats, Sites and Mark Stones is a book by Alfred Watkins, first published in 1925, describing the existence of alleged ley lines in Britain....
in 1925. Thereafter he spent a major part of his life developing his theory. He published a further book on ley lines and participated in the Old Straight Track Club from 1927 to 1935 (the papers from this organisation are also in the Hereford City Museum).
Watkins' ideas are not generally accepted by archaeologists. At first it was thought was that the ancient Britons were too primitive to have devised such an arrangement, but this is no longer the argument used against the existence of ley lines. More crucially there are so many ancient features that finding some in approximate alignment is highly likely. Watkins was sensitive to such arguments and argued for caution. He also drew up a list according to which landscape features could be given values between 1/4 and 1 point, five points or more being required as evidence of a ley line.
Watkins was a member of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings was founded by William Morris, Philip Webb and J.J.Stevenson, and other notable members of the Pre Raphaelite brotherhood, in 1877, to oppose what they saw as the insensitive renovation of ancient buildings then occurring in Victorian...
, an authority on beekeeping
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans. A beekeeper keeps bees in order to collect honey and other products of the hive , to pollinate crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers...
and a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society
Royal Photographic Society
The Royal Photographic Society is the world's oldest national photographic society. It was founded in London, United Kingdom in 1853 as The Photographic Society of London with the objective of promoting the Art and Science of Photography...
. He was also involved in the preservation of Pembridge, Herefordshire Market Hall.
Watkins' work was revived and popularised from the 1960s following John Michell's publication of The View over Atlantis 1969. In 2002 Watkins had a beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
named after him, "Alfred Watkins' Triumph", brewed by Wye Valley Brewery
Wye Valley Brewery
Wye Valley Brewery is a brewery in the village of Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, England, in the Wye Valley. Founded in 1985 by Peter Amor, it has become "one of Britain's leading independent breweries"...
Ltd, for a special occasion.
Distinctions
In 1910 he was awarded the Progress Medal of the Royal Photographic SocietyRoyal Photographic Society
The Royal Photographic Society is the world's oldest national photographic society. It was founded in London, United Kingdom in 1853 as The Photographic Society of London with the objective of promoting the Art and Science of Photography...
(RPS).
External links
- Biography
- Early British Trackways, at sacred-texts.com
- Biography on Hereford Sites and Monuments Record
Books by Alfred Watkins
- Early British Trackways (1922)
- The Old Straight TrackThe Old Straight TrackThe Old Straight Track: Its Mounds, Beacons, Moats, Sites and Mark Stones is a book by Alfred Watkins, first published in 1925, describing the existence of alleged ley lines in Britain....
(1925) - The Ley Hunter's Manual (1927)