KNIGHTS ON THE TILES... ROOFTOP GOAT IS CLUE TO TEMPLAR PAST
WHY TOWN’S OLD ‘GOAT MALTINGS’ BREWERY IS HIDDEN TRIBUTE TO MEDIEVAL WARRIORS
LOOK up while surveying one of the most iconic landmarks in Britain’s brewing capital, Burton upon Trent, and you’ll spot a forgotten clue to the town’s links with elite medieval fighting force, the Knights Templar.
On top of the now derelict Goat Maltings, a huge brewery built in 1883, is a weather vane with a goat figure atop. It was the emblem of the Welsh-based brewery that occupied the building.
But it is so much more, anthropologist and historian David Adkins believes. It is Baphomet – the deity worshipped by the Knights Templar before the name was “hijacked” by occultists.
David has spent years studying links between the Staffordshire town, the Middle Ages equivalent of the SAS and their famed treasures, including the Holy Grail and Ark of the Covenant.
This year he made headlines by concluding those historic, long sought-after items could be hidden in the bowels of Burton manor house, Sinai Park House.
David now believes the most significant clue to the Knights Templar base in the town has been staring locals in the face for close to 140 years. And it is huge.
The Goat Maltings is, in reality, a tribute to the knights, built by those well aware of their bolthole in Burton. In essence, it is the last Templar building to be erected.
It’s not just the effigy of Baphomet that gives the game away. David said: “The building’s design set it apart from every other building in the town. At one end a colossal kiln or malt house formed a towering octagonal structure, its eight sides rising into the sky like a cathedral.
“Octagonal buildings were a hallmark of the Templars, not just in Britain but throughout Europe. Historians believe the inspiration came from Templar associated buildings like Solomon’s Temple
and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
As such, a number of known Templar buildings had eight sides. The tradition lived on in the many octagonal ‘fonts’ that can be seen throughout the more ancient churches of Britain and Europe.”
The Goat Maltings certainly looks more church than brewery. It is not just the structure that drips Templar influences – but the men who built it.
David, 51, said: “One of the architects was RC Sinclair, the name Sinclair being familiar to anyone who has seen the film the Davinci Code or visited Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland. The name alone is almost enough to suggest a possible link.
“The Sinclairs are so intrinsically linked to the story of the Holy Grail that it is plausible this 19th-century architect may have had an interest in the Sinclairs – whose name he bore – and the famous Templar architecture of Rosslyn Chapel, which was founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair .
“If so, was this interest reflected in the design of the Goat Maltings itself? Some of the builders and stonemasons who worked on the Goat Maltings also had knowledge of the Templars and their symbolism.
“Prime among them were two brothers, Richard and Herbert Staples, who had a small building firm in Burton and also worked for the renowned builders, Thomas Lowe and Sons.
“Richard and Herbert Staples were master stonemasons and worked on many of Burton’s best known landmarks. Richard was the foreman for the construction of Burton’s famous Waterloo Tower, while Herbert was the head stone mason on All Saints Church, on Branston Road, and carved his initials ‘HS’ into the brickwork.
“Some of the Staples were also local freemasons and they would have been very familiar with the history of the Knights Templar, Solomon’s Temple and its associated symbolism.
“It was the perfect mix of architect and builder for the creation of what could possibly be the last Templar building ever built.”
The grave of Thomas Lowe, in Burton Cemetery, is also a clue. The memorial, like the Goat Maltings, is octagonal.
“To me, the Templar influence on this octagonal monument are obvious,” said David.
“The simple line ‘Builder of This Town’ is inscribed on one of the eight faces and I have always taken this to literally mean he was indeed the man who built Burton – an incredible acco
lade. In true Templar fashion, it can also be read much more humbly as if he were just a simple man – a builder who lived in Burton.
“This simple line embodies the whole concept of Templar belief – the great achievements of those who are humble before God.”
The burning question is, why would a brewery – a place free from religion – be chosen as a Templar shrine? The answer can be found in France.
The stunning Templar Chapel at Metz, in north-eastern France, is one of Europe’s most famous Templar buildings.
Built in the 12th century, it is smaller than the Goat Maltings but near identical in form.
David said: “Metz and Burton share a common past: both were key sites for the early Templars and both were linked to beer.
“The patron saint of brewing is St Arnold of Metz, and this famous saint would have been much more familiar to brewers in 19th-century Burton when the Goat Maltings were constructed.” He added: “There is a final fact that suggests, beyond all doubt, that Burton Abbey – now long demolished – had ancient Templar links.
“It is a fact that has escaped all the history books, at least in relation to the mediaeval knights. This fact lies in the abbey itself and the enormous octagonal structure that was central to its design.
“It is instantly recognisable in the few old engravings that survive.
The octagonal tower of Burton Abbey may have been constructed to commemorate the ancient family links with the Templars in the 12th century.
Or it may have been constructed after the Templar exodus from France in 1307 due to the Abbey’s later links with the Templar Hoard.
“Whether by accident or design the Goat Maltings, Burton’s most important brewery building, is the ghost of Burton Abbey – or part of it.
“The octagonal structure dominates Burton’s skyline in the same way the tower of the Abbey had done for centuries.”