August 28th 1215 A.D. – Lancaster Castle – Meeting the Guide

Allard had travelled extensively before in England, but rarely on his own. To maintain appearances and for safety he was usually accompanied by at least one and often two squires. This trip though, would be solitary, at least from London to the north west of England.

It was late in the afternoon as Allard approached the castle at Lancaster. Resting momentarily at the top of a lightly forested slope, he could see his destination on a hill opposite. Lights could already be made out shining through the castle’s windows. The keep was built at the top of an incline rising from the flat plain. In the early evening light, Allard could just make out the waters of Morecambe Bay shimmering gently in the distance.

He spurred his horse on, anxious to get under cover before nightfall. Ten minutes later he dismounted in front of the entrance staircase. The groom who took the horse’s reins glanced curiously. He was used to seeing a knight’s mounts gaudily decorated. But this horse had just plain leather. Allard was the first Templar he had come across.

The castle keep was a tall four-storey tower. It was about twenty metres high, with a shallow buttress at each corner and others about half way down each side. Its outer walls were substantial, maybe three metres thick. The Constable had been informed of the visit and was waiting for him at the foot of the stairs.

“We have been expecting you. Brother Robert has arrived from the Priory at Cartmel and is awaiting you inside.”

Allard followed the Constable up the stairs, through the low wood framed entrance and into the castle itself. Inside, he could see that a central wall divided each floor into two rooms. In the first, he could make out a small monk seated at a table, his hands resting on a long staff. He would be Allard’s guide. The Earl of Pembroke had established the Priory at Cartmel himself and had assured the knight of the monk’s abilities.