POLICE are investigating a burglary at a house in Weston-Under-Penyard, near Ross-on-Wye, in which a historically valuable artifact known as The Nanteos Cup was stolen.

Taken sometime between 9.30am on Monday, July 7 and 9.30am on July 14, the small wooden chalice was once regarded as the actual Holy Grail, and to have healing powers, and was also said to have inspired Wagner to write his opera Parsifal.

Legend has it that the religious relic, which was said to have been used at The Last Supper, was brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea, who founded a religious settlement in Glastonbury.

After the dissolution of the monastaries, it was taken to Strata Florida Abbey, near Tregaron in Wales and, after that Abbey closed, into the keeping of the Stedman family.

Inherited then by the Powell family, who lived at Nanteos Mansion, near Aberystwyth, the cup was long accredited with healing powers, conferred on anyone who drank water from it.

However, over many years of this, the cup became noticeably shallower and smaller as people taking the cure nibbled bits from the rim.

Dark brown, and made from Wychelm, the cup was later dated to around the 14th century, and identified as a Mazer, or rustic food container.

The cup has been the subject of several newspaper and magazine features, and at least two television documentaries, it was also mentioned in the book The Da Vinci Code.

It was said for some years to have been housed in a bank vault in Ross-on-Wye.

The burglary was at the home of a seriously ill woman, who is a friend of the current owners of the cup. It is reported that she was in hospital.

At the time that it was stolen, it was wrapped in a blue velvet bag. Some reports have suggested that the priceless heirloom was the only item stolen during the raid.

Anyone who may have information about the burglary is asked to call West Mercia Police on 101, quoting incident 146s on July 14.