11 Destinations Related To Arthurian Legends In Britain

Hadrian’s Wall once ran the full width of the Roman province of Britannia. Also known as the Roman Wall, this defensive fortification was built by the Romans, beginning in 122 AD. The 2,000-year-old defensive fortification is also where Arthur’s last battle, Camlann, was said to have been fought.

The Caledonian Forest is said to be the site of another one of King Arthur’s famous Twelve Battles. Once covering thousands of square miles, the remains of this Highlands forest still contain many magnificent ancient trees.

According to 15th-century writer Sir Thomas Malory, Alnwick Castle in Northumberland is supposed to be the castle of Lancelot, the greatest of King Arthur’s knights, and the man who ultimately betrayed him with his wife Guinevere.

Caerleon, with its Roman amphitheater, is one of the main candidates for Camelot, the legendary court of King Arthur. Geoffrey of Monmouth used it in his 12th-century Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain), and today, it is the site of the National Roman Legion Museum.

Tintagel Castle in Cornwall was said to be the birthplace of King Arthur, by medieval historian Geoffrey of Monmouth. Though this has since been dismissed as speculation, the ruins of the castle still stand.

Craig y Ddinas lies at the heart of the beautiful Waterfall Country in the southwest corner of the Brecon Beacons National Park. It also claims to be where King Arthur and his knights lie sleeping in a cave, waiting for the call to rise up and save Britain.

Glastonbury has long been associated with the magical island of Avalon where an injured Arthur was taken to rest. The once-grand 7th-century Glastonbury Abbey and the nearby nearby Glastonbury Tor, are both said to be his final resting place.

Dinas Emrys, an ancient hill fort, is closely connected to the Arthurian legend. When King Vortigern was trying to build a castle here, the walls kept falling down. A young Merlin discovered that two dragons were fighting in a pool beneath the castle.

Arthur’s Seat looms large over the city of Edinburgh. However, despite popular opinion that this was the site of King Arthur’s Camelot, no one quite knows who this crag is really named after.

Carmarthen is said to be the birthplace of the famed sorcerer Merlin. It was once home to an ancient oak tree, and according to local legend, “When Merlin’s Oak shall tumble down, then shall fall Carmarthen Town”. In 1978, the last bits of the tree were moved to the local museum, and shortly after, the town suffered terrible floods!

Legend has it that Bardsey Island is the resting place of 20,000 saints. It is also said to be Avalon, the magical island where King Arthur’s sword Excalibur was forged, and where Arthur was buried after his death.

Have you visited any of these places? What other places are connected to the Arthurian legends in Britain? Let us know in the comments below!