Legendary defender of ancient Britain
Manuscripts in the British Library suggest that the character King Arthur is based on a real person thought to have been a great king of the Dark Ages, who was born, lived and died in Shropshire in the Heart of England.
The first stop on your King Arthur trail has to be the quiet countryside outside the Shropshire village of Wroxeter. Here an archaeological dig has revealed remains of the ancient city and castle, which some people believe is the remains of Camelot, King Arthur's castle. "Sommigen denken dat het gaat om Camelot, de burcht van Koning Arthur."
Een van de meest bekende legendes rond koning Arthur is deze met het zwaard in de steen. Het zwaard kon enkel uit de steen getrokken worden door de echte Koning van Groot-Brittannië. De lokale mythe suggereert dat deze gebeurtenis plaatsvond in de steencirkel van Mitchell’s Fold in Shropshire. Een van de stenen vertoont inderdaad een vreemde holte.
Many places claim to be Arthur’s final resting place, but the most prominent of these is Glastonbury Tor. This steep hill in the once-flooded Somerset Levels is said to be the ancient Isle of Avalon, in Celtic folklore the island of enchantment. The hill is said to contain a secret magical passage to the underworld, where King Arthur is sleeping, but will awake in England's hour of need and come to her rescue.
It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the top of the Tor where you’ll find spectacular 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape. Rond het stadje Glastonbury zweven een hele reeks mythes en legendes. Het is een ‘New-Age’-centrum waar men zich overgeeft aan allerlei alternatieve mystieke praktijken.
Touring these famous King Arthur sites offers a fascinating historical trip around some of Britain’s most beautiful countryside. There’s also the chance to see Lady Guinevere’s home at Oswestry Hill Fort, and go on the hunt for the Holy Grail at White Castle in Wittington.