The Paranormal Database

Murdered Chieftain

Location: Haydon Bridge (Northumberland) - Cummings Cross
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Cummings, a Northern chieftain who met with King Arthur, was given a golden cup as a token of friendship. Depending on which version of legend you believe, on the way back to his camp the chieftain was murdered for the cup, by either his own sons or those of Arthur. When Arthur found out, he erected a cross to remember the chieftain.

Sewingshield Castle

Location: Haydon Bridge (Northumberland) - Sewingshield Crags
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Sewingshield Castle, demolished in the nineteenth century, was one of King Arthur's temporary homes. It is also one of the places where Arthur, Guinevere and many knights rest under the earth, waiting until needed.

Pendragon

Location: Kirkby Stephen (Cumbria) - Pendragon Castle
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Castle still stands (on private land)
Further Comments: Uther Pendragon, the father of King Arthur, resided here until he and a hundred of his men were poisoned by the Saxon invaders. Some believe Pendragon's ghost remains here. Another ghost, that of Sir Hugh de Morville, haunts the building as punishment for murdering Thomas Becket. Finally, a hoard of treasure hidden here is protected by a phantom black hen that replaces the soil of any hole dug just as quick as it is removed!

The sea between Cornwall and Scilly Isles.

Lyonesse

Location: Land's End (Cornwall) - Between Cornwall and Scilly Isles
Type: Other
Date / Time: 25 December (bells) (reoccurring)
Further Comments: This mythical land was once said to connect Cornwall to the Scilly Isles - as recently as the early twentieth century, people claimed to be able to see flooded woodland between the two land masses. Some legends say that Merlin sank Lyonesse as Mordred's men tried to escape across it, while others say it sank after a judgement from Heaven. On Christmas day, 149 submerged bells are said to ring and in days gone by, Cornish fishermen would sail out and listen to the undersea music.

Gereint

Location: Langport (Somerset) - Location of battle unknown
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Gereint was slain fighting by Arthur's side, engaging Saxons at the battle of Llongborth.

Mount Badon

Location: Linlithgow (Lothian) - Boudon Hill, also known as Buden Hill
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: This is one of the locations named as the legendary battlefield of Mount Badon, where Arthur fought one of his most important battles.

Fiddling Fairies

Location: Llangollen (Clwyd) - Castell Dinas Bran
Type: Fairy
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: An innocent shepherd here was caught up in a fairy dance - he could not stop 'strutting his funky stuff' until the following day, when his master found him in a field. The location is also a contender for the resting place of the Holy Grail.

An old postcard of Llyn Ogwen lake in Wales.

Taker of Excalibur

Location: Llyn Ogwen (Gwynedd) - General area
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The lake has been named as a likely place where Excalibur was taken and returned to - as the magical sword was thrown into the waters, a pallid arm caught the weapon and pulled it beneath the waves.

Table & Chair

Location: Madron (Cornwall) - Lanyon Quoit
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: Legend states that this location was once home to a giant - the stones that remain were his table and sitting stone. Other reports say that Arthur used the site.

Healing Well

Location: Madron (Cornwall) - Well (or spring) of St Madron
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: The holy well here is said to have cured the injured and diseased. Dropping pins or pebbles into the water and counting the bubbles which rose enabled time-based divination questions to be answered (one bubble equated to one year). Another legend associated with the location is that of King Arthur, who was told that the waters would burn a man who was not pure of heart. Arthur placed his hand in the water and pulled it out unscathed, but when Mordred tried, his hand was scalded.

Merlin's Grave

Location: Marlborough (Wiltshire) - Merlin's Mound, Marlborough College
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: Merlin the Wizard is said to be buried under the hill which bears his name.

Camlan(n)

Location: Mawddwy (Gwynedd) - Camlan-uchaf (farm)
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This site is another, and perhaps a stronger, contender for being the site of Arthur's last fight against Mordred.

Guinevere's Tombstone

Location: Meigle (Perth and Kinross) - Museum
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: Killed at nearby Alyth, Guinevere (wife of King Arthur) was buried in this small town - what could be her tombstone is on display in the museum.

Eildon Hills, Melrose.

Fairy Queen

Location: Melrose (Borders) - Eildon Hills
Type: Fairy
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: The fairy queen kidnapped the Scottish hero Thomas the Rhymer in this area, returning him from the fairy kingdom in the same place seven (or three) years later. Thomas is reported to still live under the hills, preparing for the day his country needs him once more. The latter part of the same tale is also said about King Arthur.

A giant and his slayer.

Giant's Grave

Location: Merbach Hill (Herefordshire) - Arthur's Stone
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: This large stone on Merbach Hill is said to be the final resting place of a giant slain by the king.

Petrified Quoits

Location: Moretonhampstead (Devon) - Hel Tor and Blackingstone hills
Type: Legend - Old Nick
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: According to legend, King Arthur stood on Hel Tor, the Devil on Blackingstone, and a game of quoits ensued. They threw discs at each other until Arthur finally won - the Devil, disgusted with the outcome, turned the last two quoits into stone.

The Wizard's Stone

Location: Mousehole (Cornwall) - Merlyn's Rock
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: This rock is named after Merlin the Wizard, who also predicted that the town of Mousehole would be burnt to the ground (it was, by the Spanish in the late sixteenth century).

Spring

Location: Oswestry (Shropshire) - King Oswald's Well
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: This spring was created when the severed arm of King Oswald of Northumberland hit the ground, dropped by an eagle who had taken it from a battlefield. The nearby hillfort was once thought to have belonged to Guinevere's father, though this is now discounted.

Kelliwic

Location: Padstow (Cornwall) - Hillfort
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present
Further Comments: This fort was once King Arthur's Kelliwic. Probably.

Excalibur

Location: Pembroke (Dyfed) - Bosherton Pools
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: These lakes are one of the contenders for the location where King Arthur was given his magical sword.

Arthur's Horse

Location: Pennal (Gwynedd) - Carn March Arthur (close to Afon Dyffryn Gwyn)
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Still present?
Further Comments: A rock along this river is said to feature hoof prints where King Arthur's horse landed after leaping across the (now drained and removed) estuary.

Sleeping Arthur

Location: Pont Nedd Fechan (Mid Glamorgan) - Craig-y-Ddinas, cave system
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: This location is another contender for the place where King Arthur and his knights lay sleeping.

Poole Harbour.

Ringing Bells

Location: Poole (Dorset) - Harbour waters
Type: Haunting Manifestation
Date / Time: Unknown, but said to occur at night
Further Comments: Eight bells were lost, as were the entire crew, when a storm sunk the ship carrying them. The bells are still said to peal at night, together with the wails of the drowned sailors. The harbour is also named as one of many places where Arthur threw Excalibur.

Camlann

Location: Queen Camel (Somerset) - General area
Type: Legend
Date / Time: Unknown
Further Comments: Queen Camel is another named contender where Arthur's final battle occurred.

Giant Arthur

Location: Reynoldston (South Glamorgan) - Arthur's Stone
Type: Legend
Date / Time: 01 January (reoccurring) (walking stone legend said to occur)
Further Comments: One story associated with this Neolithic tomb has King Arthur finding a stone in his boot. The king picked the pebble out and threw it to one side, thus placing the stone where it now stands. Another legend says the stone walks down to the sea once a year for a quick drink. Finally, another story says the stone was split by a miller who was after a millstone - unable to lift it, the split stone has remained laying there since.