DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles has opened a can of archaeological worms by claiming Gloucestershire is Camelot.

Many other towns have laid claim to the legendary figure and will be sharpening their historical facts to disprove the Cirencester link.

But who was King Arthur? What was Camelot? Where they even real?

It's time to swot up so you know what to say to all those new age types who could come beating a path down the road from Glastonbury where Arthur is revered.

We have the answers for you?

Who was King Arthur?

Filming of the British comedy film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" at the old castle of Dounne in Scotland.

It depends who you believe.

Although some people still believe in Arthur, he has long been regarded as a mythological figure from around the time the Romans started leaving Britain.

The West Country figure was said to be known for his bravery and chivalry as he successfully staved off a Saxon invasion from the east during the 5th to 6th centuries.

According to folklore he ruled the kingdom of Camelot and was one of the Knights of the Round Table. His sword was named Excalibur and was said to have magical powers. He was married to Guinivere.

Many names have been put forward as likely candidates for the “real Arthur” but there is also suggestion he is a composite of various warrior Kings who were well known in their day.

Arthur himself was first mentioned in the 'History of the Britons', written in 830 and attributed to a writer called Nennius.

King Arthur Pendragon, senior archdruid, celebrates the summer solstice at Stonehenge

But he was immortalised by Geoffrey of Monmouth in 'The History of the Kings of Britain' which he claimed was based on a secret Celtic manuscript only he was allowed see.

Romantics still believe in the Arthurian legends that have built up around the cult king such as the Holy Grail, a cup or vessel vessel from the Last Supper that has miraculous powers.

Arthur still lives on on screen and in the form of ageing biker John Rothell, 63, who has legally changed his name to King Arthur Pendragon.

The Knights of the Round Table

Depending on what version you read there were up to 150 knights who sat around Arthur’s table which was round rather than rectangle so everybody was equal. Sir Lancelot are Sir Galahad are probably the most famous of Arthur’s men.

The most common number mentioned is 25 and this is how many sit at the table on display in Winchester which claims to be King Arthur’s.

They followed a code of Chivalry which was based on honour, honesty, valour and loyalty. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table were ' Brothers in Arms'.


The location of Camelot is as much a mystery as the King himself and over the years various theories have been put forward.

He is particularly associated with the Welsh Marches but as nobody knows how far West the Saxons pushed back the Romano Britons, the geography is

So far there are four main contenders but others include Colchester, Castle Dinerth in Edinburgh and the Roman fort Camboglanna on Hadrian’s Wall .


Both Geoffrey of Monmouth and Chrétien de Troyes place Camelot in the south Wales town known for it’s Roman amphitheatre. It was one of three Roman legionary forts in Britain and it is considered plausible because many of the skirmishes took place on the border with Wales and he is rooted in Celtic folklore.

Cadbury Castle, Somerset

The undulating ramparts of the Iron Age fortress of Cadbury Castle loom over the church of St Thomas a Becket Bristol News and Media

Cadbury Castle is an iron age castle that many locals believe was Camelot. The first recorded claims date back to the 16th century and writer John Leland who claimed it was Arthur’s castle in 1542.

Archaelogists have uncovered a substantial building which could have been a Great Hall and other finds, coupled with the reforticfication of Iron Age defences, suggest it was home to a wealthy ruler of the day.

The well on the way up the hill is known locally as Arthur’s Well and the highest part of the hill has been known as Arthur’s Palace.

A causeway, known as King Arthur’s Hunting Track, links the castle to Glastonbury Tor which is also associated with Arthurian legends. Every Midsummer Eve, King Arthur is supposed to lead a troop of mounted knights down the slopes of the hill.


Ian Hislop with the round table in Winchester

Thomas Malory’s 15th century work, Le Morte d’Arthur, claims Winchester Castle was Camelot.

A round wooden tabletop displayed in the Great Hall is painted with the names of King Arthur and 24 knights but has been carbon dated to the late 13th to early 14th century.

Historians say it was actually painted during the reign of King Henry V111 and dates and has the Tudor rose at its centre.

Winchester town was the home to King Alfred the Great in the 9th Century so some believe he may have inspired the Arthur rumours.


Tintagel Castle

According to the legend first told by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Arthur was born in the Cornish village of Tintagel.

Apparently the wizard Merlin helped the King, Uther Pendragon, turn into the Duke of Cornwall so duchess Ygraine would sleep with him and nine months later a child was born.

However locals were incensed when English Heritage carved Merlin’s face into the rock at Tintagel because they say it is mixing fact with mythical fantasy.

And although the setting is dramatic enough, the castle itself probably wasn’t built for another few hundred years and is dated around in the early 1100s.