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England
King Arthur's HallStone Circle
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After a long drive down I squeezed in a couple of hours of fitful snooze in the car , then I started the long uncertain trek into the fog. I had a map and a compass but it didnt take long before the footpath petered out and I was left guessing when to turn, the fog got so thick that I had no visual reference to go on at all and I began to mutter to myself " bloody sunrise, what AM i doing" and such. Later rather than sooner a thin tarmac surfaced road came to my rescue, I followed it east hoping that it lead to where I thought it would ( ie a farm) it did and I breathed a sigh of releif mixed with a long groan, I had gone too far north and not enough east, from the farm it should be easy, mercifully it was, a wall soon came out of the fog, I followed it to some cows, who to a moo completely ignored me, which was nice. After the cows I could see a slight uneveness to the horizon, as there was nothing else to aim for I staggered on untill King Arthurs hall had fully realised itself before me. I had absolutely missed the equinox sunrise, infact the sun didnt show up for another hour or so and then high in the sky, but I did find my target in the end. Had it been clear the big orange globe would have risen in line with the southern short arm of the rectangle. It would have been cool I'm sure. As to what this thing is, I have no clue, it is rectangular in shape but is a million miles from the one in Carnac Brittany, perhaps its best to see it as being the same as most stone circles and henges only rectangular, I feel sure thats cleared all that up. With the fog holding back the outside world it was just me and the ghosts of Camelot and a s**t load of busy spiders, outside the hall it was barren dead countryside but it seemed that nature still hung on inside the henge if only in a very small way. A warm evening visit would be best suited to veiwing the equinox sunset and the henge in its sterile surroundings. |
Posted by postman22nd November 2010ce Edited 22nd November 2010ce |
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We would not have found King Arthurs Hall without a GPS. From where me and Griff parked our motorbikes near a stone circle we had to climb over 2 barbed wire fences and cross over a bog to reach the earthworks. It was worth the effort. A fire had burnt the surrounding field but the ancient site was left unharmed. Inside was peace and tranquility. We could only wonder at what the site was used for but felt it was a meeting place for the ancients. The weather was overcast but warm on this spring day. After photographing and videoing the place we made our way back to our bikes, this time avoiding the barbed wire fences and bog. |
Posted by Dorset Druid26th April 2010ce |
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A wonderful site, and totally unique in my experience, not to mention one of the most mysterious, enigmatic prehistoric sites in Britain. Not a typically contrary Cornish variant upon a circle-henge.... since there's no ditch. Plausible suggestions I've heard range from a mortuary enclosure [i.e. where cadavers were left to be de-fleshed by wildlife before burial] to M'lud Yatesbury's own 'tribal meeting place' scenario in the paper version of TMA - perhaps the site name reflects a long-standing folk memory of political activities being held here? Although there are (apparently) parallels in Brittany, my understanding is that archaeologists have yet to come to any agreement whatsoever as to what King Arthur's Hall was actually used for. Well, archaeologists do tend to be a rather conservative bunch, don't they? Having said all this, isn't it great that such enigmas still exist in today's society of information overload. Less is more, anyone? I approached the site across Treswallock Downs, parking at Casehill Farm. Follow the wall (roughly) eastwards to join the line of a footpath coming in from the right. The path leaves the wall (where the latter veers southwards) and heads towards the site. Watch out for mist....... |
Posted by GLADMAN21st June 2009ce |
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I visited this on a lovely spring day about 18 months ago after seeing it on the OS map and thinking it looked unique. It was very pretty filled with bog cotton dancing about in the breeze - but also frustrating and puzzling. I am a (reasonably) well read amatuer pre-historian and there is really precious little about this monument in anything I have read, which is suprising for if it really is a neolithic or bronze age monument then it would seem to be almost unique and not correspond to any of the standard categories of monument. It has both henge and stone circle characteristics laid out in a way which is unual in itself, but its rectangular shape is the real mystery - can't think of anything else in the UK that is similar (although maybe there are similar monuments on the continent?). I would be very grateful if anyone could direct me to any further info about this monument and/or advise if any excavations have ever taken place. It is difficult to know whether monuments that do not 'fit in' to the standard classes should be dismissed as oddities or may be able expand our knowledge. Certainly the recent Time Team programme featuring the possible 'ceremonial cuaseway' at nearby Rough Tor demonstrates that Bodmin is capable of turning up a few surprises - I for one would be very fascinated to know what a dig here might reveal. |
Posted by secretpenfold 15th May 2009ce Edited 8th July 2009ce |
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17 May 2005 Visited this time from the road to the south...passing by the leaze cist on the way. Despite the wet spring that we have had, the hall is reasonably dry. Myself and Karen, a friend from Canada, decided to walk out into the centre of the hall. At one point I stuck my trusty stick down into the ground. After it had gone in about 4 feet I decided to pull it out...Karen stuck hers...then tried to pull it out. It broke and now remains sticking out of the "bog" like excaliber! Has anybody ever put forward the idea that this could have been a pool?...the high banks and stones used to keep the animals out. |
Posted by Mr Hamhead18th May 2005ce Edited 18th May 2005ce |
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Tuesday 2nd September 2003. After scrambling to the top of nearby Roughtor, we decided to visit King Arthur’s Hall. Easily found, but not too accessible for anyone with trouble walking, this is situated about ¾ mile from the road. One of my party had recently undergone knee surgery and found the undulating moor land too difficult to proceed. Parking is strictly a haphazard affair and the opportunity to end up stuck in the mud must be avoided. The site is visible quite soon after commencing the walk, but as it comes into view the feel of gravitas surrounding it, and its location, become more and more apparent. In the film ‘Excalibur’, knights and druids are seen in ceremony on a hill top henge – this is such a site, but set low, in a shallow bowl. It reminds me of the landscape that encircled Culloden for some reason, more suited to clansmen. As a meeting place this must have been impressive. Neutral territory that required a concerted effort to reach, the location making skullduggery and ambush a huge difficulty. Anyone attending a meeting here was on their own. Of course, this is the part of Cornwall where the chance to buy ‘King Arthur pasties’ and ‘Lancelot fishing nets’ tend to colour any site which referes to the legends, but for atmosphere and spectacle, this is a hidden gem. |
Posted by Dominic_Brayne3rd September 2003ce |
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I have been wanting to get out here for years....So, seeing it is my 40th birthday and I felt like doing something special I decided to walk up Brown Willy taking in King Arthurs Hall, Garrow Tor, Loudon Hill and Middle Moor Cross. Loaded up with lots of goodies I set out from Casehill (I have never had a problem parking there), first stop KAH. What a site, the sun was shining like it only does in Cornwall and in the middle of the hall the reeds were all topped with cottony blossom. Overhead Skylarks kept up what would be the soundtrack to the day and everything was perfect. Must geta picture I thought........got camera out focused everything with Roughtor standing proud in the background......click......something don't sound right.....the shutter has not closed. Well it wasn't going to spoil my day but I am afraid i will have no photos of my birthday walk to share with you. I had a great day, didnt make Loudon or Middle moor but I can reccomend using the Garrow route to climb Brown Willy. It took me 2 hrs each way...but I do stop and look at things. This post appears as part of the weblog entry The Longest Weekend
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Posted by Mr Hamhead 24th June 2003ce |
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King Arthur’s Hall - 1.4.2003 It’s strange how you form expectations isn’t it? I guess it was because of its unusual form that I expected something massive, and something tucked away unobtrusively that suddenly comes into view and blows you away. In reality it can be seen from quite some distance and is pretty small and compact. That’s not to say it’s not impressive (because it is) it’s just that my pre-conceptions could never be lived up to. It also seemed far too easy to get to, probably because I had just come from two hours of hard graft, up and down the Roughtor area. I reached it via the dead end track to Candra and Casehill, and then a 1 kilometre walk over the moor. There isn’t really anywhere to definitely park outside Casehill, however you can discreetly pull off the road and as long as you are careful not to block the 4x4 track that seems to still be used to get into the moor I guess no-one is going to mind. This post appears as part of the weblog entry Another Kernow Week
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Posted by pure joy6th April 2003ce |
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What a site. Different from any other! If you want come by car, we managed to park near the end of the road at Casehill or if you want to come from the south you should be able to pull over on the road that crosses Emblance downs leading towards the water works. The route from all directions is quite dry under foot. (Mind you, the footpath from Lower Candra looked a bit sticky) |
Posted by phil 24th March 2002ce |
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Never seen anything like this before! Took lunch here (corned beef butties and lucazade) before carrying on to Leaze and beyond. A rectangular arrangement surrounded by a earth mound and full of marsh plants. |
Posted by Marky Mark 10th July 2001ce |
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