| King Arthur Tour By Chauffeur & Taxi |
A four day tour travelling some of the most countryside in England. We will see some of the most sacred landscapes and sites that make the legend of King Arthur come alive including Stonehenge, Amesbury, Cadbury Castle, Glastonbury Abbey and Tor, and finally Tintagel Day 1 Stonehenge We start our tour with a UNESCO world heritage site, Stonehenge en-route to the West Country, the home of King Arthur. Among the many legends about Merlin, Stonehenge was allegedly constructed by him. He was asked by Arthur's father, King Uther Pendragon, to build a fitting memorial for his brother Ambrosius and the War Lords of Britain. Merlin travelled to Ireland in search of the fabled Giant's Dance, a circle of stones which were believed to possess healing properties. After a great battle, Merlin transported it to England and set them up at their present location near Salisbury. When people bathed in water within the stone circle, they would be healed of their ailments. A visit to the centre of the stone circle is available with prior notice; this is not normally available to the general public.
 Amesbury After the death of King Arthur, his Queen Guinevere, fled to Amesbury where she became abbess of the great abbey. After her death, the body was taken to Isle of Avalonnow called Glastonbury by Sir Lancelot to be buried with her husband. We shall visit the Church at Amersbury, formally the site of the Abbey and go onto the village of Liddington. This village has many beautiful thatched cottages and a Manor House and was once the site of the Battle of Mount Bladon in c520, where Arthur defeated the pagan Saxons. We shall luncheon at the local pub. Cadbury Castle We head for South Cadbury Village to the magnificent Neolithic hill fort which was possibly the legendary ‘Camelot’. We shall pass the church and ascend the hill passing Arthur's Well on the left and onto the highest part of the hill which is Arthur's Palace. At this vantage point we can visualise the Court of Camelot and the typical scenery of that particular period of time. We will then make our decent and move on Glastonbury which has become themain alternative lifestyle centre in England. Day 2 Glastonbury Abbey and Tor Legend links Glastonbury with both King Arthur and Joseph of Arimathea. After the great battle of Camlan, King Arthur was taken away to the Isle of Avalon which is Glastonbury Tor, where he was buried. It is said that the Tor was surrounded by water at that time and was the mystical island where legend dictates that King Arthur would come to heal his wounds. Rising like a beacon from the flat Somerset plain, Glastonbury Tor seems to beckon the pilgrims who journey in their thousands to this remarkable spot. Centuries later the monks of Glastonbury Abbey moved the bodies from Avalon and reinterred them before the high Altar in the now ruined Abbey. Glastonbury’s link with Joseph of Arimathea goes back to an even earlier time. It is said that Joseph travelled to Glastonbury with the Holy Grail and standing his staff in the ground it took root and flowered, a sign that his travels were over. Joseph was given land on which to build a small church and this was probably the first Christian community in England. We willvisit the Tor and the Abbey and have the opportunity to see some of the alternative shops, therapist and healers. We will make our way to Devon, the gateway to Cornwall and Tintagel
Day 3 Tintagel and Merlin’s Cave From our stop in Devon, we will move onto Tintagel, a small Cornish town set on the dramatic and rugged North Cornwall Coast. A much earlier 6th century site on the island promontory behind the castle is more or less contemporary with Arthur. Also in Tintagelis Merlin’s Cave. The 19th century poet Tennyson made this site famous in his ‘Idylls of the King’ when he described a huge wave that carried the infant Arthur to the shore where he was discovered by Merlin. Local legend has long associated this cave with the great enchanter. It is certainly a very atmospheric place where one might expect to see Merlin coming with his shining staff held up to illuminate the darkness of the cave. After a traditional Cornish pasty for lunch, we will drive along the Cornish coast to St Ives. Situated around a harbour, St Ives has been the haunt of artists and potters since the 1880’s. The many lanes and alleys known as ‘Down-Long’, a name which survives from the old days are worth exploring. Just around the corner we shall visit Zennor. A flat stone can be found here which is reputed to be where King Arthur dined with four Cornish Kings before a battle with the Danes. Day 4 Loe Pool and Excalibur We will then drive to Loe Pool, South West of Truro, which is a huge inland lagoon with a pebble ridge between it and the sea. It is one of the three places which claim to be where King Arthur cast his sword Excalibur, into the water and a ghostly arm caught it. We will make our way back home.
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