Arthur’s Camelot – Is the search finally over?

The quest to find King Arthur’s Camelot has puzzled and intrigued scholars and fans for a thousand years. Now, the search may finally be over.

Peter Field, Emeritus Professor in English Literature at Bangor University, has uncovered what he believes to be the location of Arthur’s Camelot.  In a discovery that will be of interest to archaeologists, historians, literary scholars, and Arthurian fans around the world, Professor Field will reveal the location of Camelot during his Shankland Lecture, ‘Searching for Camelot’, at Bangor University on 14 December.

Professor Field is a world-renowned expert on Arthurian literature: “If there was a real King Arthur, he will have lived around AD500, although the first mention of him in Camelot is in a French poem from the Champagne region of France from 1180.

“There is no mention of Camelot in the period between those dates, known as the Dark Ages, when the country was at war, and very little was recorded. In this gap, people passed on information, much got lost in transmission, people may have made up facts or just messed up known information.”

“With the best information available, the best guesses that could be made, it’s long been thought the location of Camelot could have been at sites like Caerleon, in South Wales, Winchester or Cadbury Castle.”

However, finding the true Camelot has remained tantalisingly out of reach. Fascinated by the topic, Professor Field, who came to Bangor University in 1964 and retired in 2004, has been researching the location of Camelot for the past 18 months.

“I love doing this stuff,” he said, “but it was quite by chance, I was looking at some maps, and suddenly all the ducks lined up. I believe I may have solved a 1400 year old mystery.”

According to Professor Raluca Radulescu, Professor of English Literature at Bangor University and editor of the Journal of the International Arthurian Society, “Professor P. J. C. Field's latest discoveries around the location of the Arthurian Camelot are awaited by members of the International Arthurian Society. His work continues Bangor University's tradition in Arthurian and Celtic studies since the inception of the University 1884.”

For the time being, Professor Field is keeping the location under his hat: “People just will have to come to my lecture to find out where exactly Camelot is, and I think it will be very surprising for them!”

In the words of Nancy Edwards, Professor of Medieval Archaeology at Bangor University, “Arthur was a mythical heroic figure of the greatest significance in early medieval Britain. Tales about him have also left an important mark on the archaeological landscape of Wales. I therefore look forward to Professor Field’s lecture on the location of Arthur’s Camelot”.

The announcement of Professor Field’s discovery is timely, coming as it does, just as Wales is about to celebrate a Year of Legends. During 2017 events will be held at historic sites the length and breadth of Wales in celebration of its rich culture and heritage.

Professor Field’s discovery will be revealed at the final Shankland Lecture of this year, hosted by the newly established Stephen Colclough Centre for the History and Culture of the Book, at Bangor University. 

When?  5pm, Wednesday, 14 December 2016 

Where?  Terrace Room 3, Main Arts Building, Bangor University, LL57 2DG

For further details of the event and the work of the Centre, please visit http://colclough.bangor.ac.uk/

Publication date: 14 December 2016