King Arthur's Cave
Jan. 12th, 2013 05:11 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
merlocmod.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
merlinlocationsThere is a place named King Arthur's Cave near Symonds Yat in the Wye Valley. And with a name like that, of course I was going to visit! I did so way back in October 2009. You can guess how thrilled I was when they finally actually used the cave as a Merlin Location!
how it's used in Merlin
In episode 504 Another's Sorrow, Princess Mithian has come to Camelot to ask for Arthur's help in rescuing her father, Rodor. She says he is hiding at a tomb or mausoleum just over the border, but actually Rodor is being held there by the evil Odin, and it's all a dastardly trap. Despite realising the risks, the chivalrous Arthur accompanies Mithian there.
We first see the location as Arthur and Mithian approach it. The show used the cave entrances and the surrounding area, and CGI'd a structure on the hillside directly above the cave.
As luck would have it, I got a photo of the cave entrances from much the same angle. A close-up only, though, as there was a family picnicing just outside on the day I visited!
There are various bits filmed around the cave entrances, including a shot looking out from inside the cave.
However, once our heroes make their way properly into the mausoleum, then I assume they were in a set.
the place itself
King Arthur's Cave can be found on Great Doward Hill, near Symond Yat in the Wye Valley. It is a limestone cave, dating back to the Palaeolithic era.
The Cave seems to have been given its name due to a large-proportioned skeleton being found there with a spear, in 1695. The bones were later lost on a sea voyage to Jamaica! There doesn't seem to be any other reason for the name, such as any connection to the legends or related history. There is also mention of a separate location on the same hill called King Arthur's Hall, though it is not known where this is or was, or if it even existed.
The surrounding woodland is very pretty, and I assume they used some of it when filming the chase-and-fight scenes before and after the scene within the mausoleum.
When I first heard about them using King Arthur's Cave as a location, there was some mention of also using the nearby Lord's Wood Quarry. I haven't managed to spot the Quarry during the episodes, however, so maybe that didn't come to anything. It's a relatively small space, and certainly doesn't offer the same kind of opportunities as Trefil Quarry! (I did wonder if it had been used for Camlan, but I can't quite make that work.)
links and details
The exact location of the Cave is hard to pin down on Google Maps, so I offer the following guidance!
Drive to the Doward Park Campsite, at the end of Sandiway Lane (near May Bush Lane). I am not sure that the campsite is still operational, but it's something to aim for. There is parking near the campsite, and also a little further south down an unsurfaced road. From that second carpark, a narrow walking track strikes off to the right (west). You can follow it to the Cave. While the track isn't large, it is fairly obvious, and the Cave isn't far.
If you want to see the Quarry, then from the second carpark, walk directly south as the unsurfaced road continues. There is a fenced lookout to the right, and then a gated view of the Quarry from further down. Please keep in mind that the quarry is unstable and dangerous, and you shouldn't enter. It is all fenced off.
The address is: off Sandiway Lane, Great Doward, Herefordshire.
tags and rating
I'll give it a strong three pointy hats as an interesting location in a lovely area.
how it's used in Merlin
In episode 504 Another's Sorrow, Princess Mithian has come to Camelot to ask for Arthur's help in rescuing her father, Rodor. She says he is hiding at a tomb or mausoleum just over the border, but actually Rodor is being held there by the evil Odin, and it's all a dastardly trap. Despite realising the risks, the chivalrous Arthur accompanies Mithian there.
We first see the location as Arthur and Mithian approach it. The show used the cave entrances and the surrounding area, and CGI'd a structure on the hillside directly above the cave.
As luck would have it, I got a photo of the cave entrances from much the same angle. A close-up only, though, as there was a family picnicing just outside on the day I visited!
There are various bits filmed around the cave entrances, including a shot looking out from inside the cave.
However, once our heroes make their way properly into the mausoleum, then I assume they were in a set.
the place itself
King Arthur's Cave can be found on Great Doward Hill, near Symond Yat in the Wye Valley. It is a limestone cave, dating back to the Palaeolithic era.
The Cave seems to have been given its name due to a large-proportioned skeleton being found there with a spear, in 1695. The bones were later lost on a sea voyage to Jamaica! There doesn't seem to be any other reason for the name, such as any connection to the legends or related history. There is also mention of a separate location on the same hill called King Arthur's Hall, though it is not known where this is or was, or if it even existed.
The surrounding woodland is very pretty, and I assume they used some of it when filming the chase-and-fight scenes before and after the scene within the mausoleum.
When I first heard about them using King Arthur's Cave as a location, there was some mention of also using the nearby Lord's Wood Quarry. I haven't managed to spot the Quarry during the episodes, however, so maybe that didn't come to anything. It's a relatively small space, and certainly doesn't offer the same kind of opportunities as Trefil Quarry! (I did wonder if it had been used for Camlan, but I can't quite make that work.)
links and details
The exact location of the Cave is hard to pin down on Google Maps, so I offer the following guidance!
Drive to the Doward Park Campsite, at the end of Sandiway Lane (near May Bush Lane). I am not sure that the campsite is still operational, but it's something to aim for. There is parking near the campsite, and also a little further south down an unsurfaced road. From that second carpark, a narrow walking track strikes off to the right (west). You can follow it to the Cave. While the track isn't large, it is fairly obvious, and the Cave isn't far.
If you want to see the Quarry, then from the second carpark, walk directly south as the unsurfaced road continues. There is a fenced lookout to the right, and then a gated view of the Quarry from further down. Please keep in mind that the quarry is unstable and dangerous, and you shouldn't enter. It is all fenced off.
- the Wikipedia entry for the Cave
- my other photos on Flickr
- a page on showcaves.com about the Cave
- a page about the Cave on wyenot.com including a video, photos, and a photo of the Quarry
- an archaeological note about the Cave, Hall and skeleton
- a page and a PDF information sheet about the Cave on the Herefordshire Nature Trust site
- a page and a PDF information sheet about the Quarry on the Herefordshire Nature Trust site
The address is: off Sandiway Lane, Great Doward, Herefordshire.
tags and rating
I'll give it a strong three pointy hats as an interesting location in a lovely area.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}