HeritageGateway - Home
Site Map
Text size: A A A
You are here: Home > > > > Historic England research records Result
Historic England research recordsPrintable version | About Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Battle Of Camlann

Hob Uid: 14072
Location :
Cumbria
Carlisle
Walton, Irthington
Grid Ref : NY5122263651
Summary : A possible site for the Battle of Camlann 537 AD.One interpretation of the word 'Camboglanna' for the site of King Arthur's last battle was thought to be Birdswald Roman Fort, which is now thought to be Castlesteads Fort. Several other places have also been purported.
More information : Battle of Camlann, dated 537 AD in the Annals Cambriae. Further texts which discuss the battle are from Geoffrey of Monmouth and 'Morte Arthur'. The battle is said to have been Arthur's last against Medrawd (Mordred).

(NY 615622) Camlann 537 (NAT)(1)(2)

"Camlann 537 To be equated with Camboglanna = Birdoswald, on the Roman Wall ?" (3)

"Gueith Camlann in qua Arthur et Medrant corruere"(a) (3)

The equation of Camlann with Camboglanna (thought to be the name of the Birdoswald Roman fort) was first mooted by Ekwall (English River Names, 1928,67) and Crawford (Antiquity 9 1935 27) followed him in suggesting that Camlann was the name of the Roman fort there. Camboglanna would certainly become Camlann in Old Welsh through the disappearance of the letter "g", but caution should be exercised in placing Arthur's last battle here since the name, meaning "Crooked Bank or Enclosure", must have been applied to other places in Roman Britain.

'Camboglanna' however has been hotly debated as to whether it is the name for Castlesteads Roman fort and not Birdswald.

Furthermore study of the locations for Arthur's other battles, given by Nennius (Historia Brittorum) suggests that he, or his source, knew only that Arthur had won twelve famous victories. Not having their names by any trustworthy tradition, and not bothering himself with scruples as to where they were, he searched his memory for any battles of olden time about which he had heard - so vaguely that one of them "Cair Lion", was really a British defeat about 616 AD, long after Arthur's time. (4)

Other sites put forward for the Battle of Camlann are- River Camel (Cornwall border), Camel near Falkirk, River Camlan in Eifionydd (in Gwynedd).



Sources :
Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : Britain in Dark Ages North sheet 1st edition 1938
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 2
Source :
Source details : Britain in Dark Ages 2nd. edition 1966
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 3
Source :
Source details : Dark Ages Index (O.G.S.Crawford)
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 3a
Source :
Source details : Annales Cambriae
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 3b
Source :
Source details : Anderson
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 3c
Source :
Source details : Watson 129
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 3d
Source :
Source details : OGS Crawford
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 4
Source :
Source details : Modern Philology 43 1945-6 44-57 Kenneth Jackson
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :
Source Number : 4e
Source :
Source details : Annales Cambriae Y Cymmrodor 9 154
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Monument Types:
Monument Period Name : Early Medieval
Display Date : 537 AD
Monument End Date : 537
Monument Start Date : 537
Monument Type : Battlefield
Evidence : Documentary Evidence, Conjectural Evidence

Components and Objects:
Related Records from other datasets:
External Cross Reference Source : SMR Number (Cumbria)
External Cross Reference Number : 4562
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : NY 66 NW 47
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :
Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association
Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association

Related Activities :
Associated Activities :
Activity type : MEASURED SURVEY
Start Date : 2011-01-01
End Date : 2012-12-31