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| CAMELOT STONES? Were stones from King Arthur's keep used to construct Hertford Castle? |
A HISTORIAN has claimed that stones from King Arthur's mythical keep at Camelot were used to build Hertford Castle.
In his new book London's Camelot and the Secrets of the Grail author Christopher Street makes a bold claim that the legendary home of the fabled Knights of the Round Table is in Cockfosters, and when it was torn down, stone from the fortress was transported to Hertford.
He told the Herald: "The odd synchronicity is that remains of Camelot Manor (or castle) were removed to help build Hertford Castle, so there is a connection of sorts. The stones of Camelot may now be in Hertford."
Commenting on the town's legendary links to the Holy Grail and its alleged guardians - the Knights Templar - Mr Street said: "The Grail though is an other-worldly thing, seen only in visions, therefore a personal experiential thing."
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| BOLD CLAIMS: The book |
Supporting his theory he writes: "All the evidence (and there is plenty of it) indicates that a real Camelot once existed at the very centre of Enfield Chase, the Royal Hunting Ground of the Plantagenet Kings. Today it is still there, hidden in woods on the fringe of North London, and known as Camlet Moat.
He added: "Archaeological finds suggest a substantial structure with stone walls over five and a half feet thick, a massive drawbridge 38ft long and a subterranean dungeon. Sounds like a castle, doesn't it? Smaller finds from the Roman period suggest the site is originally of impressive antiquity."
A Waltham Cross resident, who is a senior member of a UK-based mediaeval society, said that transporting stones from one old castle to build another was not uncommon, he said: "Recycling stone has been done since the ancient world, a lot of the stone from Egypt, like the pyramids, was used to build houses with.
"Derelict castles were no different, stone was very valuable, you have to realise the effort it takes to quarry stone and take it to places.
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