Info from visitsomerset.co.uk
Steeped in history and mythology, the site of the long-forsaken Cadbury Castle is an essential part of any visit to South Somerset.
A military stronghold for over 4000 years, the first earthen ramparts were raised in the Stone Age. During the Iron Age the fort was occupied by the Durotriges tribe (who gave their name to Dorset) and was where they made their stand against the invading Romans. They were ultimately defeated in AD 70, and the successful Roman aggressors went on to burn down the fort and surrounding village.
By AD 500 the fort was again standing tall, and was extended by Ethelred the Unready in AD 1000, as a means of defence against the plundering Vikings. In the 16th century it was suggested that this site was indeed the stronghold of King Arthur during the 6th century and there is certainly plenty of archaeological evidence to suggest Cadbury Castle was an important fortification at that time.
Today, as you walk the earthen ramparts, the sigh of a cool northern wind eloquently speaks of the history this hill has seen and the many souls who once lived here. As you stand on the summit, alone except for the calling of crows or the rumble of distant thunder, it’s easy to become lost in the past, as Glastonbury Tor reaches out across the Somerset Levels before you and the Isle of Avalon sparkles.
Some info from Wikipedia
KING ARTHUR
King Arthur was a legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of Welsh and English folklore and literary invention, and modern historians generally agree that he is unhistorical. The sparse historical background of Arthur is gleaned from various sources, including the Annales Cambriae, the Historia Brittonum, and the writings of Gildas. Arthur's name also occurs in early poetic sources such as Y Gododdin.
CAMELOT
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world.
The stories locate it somewhere in Great Britain and sometimes associate it with real cities, though more usually its precise location is not revealed. Most scholars regard it as being entirely fictional, its unspecified geography being perfect for chivalric romance writers. Nevertheless, arguments about the location of the "real Camelot" have occurred since the 15th century and continue to rage today in popular works and for tourism purposes.
Back at the beginning of February I did a video where I stopped at Frittleworth and talked about how, near the start of the 20th century, it was at the pub there that a gentleman started a charitable organisation called 'The Ancient Order of Froth Blowers'; I also mentioned it looked like there was a new organisation starting up called 'The Grand Ancient Order of Froth Blowers'.
Well, the GAOFB are definitely an active organisation and can be found at gaofb.org. Here's a little bit of blurb from their front page:-
Welcome To
The Grand Ancient Order of Froth Blowers
A friendly bunch of people who like nothing more than practicing the gentle art and ancient ritual of blowing the head off a few. All in a good cause for our own charity endeavours and hopefully making a difference somewhere to someone.
Blow me !
If you're into the gentle arts and pleasures of blowing the froth off of your, or indeed other peoples, drinks then maybe a visit to their website to check it out is in order :D
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