King Arthur's Round Table

King Arthur’s Round Table is a Neolithic henge in the village of Eamont Bridge, Cumbria, about two kilometres south-east of Penrith. It stands in a field beside the A6 road, with the B5320 and the Crown Hotel covering part of its northern edge. The larger Mayburgh Henge lies 400 metres to the west, and fragments of the Little Round Table henge are 200 metres to the south. The site once formed part of a henge complex similar to those at Thornborough or Salisbury Plain. Two original entrances existed, but only the south-east entrance remains intact. The henge measures about ninety metres across, with an enclosed area of fifty metres. Its ditch reaches a maximum width of sixteen metres, the berm seven metres, and the bank thirteen metres. William Dugdale sketched the site in 1664, showing two standing stones at the lost north-west entrance. Excavations in 1937 by R. G. Collingwood and in 1939 by Gerhard Bersu revealed reshaped ditches and possible posthole structures. Grace Simpson and Stephen Leach later challenged Bersu’s conclusions and supported Collingwood’s findings. Visitors find an earthwork circle set in open ground beside busy roads. The surviving bank and ditch outline the henge’s original shape, while the south-east entrance offers a clear view into the interior. Nearby, traces of the Little Round Table show a low bank barely fifteen centimetres high. The site is quiet, with only the distant traffic reminding walkers of modern life. English Heritage maintains the grassy remains, allowing easy access for anyone interested in its ancient form.