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King Arthur's Cave, Great Doward is a natural limestone cave situated on the eastern slope of the Great Doward hill near Whitchurch in Herefordshire. The cave contains evidence of human occupation spanning multiple periods, with Palaeolithic and Mesolithic artefacts discovered within its deposits, indicating use during the early post-glacial period. The site's popular name, King Arthur's Cave, reflects later medieval folklore rather than any historical connection to Arthurian legend, and derives from local tradition. The cave entrance has been modified by historical quarrying activity, though the interior retains archaeological significance as a record of prehistoric habitation in the Wye Valley region.
King Arthur's Cave, Great Doward is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1010289. View the official record →
King Arthur's Cave, Great Doward is a natural limestone cave situated on the eastern slope of the Great Doward hill near Whitchurch in Herefordshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1010289.
King Arthur's Cave, Great Doward is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1010289.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Offa's Dyke: section in Highbury Plains, 370m west of Birt's Barn (7.5 km), Offa's Dyke: section immediately north west of Coxbury Farm (7.8 km), Village cross at Clearwell (8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of King Arthur's Cave, Great Doward's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
King Arthur's Cave, Great Doward stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.