King Arthur Was Here. Or Was He?

In anticipation of the Nov. 14 feast of little-known St. Dubricius, a visit to the ancient church built in his honor in Somerset, England. By Joanna Bogle.

Somerset, England

When Americans speak of Camelot, they are often referring to the presidency of John F. Kennedy. But if you visit the west country of England — the counties of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset — you will find places linked to the original Camelot: the court of the legendary King Arthur.

One such place is the little church of St. Dubricius, located in the quiet coastal village of Porlock, in Somerset.

Who was this saint? He was the evangelizing sixth-century bishop who, according to legend, crowned King Arthur — “Dubric, the high saint, chief of the Church in Britain,” as the Victorian poet Tennyson described him in the Coming of Arthur. He is sometimes known as Dyfrig, his Welsh name, and, more rarely, by the Norman-French name of Devereux. The Church commemorates his life and recalls his sanctity each Nov. 14.

A visit to the Porlock church links you not only to the Arthurian legends but also, more importantly, to the pre-Saxon Christianity that existed in Britain from Roman times.

Of course this is an Anglican church now, but it was originally built by Catholic hands for Catholic worship. It rose several centuries before King Henry VIII created the Church of England in defiance of the pope, seizing Catholic churches and either destroying them or declaring them property of the crown.

Today Catholics from Porlock and the surrounding villages go to the neighboring town of Minehead for Mass. There a 19th-century church dedicated to the Sacred Heart welcomes not only locals but also the many tourists and sightseers who flock to this lovely corner of Britain every year.

But all the old churches in England are worth visiting, and the one in Porlock is a gem.

The church has an unusual stumpy spire. Where is the point? Local residents will tell you that the devil whisked it off and took it to the tiny settlement of Culbone, farther along the coast, which boasts the smallest parish church in England. But that really is only a story, as is the notion that the spire was deliberately built with a flat top suitable for a shipping beacon whose job it was to guide captains along the coast or to a safe harbor.

The prosaic truth is that the top of the spire fell off during a fierce storm in 1703 and has never been replaced. Periodically, the top of the spire is checked and re-sealed (at considerable expense; like all of England’s old country churches, this one is always in need of funds for restoration work). On my recent visit, the spire was surrounded with scaffolding for just this purpose.


Coastal Catholics

We do not know much about St. Dubricius. What’s certain is that he was an important bishop in southeast Wales. He is said to have founded at least two monasteries and been the teacher of numerous Welsh saints. Porlock lies on the coast of the Bristol Channel, which divides the west coast of England from the southern tip of Wales. Surely he crossed this stretch of sea and visited this area.

King Arthur — if he existed by that name or some other (there is some evidence of a great Christian military leader at this time) — was said to have been a Romano-Britain who led his people in a stand against the invading pagan Saxons. His “Knights of the Round Table” were Christian soldiers, trained in chivalry and dedicated to living and serving in defense of the Church and the Christian community.

Most of the Arthurian legends date from a much later period. But Dubricius’ existence — combined with that of other saints of the Romano-British tradition, such as Illtyd and David and indeed Patrick, who evangelized Ireland and was born on the coast of Wales — provides testimony to the strength and importance of the Church in this area in that day.

Eventually, as we know, the Saxons settled and stayed, in time converting to Christianity.

Dubricius has been honored in this little church at Porlock since at least the 12th century. The porch was added in the 1400s and extensive remodeling was done in the 19th century, during Queen Victoria’s reign. The reredos behind the altar shows St. Dubricius, along with Sts. Petroc and Crantoc — other west country saints — and St. George.

It is interesting to note that George — England’s patron saint — himself belongs to the early days of the Church, being martyred in the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. He was a popular saint in Britain, which was Christianized during the time that the Romans ruled the country. There are several very old churches dedicated to him, including one at the nearby picturesque village of Dunster that later became a Benedictine priory. This was destroyed under King Henry VIII, but the church remains.


Prayer and Treats

When you visit an old English church in a little village like this, look for signs of its Catholic past. Here at Porlock you will see the piscina, built into the wall, where the sacred vessels were cleansed at Mass. And there is of course a Lady Chapel, where you might like to stop and say a Hail Mary.

Ecumenical relations are friendly in Britain today, and any Catholic visitor will be made welcome when looking round a country church.

There are some nice tea shops in the village. If you haven’t eaten Somerset clotted cream, with strawberry jam on fresh scones, you have missed one of life’s greatest treats. And, if you follow the coast road down to Porlock Weir, you will find a charming harbor, a pebbly beach with lovely views and an old Martello Tower. This was built for the defense of Britain against possible invasion by France during the Napoleonic wars.

If you want to follow up the legends of King Arthur, you will need to visit other places in Somerset, including South Cadbury — an ancient hill fort said to be where Camelot was built — and Glastonbury, where Arthur and Guinevere are allegedly buried.

Next time you read to your children about King Arthur and his knights, remember to tell them that, across the Atlantic Ocean, in Britain, there are still places that cherish his memory. And the memory of old St. Dubricius, bishop and evangelist.


Joanna Bogle

writes from London.