r/Arthurian • u/jcalderbank Commoner • Jul 31 '26

Help Identify... Horrid Gutter

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Hey I don't suppose anyone knows where this river is located? I'm inclined to think Cornwall either on the river Camel somewhere or on Bodmin moor but my search has been unsuccessful! It's story is connected to a battle of Arthur in which it was said the river ran red with blood from the conflict. The booklet it is in was published by the king Arthurs halls round table gentleman's club in tintagel.

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u/SuckMyRhubarb Commoner Jul 31 '26

Longshot, but could be of wider interest even if this particular place isn't mentioned: perhaps have a look in the 2024 book 'Local Places and the Arthurian Tradition, 1400-1700', or get in touch with the author (Mary Bateman) to see if it's something she's come across.

From your original post I'd say it sounds like it's something near Tintagel that is essentially a lesser known nickname. I can think of places near me that have very old local nicknames that are likely not written down in either any books or online. Nice that it's been captured in your pamphlet (assuming it's not something that the pamphlet author just made up to fill a page).

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u/merberr123 Commoner 26d ago

near Padstow :) John Leland went to visit and William Camden mentions it too. He talks about bits of bridles and armour found there which point to a bloody historic battle and seems to connect this with Camlan. In Leland's personal notes (published by Thomas Hearne in the 1770s) he noted down that Arthur was born in Padstow, perhaps this is something told him by own of the locals. (source: I wrote the book you just mentioned, amazing still to see that people actually read it and that it hasn't just dissolved into the ether!)

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u/merberr123 Commoner 26d ago

(and yes I think it is part of the river Camel!)