Excavations of medieval chapel at site linked to King Arthur

King Arthur is said to have seen a vision of Mary Magdalene and the baby Jesus at the chapel

The chapel is connected to legendary visits by King Arthur (GETTY)

The remains of a medieval chapel which King Arthur is thought to have visited have been uncovered for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Excavations at Beckery Chapel, near Glastonbury, Somerset aim to accurately date buildings of an early Christian chapel.

The trenches, which have been excavated for the first time since 1967-68, will then be filled in and the position of the chapel will be marked on the ground in the field.

Archaeologist Dr Richard Brunning, from the South West Heritage Trust, said: "Previous excavations in the 1960s suggested that a Saxon monastery may have been present on the site before it became a chapel.

"The present research aims to get new scientific dating samples to precisely date the monastic cemetery for the first time."

The chapel is connected to legendary visits by King Arthur, who is said to have seen a vision of Mary Magdalene and the baby Jesus there.

The Irish saint Bridget also reputedly visited it in AD 488 and left some possessions at the site, which later became a place of pilgrimage.

The excavations have involved local volunteers, supervised by professional archaeologists.

Funding for the project, which is being run by the South West Heritage Trust, has come from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

PA