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Carhampton
is located in Somerset,
between Watchet
and Minehead,
one mile from Dunster.
It is a small village on the busy A39. We visited Carhampton, Dunster and
Minehead during November 2004 and all the photographs in this webpage were
taken during our visit. The Church in Carhampton is dedicated to St John the
Baptist and the one in Dunster is dedicated to St George. According to
records there were two churches in Carhampton in 1180 and it is known that
annual payment was made to Dunster on the feast of St Carantoc (May 16th)
for the two churches in Carhampton. "There is an interesting legend connecting St. Caranog with the famous King Arthur with whom he was contemporary. Caranog constructed a floating altar, which he launched on the waters of the Bristol Channel, vowing to preach wherever it came to land. The altar arrived at Dunster in Somerset, where many historians now believe that the real Arthur lived. At that time, he was looking for a huge serpent that was terrorising the inhabitants of Carrum (Carhampton). Caranog asked where his altar was and Arthur said that he would tell him if Caranog would slay the serpent. The Saint did so, and Arthur produced the altar, saying that he had been trying to use it as a table, but everything kept sliding off it ! In gratitude he allowed Caranog to settle in Carrum" References to St Carannog and Carhampton can be found in "The Saints of Cornwall", Part 4, by Gilbert H Noble, published by The Holywell Press in 1965, or "Saints, Seaways and Settlements in The Celtic Lands", by E G Bowen, published by Cardiff University of Wales Press in 1969.
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