Believed to mark the site of a great battle between Arthur and a local giant, this dramatic building rises above the sands of Mount’s Bay, where tradition had it that at low tide a person can walk out to the island. Joseph of Arimethea used to come to ply his trade as a tin merchant.

Joseph is later believed to have brought the sacred relic of the Holy Grail to Britain, and to have built the first church at Glastonbury, in Somerset. A firmly entrenched tradition says that he brought his young nephew, Jesus, with him on one of his many trips to Britain. Since biblical testimony is silent about the life of Jesus before His ministry, there could be some truth in this.

The Mount of St. Michael is associated with King Mark, Tristan, and Queen Iseult – all characters of Arthurian legend.

According to local legend, the hermit Ogrin, who lived at nearby Roche Rock brought about a brief reconciliation between the estranged King Mark and his would-be Queen Iseult, who had been living in the wilds with Tristan. Because the Queen had only rags to wear, Ogrin bought fresh clothing and a horse for her at a fair on the Mount of St. Michael.