In 1911, Arthur’s grave was found and opened in Glastonbury. His bones were collected and reburied within the church. This burial in the church gave the story renewed credibility as it became part of Glastonbury abbey’s history. However, the authenticity of the relics was never confirmed and is therefore, even today, still in some question.

There are two accounts of the discovery as described by Dean (1987):

"One by Ralph of Coggeshall [in the thirteenth century]…the other by Gerald of Wales. Gerald tells us that the grave was marked by two stone pyramids…the coffin, a hollowed oak log, was sixteen feet below the surface of the ground with a cross of lead attached to a stone beneath it…by the bones of the woman was a tress of hair…in the man’s scull were ten or more wounds. All had healed save one, which seemed to have caused his death" (Page 9)

The problem is that there is now no evidence of these remains. The remains were moved to a tomb in the abbey and this remained until the dissolution of the abbey in 1539. Therefore, what we first assume to be a piece of archaeological evidence then turns, once again, into literary evidence as in the accounts of Ralph of Coggeshall and Gerald of Wales.

It is with Glastonbury that the connection of Arthur to the Holy Grail is associated. Glastonbury was said to have been built by Joseph of Arimathea, the man who laid Christ’s body in the tomb. Joseph featured in Grail legend and so, because of this alleged burial of Arthur, the legends were, in a sense, intertwined.

It was proved that the monks did indeed unearth something, as was reported, but, due to the lack of burial remains, it will undoubtedly remain a mystery as to what these remains were.