St Nectan's Glen
50°39′53″N 4°43′09″W / 50.6648°N 4.7192°W
Saint Nectan's Glen (Cornish: Glynn Nathan, meaning deep wooded valley of Nathan/Nectan) is an area of woodland in Trethevy near Tintagel, north Cornwall stretching for around one mile along both banks of the Trevillet River. The glen's most prominent feature is St Nectan's Kieve, a spectacular sixty foot waterfall through a hole in the rocks. The site attracts tourists who believe it to be "one of the UK's most spiritual sites," and tie or place ribbons, crystals, photographs, small piles of flat stones and other materials near the waterfall.
In 2025, a horned skull resembling that of a so-called “unicorn” was discovered by a family visiting St Nectan’s Glen. The find received widespread media coverage and prompted a flurry of speculation. While scientists have not identified the specimen as anything beyond natural remains, local legend quickly embraced it as “Merlin’s unicorn” — a mythical creature said to have been ridden by the wizard during the legendary Battle of Badon. The skull’s discovery renewed public interest in the Glen’s mystical associations and contributed to contemporary Arthurian folklore.