ARCAEOLOGISTS have disproved a number of popular myths about the history of Glastonbury Abbey, it was revealed this week.

One of Somerset's most iconic landmarks, the abbey has long been linked with the legend of King Arthur and the story of Joseph of Arimathea, but a team from the University of Reading have dismissed these theories.

During a four year study they have sifted through hundreds of years of evidence and found that the stories about the Abbey's origins were most likely invented by medieval monks and helped the Abbey become one of the country's wealthiest.

Professor Roberta Gilchrist, who led the study, said: "We took a step back from the myth and legends and used 21st century technology to expose the abbey's true history."