Tintagel is a fantastic location and although the physical remains of the castle aren’t much, the setting and status makes this an evocative visit. The thirteenth century castle doesn’t have many impressive defences left but the site itself would be a major challenge and it was built for prestige anyway. There are remains dating back to the post Roman period on the site showing that it was a high status area for several centuries. Our visit was part of a short Cornish road trip, detailed in my travel blog here, that included visits to St Mary’s on the Scilly Isles and St Micheal’s Mount.
Visiting Tintagel Castle
Tintagel Castle is one of the premier English Heritage sites to visit in the country. Huge amounts have been invested to make it more accessible, with the new bridge and it has the obligatory cafe, shop and exhibition. The only downside is the limited parking – there are only a few small car parks in the village. I’d recommend allowing time to do the two coastal path walks – to Glebe Cliff and Barras Nose – for different views of the site. Allow an extra couple of hours for both.
My Experience
We walked down the hill towards the castle, chatting to various English Heritage people on the way and then got to the landward side of the castle. We explored the outer bailey there, revelling in the warmth and blue skies. Tintagel Castle doesn’t have any massive fortifications remaining to see on your visit but it really has enough natural defences anyway. Various cliff collapses have led to remodelling during the occupation although it was only really inhabited for a hundred years.
Various myths and legends surround the castle and its associations with Merlin, Arthur, Tristan and Isolde but there is no contemporary evidence for any of it.
The setting is absolutely fantastic though and we spent a couple of hours wandering round the headland and looking at the views, plants and occasional remains of buildings. There is a statue of King Arthur on the headland which was actually quite well done. It was certainly a focal point for a lot of visitors which has to be a good thing. From there we walked past the chapel and pleasure garden and then down the steps that led under the bridge and to the beach path.
Deb stayed on the path while I went on to the beach to look at Merlin’s Cave (a natural tunnel that goes right through the headland) and look at the bridge from ground level. After a quick pause for a drink at the cafe where we people watched for a while (ie; judged people) we trudged up the path and back to the hotel.
Tintagel Castle Photo Gallery
History
The early history of Tintagel is shrouded in mystery. It is possible that it was an Iron Age promontory fort like Barras Nose, the headland immediately to the north. It would certainly have been well suited to such a role with the rocky peninsula only connected to the mainland by a thin strip of land that could easily have been protected by a ditch. However, archaeological evidence is inconclusive with any remains having been obliterated by later work. Knowledge of Roman era occupation is also sketchy. There was definitely a Roman presence for two third century AD milestones (signposts positioned along major Roman roads) were found near Tintagel as were fourth century coins. However, the nature of the Roman presence is uncertain – it is unlikely to have been a fort as the geography did not lend itself to the traditional ‘playing card’ shape generally used by the army. Furthermore the military was probably served by nearby Nanstallon and Restormel which both hosted traditional Roman forts probably overseeing mining operations. Tintagel most likely had a civilian function, perhaps as the residence of a prominent local magnate or community.
Whatever role the area played before the collapse of the Roman rule in Britain in the fifth century AD, it continued its association with the empire well into the Dark Ages. Pottery remains suggest Tintagel had trading links with elements of the Eastern Roman empire with goods coming from as far afield as Greece, Turkey and Northern Africa – probably in exchange for much sought after Cornish tin. The most likely explanation is that Tintagel was a settlement or fort of the Dumnonian Kingdom which encompassed Cornwall, Devon and parts of Somerset and was possibly the court of King Mark of Cornwall during the Sixth Century. However, with the collapse of the kingdom of Dumnonia around AD 709, Tintagel seems to have fallen out of use.
The site was re-occupied and Tintagel Castle built in 1233 when the land was purchased by Richard, Earl of Cornwall. He was the second son of King John and when his elder brother, Henry III, ascended to the throne Richard became his closest ally. Henry made him Earl of Cornwall in 1227 which included huge swathes of land that gave him a substantial income from Cornish tin and lead. Like contemporary nobles, he was brought up on the legends of King Arthur (see below) which predominantly came from the ‘History of the Kings of Britain’ written by Geoffrey of Monmouth. This imaginative book was partly based on historical fact but, where evidence was missing, Geoffrey filled in the blanks with his own interpretation. He had clearly heard of, or perhaps visited, Tintagel and much of his narrative on King Arthur was set there. Accordingly the building of the castle was nothing to do with military or economic benefit, it was a status symbol enabling Richard to own a Palace at the legendary birthplace of King Arthur. Richard owned extensive swathes of land stretching as far north as Knaresborough in Yorkshire and included major estates such Berkhamsted, Eye, Mere, Oakham and Wallingford. In Cornwall he owned key fortresses at Launceston, Restormel and Trematon and accordingly he spent little time at the remote Tintagel Castle. He died in 1272 leaving his extensive estates to his son and heir, Edmund.
Edmund died in 1300 without an heir and the vast estates of the Earldom of Cornwall were taken into Crown ownership. In 1337 Edward III bestowed upon his son, Prince Edward, the title of Duke of Cornwall and granted him the associated estates including Tintagel. The castle was in a poor condition by this time and the Prince initiated extensive repairs. Interest in the Arthurian legend peaked during this period and inspired Edward III to create the Order of the Garter. His son doubtless took a close interest in the castle but, without any real economic or military purpose, it struggled to find a role that justified its expense. Periodically used as a prison – with its most notable inmate being Thomas, Earl of Warwick in 1397 – the fifteenth century saw it drift into ruin although an artillery battery was built and briefly manned around 1580, probably at the instruction of Sir Richard Grenville, to guard against the Spanish threat from the sea.
References
The English Heritage site, with full visitor information, is here.
The history above is copied from the castles forts battles site here.
A reconstruction of the castle is on the EH site here.