A place of magic and myth renowned for its association with the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.   Originally the Castle was attached to the main land but with the effect of erosion (mainly erosion of isthmus) a bridge has had to be built for access today.  The Castle is maintained by English Heritage.  Note the climb up to the castle ruins is quite steep.

There are many beaches in the area and for surfers there is Trebarwith and Bossiney but Castle Beach itself is a very safe bathing beach.

The area is rich in flora and fauna  and a wonderful bird watching area.

Tintagel and King Arthur

In the fifth century, the small child, Arthur, was supposedly thrown by on the waves onto the beach by Merlin’s cave. There are many stories and nobody knows for sure the existence of King Arthur but archaeological finds prove that there once was a fortress, in the fifth century, where the castle stands today.  The Castle was built between 1230-1236 by Richard Earl of Cornwall but within two hundred years the castle was in ruins.

Ponder the mystery of King Arthur’s Hall near St Breward and the Slaughterbridge stone said to mark the spot where he fell in battle.  On Bodmin Moor at Dozmary Pool you can imagine the lady of the lake rising from the depths to receive Excalibar.

The Battle of Camlann, Arthurs final battle was fought against Mordred the son of Lot, King of Picts.  The battle was supposedly fought in 539AD or 542 AD, King Arthur was fatally wounded during the battle. The battle is staged in August in Tintagel and at Stratton the Civil War skirmish of Stamford Hill is re-enacted each May.

                                                View of beach and castle in background

King Arthur's Ghost

There is an overwhelming case for the ghost of King Arthur .  There have been numerous sightings, these sightings have mainly been seen in and around Tintagel.  Perhaps this photo is King Arthur, taken in the grounds of Tremoutha  House in nearby Crackington Haven only recently.

Michael Williams wrote that he may possibly have met the “real” Arthur.  He studied the technique of psycho-expansion allowing people to explore their own sense of awareness and regress into past lives.  He talks of a West Country housewife who on two occasions he was present at, regressed to Arthurs time, claiming she was King Arthur and that he was quite a “lad” having fathered up to 15 children. Read more at King Arthur Country at www.tintagelweb.co.uk.

An Earthquake rocked Tintagel on 1st June 2001, its epicentre was in the Bristol Channel and it reached 3.6 on the Richter Scale.

Tintagel is also the name of a symphonic poem composed by Arnold Bax in 1919, perhaps his best known orchestral worked.  A typical performance lasts around 15 minutes

Places to Visit

King Arthur’s Great Hall

King Arthur’s Great Hall,  headquarters of a movement known as the Fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table. A magnificent building and well worth a visit.

The Old Post Office

Originally a 14 Century Manor House and later the local Post Office.  Now owned by the National Trust.  A rare early Plantaganent Manor House it is well worth a visit, the post office closed in 1872 and is now mainly a tourist attraction.

St Nectan’s Glen

                                    Wonderful for walking