  United Kingdom
Click to get the inside scoop from
real travelers here at VirtualTourist. See the United Kingdom Travel GuideInside advice from real people on:Overview, Hotels, Things to Do, Restaurants, Nightlife, Shopping, General Tips, Transportation, Off the Beaten Path, Tourist Traps, Warnings or Dangers, Local Customs, Packing Lists or Sports Travel.
 88492 United Kingdom Tips.152533 United Kingdom Photos.0 United Kingdom Videos. United Kingdom Pages by Geoff_Wright
 Geoff_Wright's United Kingdom Travelogues | | | |
|
| Page Views: 1,471 Last Visit to United Kingdom: - | Cornish Castles by Geoff_Wright - last update: Jul 3, 2005 |
Travellers within the United Kingdom cannot but fail to notice the number of ancient castles and grand old country houses that are to be found in every part. Those Castles in Wales and Scotland in particular are generally in a good state of repair, for their age, whereas those in Cornwall are now mainly interesting, historic ruins. |
|  | Pendennis and St Mawes Castles Any visitor proceeding to West Cornwall should pay a visit to Pendennis Castle in Falmouth, and its neighbour across the river at St Mawes. On the summit of Pendennis Point stands Pendennis Castle. In about 1543 Henry VIII built the nucleus of the present castle on the site of an ancient fort. The position commands the wide sweep of the bay to the west, the Channel to the south-east, the harbour entrance and the harbour, and nearly the whole of the town. In 1644 Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I (sister of Louis XIII of France) embarked at Pendennis for France. Prince Charles found refuge here for a while before fleeing to the Isles of Scilly, some 30 miles off the coast of Cornwall. Early in 1646 the Castle was besieged, both by land and sea, by the forces of the Parliament. It was ably and stubbonly defended until they had sufficient provisions for only one day, and a treaty of surrender was agreed. The siege had lasted about 6 months. Pendennis was the last castle in England to hold out for the King.
Falmouth is on the south Cornish coast on the A39 road about 12 miles (17 km) from the city of Truro.
On the other side of the Fal Esturary is St Mawes Castle. The Castle is commanded by hills and when held for Charles I could not long defy the Parliament. It was built in 1542. The place is well preserved, and a visit gives one on interesting peep into "the Good Old Days. St Mawes Castle is said to be the most picturesque and perfect of Henry VIII's coastal fortresses.
St Mawes can be reached from Falmouth by ferry (foot passengers) or why not use the King Harry Ferry, which crosses the river via the B3289 road, and is well signposted. St Mawes is about 5 miles due south from the ferry.
The photo here is of St Mawes Castle and was taken over 100 years ago. In the original picture sailing ships can be seen in the background! |
English HeritageWith the exception of Castle-an-Dinas, all of these castles are now under the care and protection of English Heritage. There is an admission charge for each site and this varies from between £2.00 to £4.00 for an adult. You can visit their web site at: HREF="http://www.english-heritage.org.uk."> English Heritage |
St Michael's Mount Text to follow - watch this space. |
Castle -an-DinasThe remains of the ancient hill fort of Castle-an-Dinas, near St Columb Major, are the most important of an early British encampment in Cornwall. The place is now called Castle Downs, and the original plan can still be traced. By their size the fortifications were evidently of great importance. My 100 year old guide book gives some explanations of the name: "The name has been interpreted to mean the 'Castle of the Danes' (which no doubt is inaccurate). Another rendering (probably correct) is the 'Castle of the Men', and a third translation is the Castle on the High Ground or Hill. The height above sea level here is 703 feet. The most recent explanation of the name is that "An Dinas" means "The Castle", and when the English came here they added their meaning, and so we have Castle-an-Dinas.
I have related to these name changes to illustrate the point that historical facts thought to be correct even only 100 years ago, are even now being corrected, and another good example is that of Tintagel Castle.
Castle-an-Dinas is about 3 miles east of the town of St Columb Major, (A39 road) on an unclassified road. |
| |
Launceston CastleIt is not certain as to when or by whom Launceston's 'Castle Terrible' was built, but it is thought building commenced about the time of Edward The Confessor (1042-1066). It is interesting to note that although during the English Civil Wars (1642-46 and 1648), it had various temporary ownerships, and the sequence of the inheritance of the castle by the Dukes of Cornwall and Princes of Wales, heirs to the English Crown, has survived to the present day. At the outbrake of the Civil Wars. Launceston Castle was held for the Parliament but quickly fell to the King's forces. The Castle capitulated to Cromwell's forces in 1644 but then again quickly reverted to the Royalists. The Prince of Wales, afterwards Charles II, stopped at the Castle a short while in the course of his gradual flight westwards. Early the following year the Castle and its garrison again surrendered to the Parliamentary forces, in March 1646.
In more modern times, in their capacity as Dukes of Cornwall, King George VI and the Duke of Windsor visited the Castle in 1909 and 1921 respectively - in both cases when Prince of Wales. King George VI however, was already crowned when in 1937 he made a state entry into the Castle, being welcomed with age-old ceremonial and presented with feudal dues - a pound of pepper and one hundred shillings, which were set down in a charter of 1230 by Richard, King of the Romans, then Earl of Cornwall.
The views from the Castle are astonishing. The wide view is particularly impressive to the west, where the heights of Bodmin Moor, Brown Willy and Rough Tor break against the skyline. The Castle is an easy walk from the town centre, where there are good car parking facilities. You won't need to ask directions as the Castle is visible from all parts of the town!.
The town of Launceston, once known as The Gateway to Cornwall, is now by-passed by the main A30 road which passes right through the centre of Cornwall to Land's End. The town itself is well worth a visit just for its other interesting and historic buildings (see my Launceston travelogue, which is currently under construction). |
| | Another view of Launceston Castle from the grounds. |
| Entrance to Launceston Castle |
| | The entrance to Launceston Castle through the remains of the Keep (junction of Western Road and St Thomas's Hill). |
| |
Tintagel CastleThe small town of Tintagel is on the north Cornish coast. The ancient ruins of Tintagel Castle are probably the most famous in Cornwall, if not in the UK, for it is here that the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of The Round Table began and is still today a matter of speculation amongst historians! When and by whom the Castle was built has not been ascertained, but in the middle of the 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth made mention of the Castle, and in 1245, David, Prince of North Wales was the guest, at Tintagel, of Richard Earl of Cornwall, King of the Romans.
The earliest remains at Tintagel are those of a Celtic monastary, dating between the 5th and 9th centuries, and already in ruins when the Castle was built. By the middle of the 16th century the Castle itself was in complete ruins. Inside the ruined walls of the Castle there is little to see of historic interest beyond the remains of the chapel. However, the views here of the magnificent rugged Cornish coastline are spectacular, and one may stop and ponder over the many historical activities that took place here so long ago.
For more pictures of Tintagel Castle, see my Tintagel, Cornwall page (being built soon, I hope!).
Visitors are not able to drive down to the Castle, but should park in the town and either walk to the site or, for a small fee, use the motor transport that will ferry you each way from the town. This transport is seasonal, I believe. Tintagel town (or village) is on the North Cornish coast, on the B3269 road, about 5 miles (8 km) west of Camelford (A39). |
| |
Restormel CastleRestormel Castle is situated about 1.5 miles (3 km) north of the town of Lostwithiel (A390 road) and is well signposted. These two photos are quite old (?) and I apologise about their quality. They will be replaced shortly, but are included to show how the castle is (they appear to have been taken just after the English Civil War!!) The earliest Castle here was an earthwork consisting of a ring motte (mound) with a bailey (outer wall) now largely obliterated. This dated from the early 12th century. About 1200 a masonry shell keep was built on top of the circular ramparts, with the curtain wall over 8 feet thick. In the late 13th century two-storey apartments were built inside the keep, replacing earlier wooden structures. The earliest mention is in 1264 when it was surrendered to Simon de Montfort by Thomas de Tracy. Since 1299 it has belonged to the Earldom (later Duchy) of Cornwall.
In the 16th century the buildings were unoccupied and in ruins. Yet in the English Civil War the keep was garrisoned by the Parliamentary army and was captured by Sir Richard Grenville on behalf of the King in 1644.
Lostwithiel, in mid Cornwall, is on the main A390 road between Liskeard and St Austell. |
| | Another view of Restormel Castle. Again, this picture will be replaced shortly. |
| | This wonderful photo of Restormel Castle was 'given' to me by Paul Cosky, who now lives in Australia. You should see Paul's excellent page on Cornwall and the West of England. Just click here to visit:<a href="http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/.184287/article/190/1/"><b><font color=green>Paul's Cornwall Travelogue</font</b></a> |
> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
| Geoff_Wright's United Kingdom Travelogues | | | |
|
 Comments for Geoff_Wright about United Kingdom | | | | |
MikeStarr5 Sun Dec 9, 2007 14:22 UTC
Excellent 5 star tips and pics. Well Done - from Mike Starr5 in the forgotten suburb of London historic "Barking Town" | sourbugger Sun Apr 8, 2007 18:41 UTC
what an excellent summary. i've not seen much of your work before - must read more ! | LYNDAHALL Mon Nov 27, 2006 21:33 UTC
oh wow Geoff Silver is gorgeous and looks so gentle,Cornwall looks like a wonderful place to live,you are so lucky, Lynda : ) | linnyloo Wed Jul 12, 2006 05:07 UTC
very enjoyable and helpful! We will be visiting Cornwall over New Year. Staying near Bodmin! |
|
|
email me
add as friend
