Tintagel Castle

Tintagel Castle stands on a narrow peninsula jutting into the sea near the village of Tintagel in North Cornwall. The ruins of the medieval castle built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall in the 13th century crown the cliffs. Below, the Atlantic pounds rocky coves and sea stacks. The site has been occupied since Roman times, though no Roman buildings have been found. Artefacts from the 3rd and 4th centuries show links with the wider empire. A later medieval legend ties the place to King Arthur’s conception. The castle is worth the journey for its layers of history uncovered by archaeologists. In the 1930s Ralegh Radford showed the site had been a high-status settlement. Recent digs by the Cornwall Archaeological Unit found a 5th- or 6th-century palace with Mediterranean imports. Slate inscribed with writing proves literacy survived after Rome fell. Artefacts include Spanish amphorae and Phocaean red-slip ware, more than at any other British site of the period. These finds have featured in BBC and PBS programmes. Visitors walk along cliff-top paths past ruined towers and curtain walls. The Iron Gate wall once controlled access to the plateau. Below, Merlin’s Cave can be seen at low tide in the cove. The site offers views across the sea to Lundy Island. English Heritage displays some finds on site. The wind carries the sound of waves up to the ruins.