Out friends, Phil and Jen, are travelling Europe and came down to Cornwall to visit and see the sights so we joined them on a day trip to the Cornish town of Tintagel.
Tintagel Castle
Tintagel is highly regarded as one of the must-do's around Cornwall because of the incredible history that lies there and its connection to King Arthur. Built both on the mainland and the headland, the remains of the medieval 13th century castle are a sight to behold. An entrance fee of 9.50 (gbp) p.p allows you to wander the ruins and headland at your own leisure. There is a lot of walking and steps involved but generally it's easy going if you pace yourself. Once you pass the ticket booth you walk across a bridge and start the ascent up the side of the cliff. At the top there is a beautiful medieval door that you pass through where you will be greeted with an amazing view of the castle ruins and the sea.
King Arthur
The legendary King Arthur, whom we are led to believe led Britain to defend against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th century, has a somewhat mythical connection to the Tintagel. It is thought that is the location of where King Arthur was conceived and some say, born. Recently erected on the headland is an 8ft bronze statue of King Arthur which manages to capture the legends of the King incredibly. I thought it was an incredible sight on the headland!
Merlin's Cave
The cave is located below the Tintagel Castle and is thought to be where Merlin lived. Merlin was a legendary wizard who has has long been linked with King Arthur through historical texts. On our visit we were lucky enough to go down to the cave and inside it, this can only be done at low tides. The weather wasn't on our side on our visit so I was very cold down in the cave!
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Pasty!
We couldn't have a trip out without a pasty for lunch, we can't get enough of them! We found this huge vegan pasty which was delicious, unfortunately not long after this picture was taken a seagull flew down and grabbed it out of my hands! No food is safe around those Cornish gulls!!
Thank you for reading!
I love the statue.
Me too!