Tintagel Things to Do

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Remains of the Castle exist on both the "main" land and the promontory known as the "island". A pathway and steps lead up to the ticket office and onto the modern bridge which crosses the chasm between the two.

It is a steep climb but if you pause for a rest not only will you see some magnificent coastal scenery (" look out for the caves and what we called the "Giant Claw") but also some interesting geological layers in the cliff wall as you make your way up to the Island Courtyard.

The Ticket office sells an excellent 44-page illustrated guide to the Castle. The maps help you to obtain a clearer picture of the layout of the castle and the history content is concise but comprehensive. It is an English Heritage publication and costs £3.99 - well worth it as a guide and as a souvenir of your visit.

Full Visitor facilities availalble - Toilets; cafe;shop; Exhibitions.

Admission Details.
Adult £4. 70
Concession £3.80
Child £2.40
Under 5's free
Free Admission - Members of English Heritage and CADW (the Welsh Heritage Org.)

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This small medieval house dates from the 14th Century and is well worth a visit.
It is maintained and looked after by the National Trust and there is usually a guide at hand to answer your questions.

The rooms are furnished with the type of oak country furniture that would have been is use in rural cottage homes in Victorian times. But judging by the size and layout of the rooms it must have been the home of quite a well off family - originally a 14th Century yeoman farmer according to the Guide.

From 1844 -1892 the house was used as a Letter Receiving Office for the district, dealing with incoming mail only. Now the former Post Room is shown as a Victorian Post Office would have looked and also has a small shop selling local guides, maps and souvenirs. Look out for pictures and posters on the walls.
Each room in the house has an information leaflet - not to be taken away - nor is it allowed to take photgraphs inside the building.

Do not miss the back garden which is delightful and gives you a good view of the slate construction of the building and its "Tumble roof".

Admission Free to NT Members
Adults £2.70
Child £1.35
Family £6.75
Family (one adult) £4.05

No parking on site - plenty nearby, all paying
No Toilet facilities on site, nearest WC up the road in Trevena Square.

These buildings were also uncovered in the 1930s excavations, and their date and purpose are still uncertain - some may well date similarly to the 5th or 6th centuries AD, while others may be medieval; one has a small oven for drying corn.

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The sandy beach to the east of the bridge, known as the Haven, is where ships were once loaded. From this beach is it possible to access Merlin's Cave at low tide. A fault or a layer of weaker rocks close to sea level has been hollowed out by the action of the tide, and two tunnels run right through the Island that the castle is built on. The larger of the two is known as Merlin's Cave

Tintagel Castle is one of the most spectacularly beautiful places in the whole of south-west England. It lies on a finger of land projecting into the sea from the flat plateau of North Cornwall; half of the castle is on the mainland, while the other half is reached by crossing a narrow neck of land between two inlets of the sea.
The area has been settled at least since Roman times - pottery and coins at the site suggests that it was a place of some importance, and milestones near by indicate that a Roman road may have run along the northern Cornish coast. It is possible that Tintagel may have been Durocornovium. Following the collapse of Roman rule in Britain, Tintagel may have been a stronghold of the kings or princes of Dumnonia - clearly the ruler here was a man of considerable importance; a larger quantity of luxury goods have been found here than at all the other known 'Dark Age' sites in Western Europe put together.
By the time Richard, Earl of Cornwall (the brother of Henry III) built his castle here, the fortress had become firmly associated with the legend of King Arthur - which may partly explain why the Earl chose to build a castle in a site of no real strategic importance.

Entrance costs £4.30

The tiny chapel, dedicated to St Juliot, was probably built around the late 11th c.; strangely between the abandonment of the Dark Age settlement and the building of the castle. It continued to be used after the castle was built, when the original door in the south-west corner was blocked up and the entrance moved to the west end and covered by a small porch or tower.
More low stone walls lie around the chapel, remnants of quite a large complex of buildings of various dates - some Dark Age and some medieval. One was used as the foundations of the chapel, leading to speculation of Christian worship on the Island during the Dark Ages.

The huge amount of luxury goods from the Mediterranean found in this area of Tintagel has suggested that these cliffs may have played an important part in ceremonies when Tintagel was a stronghold of a Dark Age king or prince of Dumnonia. It has been speculated that such ceremonies may have included celebrations of ancestry, power and fealty.

Personally I wouldn't have wanted to stand near these cliffs if the loyalty of my followers was in any doubt!

The shallow depression on the top of the Island is the only natural water-catchment at Tintagel, and several natural springs run from it. The well is medieval in date, and must have been the main source of water for the castle, apart from any water collected from the roofs of the buildings.