...The procession made their way across the narrow bridge spanning the chasm; Shod hooves of the horses rang out on the flagstones in counterpoint to the metallic sounds of steel; Armour, chain mail and weapons...The ever present sounds of a contingent of armoured men and horses moving. But this wasn't just a group of knights or men-at-arms...At the head rode the most powerful man in the land...King Arthur had returned to Tintagel...
Maybe that's not how it really transpired, but as I drove into Tintagel on a cool but fine June day but my overactive imagination was swept up in the Arthurian myth and legend surrounding this lovely little village situated on the stunning Atlantic coast of Cornwall, England.
Tintagel
In original Cornish, Tre war Venydh, is what it was called; village on a mountain...The views from the hills around offer a beautiful mix of greens and blues; Lush fields run away down towards the deep blue of the Atlantic ocean and the steep, craggy cliffs that hold it at bay. It feels old, walking amongst the massive rocks on the cliff's edge, cliffs that have seen the passing of millions of years and the rise and fall of the mighty, meek and humble alike.
The village is small with a population of about 1,700 people in the greater area, but is a popular place with tourists who come for the amazing views, walking trails which meander their way along the cliff-tops and to see the Tintagel Castle which is deeply associated with myth and legend around King Arthur and his court.
That's enough to get me there...I love myth and legend, and as an historian, the age and history of this place is enough pull me there.
Finding a car park can be problematic however we'd arrived early so found one and set off on our little adventure.
This building was one of the first things we came across; It's a medieval house or hall, built around 1380. As you can see the roof is sagging in places but we went in anyway and explored the rooms that were open.
They have them set up as it may have been at the time of construction although in later times, the Victorian era, it was used as a letter-receiving office for the village. I would imagine it would have been considered a very big structure in the 1300's however moving about inside is quite confining these days. There's a cottage garden out the back and overall I would suggest it to be a nice place to start one's Tintagel adventure.
We wandered along the high street which is quaint but tourist-oriented then felt the pull of open spaces, rugged coastline and the castle drawing us...We headed to the cliffs and took in the stunning views...All the while our attention drawn to the jagged stones of the once great castle which sat proudly on a promontory accessed by a bridge over a deep chasm.
Here you can see some of the crumbled walls of the castle which covered the entire island at one time. Note, on the left, a foot bridge which is a recent addition, around 2008. Originally a stone bridge spanned the gap...Now long gone of course.
Tintagel Castle is linked with King Arthurian myth and legend; The legend dates back to the 12th century however any true link has yet to be proven.
I'm okay with that though, myth and legend is enough for me. You'll note also the caves below the castle...This is reputed to have been Merlin's cave, King Arthur's fabled magician. I don't know if it actually was, but if Merlin existed I can imagine him living in a cave like this, surrounded by scrolls, potions and strange magiky-things that makes a magician, a magician.
Here's a slightly different angle showing a little more of the mainland. You can also see some ruined castle walls on the left side...This would have formed the outer defences of the castle, the first line of defence. Considering the nature of where the castle is situated it would have been a very difficult place to assault; I believe many men could have smashed themselves to pieces on these walls and still not gain entry.
We walked right down to sea level but unfortunately we were there on the Summer Solstice and some yahoo's were staging a protest of some nature. The police had the bridge to the castle blocked off as two or three hippies were defacing the building-ruins and generally being dick heads. I was pretty annoyed with this scenario considering we had come all the way from Australia...And also, I don't have a lot of tolerance for people protesting peacefully by destroying things that don't belong to them. Off with their heads would have been my command back in King Arthur's day.
From the castle we headed over to St Materiana's Church and the graveyard. It's a bit of a walk up a country lane but was worth it as the views from that side are different than from the other side of the town and it is good to see the castle island from both aspects.
St Materiana's sits on the same site the 6th century church occupied. The one that stands today was built in the 11th or 12th century and is loaded with history. I'm not religious myself, but as a lover of history places like this are difficult to resist. It's interesting to note that the parish registers begin in 1546 for burials, baptisms in 1569 and marriages in 1588...Much later than the actual construction...But still a long time ago!
We wandered around the graveyard area and then headed back towards the water for some more views and we sat for a while soaking up the rays and enjoying the solitude.
As the sun moved across the sky and the light changed so did the vista: Colours changed and shadows moved on the cliffs revealing different aspects of the coastline and the Tintagel Castle also. It looks completely different from one side to the other so I think it's essential to take this walk.
As we headed back to the village we chatted about what it much have been like all those years ago, who the people were that lived here and where they went. I find history fascinating and can't help but wonder about times past and the people that lived them; I wish I knew their stories.
History has continued to unfold here, as it tends to do, and the fortunes of the people who lived here rose and fell; The British tribes, Romans, and others throughout the Dark Ages, early, mid and late medieval periods and all the way to the present day. Some, like the myth and legend of King Arthur, remains undocumented and some is clear for us to see today through records and archaeological digs.
We felt we had become a small part of that history through our visit and really enjoyed our time there. It is both an interesting and stunningly beautiful little village with enough to keep one occupied for most of the day. There's interesting history to reveal, amazing views to enjoy and some really nice places to eat also. If you come here don't forget to indulge in a Cornish pasty...You'll not regret it. You can see the place we stopped for lunch above. Yum doesn't quite do their Cornish pasties justice. See the church to the left?
We do not feel we have covered it all however as we were not permitted onto the castle grounds as mentioned above; I am really annoyed about that but what can we do I guess...Go back is the only answer. I found this aerial video courtesy of English Heritage which runs for only 90 seconds or so...It really shows off the castle much better than my photos do so take a look if you're keen - Well worth a look.
Thanks for tagging along today and I hope y'all manage to make your way here at some stage; Here you can walk in the present, and head back in time.
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Be well
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