Cornwall's Castle of Legends, Tintagel

Tintagel Castle, precariously perched above the cliffs of Cornwall, is (in our opinion) one of England's most magical ruins. We first visited back in 2014, thus sparking an even bigger obsession with UK's fascinating history.

No visit to Cornwall is complete without a trip to Tintagel so we brought my mom there knowing she would enjoy the views and all of the stairs (she is obsessed with getting her Fitbit steps in :lol: ). We walked the steep dirt track down to the castle instead of paying for the Land Rover service. It was a beautiful day and it seemed as though half of England knew it was the perfect day for exploring. Tintagel in July is significantly more crowded than Tintagel in May.

Tintagel Castle has lots and lots of stairs:

This is my favorite view of Tintagel:

Tintagel castle was built in the 13th century by Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, however evidence has proven that settlements have existed on the site long before then. Large quantities of Mediterranean pottery fragments dating to the 5th-7th century AD suggest heavy occupation during that time period.

Back in 2016, sculptor Rubin Eynon and English Heritage, revealed a newly erected statue called Gallos (Cornish for power), inspired by the legend of King Arthur. Geoffrey of Monmouth’s book written in 1138, History of the Kings of Britain, ties Arthur closely with Tintagel.

After exploring the castle, we strolled through the town of Tintagel with Cornish ice creams in hand. This is the Tintagel Old Post Office, originally a farmhouse built in 1380.