Castles

Coastal artillery forts, medieval strongholds and the romantic ruins of legend.

8 places reviewed by Oliver Howes

From Prehistory to Henry VIII

Cornwall has substantantially less (and less substantial) castles than England, Scotland and Wales. Norman and medieval castles are now no more than ruins but Henry VIII's coastal artillery forts still stand complete - and were even manned in the the two world wars. Of those described here Castle-an-Dinas is an iron age hill fort, Tintagel may have its origins in the Arthurian period, Launceston and Restormel date from Norman times, Pendennis and St. Mawes are Henry VIII coastal forts, Pengersick is still lived in. Other iron age hill forts and cliff castles will be found on my Antiquities page.

With photos

Showing 8 of 8

Carn Brea Castle

Brea Castle

Castle-an-Dinas near St. Columb Major

Dinas near St. Columb Major

Launceston Castle

One of the earliest Norman castles, the original timber building was constructed for William the Conqueror’s brother Robert of Mortain. In the 13th century it was rebuilt in stone

Pendennis Castle

While Jane was in Truro with her old school 'ladies who lunch' circle in mid-December 2004, I drove to Swanpool beach and walked into Falmouth to visit Pendennis Castle for the fir

Pengersick Castle

It isn't really a castle, rather the remnant of a Tudor fortified manor house. The Pengersick family, who took the name from the lands they acquired here, have long gone, as has mu

Restormel Castle

If you didn't already know the location of Restormel, you would be unlikely to spot it unless playing golf on the course across the valley. It is not just its invisibility that is

St. Mawes Castle

After Henry VIII broke with the Church of Rome in the 1530s and established his own Church of England, he found himself threatened by the Catholic powers in Europe. Henry's reactio

Tintagel Castle

Legend names Tintagel Castle as home of Igerne, Duchess of Cornwall and mother of King Arthur. Certainly the site was occupied in the 5th and 6th centuries. The 1998 discovery of a