A Brief History Of The Tintagel Castle In Cornwall, Britain

Tintagel Castle (known in the Cornish language as ‘Dintagel’ as well), one of the most astonishing historical landmarks in Britain and a must see tourist attraction of Cornwall, has also been often associated with the legendary Camelot fortress stemming from the Arthurian tales since at least the High Middle Ages. Consequently, according to some, the stronghold of the reputed Briton King Arthur might have well been placed on the site of the present-day ruins of Tintagel Castle.

Panoramic view over the ruins of Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, Britain. Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Regarding the longtime association of the fortification with the Arthurian tales, the earliest such mention can be found in ‘Historia Regnum Britanniae‘ (i.e., The History of the Kings of Britain, a fictional history of Britain which was one of the most popular medieval manuscripts) which was written down during mid 12th century by Welsh cleric Geoffrey of Monmouth. However, in terms of historical and archaeological accuracy, the modern day ruins of Tintagel are actually those of a fortification built by Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, second son of King John of England so as to ensure a connection with the Arthurian tales of Geoffrey of Monmouth.

Cove near Tintagel Castle, Cornwall, Britain. Image source: www.pixabay.com

This was also done in the hope of gaining the trust of the local Cornish people, who were suspicious of foreign leadership. It must nevertheless be mentioned that the castle of Earl Richard of Cornwall had no strategic value at the time. The architecture of the stronghold was purposely designed in a more old fashioned way in order to make it look more antique.

The waves of the Atlantic Ocean splashing on the cliffs of Tintagel. Image source: www.pixabay.com

There is therefore no concrete proof of King Arthur’s presence at Tintagel nor signs of notable military constructions erected on the territory of the ruins during most notably the Roman period. On the other hand, a consistent number of artefacts which highlight Tintagel’s economic significance from the 5th to the 7th century as part of a long trade route which spanned as south as the Mediterranean Sea had been previously discovered. Nonetheless, the aforementioned facts do not stop making the site still attractive for hundreds of thousands of tourists each year nor do they completely erase its Arthurian legendary charm either.

A black and white photograph of the 8-foot-tall (or 2.4 m) Gallos (Cornish for power) bronze statue which is situated close to Tintagel Castle. This bronze statue has been mostly associated with the legendary King Arthur (being popularly called ‘King Arthur statue’) but it’s not actually associated with a single historical person (be it even legendary or semi-legendary as it is the case of King Arthur). In stark contrast, the statue is actually meant to symbolise the overall history of the site. Image source: www.unsplash.com

Below you can take a closer look at Tintagel Castle via a video filmed by Paul Dinning and shared on YouTube:

• Tintagel Castle on www.wikipedia.org (in English)
• Tintagel Castle: History and Legend on www.english-heritage.org.uk
• Tintagel Castle on www.english-heritage.org.uk
• Tintagel Castle on www.visitcornwall.com
• Tintagel on www.britannica.com (Encyclopædia Britannica online)
• Camelot on www.britannica.com (Encyclopædia Britannica online)
• Cornwall on www.britannica.com (Encyclopædia Britannica online)