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Tintagel in
Cornwall
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This is the place where legends of kings and castles are born. Since the day George of Monmouth put his pen to paper in the twelfth century this place would never be the same. The mystical black ruins of a once formidable castle mark the birthplace of the legendary King Arthur. There is no telling exactly why George of Monmouth choose this Tintagel castle as the place to found the greatest character of his History of the Kings of Britain. Whether it was based on oral tradition, pure fabrication or the influence of something magical, there was no better place to start his mythical tale then here not to mention the fact that the Arthurian stone was found here.
The scandalous conception of this noble hero also occurred in this dark castle. The Duke of Tintagel made a fatal mistake when one day he brought his ravishing wife, Ygerna, to the court of his High King, Pendragon. The king fell obsessively in love the Duke’s lovely wife and plotted to make her his own. When the Duke failed to return to court upon being summoned by the King, it made the King furious and he promptly ordered an invasion. Ygerna was locked away safely in Tintagel’s tower while her husband defended her valiantly. The tables were turned when Pendragon convinced the wizard, Merlin, to change his image so that he would appear to look like the Duke. In his disguise he gained entry into the tower and seduced the naïve Ygerna. That fateful night King Arthur was conceived. Then the next morning the Duke was murdered making room for Pendragon and Ygerna to become husband and wife.
There are many other intriguing sites relating to the era of King Arthur like the Dozmary Pool on Bodmin Moor, which was the resting place of Excaliber, Merlin’s enchanted sword. While a lot of places harbor an Arthurian theme like the King Arthur Book Shop, the King Arthur Car Park, and so on, there are still many other types of interesting places in this fair town. Across the sturdy wooden bridge on Tintagel Island lay the excavated ruined stone buildings thought to be chapels. Within these tattered remains great quantities of ancient pottery was uncovered. These Mediterranean works of art date back to the fifth and sixth century proving that there was an occupation here during the Dark Ages. Amongst the artifacts were to be found marvelous Carthaginian dishes, Aegan amphorae, large Tunisian oil jars, and beautiful Byzantine jars. There are also the remains of an old Celtic monastery here, which was important for gaining knowledge of how the ancient monasteries were laid out and organized.
In addition to all its historical value, there are plenty of things that can be typically found in England. There are white wide sandy beaches that extend along Tintagel’s coast with plenty of rock climbing and cove exploring opportunities. Pretty lush gardens with gorgeous plants and plenty of captivating trails to walk through.
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