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| Tintagel, Dintagell, Tre was Venydh | ||
| country | Cornwall | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1820 (2001 census) | |
no value for residents on Wikidata:  | ||
| height | unknown | |
| no value for height on Wikidata: | ||
| Tourist info web | https://www.visitcornwall.com/places/tintagel | |
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
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Tintagel is a locality in the southwest of Cornwall. The mainly touristic place gains its importance through the ruins of Tintagel Castle and the legend of King Arthur.
background
The legendary King Arthur is said to have been born in this place. At least that is what Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote in 1136 in his "Historica Regum Brittaniae", the first extant and detailed record of the Arthurian legend.
The small peninsula on the coast in front of today's Tintagel was already inhabited in the 5th and 6th centuries AD. Numerous ruins of the former buildings can still be found there today. From the findings of the excavations on site, one concludes that the population at the time had intensive trade with the Roman Empire.
getting there
By plane
The Newquay Cornwall Airport
(IATA: NQY) is on the north coast of Cornwall. He is among others by Ryanair, Flybe and Eurowings approached. There are connections from German-speaking countries Frankfurt Hahn and (seasonal) from Düsseldorf (as of summer 2016). The next larger airport is in 250 km to the northeast Bristol.
By train
- Of London Paddington with the GWR direction Penzance to Bodmin Parkway (approx. 3 3/4 h)
- From there by bus 11A (Bodmin Parkway Station) towards Padstow to the Royal Cornwall Showground (47 minutes)
- From the Royal Cornwall Showground take bus 212 towards Boscastle to the Visitor Center station in Tintagel (another 47 minutes)
By bus
- From Bodmin Parkway by bus 11A (Bodmin Parkway Station) towards Padstow to the Royal Cornwall Showground (47 minutes)
- From the Royal Cornwall Showground take bus 212 towards Boscastle to the Visitor Center station in Tintagel (another 47 minutes)
In the street
- Follow A4 to M4
- Follow M4 and M5 to A30 in Devon (Junction 31)
- Take A30 and then A395 to Tintagel
- Of London it is about 4 1/2 hours to Tintagel
By boat
On foot
The South West Coast Path leads once around Cornwall and also directly past Tintagel Castle
mobility
Most of the roads in Cornwall are easy to drive and narrow areas are usually indicated by appropriate signs. But there are also the very narrow streets known for Cornwall, especially apart from the larger connections: mostly streets bordered on both sides by walls or hedges, which allow only one direction of travel but are used from both sides. However, these roads are generally not so busy that they can be used with a little caution and consideration. There are also fords that you have to drive through. The road boundaries by high hedges are omnipresent.
Tourist Attractions
Tintagel Castle can be reached from the center via a footpath of approx. 5 to 10 minutes. Since the entrance to the site is significantly lower than the site, the route can also be covered with a shuttle. Currently (as of July 2017) the price for this is £ 2.00 per person. The footpath is initially tarred and a little later as a gravel path and is partially shaded. At the bottom there is a restaurant and a souvenir shop with an attached exhibition, in which the history of the castle is conveyed through time tables and a small multimedia installation at the beginning of the tour.
Behind the ticket purchase you are at the old "Haven" of Tintagel, where donkeys brought slate from the surrounding mines and shipped it from here in the 19th century. Remnants of the port facility can still be seen here.
The so-called Merlin Cave can also be found in the rock, which can be visited at low tide. Actually it is just a hole in the rock that is next to another hole in the rock, but legend tells that the magician Merlin is said to have lived here below Tintagel and, depending on the reading, still lives there today and just doesn't want to get out . The cave can be reached by stairs down to the beach at low tide. It is not accessible at high tide.
To visit Tintagel Castel itself, you have to be prepared for some stairs, some of which are quite steep. Tintagel Castle is about half on a peninsula which is still rudimentary connected to the mainland and a headland in front of Tintagel. Both areas are connected by a bridge and there are a few steps to climb on each side of the bridge until you can see the buildings of the Dark Ages or the fortress.
During the visit you will be confronted with the two stories of the place: On the one hand, the settlement of the place in the 5th to 7th centuries AD, for which stone witnesses can still be found, and on the other hand with the fortress from the 13th century. The first period is referred to on all information boards on site as the Dark Ages to point out that only sparse information is available for this period and that this mostly comes from the finds that were made there. Apparently, people had settled there at the time when the Roman Empire dissolved. From the finds we know that there must have been brisk trade with Rome, and it was a very important place on what was then the British Isles and the quantity of goods suggests that a local ruler was ruling here. The realm of that time is known as Dumnonia and Tintagel Castle is repeatedly indicated that this could be his headquarters. While the excavation finds are to be found in museums, the visitor can still see the foundations of the buildings from this time. These are spread over the entire area - allegedly there were over a hundred houses including gardens and they can also be found within the walls of the medieval fortress.
Depending on the legend, the historically unproven figure of King Arthur is placed in this period. And so Geoffrey of Monmouth knows 1136 in his Historia Regum Britanniae to report that Arthur was born on Tintagel. The story is summarized as follows: Gorlois and his wife Igraine lived on Tintagel. The ruler Uther Pendragon was transformed into a potion by the magician Merlin, so that he resembled Gorlois, and he lay with Igraine for one night. From that night arose Arthur who later united England as King Arthur. Geoffrey of Monmouth underlined his credibility at the time by saying that he was the only one who had access to Celtic sources.
This story was taken up extensively in the Middle Ages and Richard of Cornwall is said to have chosen this place for his fortress in 1233 because King Arthur was born here. A few years later he had built a fortress between the peninsula and the mainland, which was connected with a bridge and equipped with gates. However, the unstable shale broke a little later and large parts of the system broke off and fell into the sea. In 1337 the Duke Edward of Woodstock rebuilt the walls and changed the architecture of the damaged buildings. However, interest in the castle seemed to be low. In the 14th century the complex was used as a prison and finally abandoned around 1600 and fell into disrepair.
In addition to the actual fortress and the Dark Ages buildings, there is also a fountain, a dilapidated church and a tunnel, the purpose of which can no longer be determined today. Furthermore, the remains of a walled garden tell the story of Tristan and Isolde, which is also said to have taken place in Tintagel
The house dates from the 14th century and has changed several times over the course of its history. These changes can be seen during the visit and also offer an insight into the way of life of the people over the centuries. The five rooms are furnished with numerous original pieces of furniture from different eras. Old embroidery can be seen on the walls. Behind the house, a beautifully landscaped garden invites you to linger. During a brief period in the Victorian era, the building was used as a post office.
Parish Church of St. Materiana
activities
- Hiking: The South West Coast Path runs along the entire coast of Cornwall. on the Penwith Peninsula.
- Surfing: Especially the beaches on the west coast of Cornwall, such as in Newquay are popular for riding waves
shop
Tintagel is a place that is mainly geared towards tourism. Therefore, there are a large number of gift shops that offer everything from umbrellas to mugs with and without flags to elves, fairies, knight toys and ritual supplies.
The place has two supermarkets:
- The Village Market Stores (Spar), Fore Street, Tintagel, Cornwall, PL34 0DB, United Kingdom. Tel.: 44 1840 770295. Open: Monday: 07: 00-21: 00; Tuesday: 07:00 - 21:00; Wednesday: 07:00 - 21:00; Thursday: 07:00 - 21:00; Friday: 07:00 AM - 09:00 PM; Saturday: 06:30 AM - 09:00 PM; Sunday: 06:30 - 21.
- Londis, Bossiney Rd, Tintagel PL34 0AJ, United Kingdom. Tel.: 44 1840 770323. Open: daily 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
kitchen
- Pasty: Pasties are the specialty in Cornwall. Traditionally, these are dumplings filled with beef, potatoes, onions and beets. However, they are also available with other fillings (including vegetarian). There are two shops in Tintagel that sell the pasties, both right at the beginning of the pedestrian walkway to Tintagel Castle.
- Cream Tea: Even if cream tea is supposed to be native to Devon and enjoyed everywhere in England, it is strongly associated with Cornwall. These are scones that are coated with strawberry jam and clotted cream and a good cup of tea. A scone is a small, sweet bun. Clotted cream is a very thick cream. There is a difference between the Devon Cream Tea and the Cornish Cream Tea: In Cornwall, the scone is first coated with strawberry jam and then with clotted cream, while in Devon it is exactly the other way around.
- Stargazy Pie: It is a pie in which sardines were baked. The sardine's heads all protrude above the dough and seem to be staring at the stars. Hence the name. This pie has a history: In the 16th century, the population in Mousehole went hungry as no ship could leave the port due to the inhospitable winter. A brave fisherman named Tom Bawcock is said to have set sail despite the storm and came back with a plentiful catch from which a huge pie with seven types of fish was baked. The heads of the fish were left out of the dough to prove that there was really fish in it.
As a drink you can choose between different ciders, ales and beers in the local pubs.
accommodation
- Trevenna Lodge Castle Heights,, Tintagel PL34 0DE, United Kingdom.
health
trips
If you take one to two hours' drive into account for excursions, Tintagel is a good starting point for almost everything Cornwall has to offer. A small selection of the most popular destinations:
- Boscastle - A fishing village not far from Tintagel with an Elizabethan town center. The port is managed by the National Trust; At the southern end are the ruins of Bottreaux Castle (approx. 10 minutes by car)
- Lanhydrock House and Garden - Notable mansion close by Bodmin, managed by the National Trust (approx. 0:50 h by car)
- Trerice - an Elizabeth mansion with a house spirit (approx. 1:00 h by car)
- Eden Project - A large botanical garden with many tropical and subtropical plants. The two huge domes under which the Eden project is located give the garden a somewhat futuristic ambience. A destination for bad weather as well as good weather, as a large outdoor area was also created (approx. 00:50 h by car)
- Truro - the capital of Cornwall with a Gothic cathedral (approx. 1:15 hours by car)
- St. Michael's Mount - Island with castle and chapel from the 13th century; can be reached via a dam at low tide (approx. 1:40 h by car)
- Minack Theater - Ms. Rowena Cade built this open-air theater with her gardener for over 60 years; performances are still given there today; very picturesque (approx. 2:00 h by car)
Web links
- Tintagel place (Wikipedia)
- Tintagel Castle (Wikipedia)
- Geoffrey of Monmouth (Wikipedia)
- King Arthur (Wikipedia)
- Dark Ages Tintagel Problem
- English Heritage Site at Tintagel Castle with reconstructions of the original buildings
