We think no visit North Cornwall is complete without visiting one of the many places associated with the legend of King Arthur! Below is our guide of our favourite sites of Arthurian interest to explore when you visit North Cornwall.
Tintagel Castle
Many of our guests visit Tintagel Castle while they are here with us. Especially so this summer since it re-opened with its impressive new bridge. It really is a recommended destination if you Visit North Cornwall due to its setting on a stunning headland on the North Cornwall coast. It’s got a long and interesting history but it is most famous for being the place where King Arthur was conceived (according to Geoffrey of Monmouth). It is also linked to the Romance of Tristan and Iseult.
Our recommendation for full day out when you visit North Cornwall is to go for breakfast at Boscastle farm shop with its panoramic views of the North Cornwall coastline. When you order breakfast also get a pasty to takeaway for later 😊. Then drive into Boscastle town center park in the main carpark there and take the bus to Tintagel – check times before going! Go to Tintagel castle – we recommend you book your tickets online before you go to make sure you get the entrance time you want as there are limits on how many people can enter at a time. Explore Tintagel castle 😊 (approximately 2 hours). Then walk back to Boscastle along the Southwest Coastal Path (approximately 3 hours – very hilly) enjoying the stunning views and your pasty en-route! Then get back to Ekopod and have a well deserved relaxing evening in one our geodomes or boutique tents.
Tintagel Castle is dog friendly, so this is also a dog friendly day out. Boscastle farm shop doesn’t allow dogs inside but there is extensive outside seating where they are more than welcome. There is also a children’s play area in the garden. Tintagel is 3o minutes from Ekopod
North Cornwall also has many other Arthurian links so if you’re interested in exploring the legends further here are some other places to visit:
Other sites in around Tintagel
In Tintagel town itself you can also explore King Arthur’s Great Halls 1st March -31st October guide dogs only. Built in the 1930’s, with a round table, granite thrones and 72 stained glass windows. This building is dedicated to the legend of King Arthur and has featured in many films and Tv programs.
On the beach under Tintagel Castle you can also explore Merlin’s Cave which is about 100 meters long and where legend tells Merlin lived while Arthur grew up. In the ‘Idylls of the King’ Tennyson tells of Merlin taking the baby Arthur safely to shore there. You can only explore the cave at low tide and look out for the face of Merlin etched into the rock.
5 minutes down the road from Tintagel is St Nectan’s Glen. This is the place where the Knight’s of the Round Table were reputably blessed before they set off on their quest for the holy grail. A beautiful setting with some lovely waterfalls, apparently there have been ghostly sightings of Arthur and his Knights here. Open all year round, it is about a mile walk from the carpark to the waterfalls.
Bodmin Moor
On Bodmin Moor, there are many other sites linked to Arthur. One is Dozmary Pool. This small lake which is meant to be where Arthur ordered Excalibur to be thrown when he was mortally wounded. It’s a pretty setting but probably one for the serious enthusiasts! It’s meant to be the bottomless home of the Lady of the Lake, but you’ll need a bit of imagination to see it! It’s worth visiting the famous Jamaica Inn at the same time if you go as they’re very close by and it has exhibitions on Daphane du Maurier and Cornish Smuggling.
King Arthur’s Hall can also be found on Bodmin Moor. King Arthur’s all is is a stone enclosure near the Village of St Breward which has been long associated with the legends of King Arthur. However, tenuous the links to the legend might be it’s a lovely walk and the stone remains have a beauitful location on the middle of the Moor, you can find the route here on the iwalkcornwall site.
The Arthurian Centre
The Arthurian Centre is just 15 minutes from Ekopod at Slaughter Bridge near Camelford (Camelford is one of the contenders for being the of Camelot). Slaughter Bridge is meant to be the site of the final battle Between Mordred and Arthur. It is dedicated to Legends of Arthur and his Knights so the perfect place to find out more about the history behind the legend. The most famous part of the exhibition is an inscribed stone that has writing in both Latin and Ogham (a Celtic language). The stone’s date corresponds to the date of this last battle – is it the grave stone of King Arthur? Find out all the legend behind it at the exhibition there. (open 30th March – end of October Half Term).
So hopefully we’ve convinced you that if you visit North Cornwall there are many fascinating sites linked to the Legend of King Arthur!
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