Tintagel in north Cornwall has long been associated with Arthurian legend. Indeed, the place is steeped in history and legend, dating back hundreds of years. Here’s how to spend a day in Tintagel, seeing the best of its history.
Tintagel Castle
The castle itself
You can’t spend a day in Tintagel without visiting Tintagel Castle. This is Tintagel’s most famous attraction. It is reportedly where King Arthur was conceived, so it comes with a wealth of Arthurian legend.
The ancient castle was only discovered in the nineteenth century. There had been a castle on this site in the thirteenth century which later fell into ruin. When that castle was excavated, archaeologists found the remnants of a much earlier castle, from the fifth or sixth century. These earlier ruins are the ‘Arthurian’ castle, and are the focus of any visit to Tintagel Castle.
The castle ruins are out on an island which is almost disconnected from the mainland. The island’s rocky cliffs fall away dramatically, making for dramatic scenery.
Tintagel Castle Bridge
To get across to and from Tintagel Castle, you walk across Tintagel Castle Bridge. This is a new addition to the castle, opened in 2019 and replacing a wooden footbridge.
As someone who is not great with heights, I found walking across Tintagel Castle Bridge a little bit nerve-racking. You’re high above the sea swirling around sharp rocks. On the plus side, you get an excellent view from the bridge of Tintagel Castle and along the craggy coastline.
Gallos Statue
The Gallos Statue stands on the cliff edge within Tintagel Castle. It depicts an Arthurian soldier or king, with gaps in the sculpture giving it a ghostly appearance. With the dramatic landscapes visible through the holes, the statue is a striking figure on the cliff top.
Merlin’s Cave
Merlin’s Cave is not strictly part of Tintagel Castle but it is visible from the castle. Merlin is of course connected to the Arthurian legend and it is unsurprising that Tintagel remembers him in some of its landmarks.
Merlin’s Cave is actually a sea tunnel underneath Tintagel Castle’s peninsula. It’s accessible only at low tide, filling with sea water when the tide is in. The cave’s association with Merlin apparently comes from a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson. King Arthur fans clearly leapt on this as another piece of the King Arthur picture, despite there being no other evidence that Merlin lived in a cave!
How long do you need to visit Tintagel Castle?
I suggest setting aside three hours to visit Tintagel Castle. This gives you time to explore the whole peninsula without rushing.
Tintagel Old Post Office
Second, visit Tintagel Old Post Office. This is a sprawling fourteenth-century building with an uneven stone roof and a delightful little garden. It’s actually a museum, but it gets its name from having briefly been the point of receipt for letters for the area during the Victorian period.
Tintagel Old Post Office is now owned by the National Trust and there is a small entry fee.
How long do you need to visit Tintagel Old Post Office?
Tintagel Old Post Office is a quick stop. A maximum of half an hour should be sufficient.
St Materiana’s Church
Finally, walk a little way of out of Tintagel down the cliff path to St Materiana’s Church. This is a Norman church, dating back to around 1080.
When you enter the dark church, you feel as though you are stepping back in time. You can imagine the monks of centuries ago processing through the heavy doors. Or imagine a solemn service taking place before Tintagel’s villagers of old. Tintagel’s history really feels tangible in St Materiana’s Church.
What to look out for at St Materiana’s Church
Specific highlights for me at St Materiana were:
- The square tower
St Materiana’s fourteenth-century square tower is unusual and distinctive. After visiting Tintagel, I hiked westwards down the coast and I could see the tower on the cliff top for miles and miles.
- The font
The heavy-set stone font at St Materiana is Norman, nearly a thousand years old. You can imagine the baptisms of centuries’ worth of infants here, with the font standing as a constant throughout the ages.
- The cemetery
At the other end of the lifespan is the cemetery outside the church. A dry-stone wall encircles the lichen-spotted graves, long grass and wildflowers tangling over some of them. The sound of the sea sweeping against the cliffs below makes St Materiana’s cemetery a peaceful resting place.
How long do you need to visit St Materiana’s Church?
Including the walk there and back from Tintagel, I suggest setting aside an hour and a half to visit St Materiana’s Church. This means you can take your time absorbing the church’s long history and appreciating the cool calm of its dark stone interior.
What to do next after a day in Tintagel
For me, Tintagel was the starting point for my eight-day hike from Tintagel to St Ives. The north Cornwall coast is absolutely stunning so I can highly recommend exploring it after you’ve spent a day in Tintagel.
Alternatively, head south to Bodmin Moor, where you can continue your journey of myths and legends by visiting the famous Jamaica Inn, popularised by Daphne du Maurier’s novel about the crimes of ancient smugglers in Cornwall.