A visit to Tintagel Castle, the birthplace of King Arthur

One of my favourite castles with a rugged coastline background has to be the one located in Tintagel, on the northern shoreline of Cornwall. Along with it comes mythical tales of forbidden love and the storyline of Merlin and King Arthur. Not only that, it comes with a bit of hiking and the children loved visiting this English Heritage location. This is our experience of a day in Tintagel and what to expect on a visit.

Tintagel was originally named Trevena which means ‘village on a mountain’. The village has a nice high street with quirky shops and beautiful pubs but the main attraction here is the castle which covers a vast amount of the coastline near the village. Believed to be the birthplace of King Arthur, the legends surrounding this area has made this one of Cornwall’s most visited places as it draws in the tourists looking for adventure and magic. For me, there is nothing like the ruins of a castle on rugged cliff edges with the sea below my feet to convince myself that something magical must have happened on this spot. Despite it being a little windy, the sun was out for us today which made exploring much more fun and easier. 

On the rugged headland where the castle sits, there have been ruins found which date back to the fifth century however there is evidence of people living in this area during the late Roman period. This area was thriving but then all of a sudden, the castle, the village etc was left abandoned until the 1200s. The castle ruins which visitors see today are from the 13th century and were built by the brother of King Henry III, Richard who was the Earl of Cornwall. The ruins include the remains of the castle walls, terraces, the grand hall, church, storage areas, gardens and a graveyard (which has been excavated since). 

The life size bronze sculpture of King Gallos has to be seen. Gallos is the Cornish word for ‘power’. Rubin Eynon, who created the statue, is a nod to Tintagel’s rich royal history beyond the myth of King Arthur. Rubin manages to capture something historical and classic while also being contemporary in style. I like how there are missing elements to the bronze King Arthur, yet our mind’s eye fills in the gaps. Perhaps the gaps in the sculpture are a nod to the lack of certainty around King Arthur’s very existence. The sculpture changes as you move around it too; it’s a bit like a visual illusion. I took some time reflecting here on what may, or may not have happened on this spot. I know I didn’t have the answers or looking for the answers if King Arthur was real. But I had a lot of happy thoughts. 

The life size bronze sculpture of King Gallos at Tintagel castle, Cornwall

The Skybridge connects the headlands and the mainland and is worth a walk across. Don’t worry, it is not that scary! 

The Skybridge

Merlin's Cave was probably the busiest bit of our visit and so we avoided it. Everyone was in the water, just chilling in the cold Atlantic waters. We did see the cave from above but we didn’t go down and join the crowds in getting our feet wet.

After our visit to the castle, we did a bit of shopping then had lunch and a few drinks before leaving. Lunch was at The Wootons Inn. This is a modern hotel whose pub-style bar is tastefully equipped and decorated, with lovely views over the Vale of Avalon from an adjacent conservatory. The bar room is L-shaped with mainly wood-panelled walls and floor covered with large, dark-coloured tiles. The walls, which have minimal decoration/items on them, are painted white from floor to ceiling creating a spartan and echoing effect. Had a great meal after exploring the nearby castle ruins. Had my first cornish pasty in about twenty years here and by god it was fantastic. Great pub, great good, great range of beers and excellent staff service. (SINCE WRITING THIS POST - THE WOOTONS INN HAS CLOSED DOWN).

I had a quick drink in the nearby King Arthur's Arms'. No one could possibly accuse Tintagel of underplaying the historical connection with King Arthur, allegedly born in this Cornish town, after all there’s a King Arthur’s bookshop and a King Arthur’s bistro. I suppose it’s no great surprise then to find a pub bearing his name. The King Arthurs Arms is situated on the main street and is apparently the oldest pub in this Cornish coastal town. That’s not the great accolade it might seem, there only appear to be four.

It’s a stone building with what looks like a later extension tacked on to the left hand side. The main porch entrance leads into the main bar area where a curved counter serves an area that extends back quite a long way, creating a roomier feel than we might initially expect. There’s some exposed stonework, dark beams, a large inglenook fireplace, carpeting and several areas where tables and chairs are laid out to maximise seating for diners. However, it’s not purely a pub for holidaymakers as stools by the bar counter are favoured by locals. It’s a somewhat functional and unremarkable chain pub interior, but one that, based on my several visits while based in Tintagel, appears reasonably successful at catering for both holidaymakers and locals under the same roof.

Alongside the standard (well, for Cornwall anyway) range of Tribute and Doom Bar, the pub offers beers from the local Tintagel Brewery, all were fine enjoyable pints. Staff appeared notably keen and enthusiastic and happy to chat to visitors about the area’s attractions. Totally loved this pub and would come back again.

Overall, we had a blast in Tintagel and the children were busy all the time exploring, running about, checking out the ruins. They ate all their lunch and even had ice cream. Seriously, we enjoyed our trip here and I would recommend this place to anyone, not just families. Make sure this is on your bucket list for visiting Kernow! 

Planning a visit to Tintagel - some helpful tips! 

I would advise on booking tickets and the time slot for the castle online HERE especially during the peak season. We went during the peak season but early in the day before the crowds came in. I also note this, you cannot visit the ruins without paying the entry fee. You can however walk on the surrounding land and along the South-West Coastal Path for free which means you can see the castle from certain angles and dramatic backdrops.  

When driving to Tintagel, there are a few car parks in the village to use (the castle does not have a car park). They are pay and displays so read the sign and pay before leaving your car there. We used the ‘King Arthur’s Car Park’ (for the Sat Nav, postcode is PL34 0DA). Once the car parks are full, there maybe some parking on streets nearby but I wouldn’t recommend it. Just get to the village early. 

Now for the walking part to the castle. There is a downhill path to the reception area of the castle which means on the way back to the village, it is all uphill. However for those who do not like walking there is a private landrover shuttle service for an extra fee. 

How to get to Tintagel: There are plenty of airports in South England, ranging from Cardiff, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Newquay, however most visitors to the UK will pass through one of London’s airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, City, Southend and then take public transport of drive a rental car to Cornwall. The first place I would go to find airline tickets to the city is using (I would recommend) Skyscanner to find flights as that is my first point of call. Then if necessary use the airlines directly to find a good deal. I sometimes use Momondo as well to compare prices before booking.

By train from London, visitors will need Great Western trains out of London Paddington station and will stop at various Cornish stations such as St Austell, Truro, Penzance. However with Cornwall away from the main train line, it is best to get a car rental as Cornwall is very rural and public transport with buses limited. 

Car Rentals - as I do a lot of road trips around the world, I use Rentalcars.com which is very reliable for booking car hire in advance. I also use Turo (the airbnb of car rentals) and never had a problem with them. The cars are insured, owners vetted and never had an issue.

Accommodation: There are a lot of accommodation options and a lot of websites which can do some great deals. My first point of call is always Booking.com and can offer a range of hostels, hotels, campsites, apartments, guesthouses and bed and breakfasts.. After that I always have a look through AirBnb and Vrbo for great deals on apartments and other lodgings especially when traveling as a family. 

Currency: England uses the British Pound. Currency can be exchanged at the airports and train stations (for a huge fee) so I would recommend either going to a currency exchange place downtown, to a bank (if they have good rates) or if you got a good bank account with fantastic exchange rates, then use an ATM machine (may incur a small fee but I always do this option as I got good bank accounts). A great website I use to compare currency exchange rates is XE, which gives people up to date information. 

Language: England uses the English language and is used all over the country. Just to point out there are many dialects and other languages like Cornish-Gaelic used in the country but everyone who speaks English will understand other dialects from other regions.  

Travel insurance: This is essential to anywhere you go in the world. I always carry travel insurance. Having travel insurance will cover you from theft, illness and those annoying cancellations which can happen on the road. Safety Wing offers coverage for a lot of adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and so forth. 

Need a visa for the UK? Always check if you need a visa when coming to the United Kingdom. Since leaving the European Union because of BrExit in January 2020, visa rules apply for those coming from the European Union. 

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Please note that while I was not working with English Heritage, my review and experiences written about in this post are 100% genuine. I value my readers too much to lie to you. My blog would be nothing without you and your continued support! There maybe some links above which are affiliate and are at no additional cost to you. If my readers use them, I earn a commission to buy their products and remember, I only mentioned products and companies I use. The income from this keeps this website going. Thank you.