Tintagel Castle & St. Nectan’s Glen

Tintagel Castle & St. Nectan’s Glen

Discovering medieval legends and myths

The Cornish Coast has a lot more to offer than great surf: Tintagel Castle is one of the places you can visit for a day trip and Charlie has done it. It is generally recommended to move around Cornwall by car, but if you don’t drive there are options by public transport. You just have to plan ahead and be prepared that it might take a bit longer to get where you want to go.

Getting to Tintagel Castle

Luckily, Google Maps has you covered! Charlie was staying in Newquay and had to take a bus to Fraddon first and then change to the bus towards Bude that would pass by Tintagel Castle. The bus stop is outside the Visitor Centre in a small town that is also called Tintagel. Charlie only had to walk along the High Street before she would reach the path that led towards the Castle.

There are some historic houses and cottages along the High Street. The Old Post Office made Charlie get the camera out of her backpack.

The path led Charlie down a steep hill until she reached a fork in the road. Towards the right was the coastal path for the beach and the exhibition, towards the left was the entrance to Tintagel Castle. Charlie was greeted friendly and was asked for her ticket. Once again, she noticed how friendly people in Cornwall are. They always seem to be in a good mood, have a smile on their faces and want to talk to you! It’s so different than London!

Tintagel Castle Bridge

Charlie walked through the gate and passed by the first bit of the castle ruins when she saw the bit of architecture that the place is known for these days: the bridge. The original one had fallen down due to erosion, the current one was built in 2019 and reconnected the different parts of the castle. It also makes for a stunning view over the coast and an inspiration for passionate photographers.

Charlie continued the round walk through the castle ruins once she had taken enough pictures. There isn’t much left of the original castle, it’s just some ruins that have been excavated over the past century. It is a lovely walk around the tiny island though that offers spectacular views of the Cornish Coast with its cliffs and edges.

History, myths and legends at Tintagel Castle

Not to forget: the statue of King Arthur and the sword. It cannot be missed during the walk! But why is that there? The legend says that King Arthur was conceived at Tintagel Castle, some sources even state he was born there. Historians have not confirmed any of that, but that’s probably normal for a legend.

It dates back to the History of Britain “Historia Regum Britanniae” by Geoffrey of Monmouth from the 12th century. He describes how Merlin helped the king of Britain, Uther Pendragon, to change his appearance to seduce Igraine, wife of Duke Gorlois of Cornwall – the conception of King Arthur. Inspired by the Arthurian legend, Earl Richard of Cornwall built a castle at the site in the year 1233.

At the same time, it was also known as King Mark of Cornwall’s castle where the popular love story of Tristan and Iseult supposedly took place. Settings from this tale can be found at Tintagel: the cliff-top chapel from which Tristan made his escape, the garden where the couple met and the cave where they took refuge.

That part of history that has been confirmed through archaeological work dates back even further than the 13th century.

Supplies of fresh water supply and undisguised views over the coast made it the perfect spot for a stronghold in Roman times. The site was an important harbour for trade with the Mediterranean. Little is known about the site between the fall of the Roman Empire and the castle that was built in the 13th century by the Earl Richard. Theories say that it remained a stronghold for the rulers of Dumnonia.

In the 19th century Tintagel became an area for mining, quarrying and fishing. The old administrative buildings host nowadays the exhibition, gift shop and a café.

Ticket prices are as follows as of October 2021:

Around the site of Tintagel Castle

The exit of the site is below the bridge and by a little beach. Some people were swimming there as Charlie passed by. She would have wanted to go for a swim, but she didn’t have any change of clothes nor a towel with her. Charlie hadn’t expected an opportunity to swim. If you want to go and see the castle in the summer months, bring your swimwear with you!

Instead, Charlie got a coffee and sat down at a bench a bit further up the hill. The picnic tables seemed too busy for her. The bench was in a good location to have a view towards the castle and the bridge and quiet enough to read a few pages in the book that Charlie had with her. She could hear the waves coming into the bay.

There is a shuttle service back up to the village, but Charlie walked. It was only a 10-minute walk up the hill.

Tintagel Village

The village was bustling as Charlie returned. Most shops had been closed in the morning and it had turned into a busy little town by midday. Charlie had brought a sandwich because she hadn’t been sure about the options there, but that was totally unnecessary. There were multiple pasty shops and several pubs along the High Street. One of the bakeries even allows a view into the kitchen from the window on the street.

Charlie stopped at one of the shops to pick a postcard for her collection. That’s when she saw an image of a waterfall called St. Nectan’s Glen. It immediately got her attention and she asked in the shop about it. It turned out to be nearby.

St. Nectan’s Glen

Charlie confirmed what she had been told by looking at Google Maps. It was a 40-minute walk to the waterfall. It is one of those things that you don’t accidentally pass by – you need to know that it’s there or you won’t find it. There is also a shop and a café, and the site is well-maintained with steps and railings. It also is a place of spirituality, and you can see colourful decorations along the way down to the waterfall.

Ticket prices are as follows as of October 2021:

Ticket Type	Price
Adult	£ 6.45
Child (5-15 Years)	£ 4.70
Concession	£ 4.95
Family (2 adults & up to 3 Children)	£ 13.45
Family (1 adult & up to 3 children)	£ 18.95

Charlie saw some other visitors taking their shoes of to walk through the crystal-clear water at the bottom of the waterfall. She did the same. After all the walking that day, it felt great to have the feet in the water, although it was quite chilly. Barefoot, Charlie was able to walk closely to the waterfall to take the best pictures.

There’s also a nature trail with information about flora and fauna in the area and some knowledge about clouds and honeybees. Charlie could imagine this being perfect for a school trip.

After her visit, Charlie had more than an hour until the bus would return, so she took a seat in the coffee shop and continued reading her book. At first, she sat at the balcony with a great view over the valley. Even the sun came out. It got a little cold though and Charlie went inside and enjoyed a comfy sofa by a little fireplace.

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