Tintagel is a place that I had always want to visit. We came close many years ago when we visited Boscastle but the no longer teen was in a pushchair at the time and it didn’t seem practical. A few days away in North Devon during the Easter holidays found us less than an hour away, so I convinced everyone that it would be the perfect place for a trip. Tintagel itself is a quaint little village with a few interesting shops and places to eat. The Old Village Post Office is worth a visit either en route to or from the castle as it sits on the main road. There is ample parking at different places all within walking distance of the castle and you then head towards the sea on foot and the fairly steep climb up to the castle remains.
As the sea comes into view, it is a beautiful sight. We were lucky that it was a sunny day and the water was turquoise in colour and with such clear views, the climb up to see the castle was far more inviting. Tintagel Castle is managed by English Heritage and family entry (2 adults and up to 3 children) cost just over £20. There is a gift shop, cafe and toilets at the bottom and we decided that the cafe would be something to look forward to after our climb.
Climbing up isn’t as bad as we thought. Some of the steps are quite deep and we all rediscovered a few long, lost leg muscles by the time we were done, but it is worth it. As you climb, the breathtaking views are at every turn. The steps are quite narrow in places, so I would imagine on busy days, some patience would be needed as you have to stop and wait in places.
The history of Tintagel Castle is a fascinating one, full of stories of figures and characters from histories and literature and I have no doubt that that makes it one of the most visited tourist attraction in the UK. Historians believed that Tintagel was the birthplace of King Arthur of course but the castle is also linked to the adulterous love story of Tristan and Iseult, a book that I studied many years ago.
There is so much to explore, different remains, different sites and as you explore, the views will absolutely take your breath away.
As you walk out onto the cliff tops, you can run, climb, sit, stand and just take in the Atlantic coastline. On a day like this one, it is hard to believe that you are still in the UK as they colours of the sea are so blue and striking.
We spent hours up there, walking about, taking photos, finding new things to look at and talk about. All of my worries that the children might not be quite as excited by Tintagel Castle as me, were soon gone as the children loved it.
It was with a little sadness that we started our descent but at the bottom, there was yet another set of steps which takes you down to a wonderful, rocky little cove and this was a real find. With waterfalls, giant rocks, rock pools and even a cave to explore, the children loved this place although we had to convince A that the waterfall was not the ideal place to take a shower.
The cave is called Merlin’s cave, Merlin being part of the Arthur legend of course and believed to have been involved in Arthur’s magical conception. The children were fascinated by the story of King Arthur and we have been reading stories about it since we came back.
It was a truly wonderful experience and I am so glad that we made the trip to Tintagel and the castle. It sparked a real interest in the history of Tintagel and in particular King Arthur with the children. We all agreed that the views were the most amazing part of the day and we didn’t manage to explore the whole site so I will definitely go back again.
Once you have arrived back at the cafe and had a rest, the climb back to the village is quite a steep one, however there is a Land Rover service which for a small charge, will take you back to the top. We walked but if I went again, I would happily jump in the car.
You can find out more about Tintagel Castle here and if you are visiting Cornwall this summer, I thoroughly recommend that you take time to visit.
It looks amazing! And who would have thought you could get skies and sea like that in April?!
I will be persuading my family to visit when we make our annual trek to Cornwall, as we always like to try new things.