Tintagel

Come walk with me around the Castle ruins at Tintagel on the North Coast of our beautiful county Cornwall

Tintagel is a small village nestled along the Atlantic coast

This 14th century post office is at the heart of the village

Walking through the village and towards the coast a gentle path takes you down to the waters edge with just a hint of the ruins visible in the top left corner of my photo

We arrived at lunch time and the weather was glorious so we settled down and enjoyed our picnic, gazing out to this spectacular scenery, the sun on our faces and gentle sea breezes blowing off the cobwebs

The journey around the ruins commences in the Grand Hall

The dilapidated remains of an archway, lead you around the cliff edge

Just portions of structure remain, giving an impression of a majestic presence long gone, with glimpses of the now peaceful ocean, an ocean that has no doubt contributed to the demise of the castle 

Continuing around the cliffs, the views were breathtaking, each twist and turn offering a unique postcard possibility. These stunning seascapes definitely explain the reason why Tintagel is one of the most visited places in the UK

"This is the heart of Lancelot,

Not these stones, not these timbers,

These palaces and towers,

Burn them all and Camelot still lives on,

Because it lives in us, 

Camelot is a belief that we hold in our heart"

King Arthur 

The mediaeval fortification has a long association with Arthurian legends

Looking out from the modern statue you can just make out an ancient church in the distance

And continuing around the peninsular the village of Tintagel once more becomes visible

Heading out through another archway down steep steps, leading into the cove below

And continuing onwards and upwards to the final stretch

At the top of all those steps, you are rewarded with uninterrupted ocean views, or if you look down, you are situated directly above the cove concealing Merlin's cave

A local artist has recently sculpted this image of Merlin, chiselled and hewn into the rockface, only slightly larger than our own heads, but quite colossal in controversy

Both this sculpture and the statue in my previous photo have definitely split opinion, both have been accused of "Disneyfying" our beautiful and natural heritage. I can, in all honesty, understand those who believe our heritage should remain pure, untouched, preserved but unaltered, but, my own personal opinion is that tasteful and sensitive art can indeed contribute it's own nod to history, bring legends alive and illustrate without spoiling it's setting

" I must ride with my knights to defend what was

And the dream of what could be"

Excalibur

Love and legends

Tracey

xxx