Driving north through Cornwall, the weather steadily began to deteriorate as we made our way to Tintagel. The rain began as we exited the motorway and headed towards the coast, and then the fog rolled in. Rarely have I driven through a mist so dense, setting so close to ground like a curtain of white. As terrible as it was for driving, and uncomfortable as we were walking in it, the weather was absolutely ideal for the destination where we were headed. 

The village of Tintagel is home to Tintagel Castle, the clifftop castle rumored to be the birthplace of King Arthur and the home of the Kings of Cornwall. Mystery swirls about the romantic ruins perched on a rocky headland looming out over the crashing waves of the Cornish sea. Access to the castle was via two steep staircases clinging to the cliffside, and was well worth the slick and difficult climb for the exhilarating view of the dramatic coastline. You can watch the cold, steely waves of the sea churn and splash into Merlin’s Cave far below. 

























Earl Richard of Cornwall was persuaded to build in this isolated, windswept spot around 1240 by the popular belief, derived from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s fictitious History of the Kings of Britain, that this was the birthplace of the legendary King Arthur. Large quantities of fine eastern Mediterranean pottery dating from around the 5^th century have been discovered, indicating that the site was an important trading center, long before the medieval castle was built. Whoever lived there could evidently afford a luxurious lifestyle, but there is no distinct evidence that King Arthur ever resided there. 

For its atmospheric surroundings, romantic ruins and mysterious history, Tintagel ranks in our top five castles visited in the UK.