Location

Adapted from Shepherd, Plate 74

• Spectacular natural setting overlooking the ocean
• According to Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th century History, Tintagel was King Arthur's birthplace.
• Existing architectural remains are in a very ruined state, in part because of harsh weather conditions
• Some of the earliest ruins are the subject of controversy.
• Excavations in the 1930's revealed remains of scattered  buildings. At the time, they were thought to be cells of a Celtic monastery- perhaps 6th and 7th century, said to be founded by St. Juliot, ca 500.  (See works by Radford in the bibliography below)
• Further excavations were conducted  in the 1980's. The archeologists contended that  the structures found in the 1930's were in fact later, probably of a medieval date. They also found a great deal of expensive imported pottery, and enough traces of earlier buildings to lead investigators to suggest that Tintagel was the site of an  earlier, Dark Age Palace. (See works by Thomas and by Williams in the Bibliography below)
• There are also remains of later medieval structures
• Chapel and Hall  said to have been built built on Island by Reginal, Earl of Cornwall, Henry I's son, ca 1145
• Richard, Earl of Cornwall, younger brother of Henry III,  obtained Tintagel in 1233. He built major additions sometime between 1236 and 1272. Though they have military features, some scholars have suggested that they were mainly symbolic.
• Hall rebuilt twice durning the latter Middle Ages

Plans
Adapted from Radford Plan Showing site of  Scattered Medieval Buildings (red)  and Medieval Castle (blue) Screen-sized version / Large "archive" version	Adapted from Radford Plan showing building stages Of Medieval Castle Screen-sized version / Large "archive" version

The Setting and General Views
Courtesy of Dr. Ruth Dean/1968 View to the North Screen-sized Image / Large "Archive" Image	Courtesy of Dr. Ruth Dean/1968 South from Tintagel Screen-sized Image / Large "Archive" Image
Courtesy of Dr. Ruth Dean/1968 General View  Screen-sized Image / Large "Archive" Image	Courtesy of Dr. Ruth Dean/1968 General View Screen-sized Image

Architectural remains (ruins)
Courtesy of Dr. Ruth Dean/1968   Screen-sized Image / Large "Archive" Image	Courtesy of Dr. Ruth Dean/1968 View of ruins on Island Screen-sized Image / Large "Archive" Image
Courtesy of Dr. Ruth Dean/1968 View of Great Hall from South-East Screen-sized Image / Large "Archive" Image	Courtesy of Dr. Ruth Dean/196 North Gate of Inner Ward Screen-sized Image / Large "Archive" Image
Courtesy of Dr. Ruth Dean/1968 View of  site of older  Ruins Screen-sized Image / Large "Archive" Image

Bude and North Cornwall : Tintagel Boscastle Hartland, quay. Ward Lock, 1967

Canner, A. C The parish of Tintagel : some historical notes / Canner, A. C. Camelford : Canner, 1982

Caple, Hilda, comp., and othersTintagel in fact and fiction; an anthology St. Ives, Cornwall, S.C. Caple, 1960
 

Cresswell, Beatrix F.The north coast of Cornwall from Constantine Bay to Crackington Haven: Wadebridge, Padstow, Tintagel, Boscastle, etc. A handbook for visitors and residents.  London, 1908

English Heritage Tintagel Castle, Cornwall / London : Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission, 1985 1979

Great Britain. Dept. of the Environment. Tintagel castle, Cornwall London, H.M.S.O. 1977

 Great Britain. Office of Works and Public Buildings. Tintagel castle, London, H.M. Stationery Off., [printed by W. Clowes & Sons, Ltd.] 1937

Harden, Donald B. (Donald Benjamin) ed.Dark-age Britain; studies presented to E. T. Leeds.London, Methuen [1956] Contains article on  imported pottery found on Tintagel

King Arthur [videorecording] : from romance to archeology / produced by the Centre for    Medieval Studies in cooperation with the Media Centre.Toronto : Media Centre, University of Toronto, c1975.

Morris, Christopher D.; Nowakowski, Jacqueline; Thomas, Charles "Tintagel, Cornwall: the 1990 excavations" Antiquity (ISSN:0003-598X) v64 p843-9 December 1990

O'Mahoney, Cathy. The medieval pottery from Tintagel. Institute of Cornish Studies, 1989

A pictorial and descriptive guide to Newquay and North Cornwall, including Bude, Tintagel, Padstow, etc. Corp Ward, Lock & co., pub. London, Ward 1901

Radford, Courtenay Arthur RaleghTintagel in history and legend Truro : O. Blackford, 1942

Radford, Courtenay Arthur Ralegh.Tintagel Castle, Cornwall / C. A. Ralegh Radford. London : H. M. Stationery Office, 1939.

Radford, Courtenay Arthur Ralegh. "Tintagel Castle and Monestery" The Antiquaries Journal , Vol XV no 4. October, 1935, pp 402-19.

Thomas, Charles. Book of Tintagel : Arthur and archaeology / London : B.T. Batsford : English Heritage, 1993

Thomas, Charles "Tintagel Castle" Antiquity (ISSN:0003-598X) v62 p421-34 September 1988

Tintagel in North Cornwall : the official guide. Burrow, 1956

The north coast of Cornwall from Bude to Tintagel  Dearman, W. R. Colchester : 1970

Taylor, William History of Tintagel . Truro : O. Blackford, 1930

Bude and North Cornwall : Tintagel, Boscastle, Hartland, Newquay. Corp Ward, Lock & Co.,Ltd. Ward, Lock, 1964

University of New Mexico. Institute for Medieval Studies.The Celts in Britain and Ireland Albuquerque, N.M. : Center for Southwest Research, General Library, University of New Mexico, 2000

Williams, Michael King Arthur's castle /. Bodmin : Bossiney Books, 1993 .

Williams, Michael Tintagel / . Camborne, [Eng.] : Bossiney Books, 1971

BRITAIN	INTRODUCTION