TINTAGEL
A castle built on a promontory:
Looking over the cliff as I climb up towards the ruins on the promontory.
Climbing up the promontory, looking up at the hilltop ruins.
Standing in the ruins of the castle on the promontory,
High up on the promontory, looking down towards the sea
View from the East of the promontory showing the thin land-bridge
Site A: Centred on the 12th century Chapel: the Celtic Site consisting of a long range of buildings facing east onto a court. Within the court has been found evidence of an older oratory and a tomb, probably intended to house the relics of saints or founders. A centre for pilgrimage, there probably existed a guesthouse and smaller rooms at the southern end of this group.
Sites B and C: Sites of the steam bath and possibly the refectory.
Tintagel
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Glastonbury Tor
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Chalice Well -
Cadbury Castle
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Glastonbury Abbey
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Stonehenge
the legendary birthplace of Arthur.
looking towards the mainland.
joining it to the coast
photo scanned from 'The Realm of King Arthur' by Graham Ashton)
click on the plan for a larger version.
plan and text below scanned from 'The Realm of King Arthur' by Graham Ashton
The Excavations at Tintagel
Site C: Site of the main dwelling quarters of the monks (capable of housing 50 monks) although other such sites may yet be discovered.
Site D: Remains of cattle-stalls and corn-drying kilns. This is the evidence of Tintagel being a sophisticated Agricultural community in the 5th century.
Site E: Site of library and scriptorium.
Site F: Lying on artificial terraces on the same level as the Inner Ward of the Castle. The Upper Terrace supported three rooms, one of which contained a firing chamber for providing hot air for heating the central room. The Lower Terrace supported one main room which underwent numerous modifications over the centuries, including the installation of permanent wooden benches along the side walls. The masonry of this group is amongst the best in the Monastery and suggests an early date which is borne out by the heating system in the main room, a survival of the Roman hypocaust.
Site G: At the top of the hollow between Sites B and C, immediately under the cliffs which border the plateau. A small terrace was formed above the main path supporting a series of small rectangular chambers with doors at either end.