Tintagel Castle in History and Legend

The early Middle Ages are often referred to as the ‘Dark Ages’ because of a lack of documentary evidence and substantial archaeological remains. Tintagel challenges this preconception by revealing a story of wealth, power and international trade.

Tintagel was clearly a thriving settlement in the early Middle Ages. It seems possible that it may have been a fortress and focus of trade for the kingdom of Dumnonia.

Dumnonia covered Cornwall, Devon and parts of Somerset. Only two of its kings are known by name – Constantine and Gerent, who both ruled in the 6th century.

Further excavations have found evidence of extensive trading links at Tintagel. These fragments of pottery found on the site date from the 5th to 6th centuries and come from Greece.

They are from amphorae that would have been used to store and transport olive oil and wine.

Also found were fragments of glass from southern France which date to the 5th or 6th century.

In the early Middle Ages glass was hard to produce and expensive. The presence of even such small pieces indicates the wealth and status of Tintagel at the time.

As well as objects from Greece and France, excavations at Tintagel have found pottery that indicates trading links with modern-day Spain, North Africa and Turkey.

These objects all relate to the storage of wine and oil or to evidence of fine tablewares. In return, the inhabitants of Tintagel probably traded the local tin, slaves and even hunting dogs.

In the 1230s Richard, Earl of Cornwall – brother of King Henry III – bought the headland and had a castle built on the site.

It seems likely that the connection to the mythological Arthur appealed to his sense of chivalry. To this day the site still has strong associations with the stories of King Arthur.

Richard’s castle comprised a courtyard on the island, with a great hall and kitchen surrounded by a curtain wall, and mainland courtyards with a gatehouse and ancillary structures, again surrounded by a wall.

Spanning the gap between the two was a bridge that in 1540 was made of elm logs. The castle was rebuilt several times between about 1230 and 1540 as a result of landslides and erosion. It is clear that, at times in this period, the castle was badly decayed.

In the 16th century the castle was clearly ruinous. Maps often portrayed sheep grazing within the walls.

It was surveyed by Cornish landowner and sea captain Sir Richard Grenville in 1583 to see if it could be refortified to protect against invasion from the Spanish.

No work was undertaken, but this silver groat of Elizabeth I, found at Tintagel, indicates that people were still visiting the site at that time.

Today Tintagel sees more than 200,000 visitors a year. Archaeological excavations in 2016 and 2017 are revealing new features and adding to our understanding of the site.

Excavations on the southern terrace of the island have revealed substantial buildings and exotic imported objects.

In a reassessment of previous excavations, this structure, on a terrace on the north-east side of the island, has been reinterpreted as a building where mead was made in the later 5th and 6th centuries. This provides further evidence of the feasting events that took place at Tintagel.