Launceston castle
The ruins of this imposing castle sit high above the tiny market town of Launceston and at one time had authority over the whole of Cornwall .
As the main residence of the Earls of Cornwall, Launceston Castle served as the region’s main administrative centre and guarded the main route to and from this corner of England .The castle was built in the 11th Century and the design of Launceston Castle owes itself to its origins as a wooden Norman Keep, built high on a Motte with commanding views over the landscape. The castle was extended from 1227 to 1272 during the Earldom of Richard of Cornwall, who was one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the Kingdom at the time. Richard had a stone castle built where the earlier timber one had stood and also built the solid drum towers and the gatehouse at the south side. Excavations of the ruins have unearthed the foundations of a Great House and Chapel within the castle Keep.
From the 1600s the castle belonged to the County Assizes who used the North Gatehouse as a prison and infamous execution site. It was here that George Fox was tried and executed, during the reign of Charles II and the last execution held at Launceston Castle was in 1821. From the late 18th Century, Launceston Castle was much changed after the Duke of Northumberland had the grounds landscaped and turned into a public park. Today Launceston is a pleasant place for a peaceful stroll around the castle’s historic ruins.
