Tintagel Church and Castle

1. From Park Farm, turn left and walk up to the crossroads and take the lane going left to Treknow.
The "herringbone" style of walling (also known locally as "Curzy Way" or "Jack and Jill") built with tightly packed alternating diagonal slate courses is unique to North Cornwall's heritage. On a long wall, the herringbone sections are often between "towers" of flat-laid slate (built from the larger and squarer stones) which helped to prevent the wall slumping sideways. Hedges (stone boundary walls) traditionally were built with whatever was cleared out of the fields, whilst buildings were constructed from stone that was quarried and cut.
2. Walk down the lane to Treknow and turn right onto the road going through Treknow.

Treknow (which in Cornish means 'the valley place') is perhaps one of the oldest 'industrial' settlements in the area dating back to Medieval times, based mainly on slate quarrying with some early metal mining. The physical structure of Treknow - its bowl-like formation, in parts literally carved out of the rock - could be the result of early slate excavations. It was in direct response to the needs of industrial workers in the expanding quarrying industry of the early 19th century that the rows of cottages were constructed. The use of slate for roofs, chimneys, walls and paving, which contributes so greatly to their character, is further testimony to the dominant role of the local industry.

3. Walk along the road through Treknow bearing right up the hill, past some tracks to the left and a small grassy island, past a hotel and a house. At the point you have passed all the houses, a public footpath runs down to the left past the last house. Take this.
4. The footpath (once a track used by quarrymen) comes out on the coast path near Hole Beach.

There are 9 slate quarries along the coast path between Tintagel Church and Trebarwith Strand. Slate quarrying began here in the early 14th Century and the last of these, Long Grass Quarry, closed in 1937. The Lanterdan and West quarries above Vean Hole and Hole Beach were once some of the biggest in North Cornwall.

Cutting the stone and loading it onto boats was harsh work and could be lethal. A local man - Alan Menhenick - recalled in the 1920s "we worked with the tides, around the clock. I've been at the quarry at four in the morning. When the tide was in, we blasted; when the tide was out, we went down and collected the slate". In 1889 three men vanished into the sea when the face that they were boring sheared off the cliff.

In Lanterdan quarry there is a tall, distinctive, pinnacle of rock left behind as the slate in the pinnacle was not of a sufficiently good quality. Shorter pinnacles were left in West Quarry for the same reason. The slate was exported from Tintagel Haven and later from boats moored along Penhallic Point.

The quarry workings never reached the shoreline as there is a fault along the base of the quarry known as the Trambley Cove Formation made of volcanic lava which was no good to the quarrymen. Lanterdan Quarry is now owned by the National Trust and is a site of geological interest for its brachiopod (spirifid) fossils and also a rare mineral called monazite.

5. Turn right along the coast following the path round to the left onto Penhallick Point. From here there are excellent views of the bay.

In the late 1800s a wharf (which has now been taken by the sea) was constructed at Penhallic Point where the cliff edge was trimmed to form a 100ft vertical face. Ships could lie against this face as there is a natural deep-water berth alongside the point. The slate was lowered by crane down into their holds.

A path from the top of the point zig-zags down to a grassy platform where there is a lifebuoy. It's possible to get down onto the rocks from here, but only in the Summer when the rocks are dry.

6. Walk along the path along the coast past the Youth Hostel until you reach St Materiana Church. Stop to have a look inside.
The first church on the site was thought to be in the 6th century, founded as a daughter church of Minster in Boscastle which is even older. The current church was built on Glebe Cliff at Tintagel in the late 11th or early 12th century with the tower added in the late Medieval era. The Norman font bowl by the south wall is believed to have been brought from St Julitta's chapel at Tintagel Castle. The church also contains a Roman stone from the 4th century bearing the name of the Emperor Licinius which may be evidence that there was once a Roman camp nearby.
7. Walk further along the coast path and you soon reach Tintagel Castle (admission fee to enter).

Tintagel castle (also known as "King Arthur's Castle") is perched on an island which was joined by a land bridge in the middle ages. The ruins that you see today were built in the 13th century by Richard Earl of Cornwall, though from coins and pottery fragments found at the site it is thought that before this the site might have originally been a Roman settlement and later in the early middle ages a Celtic settlement. There is speculation amongst historians that the site was a Summer residence for one of the Celtic kings, perhaps leading to the legends of Arthur.

8. After having a look at/around the castle, walk down the steps to the beach to the right and explore Merlin's Cave beneath the island.

There are a number geocaches near Tintagel Castle:

• Tintagel Castle courtesy of Lunchbox
• King Arthur Man or Myth ? (Tintagel) a set of 6 caches courtesy of Mad Max the vicker of Mawgan which together contain the coordinates of a final geocache at Slaughterbridge
9. Once you've explored the beach, walk up the valley (Vale of Avalon) following the track until you reach Tintagel.

Grey Seals are one of the rarest seal species in the world and the biggest land breeding mammal in the UK. Roughly half of the world population of grey seals is found in Britain, a large proportion of which are found in Cornwall. They are big animals with the larger males often over 10ft long; the females are somewhat smaller at around 6ft and usually lighter colours than the males. The latin name for the grey seal translates to the somewhat unflattering "hooked-nosed sea pig" and the alternative common name of horsehead seal isn't much better. In fact seals are most closely related to dogs, bears and otters. Seal pups have been seen in every month of the year but the majority are born in the Autumn and early Winter. Common seals are also found along the Cornish coast.

10. More or less opposite (slightly down to the left) is Pengenna Pasties if an emergency pasty is required after the climb up from the castle.
11. From the track up from the castle head right into Tintagel past The Wootons pub then immediately turn right down the hill to the vicarage before The Cornishman pub.
If you want to sneak in an extra geocache head an extra hundred yards into Tintagel past the turning to the vicarage and double back to here when you're done. There is a geocache stealthily hidden slap bang in the middle of Tintagel courtesy of SMacB. Extreme stealth required not to get noticed finding this one!
12. Follow the road past the Vicarage and Fontrevault chapel and just as you start to climb the hill there is a footpath on your left.
13. Take the footpath, keeping left along the hedge. Watch out for enormously deep rabbit holes along this path. Take the gate ahead marked "Trerammett" (not the path to the left which goes back up into Tintagel). The path comes out onto the main road beside the Tintagel sign.
14. Turn right, following the main road away from Tintagel - walk on the pavement. Once you reach the hill, walk up the pavement on the left side of the road.
15. Just past the school there is a footpath on your left. Take this and walk across the fields until you reach a lane.

If you are crossing fields with cows in:

• Do not show any threatening behaviour towards calves (approaching them closely, making loud noises or walking between a calf and its mother) as you may provoke the mother to defend her young. Generally the best plan is to walk along the hedges.
• If cows approach you, do not run away as this will encourage them to chase you. Stand your ground and stretch out your arms to increase your size.
• Avoid taking dogs in fields with cows, particularly with calves. If you must, release the dog if cows charge as the dog will outrun the cows and the cows will generally chase the dog rather than you.
16. At the lane (Tregeath Lane), turn left and walk uphill along the lane.
17. Turn right at the T junction at the top, stopping to have a look at the views of St Materiana Church across the fields.
18. Walk along the road which comes out in Trewarmett next to the post box opposite Park Farm.

Map of Route

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Other walks nearby

• Walks in the st materiana church area
• Walks in the tintagel area
• Walks in the tintagel castle area
• Walks in the trebarwith strand area
• Walks in the trewarmett area

Related walks you might be interested in

• Walks with a beach
• Walks visiting a church
• Circular walks
• Coastal walks
• Walks with potential for foraging
• Heritage walks