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Summary - not yet available

Protected Status: None recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Mapping Programme (Morph No.): 1062.29.1-3
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 23165.33
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SX08NE 2.6

Monument Type(s):

• CASTLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

The inner or island ward of Tintagel castle was begun with a curtain wall to retain the fill that levelled the floor. It was buttressed soon after its construction as the height of the fill caused the curtain to bulge outwards. It was later extended to the north and was repaired and possibly heightened in the nineteenth century when crenallations were added. The wall begins on the western cliff and follows the steep slope overlooking the courtyard as well as surrounding the east side of the castle against the cliffs down to the sea (b8, b16). A partial excavation was mounted in 1988 by Appleton (h11) to examine the disturbed ground around the outfall of a surface water drainpipe into the soakaway area. The cutting, sunk to 3.0M, revealed an unexpected depth of made ground and shed light on the history of the site. It is now apparent that the first curtain was not footed at all points in the bedrock, resulting, in a fairly short space of time, in a bulging outwards and the need for substantial buttressing. The inner profile of one of three extant buttresses preserves the line of this lateral movement. It is likely that similar buttresses were added to the north east curtain wall at the same time (b16). An exposed section below the cliff top was photographed by Thorpe in 1988 from which a diagram was constructed confirming, in outline, Thomas's previously hypothetical profile (b16). The main building within the island ward was the great hall, constructed soon after the levelling of the floor. By the fourteenth century when the castle had become ruinous a new, shorter hall was built in circa 1340, reusing the original outer wall. The hall was finally rebuilt at the end of the fourteenth century when the castle was reused as a prison (b8). The south end of the great hall has fallen over the edge of the cliff and much of the fine stonework has been removed. Extensive renovations were carried out during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The buildings were made of local slate with greenstone quoins and a few pieces of carved Norman stonework were found (b3). The Lower Ward is clearly visible on aerial photographs (p5-7). The monument was included in the Schedule on 9/10/1981 and the scheduling updated on 18/11/1996.

--------------------------------
Site history:
2: 1976. QUINNELL, NV / OS
3: 1976. SHEPPARD, PA / DOE
5: 1982. DARK, K / UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD
7: 1984. RCHME
8: 1985. PRESTON JONES, A AND HARTGROVES, S / CAU
10: 1986. THOMAS, C / RCHME
12: 1988. THORPE, C / CAU
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<1> Leland, J, 1535, The Itinerary of John Leland (Bibliographic reference). SCO3862.

OSP, 1973, 73 / 005 / 235 - 6 (Photographic Record). SCO15479.

CUC, 19, AX 32 - 4, 36 (Photographic Record). SCO9317.

<2> Carew, R, 1969, The Survey of Cornwall 1602, 191 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3044.

<3> Wilkinson, JJ, 1871, Tintagel Castle, VOL 3, 231 (Article in Journal). SCO5049.

JAT, 19, CORNFILM 2/23A,26A,28A,29A (Photographic Record). SCO9331.

<4> WHITLEY, HM, 1885, NOTES ON GRENVILLE'S PLOT OF TINTAGEL CASTLE (Unedited Source). SCO6437.

CAU, 1989, VARIOUS (Photographic Record). SCO18009.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1900s, 2nd Edition 1:2500 Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4050.

NMR, 1959, SX0589/19-20 (Photographic Record). SCO13686.

<6> Radford, CAR, 1935, Tintagel, Castle and Monastery, VOL 15, 4, 415 (Article in Journal). SCO5143.

CAU, 1987, F10/114-5 (Photographic Record). SCO17049.

<7> Ordnance Survey, 1970s, 1:10,000 OS Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4045.

CAU, 1985, JONES&THOMAS 2/28A-29A (Photographic Record). SCO16947.

<8> Radford, CAR, 1935, Tintagel Castle (DOE Guide) (Bibliographic reference). SCO4214.

<9> Thomas, AC, 1981, A Provisional List of Imported Pottery from Post Roman Western Britain & Ireland (Bibliographic reference). SCO4597.

<10> Browse, RG, 1982, Tintagel Castle, VOL 21, 189-190 (Article in Journal). SCO2926.

<11> Thomas, AC, 1984, Tintagel Site Report, 25/5/1984 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4640.

<12> THOMAS, AC, 1986, TINTAGEL CASTLE (ENGLISH HERITAGE GUIDE BOOK) (Unedited Source). SCO8852.

<14> Hartgroves, S & Walker, R, 1989, Excavations in the Lower Ward, Tintagel Castle, 1986 (Cornish Studies No.16, 1988), VOL 16, 9-30 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO5116.

<15> Thomas, AC, 1988, Minor Sites at Tintagel Island, VOL 16, 49-60 (Article in Journal). SCO4627.

<16> Thomas, AC, 1988, Cau Excavations at Tintagel Island in 1988, VOL 16, 49-60 (Article in Journal). SCO4600.

<17> Padel, OJ, 1988, Tintagel in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries, VOL 16, 61-66 (Article in Journal). SCO5135.

<18> O'Mahoney, C, 1988, Medieval Pottery from Tintagel: a Summary, VOL 16, 67-68 (Article in Journal). SCO4040.

<19> Thorpe, C, 1988, Incised Pictorial Slates at Tintagel, VOL 16, 69-78 (Article in Journal). SCO4717.

<20> THOMAS, AC, 1989, LECTURE TO CAS, 20 JAN 1989 (Unedited Source). SCO8919.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO3952 - Tintagel Castle - Inner ward (Ref: CA 21, 1982)

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