Although it is a place of but little trade, yet it has a market weekly, and four fairs annually, at which great quantities of cattle are bought and sold.
The Town Hall is a neat structure, built a few years ago, at the expense of the late Duke of Bedford.
According to tradition, the neighbourhood of Camelford is remarkable as having been the site of a memorable battle fought between King Arthur and his treacherous nephew, Mordred; in which the former was slain, and his troops routed with considerable loss.
About five miles north-west of Camelford, is Tintagell, in which parish, the small Borough-town of Bossiney is situated; but as far as regards appearances, this town can only rank as a village of the meanest description, although it has returned members since the reign of Edward VI. It contains about 140 houses, but the number of voters seldom exceed 14 or 15, the right of election being chiefly confined to certain individuals possessing the property.
Among its noble representatives are ranked the great Sir Francis Drake, Sir Thomas Cottington, Secretary of State to Charles I., and Sir Richard Weston, afterwards Earl of Portland and Lord Treasurer in the same reign.[[33]] But the most interesting circumstance relative to Tintagell, is its being the reputed birth-place of the renowned King Arthur; respecting whom, it was the opinion of Lord Chancellor Bacon, that there was truth enough in history to make him famous, besides that which was fabulous. His history, however, has been so blended with the marvellous, by the monkish historians, that some authors have been disposed to doubt even his having ever existed; and certainly the circumstances connected with his asserted birth at Tintagell, are not among those parts of his story which are most entitled to credit.
The certainty, however, that there has been a Castle at this place, cannot be imaginary, even if we only judge from the ruins now existing; but as far as regards its origin, there are many different accounts, and none, perhaps, whose authority can be relied on. That there should have been a castle erected here, in the time of the antients, is very probable, as few places are so well calculated for the mode of warfare then in practice. The commanding and open situation of this spot, with other concurrent circumstances, leave but little doubt that this fortress was erected long previous to the Conquest. “The ruins now existing, consist of two divisions, one scattered over the face of the main promontory, and another over the peninsula, which is severed from it. The walls of the former are garetted and pierced with many little square holes, for the discharge of arrows. They seem to have included within them, two narrow courts. At the upper end of the most southern of them, are the remains of several stone steps, leading probably to the parapet of the walls. Here the ramparts were high and strong, this being the quarter overlooked by the neighbouring hill. As they wound round to the west, however, less labour had been expended upon their structure, for a hideous precipice of 300 feet deep, to the edge of which they were carried, prevented the fear of any assault in that quarter. The works on the peninsula had been anciently connected with those on the mainland, by a draw-bridge thrown across the chasm, in the division above mentioned.”[[34]] This however had gone to decay in Leland’s time, and the only means of approaching this part are by a dangerous and narrow ascent, winding up the cliffs on the western side.
Leland’s description is curious.—“This castelle hath bene a marvelus strong and notable forteres, and almost situ loci inexpugnabile, especially for the dungeon, that is on a great high terrible cragge, environed with the se, but having a draw-bridge from the residew of the castelle unto it. There is yet a chapel standing withyn this dungeon of S. Ulette alias Ulianne. Shepe now fede within the dungeon. The residew of the buildinges of the castel be sore wetherbeten and yn ruine, but it hath beene a large thinge.” In another place he says—“The castel had be lykhod three wardes, wherof two be woren away with gulfing yn of the se: withowte the isle renneth alonly a gate howse, a walle, and a fals braye dyged and walled. In the isle remayne old walles, and yn the est parte of the same, the grownd beyng lower, remayneth a walle embatteled, and men alyve saw ther yn a postern, a dore of yren. There is in the isle a prety chapel, with a tumbe on the left syde.” Carew’s and Norden’s accounts of Tintagell castle are nearly similar; the latter of these, indeed, appears to have been taken from the former. “Half the buildings,” says Carew, “were raised on the continent, and the other halfe on an iland, continued together (within men’s remembrance) by a drawebridge, but now divorced by the downefaln steepe cliffes, on the farther side, which, though it shut out the sea from his wonted recourse, hath yet more strengthened the iland; for in passing thither you must first descend with a dangerous declyning, and then make a worse ascent, by a path, through his stickleness occasioning, and through his steepnesse threatning, the ruine of your life, with the falling of your foote. At the top, two or three terrifying steps give you entrance to the hill, which supplieth pasture for sheepe and conyes: upon the same I saw a decayed chappell. Under the iland runs a cave, through which you may rowe at full sea, but not without a kinde of horrour at the uncouthnesse of the place.” Norden is rather more particular in his description of the ascent to the island “by a very narrow rockye and wyndinge waye up the steepe sea-clyffe, under which the sea-waves wallow, and so assayle the foundation of the ile, as may astonish an unstable mayne to consider the perill, for the least slipp of the foote sendes the whole bodye into the devouringe sea; and the worste of all is the highest of all, nere the gate of entraunce into the hill, where the offensive stones so exposed hang over the head, as while a man respecteth his footinge, he indaungers his head; and lookinge to save the head, indaungers the footinge accordinge to the old proverbe; Incidit in Scyllam qui vult vitare Charybdim. He must have his eyes that will scale Tintagell. Most of the iland buyldings are ruyned.” It appears by the view of Tintagell annexed to Norden’s description, that a great part of the building on the main land was in his time standing.
The immense height of the cliffs on which these ruins are situated, the desolated aspect of the surrounding country, and the grandeur of the ocean raging beneath, all conspire to form a scene truly sublime, and cannot fail to make a lasting impression on the mind of those who have visited this interesting spot.
O’er Cornwall’s cliffs the tempests roar’d,
High the screaming Sea Mew soar’d