Launceston, Cornwall
	click to enlarge   Approaching Launceston from the B3254 Red Post to Launceston road, you will come to St Stephens Church, followed by a steep descent to Newport, before climbing up an equally steep hill to the town centre, dominated by the remains of the 12C Norman Castle.   click to enlarge Hand Coloured Steel Engraving c1830, depicting the view of Launceston, dominated by its twelfth century castle, from the top of St Stephens Hill. In the summer sunlight, the view across the Kensey Valley from St Stephens Church to the hilltop town capped by the 'sandcastle' ruins of Launceston Castle is almost Mediterranean. The sun brightens the colour washes of the houses that surround the castle hilltop, there is the glint of shiny slate roofs below the almost circular rich green grass mound on which the ruins of this ancient castle stand, silhouetted against a blue sky. click to enlarge   Launceston was the ancient capital and gateway to Cornwall and has seen many changes over the centuries. More recently, in the 1960's, it lost its railway station and, in the late 1980's, its market. However, it is today an attractive hilltop town with some interesting shops, tearooms and inns, still managing by tradition to be the focal point for a widespread and largely agricultural community. Launceston formed an obvious gateway to Cornwall and was the county's ancient capital. Situated close to the Devon border, the town is dominated by the castle built by the first Norman Earl of Cornwall, Brian de Bretagne. The fortified hilltop castle has such an unassailable position that it has never, in all its history, been overrun. By the 12th Century, a protective wall had been built round the town, of which parts survive to this day, including one of the original three gateways, Southgate Arch. This historic gateway, built during the reign of Edward VI, now houses a small art gallery. Over the years, there have been additions to Southgate Arch including the two rooms above the arch used as a town prison until 1884. A comparatively modern addition, in1887, is the embellishment of the tower with the battlement parapet that now caps the building. Below Southgate Arch can be seen the stones that held the portcullis to bar the way to unwelcome visitors. The town has a long association with the crown typified by its motto "Royale et Loyale". A royal charter was granted to the town to hold markets and it also once had a royal mint. Launceston was a meeting point for many of the ancient drovers' tracks and, for many years, a military stronghold as today, it is a focal point for the people of the agricultural hinterlands. Today, Launceston has two main industrial estates, Newport and Pennygillam, catering for a variety of light industries. Newport Industrial Estate is the site of Launceston's 17th and 18th Century woollen industry, where substantial mills were located employing many of the local population. Towards the end of the 18th Century, Launceston had also acquired a name as a producer of quality crafted straw hats! Other local industries that have now disappeared were watch making and tanning leather. Records from the early 1800's indicate that Launceston had over forty public houses and several more beer and cider houses to support its thirsty workforce, a spirited town indeed! Launceston has good road connections along the duelled A30 to Exeter and the M5, or Exeter and the A30 / A303 for Hampshire, Surrey, M3 and London. There are airports at Plymouth, Exeter and Newquay, all about one hours drive away. For those travelling further into Cornwall, this is the ideal place to turn off the A30 at Kennards House, just south of Launceston, and cut across country on the A395 to Join the "Atlantic Highway" at Davidstow, and thus be within a few minutes drive of the Atlantic Heritage Coast, Bude, Camelford, Boscastle and Tintagel. Both coasts may be reached in 30 to 40 minutes driving time from Launceston. The town also provides a good base for those wanting to discover Dartmoor or Bodmin Moor. Launceston Priory Launceston Priory was founded in 1126 on the banks of the River Kensey close to where there is now an ancient clapper bridge and the parish church of St Thomas. The priory had great influence and wealth up to the 16th Century, but suffered the fate of many a fine religious building during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, it was raised to the ground. In the late 19th Century, the site was rediscovered during the building of the railway line to Launceston. The site has yielded enough to determine the exact layout and composition of the building and will be preserved as a site of historic interest to the area. St Mary Magdalene Church This magnificent church, completed in 1524, in the very centre of Launceston, is highly regarded for the ornamental and intricate carvings on the exterior stonework. Granite is not the easiest of stone to work and one must presume that highly skilled and experienced local stone masons carried out the work. The church tower is said to hold the first public clock in Cornwall, which was installed in 1431, the original clock has undoubtedly been replaced and various parts renewed on many occasions. Records show that the clock face was renovated by a Birmingham clockmaker for the princely sum of £58 17s 6d in 1888. The Royal Mint at Launceston There is historical evidence to support the location of a mint in Launceston as early as the Saxon and Norman periods, with coinage being issued for Cornwall and many other parts of the country. Early coins bore the inscription 'LANSTF', later 'STEFANT' and 'LANST' all being derivations of St Stephens and/or Launceston. click to enlarge   The mint seems to have ceased production in the early 13th Century, the closure is not documented and therefore it remains a mystery as to why such an important and already old establishment should have been closed. Lawrence House Museum Launceston is a charming town, with a long history, much of which is exhibited in the town's Lawrence House Museum.		Advertise on this site click to enlarge click to enlarge click to enlarge