Launceston Castle

The first thing the Normans did when they crossed the Tamar was build a castle. They chose a hill that commanded everything,  the river, the road, the land beyond and from that point on, Launceston became the place where Cornwall began.

For centuries it was the ancient capital of Cornwall: the seat of the Earls of Cornwall, home to the county's mint, courthouse and gaol, and the town through which every traveller entering the county had to pass. The castle still stands on that same hill today, its circular keep rising above the rooftops in a way that makes clear it was built to be seen.

This original watercolour and ink illustration captures the castle and the town square below it, two focal points of a place with more than a thousand years of history woven into its streets.

No frame included.