On the eastern edge of the moor is Launceston, a sturdy market town that's mainly worth visiting for the ruins of its 13th-century castle. With its circular keep plonked on top of a grassy hillock, it looks like a stage set from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. A spiral staircase leads up to the top for awesome 360-degree views.
Launceston Castle
East Cornwall
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.52 MILES
Looking like a cross between a lunar landing station and a James Bond villain's lair, the gigantic hemispherical greenhouses of the Eden Project have…
20.1 MILES
This magnificent manor, 2.5 miles southeast of Bodmin, offers a fascinating insight into Upstairs, Downstairs life in Victorian England. The house was…
17.58 MILES
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25.03 MILES
Clovelly is privately owned, and admission is charged at the hilltop visitor centre. The village's cobbled streets are so steep that cars can't cope, so…
23.02 MILES
Run by the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), Rosemoor is a must-see source of green-fingered inspiration. One of only four RHS gardens open…
21.27 MILES
The UK's biggest – and perhaps best – aquarium is lodged beside the Barbican harbour. There's a huge amount to see, but the highlight is the impressive…
21.25 MILES
Around 60,000 tonnes of fish pass through this market, making it the second biggest by volume in England after London's Billingsgate. It's an amazing…
16.18 MILES
Hidden away in a secret valley, this little glen feels like something from a fairy tale. Fringed by climbing ivy and shrubs, a 60ft waterfall tumbles…
Nearby East Cornwall attractions
0.25 MILES
This little enthusiasts' steam railway chugs for 2.5 miles between Launceston and the nearby hamlet of Newmills. You can choose to ride in open or closed…
2. Tamar Otter Wildlife Centre
3.99 MILES
Generally, you'll need the skills of Ray Mears to spot otters in the wild, but this wildlife centre 5 miles outside Launceston guarantees a sighting…
8.92 MILES
Looking like a gigantic game of granite Jenga, this stack of rocks is legendarily said to have been the work of giants – but the truth is even stranger. A…
9.36 MILES
This unusual triple stone circle is said to have been formed by a group of local men who contravened the sabbath and played the local game of hurling (a…
10.6 MILES
About a mile south from the A30, this glassy expanse of water has many myths and legends associated with it – including one that claims it's where Arthur…
10.81 MILES
Three miles south of Darite is this impressive example of a quoit, or dolmen – a Neolithic burial chamber resembling a flat stone table, supported by…
11.04 MILES
This plunging gorge is the deepest in the southwest, and can be reached via a 1.5-mile rugged riverside hike past a series of bubbling whirlpools …
11.08 MILES
Lydford's diminutive 13th-century castle sits in the heart of the village. Now a compact, roofless, cube, it used to double as a jail and helped make …