LAUNCESTON CASTLE

Cornwall

Launceston was as far as the Norman Conquest got into Cornwall.  It was faced with Bodmin Moor and the fierce resistance of the Cornish people.  So Launceston town became the property of William I's half-brother, Robert, Count of Mortain...the first Earl of Cornwall.

It is probable that the first Castle, initially in wood, was built by Robert...but due to its vulnerable position it was soon replaced in stone.  This first stone Castle was in the form of a shell keep (the middle layer of Launceston's unique "triple-crown" layout).  The central tower was added by Richard of Cornwall around 1272, along with the remaining walls.  Earl Richard was elected "King of the Romans" and thus was in line to become Holy Roman Emperor...but he died before he could achieve that elevated position.

Launceston lost much of its strategic worth when the later Normans moved further into Cornwall and the Castle went through the familiar stages of gaol and decay until it briefly had a renaissance during the Civil War when it changed hands many times.  Unfortunately, it left the Castle as the ruin we see today.

Launceston Castle is owned by English Heritage.

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2001