Launceston
Launceston is a traditional market town with a fine Town square of Georgian buildings and is situated near the Devon Border on the A30 and as such has been seen as the gateway to Cornwall. In the past it has been the capital of Cornwall and has the remains of a Norman Castle known as Dunheved overlooking it and commanding the area. Launceston Castle was built by Brian of Bretagne the first Earl of Cornwall in the 11th Century and was the site of a mint and made Launceston the only walled town in Cornwall.
Launceston has been a market town since the time of the Normans when the Count removed it from the nearby St Stephens with many shops and businesses located in and around the Town Square. It was the site of the County Assizes before the roads were improved and Bodmin became the county town in the early eighteenth century. There are some fine buildings in the town centre, although a street of medieval houses was demolished in the middle of the 20th century.
Beginning in the Square one only needs to take a short stroll through the Town's narrow streets to see buildings of all styles and ages; from Tutor to Georgian to Gothic Victorian. Castle Street has many Georgian town houses, one; Lawrence House is a Museum, containing the history of the Town from prehistoric times to the present day. Full of charming exhibits, including an display of Victorian costume. Another, the Eagle House, is a fine Hotel. The imposing White Hart Hotel in the Square is also Georgian.
Many of the properties have interesting frontages, forming an eye catching street scene on every turn. Little details like the town clock, or the boot above a former shoe shop delight, the eye.
Surrounding the Town is gently rolling peaceful countryside. The river valleys are often wooded, and the rivers and streams always unpolluted. Small hamlets and villages dot the area. Many of these are worth a visit in their own right. Most have their own pretty parish churches, for example St Briochus , Lezant, or Lawhitton with its Norman Tower.
To the west lies Bodmin Moor , with its wind swept granite tors, its isolated farmsteads, and sheltered villages. Also to the west are Dozmary Pool where King Arthur tossed his sword Excaliber, and the Jamaica Inn, an Old smugglers' haunt, made famous by the novel of the same name.