Merlin's Cave
Cave Cornwall, England
About Merlin's Cave
A natural sea tunnel cut through the headland directly beneath the ruins of Tintagel Castle, Merlin's Cave runs about 100 metres from Tintagel Haven on the east side of the island through to West Cove on the west. The passage was carved by the Atlantic along a geological boundary between slate and volcanic rock, and at low tide you can walk the full length on a sandy floor, with light filtering in from both ends. At high tide it floods completely, so timing your visit matters. The Arthurian connection goes back to Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century Historia Regum Britanniae, which placed Arthur's conception at Tintagel with Merlin's help — the cave has carried the wizard's name ever since. Near one entrance you'll find a carved stone relief of a sleeping Merlin, cut directly into the cliff face by local stonemason Peter Graham and completed in 2016. Admission is free and it's accessible independently of the castle.
Location & details
- Category
- Cave
- Region
- Cornwall, England, United Kingdom
- Coordinates
- 50.66832, -4.75940
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