Cool Places
Restormel Castle
Lostwithiel PL22 0EE
Standing high on a hill just outside Lostwithiel, this impressive motte-and-bailey castle commands fantastic views over the river valley below. Dating from around 1100, it was a stronghold of the Dukes of Cornwall and the Black Prince held court here in 1354. The 17-metre-wide moat provided an excellent defence and the castle only once came under attack, in 1644, when the parliamentarian garrison was driven out by Charles I’s forces. Not long after this, the castle fell into disuse and was in ruins by 1740. These ruins, though, are reasonably intact, and its beautiful surroundings make an excellent picnic spot.
