Just before you begin the descent into the village, look to the right by a farm gate and you will see King Arthur’s Quoit, a large flat granite stone that was, according to legend, flung by Arthur to land in this very spot. A small plaque details its history.

Tintagel is well served with car parks where you can leave the car for a couple of pounds all day. King Arthur’s tale has existed since the 8th century, and in the written form, since the 12th. It has been retold over the centuries, with the Round Table being added by the chronicler Wace, and various other addenda by Sir Thomas Malory and Tennyson. The legend lives on today, perpetuated by mass tourism and the New Age movement.

The ruined castle we see today was built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, between 1233 and 1236, a full 600 years after Arthur reputedly fought the Saxons at the battle of Mount Bladon near what is now Swindon in Wiltshire. The castle was always a stronghold for the Cornish kings, who were powerful and wealthy. Thousands of shards of Mediterranean pottery have been uncovered on the site, pointing to a healthy trade in wine and olive oil. The castle would have held a commanding view over the sea and surrounding land and was undoubtedly involved in many a battle throughout its history.

Arthur’s legend is briefly as follows: He was the son of Uther Pendragon and was born at Tintagel, where he built his castle. He resided here with his queen, Guinevere, and shared the castle with his knights, who included Sirs Galahad, Tristram, Lancelot, Gawain, Percival, Bedivere, Lucan, Lionel, Gareth, Kay, Lamorak, Mordred, and Dagonet. His magician, Merlin, lived in his own lodgings beneath the castle.

Arthur’s sword, Excalibur, was forged at Avalon and thrown by Arthur into Dozmary Pool on Bodmin Moor (see Bodmin journal).

Mordred, who was Arthur’s usurping stepson, was defeated at the battle of Camlan on the banks of the River Camel, although Arthur sustained serious wounding. He reputedly sailed west to the Islands of the Blest (Scilly Isles) or to Avalon (Glastonbury), where his tomb was "discovered" in the 12th century.

Tintagel is a lovely place, with towering cliffs, thundering seas, and full of myths and legends. It does get exceptionally crowded in summer, but go along and sample its undeniable aura and dwell on the legend of King Arthur awhile.

An ever-present in the British legend top ten is Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Romance, religion, chivalry and honour are all elements that have become integrated and woven together to create this model of British nobility. The earliest appearances of Arthur date back to the ninth and tenth centuries when mass migrations brought together oral histories from Ireland and Wales with those of the Cornish and the newly arrived Normans.

Subsequently, against the backdrop of civil war in 1136 Geoffrey of Monmouth pieced together some ancient tales, embellished them for an aristocratic market and brought the Arthurian legend to Tintagel. Duke Gorlois of Cornwall had the most beautiful wife in Britain and King Uther Pendragon wanted her for his own. Gorlois hid her away in a fortress on the cliff tops of Tintagel and Uther summoned Merlin to devise a way of gaining access. The magician changed Uther into the likeness of Gorlois enabling him to enter.

'The King remained the whole night with Igraine - and that night she conceived Arthur, who afterwards became famous for his outstanding bravery'

Gorlois' reaction to this cuckolding isn't recorded, nor is the future marital status of him and the saucy, fickle Igraine. I suspect he may well have supported Merlin's guardianship of the boy. And there Tintagel's role in the legend ends.

All utter hokum but it invested Tintagel with a sense of drama befitting its location. The castle ruins are reached via a steep path from the village. It's about a quarter of a mile to the headland and we ambled down to the edge of the inlet known as The Haven. Finding a sheltered spot amongst ruined walls we picnicked below the castle before I took on the steep ascent, leaving the Redhead to grow our baby. The lengths she'll go to avoid historical sites!

The ruins of Tintagel are the remains of a 13th century castle built by Earl Richard of Cornwall on the site of a Dark Age fortress, known as Din Tagell - Fortress of the Narrow Entrance. He would have known of its place in Arthurian legend and the ruins hint at grand courtyards and elegant precincts. It appears Earl Richard's interest didn't last too long, however, and he rarely visited. In less than a hundred years the castle fell into disrepair and the rot set in. Coastal erosion has leant a powerful hand and has effectively cut the castle in two. The mainland section is a series of enclosed courtyards with sheer drops on three sides. When viewed from the island it is an arresting sight.

The rest of the ruins are reached via a wooden bridge over the crumbling strip of land that ties 'the island' to the headland. In terms of buildings there is relatively little to see on this bleak, isolated outcrop. The outlines of chapels and houses, lonely walls and archways give little clue as to the shape of the original castle and its grounds. There is a hint of a walled garden, a well and other foundation outlines. This lack of 'stuff' doesn't detract from the experience; I would say it enhances it.

The combination of setting, history and fable are what make Tintagel. People through the ages have wanted to believe in the 'once and future king' and his court as an idealised example of royal authority and honour. Tintagel, with its sheer cliffs rising out of the sea and merging into mossy stone walls, provides a perfect set for the first act. Open year round, admission is £3.70 for adults and there's a Land Rover shuttle between the village and the lower entrance to the site (it costs just over £1 each way). Tintagel is owned by English Heritage who offer a membership deal which grants free admission to all their sites.