Launceston hotels, self catering cottages, bed & breakfasts, camp sites and hostels in Launceston

Cornwall » Launceston accommodation

Launceston is the ancient capital of Cornwall and still boasts a medieval south gate and the ruins of a castle. It was the site of the County Assizes before the roads were improved and Bodmin became the county town in the early eighteenth century.

Through the town gate and up the hill is the town square, which serves as a car park these days. The church of St Mary Magdalene is worth a visit if only to see the elaborate carving of the granite, unusual among Cornish parish churches.

Launceston stands almost on the Cornish border with Devon. In one direction is the expanse of Bodmin Moor, whilst in the other, just across the River Tamar, is the wildness of Dartmoor.