According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, sometime in the 5th century Uther Pendragon lusted after Igraine, the wife of Gorlois, the duke of Cornwall. Uther's court magician, Merlin, used magic to disguise Uther as Gorlois, and Uther then lay with Igraine at Gorlois' castle Tintagel, on the northwestern coast of Cornwall. From this union, Arthur Pendragon was conceived. So, okay, we're Arthur geeks!

We decided to explore Cornwall after our time in Portugal for a variety of reasons. For one, we had to leave Europe because of Schengen visa requirements. For another, we thought the southwest of England would be warmer than the rest of the country in February and March. Lastly, we had an itch to investigate the land that resonates with King Arthur, Merlin, and the mystical early folklore of Britain. Neither Cindy nor I had any knowledge of Cornwall, other than some of the Arthur mythology, but it seemed like an intriguing place to visit -- and it was! The Cornish countryside is intensely beautiful, with rolling emerald green hills demarked by hedge-covered stone walls, sprawling swaths of moors, and soaring coastal cliffs interspersed with lovely sand beaches. Walking paths weave through the countryside and along the coast, carrying hikers through magical countryside, past areas steeped in folklore and myth. The Cornish folk are tough but friendly, quick to laugh and open to strangers. Every town has its share of pubs -- all dog-friendly -- and local folk gather to share stories and conviviality. We found our way through the countryside, visiting several interesting areas with vivid stories to tell.

Top Photos
Tintagel  --
​For a quick overview:

Arthur stands at the summit of Tintagel Castle's island, ready to spring into action to protect Britain from its foes.

St. Materiana's Church serves Tintagel and the surrounding area. It resides within site of Tintagel Castle.

The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic has existed in the town of Boscastle since 1951. It showcases magical artifacts and information reflecting the deep mystical fundaments of the region.

Pasties - a Cornish traditional dish - are pies filled with meat and vegetables meant to be eaten by hand. They evolved as a meal for tin miners and are enormously popular.

Tintagel town's also a great place for a Cornish cream tea. Enjoy a cup of tea along with scones slathered in clotted cream and jam. Yum!

Rocky Valley is home to the Trevillet River, as well as over 161 species of moss . . . and harbors ancient carvings from the Bronze Age.

The Rumps are a distinctive coastal feature on the Pentire Peninsula, about a two-mile walk from Polzeath. At one time, the Rumps were home to a fortified Stone Age village. Now only the stones remain.

Rough Tor was once the site of a medieval chapel, though nothing remains of it now. Enormous stones litter the ground, thrown together in haphazard piles like discarded giant's toys.

Gallery - For the whole story

We stayed in Treknow, a little village just south of Tintagel.

Evenings, we could watch the sun set over Trebarwith Strand, just west of us.

Despite it being February when we arrived, many spring flowers were in bloom.

Cornwall is protected at the southwest corner of Britain, and warmed by the Gulf Stream, so it is an easy segue into spring here.

Gorse blooms all along the rocky paths as one walks the Cornish coast.

Tintagel is a hamlet of some 1,800 souls about halfway up the western coast of Cornwall.

Its main claim to fame is -- you guessed it -- Arthur.

St. Materiana's Church serves Tintagel and the surrounding area. It resides within site of Tintagel Castle.

Arthur's birthplace is on a rocky island just off the coast from Tintagel town. The Island is tide-locked; one can walk across to it at low tide.

Unfortunately, we discovered that the island and its castle were closed while a new bridge was being built. Dang!

The castle walls were tantalizingly out of reach.

Arthur stands at the summit of Tintagel Castle's island, ready to spring into action to protect Britain from its foes.

King Arthur's Arms in Tintagel town was the perfect place for a glass of wine after a hard day . . .

. . . and/or a Cornish pasty. Pasties - a Cornish traditional dish - are pies filled with meat and vegetables meant to be eaten by hand. They evolved as a meal for tin miners and are enormously popular.

Tintagel town's also a great place for a Cornish cream tea. Enjoy a cup of tea along with scones slathered in clotted cream and jam. Yum!

And always remember this is the land of enchantment!

We found loads of friends of all persuasion along the way!

Trebarwith Strand, just down the hill from our house, was a perfect place to start our travels.

The Southwest Coast Path, which circumnavigates Cornwall, has trail heads in Trebarwith.

The Cornish coast is dramatic, with precipitous cliffs and crashing surf.

The Southwest Coast Path is the longest National Trail in Britain, stretching 630 miles along the entire coast of Cornwall.

There are breathtaking views of the Atlantic, along the rocky Cornish shores.

Amongst other things, Cornwall is known for its slate, which is used for construction materials in many applications.

Much of the coast in this area has been altered by aggressive mining for slate, tin, and copper.

Slate gets used for many purposes in this area, including fencing.

Landowners in Britain are benign about ramblers traipsing over their property, incorporating stiles in their fences for hikers to climb.

Winds on the coast influence the growth of plants, often leading to very dramatic shapes.

Within Rocky Valley nestles the Trevillet River. The valley is also home to over 161 species of moss.

The ruined Trevillett Mill haunts the Rocky Valley . . .

. . . and harbors ancient carvings from the Bronze Age.

The Mill, and its ancient carvings . . .

. . . have attracted the curious, including Wiccans and Neopaganists.

Polzeath is a surfing haven south of Tintagel. It has an enormous beach.

Our purpose, though, was slightly different . . .

We headed for the coast path . . .

. . . with the intention of finding our way to The Rumps.

The Rumps are a distinctive coastal feature on the Pentire Peninsula, about a two-mile walk from Polzeath.

There they are. You can probably guess why they got their name . . . In the foreground are the remains of a stone-age fort.

At one time, the Rumps were home to a fortified Stone Age village. Now only the stones remain.

Bude is a lovely seaside town at the mouth of the River Neet.

It's distinguished by a canal that runs from the mouth of the river and through the town.

At the river's mouth is a sizable beach . . .

. . . and at one end, a unique sea pool built by the town for the use of its residents.

The canal once extended inland quite a distance, and sea sand was a major export from Bude, but now the canal goes only a short way and empties into a marsh on the outskirts of town.

The beach, though, is well loved.

Boscastle is another lovely village, not too distant from Merlin's Cave and steeped in the mysteries of the region.

The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic has existed here since 1951 . . .

. . . it showcases magical artifacts and information reflecting the deep mystical fundaments of the region.

Rough Tor is the second-highest point in Cornwall, after Brown Willy.

Both Rough Tor and Brown Willy are tors (rocky hills) within the Bodmin Moor in Cornwall.

Bodmin Moor is covered with Bronze Age remains, including hut circles like this one.

Stone outcroppings provide an otherworldly sense to the place.

Rough Tor was once the site of a medieval chapel, though nothing remains of it now.

Enormous stones litter the ground, thrown together in haphazard piles like discarded giant's toys.

It's an impressive place to visit.

From the top, you can see for miles in all directions.

Bodmin Moor itself is vast and somewhat desolate. It's attracted its share of spooky stories over time, including stories of the Bodmin Beast . . .

. . . which was said to roam the moor, looking for lost souls.

The murder of Charlotte Dymond is commemorated on the Moor. The young woman was killed by her suitor in the 1800's, and her ghost is said to haunt the moor to this day.