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Camelford. The historical
little market town of Camelford
may not come high on the list of Cornish holiday towns, vying
with the likes of nearby Bude, and historic Launceston with it's
castle. However if you prefer a quiet holiday away from the maddening
crowd, in a beautiful location this is the place. Camelford is situated
on the River Cam
from which it derived it's name. Camelford also happens to be situated
on the edge
of the
mysterious Bodmin Moor, than this is the place for you.
Besides with the tourist hotspots of Bude, Launceston,
Tintagel, and Boscastle all within easy traveling distance one will
have the best of both worlds. From historical records we lean that, of
the less authenticated portion of
Cornish history are the traditions relative to the birth of King
Arthur, at Tintagell castle, and his death at the battle fought near
Camelford with his rebellious nephew Mordred. Camelford
was lying on a important medieval trade route. And in 1259
the town was granted a Royal Charter by Richard the
Earl of
Cornwall
. With the granting of this charter Camelfor quickly established
itself as a important commercial center. In 1552 in
recognition of just how important Camelford had become King
Edward V11 granted the town the right to send two members to
Paliment. A practice that continued until 1832 when the
Reform Bill abolished it. Camelford's history however is believed to
predate these records. For many believe that Camelford was the original
site of King Arthur's
legendary Camelot and not Tintagel as widely believed. There is
evidence
that an
warrior King was killed in a bloody battle at the aptly named
Slaughter Bridge just on the outskirts of Camelford. The name of the
warrior king is not known, could this just perhaps have been the
legendary Warrior King Arthur?, for an
less authenticated portion of
Cornish history is that he died in the battle fought near
Camelford with his rebellious nephew Mordred. .
Today Camelford continues to be the pretty medieval Town it always has
been virtually untouched by modern day. On Bodmin Moor
visitors can visit the Jamacia Inn made famous by
Daphne Du Maurier in her novel of the same name, or see the many
ancient signs of early man. These tell us humans started to habituate
the moor about 4,500 to 2,300 BC, people were claiming the
terrain for their own, clearing the trees in order to settle and farm
the landscape and burying their dead in barrows and cairns.
It was first farmed over 4,000 years ago during the Bronze
Age. Situated in the center of Cornwall the Moor is an
exceedingly rich and important historic landscape. And as one would
expected numerous prehistoric remains have been
uncovered. And there are numerous myths and legends are associated with
the Moor. During the Bronze Age, the climate was a lot warmer
and the soil more fertile than to-day. On the slopes of Rough
Tor can be found hundreds of thatched stone round houses. These are
the remains of the Bronze Age settlements that can still be
seen today. The Moor was under cultivation in both
prehistoric and medieval times. And to-day we can find evidence of
the legacy of this by-gone time in the ancient, field
enclosures which serve as a reminder of the fortitude of
primitive man who managed to eke out an existence in such a hostile
environment. All over Bodmin Moor there is a high concentration of
prehistoric monuments of interest.habitation.
In the town one can visit the old Bridge House built in the
17th century to replace an earlier bridge built in 1521. The
Masons Inn an old coaching inn built in about 1600 for the benefit of ,
travelers who wished to journey to London. Formerly an Inn the Indian
King is now serves as the town's Art's- Center, the
unusual name Indian King goes back to the 18th
century, when a Cherokee, his wife and son arrived from North America.
The most prominent building
is the Town Hall with it's impressive weather vane resembling a camel.
The Town Hall was built by the Duke of Bedford in
1806 and was originally a market house. As you can see with
all that it has going for it Camelford is a great center for the
holiday maker to base one's-self, with touring, walking, fishing,
swimming or
surfing holidays at nearby Bude. Plus a area that is indeed
steeped in history and legend. And an added plus for the shopaholic or
souviner hunter is the town has
excellent shopping facilities. To find out more
please visit the official Camelford Town website
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