Discover Launceston, Cornwall

Launceston, Cornwall, England: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Town_Square_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1286355.jpg
Author: John Baker


Launceston is a town on the eastern part of Cornwall, just a mile from the River Tamar, which forms the boundary between Cornwall and Devon. Due to its location, it is often called the Gateway to Cornwall. Launceston has a population of around 7,000 people (2012 estimate).

The history of Launceston goes back to the Anglo-Saxon period. Its name in Saxon was Dunheved, a name commemorated by the Dunheved Bridge built across the River Tamar in the 1980s. The town began as a settlement around the 9th century, with a mint established there in AD 994.

Following Norman Conquest, the Normans built Launceston Castle which dominates the surrounding area. Launceston was the capital of the Earldom of Cornwall until the 13th century, when it was replaced by Lostwithel.

Today Launceston has a couple of industrial estates within its suburbs, though the town center has become less commercialized with some shops going out of business. There is an influx of Eastern European immigrants to work in Launceston's primary industries.

Visiting Launceston

If you are coming by car from Manchester, take the M5 motorway to Exeter, then continue on the A30 road until you reach Launceston.

Church of St Mary Magdalene, Launceston: Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Church_of_St_Mary_Magdalene_-_geograph.org.uk_-_320666.jpg
Author: Tony Atkin

Places of Interest in Launceston

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Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

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