Key facts
- Operator
- English Heritage
- Condition
- Partial ruin
- Access
- Staffed, ticketed
Pinpoint
Castle Dyke, Launceston PL15 7DR
Telephone 0370 333 1181
Website www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/launceston-castle
Possible Opening hours
Opening times change. Always check the official website before you travel.
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Thursday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Friday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Saturday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Sunday | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
A shell keep on a high motte above the town, with the walk to the top - and the views once you're there - the main event, since there are no roofed rooms left inside. English Heritage runs a small museum at the base with artefacts and, by reviewer accounts, an unusually engaging curator.
Worth the trip
The panoramic view from the top of the keep, taking in the town and the surrounding Cornish countryside.
Before you go
The climb to the top is sometimes closed out of season, so check before planning a visit around it; allow 45 minutes to just over an hour to see the grounds and information boards properly.
Visitors consistently highlight the panoramic views from the top of Launceston Castle and the friendly, knowledgeable staff, including praise for the small on-site museum. Reviewers note it's a ruin with no furnished rooms, but most feel the climb and roughly hour-long visit are well worth it for the views alone.
Shell keep on high motte
“Well worth the climb to the top for the Panoramic views. Lots of interesting information on the castle scattered around as you climb and in the ticket office. It is a ruin so it doesn't have any rooms.”— Alex Whiteman, visitor review
