English Heritage 'turning Tintagel into King Arthur theme park'

Blackleaf

Blackleaf

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The battle over Tintagel Castle, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur, is continuing after a group of 200 Cornish historians accused English Heritage of turning the site into a Disney-style theme park.

The Cornwall Association of Local Historians argued the organisation is mixing fact and fantasy to promote Tintagel's link with the king and boost visitor numbers.

It follows an outcry over the carving of a wizard's face English Heritage commissioned at the mouth of the so-called Merlin's Cave, where it is said the wizard took Arthur as a baby to keep him safe.

English Heritage 'turning Tintagel into King Arthur theme park'

Group of 200 Cornish historians say English Heritage is combining history with fantasy with its plans to transform legendary birthplace of King Arthur


Eagle-eyed visitors can now discover a new addition to Tintagel's landscape - the sleeping face of Merlin carved into the rocks Photo: APEX NEWS

By Leon Watson
23 Mar 2016
The Telegraph

The battle over Tintagel Castle, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur, is continuing after a group of 200 Cornish historians accused English Heritage of turning the site into a Disney-style theme park.

The Cornwall Association of Local Historians argued the organisation is mixing fact and fantasy to promote Tintagel's link with the king and boost visitor numbers.

It follows an outcry over the carving of a wizard's face English Heritage commissioned at the mouth of the so-called Merlin's Cave, where it is said the wizard took Arthur as a baby to keep him safe.


Local craftsmen Peter Graham spent three months carrying out the work Photo: ENGLISH HERITAGE

English Heritage also plans to erect an 8ft model of a knight partly inspired by King Arthur near the castle and a compass installation that may remind visitors of the round table.

In a statement, the association said: "We are appalled at what English Heritage is doing to Tintagel, one of Cornwall’s most historic sites.

"As an organisation of over 200 local Cornish historians, we view with alarm the plans to turn Tintagel into a fairytale theme park."

Despite its long association with King Arthur that English Heritage widely promotes, some historians argue that there is no evidence to suggest he ever visited Tintagel.



The association has accepted that many people visited because of the Arthurian legend but argued that it should not be the role of English Heritage to further the fantasy.

"In fact, it should be the function of EH to help visitors learn the true history of this Cornish place, to begin to better understand what has gone on before and to preserve that heritage," the association said.

"The idea of carving even a small face of a mythical druid into one of the stones of Stonehenge or adding an 8ft statue of a legend to the scene would be beyond any historian’s imagination."

The new carving was undertaken by local craftsman Peter Graham, who spent three months carrying out the work.

Jeremy Ashbee, head curator at English Heritage, said: "Visitors to Tintagel Castle get a complete overview of the site’s history from the 5th century to recent times.

"We recently opened a new exhibition there which explores both the site’s archaeology and history including, for the first time, excavated artefacts.

"Since the Middle Ages, the legends and literary associations of Tintagel have played a key role in shaping the castle.

"The importance of these legends is widely acknowledged by historians and archaeologists.

"Our new outdoor interpretation explains this and places the legends within the context of Tintagel’s overall history and significance."


Tintagel Castle, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur


English Heritage 'turning Tintagel into King Arthur theme park' - Telegraph
 
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Tecumsehsbones

Tecumsehsbones

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Blackleaf said:
According to legend, he fought the Anglo-Saxons in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. So it is obviously a war that he and his men lost.

As for the English people, they are mostly Celts.
Click to expand...
No, the people now known as the Welsh are Celts.

The English are Germans. Originally the Jutes, Angles, and Danes who invaded, and then the Normans, kinda a bastard mix of German-French, who invaded and beat the earlier Germans.

That's why English is a Germanic language, not a Celtic language.
 
Blackleaf

Blackleaf

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Tecumsehsbones said:
No, the people now known as the Welsh are Celts.
Click to expand...

And so are the English.

The English are Germans. Originally the Jutes, Angles, and Danes who invaded, and then the Normans, kinda a bastard mix of German-French, who invaded and beat the earlier Germans.
Click to expand...

Geneticists have proven that the English are mainly Celtic in origin.

That's why English is a Germanic language, not a Celtic language.
Click to expand...

The language a person speaks is no indication of that person's ancestry.

The Welsh, Scots and Irish speak English, so do the Maltese and Americans and Canadians and Australians and New Zealanders and many other people. Using your argument, the Welsh are Anglo-Saxons, too.

People in Ivory Coast speak French, yet not many Ivorians can trace their ancestry back to ancient Gaul.
 
Blackleaf

Blackleaf

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These images show a breathtaking new footbridge that could be built at the historic Tintagel Castle - following a global competition run by English Heritage.

As part of a £4million project a new bridge at the site is hoped to link the divided landscape of the settlement - widely regarded as the birthplace of King Arthur.

The remains of the settlement can currently be seen on both the mainland and jagged headland jutting into the sea and were once united by a narrow strip of land.

The new bridge is designed to follow the path of the original land bridge and help visitors better understand the site's history and improve access to the island.

The winning bridge by Ney & Partners Civil Engineers and William Matthews Associates was selected from 137 entries from 27 countries.

It is due to be completed in 2019 - if it can achieve planning permission and regulatory approval - and will be used by the castle's 200,000 annual visitors.

Fit for a king: Stunning new footbridge set to be built at Tintagel Castle (but you'll need a head for heights to cross it)

Remains of the settlement can currently be seen on both the mainland and jagged headland jutting out into the sea
New bridge is designed to follow the path of the original and help visitors to better understand the site's history
The modern structure is due to be completed in 2019 - if it can achieve planning permission and regulatory approval

By Georgia Diebelius For Mailonline and Inderdeep Bains for the Daily Mail
23 March 2016
Daily Mail
These images show a breathtaking new footbridge that could be built at the historic Tintagel Castle - following a global competition run by English Heritage.

As part of a £4million project a new bridge at the site is hoped to link the divided landscape of the settlement - widely regarded as the birthplace of King Arthur.

The remains of the settlement can currently be seen on both the mainland and jagged headland jutting into the sea and were once united by a narrow strip of land.


The winning bridge by Ney & Partners Civil Engineers and William Matthews Associates was selected from 137 entries from 27 countries

The new bridge is designed to follow the path of the original land bridge and help visitors better understand the site's history and improve access to the island.

The winning bridge by Ney & Partners Civil Engineers and William Matthews Associates was selected from 137 entries from 27 countries.

It is due to be completed in 2019 - if it can achieve planning permission and regulatory approval - and will be used by the castle's 200,000 annual visitors.

Kate Mavor, chief executive of English Heritage, said: 'The winning team's concept is daring and very exciting. It is not the final design but instead a brilliant indication of the team's talent and imagination.

'We will now work with them on a design that will both complement the spectacular landscape and unlock for the visitor the history of the site.'

William Matthews, founder of William Matthews Associates, said: 'Tintagel Castle attracts visitors for many reasons: the dramatic landscapes and geological formations, the Dark Ages remains, the ruined 12th century castle and the legends of King Arthur and Tristan and Isolde.

The new bridge is designed to follow the path of the original land bridge and help visitors to better understand the site's history and improve access to the island

It is due to be completed in 2019 - if it can achieve planning permission and regulatory approval and will be used by Tintagel Castle's (above) 200,000 annual visitors

'Together, they breathe an undeniable and powerful sense of life into the place - to be invited to contribute to that is a rare privilege and honour.'

Other plans for the site by English Heritage for further King Arthur attractions at the castle have attracted controversy.

A group known as 'Kernow Matters To Us' expressed outrage when Merlin the Magician's face was recently engraved at the entrance to a rocky inlet near the castle.

English Heritage was criticised for 'tampering' with Cornish history by trying to turn Tintagel Castle into a 'fairytale theme park' based on the legend of King Arthur.

A group of local historians accused the organisation of combining history with fantasy to promote its link with the king in a bid to drum up visitor numbers.

The Cornwall Association of Local Historians, which has 200 members, said it was horrified that the head of the wizard Merlin has already been carved into a rock face at the medieval site.


English Heritage has been criticised for 'tampering' with Cornish history by trying to turn Tintagel Castle into a 'fairytale theme park' based on the legend of King Arthur


The Cornwall Association of Local Historians said it was horrified that the head of the wizard Merlin has already been carved into a rock face at the medieval site

'This is a historical site for Cornwall and we urge EH to look elsewhere to hype the box office to increase revenues. Don't tamper with Cornish history,' the association said in a statement.

It has urged the organisation to reconsider its plans which include installing an imposing sculpture partly inspired by King Arthur and a compass installation reminiscent of the round table.

'We are appalled at what English Heritage is doing to Tintagel, one of Cornwall' s most historic sites.

As an organisation of over 200 local Cornish historians, we view with alarm the plans to turn Tintagel into a fairytale theme park,' the association told the Guardian.

Despite its long-association with King Arthur that English Heritage widely promotes, historians argue that there is no evidence to suggest he ever visited Tintagel.

The association told the Guardian that focusing on the 'mythical fantasies' that King Arthur was conceived at Tintagel guaranteed eclipsing the true history of the site.

It said: 'In fact, it should be the function of EH to help visitors learn the true history of this Cornish place, to begin to better understand what has gone on before and to preserve that heritage.


Historians argue that there is no evidence to suggest that King Arthur ever visited Tintagel


But English Heritage said visitors get a complete overview of the site's history from the 5th century onwards

'The idea of carving even a small face of a mythical druid into one of the stones of Stonehenge or adding an 8-foot statue of a legend to the scene would be beyond any historian's imagination.'

Jeremy Ashbee, Head Curator at English Heritage, said: 'Visitors to Tintagel Castle get a complete overview of the site's history from the 5th century to recent times.

'We recently opened a new exhibition there which explores both the site's archaeology and history, including for the first time, excavated artefacts.

'Since the Middle Ages, the legends and literary associations of Tintagel have played a key role in shaping the castle.

'The importance of these legends is widely acknowledged by historians and archaeologists. Our new outdoor interpretation explains this and places the legends within the context of Tintagel's overall history and significance.'

The organisation said its new scheme was submitted for all the necessary permissions all of which were approved with no objections.


 
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