Launceston Castle dominated Cornwall's administration and defence for over 600 years after its Norman foundation around 1068 by Robert the Count of Mortain. The 13th-century stone keep represents a unique multi-tiered structure, replacing earlier earthwork defences. Towering above the market town on the Devon-Cornwall border, it controlled the principal route into Cornwall and housed the earldom's administrative centre. Later infamous as a brutal prison called 'Castle Terrible,' it imprisoned the Quaker founder George Fox in 1656. Now operated by English Heritage, visitors can climb the tiered keep and explore historic gatehouse ruins within accessible grounds.
