Exploring Launceston, Cornwall, in the English Peninsula

Exploring Lanceston, Cornwall, in the English Peninsula is an opportunity to see Cornish life and living as it is today. It is a town -- and an ancient borough -- in the northern region of Cornwall. With a population of about 7,200, it sits some 2 miles from the border with Devon, the third-largest of the English counties. The natural border between Cornwall and Devon, for the most part, is former by the River Tamur. The town is also known as the "Gateway to Cornwall."

The town is able to avoid the flooding which plagues the area from time to time due to its location on the side of a large hill. It serves as a market town and a shopping nexus for northwestern parts of rural Devon and northern Cornwall in general. It benefits from its location on the A30 trunk road, which runs through several towns and into western Cornwall. In recent years, the town's economic base has benefitted from the growth of large business development.

There are a numbers of pubs and restaurants in the town, which can make for lively weekend evening nightlife.

Culturally, Launceston was the home of the famous poet Charles Causley, a onetime contender for the title of Poet Laureate of the monarch. It hosts an annual music festival, called "Castle Rock," every July. The historic Launceston Castle dominates the town. It is a Norman-era structure, first built in 1067. Robert de Mortain, half-brother of William I (William the Conqueror) is most responsible for its construction.

Architecturally, the town hosts a fine example of Tudor design -- the church of Saint Mary Magdalene -- built between 1511 and 1524. There is a tower of the church, constructed from the remnants of an earlier church on the site, that dates from the 14th century.

History runs all through Launceston, with buildings and structures dating from medieval periods up through the Georgian-era. The famous actor Roger Moore, of James Bond fame, took education at Launceston College, which is a boys grammar boarding school.

Cornwall is a county in England, located at the tip of the southwestern English peninsula. It currently has a population of around 532,000 people. It is the homeland of the ancient Cornish people and is one of the six historic Celtic nations. It continues to hold onto its language and culture. The only city in the county is Truro. Both Launceston and Cornwall are excellent examples of Cornish life in modern day England and the United Kingdom.