The Key to Cornwall
Launceston Castle commands the principal route into Cornwall from Devon — a strategically placed motte-and-bailey fortification raised by Robert of Mortain, half-brother of William the Conqueror, immediately after the Conquest. The castle controlled the crossing of the River Tamar and for centuries served as the administrative seat and county gaol of Cornwall.
The most distinctive feature is the unusual circular keep arrangement: a round shell keep sits on the motte with a separate round tower rising from within it — a concentric design that is rare in English castle architecture and gives the structure its singular profile when seen from below. The inner tower, rising above the shell wall, was added in the thirteenth century and served as the residential quarters for the castle's constable.
Among those imprisoned here was the Quaker George Fox, held in the castle dungeon in 1656 — a particularly grim period of the castle's history as a county gaol. The castle remained in use as a prison until the nineteenth century, and the medieval fabric survives to considerable height despite centuries of use, giving Launceston one of the most complete castle silhouettes in the South West.
As a 3DGS subject, the concentric circular geometry of the keep is technically ideal: the radiating regularity of the circular walls means no facade is ever more than 90° from the camera, allowing thorough coverage in a relatively compact orbital pattern. The steep motte sides add an additional level of vertical detail.