Restormel Castle

This was one of the most magical moments of my life. We had decided to go on holiday to Cornwall, a place that I had always wanted to visit. My then husband, my daughter and I were enjoying the sunshine...sight-seeing like all holiday makers do. We happened upon a castle on a hill. This was quite by chance. We were driving nearby when it caught my eye and I just KNEW that I wanted to take a closer look. We parked the car and made our way up the hill to the castle entrance. It was in ruins now...but it spoke to me of a bygone era. 

We walked inside to find this incredibly beautiful sight displayed before our eyes. At first we wandered around together in and around its many arches admiring the timeless wonder of it all. I tried to imagine what it must have been like living there in days of yore, trying to work out what each room was. 

Whilst my daughter was with her Dad, I walked into a huge room, looking at the ancient stones that formed the walls of this treasure. I was the only one in that room. I remember turning around trying to grasp the enormity of the room wondering what had happened here when suddenly this image was emblazoned on my mind. I closed my eyes so I could see. Oh what a wondrous sight to behold. 

I saw the castle in its former glory. This was the ballroom. There before me was the longest dining table I had ever seen. Along the table on the side next to the castle walls were benches. All the furniture was well worn and roughly hewn. The table was laden with a veritable meat feast and goblets were scattered randomly around the table. Some people were seated there, some people were dancing. This was such a loud, jovial affair. People making merry, the sounds of their raucous laughter hanging in the air. There was music, but it was of a kind I had never heard before. I blinked and the image escaped into obscurity. 

I left there, went up the stairs to the highest part of the castle and looked out from between the battlements feeling like a mistress of all I surveyed. The view was magnificent. From its rolling hills to buildings and roads and watched as people went about their daily lives. 

I climbed down those stairs because I espied another part of the castle that I wanted to explore. As it was in ruins I had to go down one set of stairs, across the expanse of grass and up another stairway. If you look to the left of the castle entrance, you will see the stairs I climbed. This led to a narrow passage which met with the castle walls.I could see no purpose for this passage way. At the end of it, to one side was what once must have been a viewing point. I wanted to experience what I had felt in the ballroom so I looked around, closed my eyes and got lost in time. In my mind's eye, I felt myself go back in time. I was so lost in reverie. It was then that I heard my daughter calling for me, as she climbed the staircase to where I stood. I came back to reality with a jolt and whatever I might have seen was lost for all eternity.