Launceston

Launceston Castle, built around 1070 by Robert, Count of Mortain — half-brother of William the Conqueror — crowns the hill above this small Cornish town, which served as the county town of Cornwall until 1838. The steep landscape rises from the River Kensey up to the castle, and the compact centre holds a concentration of listed buildings, historic churches, and cafés. A narrow-gauge heritage railway runs in summer, and the town sits near the A30 at one of the main gateways into Cornwall.

• Population8,910
• Nearest water0.3 km
• Nearest mountain0.5 km
• UNESCO within 50 km4