Tintagel and Boscastle sit a few miles apart on the dramatic north Cornish coast between Port Isaac and Bude. Tintagel is known for its castle and headland, and Boscastle for its narrow harbour in a steep-sided valley. Both villages are popular with visitors all year, and both have a mix of family homes, second homes and holiday lets. Their exposed setting and protected landscape mean building work here needs careful planning.
This guide covers what homeowners in Tintagel, Boscastle and nearby villages such as Trebarwith, Treknow, Bossiney and Crackington Haven should think about before starting a project. It is general guidance only, so always check the position for your own property with Cornwall Council.
Landscape and heritage designations
This stretch of coast carries several layers of protection:
Cornwall National Landscape: both villages lie within the Cornwall National Landscape (formerly the Cornwall AONB), in the section that runs from Pentire Point to Widemouth. Great weight is given to conserving the landscape, so the scale, materials and visibility of new work matter.
Heritage Coast: the same coastline is also defined as Heritage Coast, adding to the focus on keeping it unspoilt.
Conservation areas: Boscastle has a conservation area covering its historic harbour and older streets. Check Cornwall Council's mapping to see whether your property, in either village, is inside a conservation area boundary, as permitted development rights are reduced there.
Listed buildings: both villages have listed buildings, including traditional cottages and farm buildings. Most alterations to a listed building, inside or out, may need listed building consent.
Neighbourhood plans: check whether your parish has a made or emerging neighbourhood plan, as its policies are used alongside the Cornwall Local Plan.
Our guide to building in an AONB or conservation area explains what these designations mean in practice, and our listed building renovation guide covers consent.
Local materials: slate and stone
The area's buildings are closely tied to local stone and slate. The Delabole slate quarry is only a few miles away, and slate roofs, slate-hung walls and slatestone walling are typical of the area. Using matching or sympathetic materials usually helps a scheme sit well in the landscape and in a conservation area.
Many older homes have solid stone walls that need to breathe. Lime mortars and renders are often more suitable than modern cement-based products on these buildings. Our guides to lime rendering and pointing, insulating solid-wall stone houses and Cornish hedges and stone walls explain more.
Exposure and weather
Tintagel in particular sits high on an open clifftop, facing the Atlantic. Strong winds, driving rain and salt spray are part of everyday life, and they affect almost every part of a building project:
Roofs: slate fixings, ridges and verges need to suit a high-exposure site.
Walls and render: wind-driven rain tests pointing and render, so detailing around windows and doors is important.
Windows and doors: look for products rated for exposed coastal locations, with fixings and hardware that resist corrosion.
Working conditions: high winds can stop scaffold and roofing work for days at a time, which should be allowed for in the programme.
Our guide to weatherproofing coastal homes covers suitable materials in more detail.
Flood risk in Boscastle
Boscastle was badly hit by a flash flood in August 2004, when heavy rain on the surrounding high ground sent water down the Valency and Jordan valleys into the village. Flood defence and river improvement works were carried out afterwards. Even so, properties near the rivers and harbour can still be at some level of flood risk. If you are planning work in the lower village, check the Environment Agency's flood maps and Cornwall Council's mapping, and expect flood risk to be considered as part of any planning application. Our guide to flood risk and building work explains what this can mean.
Access and logistics
Boscastle's lower village is reached by steep, narrow roads, and parking near the harbour is limited. In Tintagel, the main street is busy with visitors for much of the year. Before starting work, think about where deliveries will be unloaded, whether skips or scaffolding need a highway permit from Cornwall Council, and how to keep pavements and lanes clear. Many owners prefer to schedule work outside the main season; our guide to building work in winter explains what is realistic.
Common projects in Tintagel and Boscastle
The projects we are most often asked about in this part of north Cornwall include:
Renovating older cottages and farmhouses, including re-roofing, repointing and damp repairs. See our guide to renovating an old Cornish cottage.
Holiday let upgrades between bookings. Our holiday let renovation guide covers planning around the season.
Barn and outbuilding conversions on rural plots. See our barn conversions guide.
Extensions on later houses with more space around them. See our home extension guide.
Older roofs and barns may be used by bats, so a survey may be needed before work starts; see our guide to bat surveys and building work.
Planning and Building Regulations
Given the National Landscape, Heritage Coast and conservation area designations, it is sensible to check what permission is needed before you design anything external. Our guide to planning permission in Cornwall explains the process, and Cornwall Council offers pre-application advice. Building Regulations approval is separate, and our Building Regulations guide explains how Building Control works.
Frequently asked questions
Are Tintagel and Boscastle in the Cornwall National Landscape?
Yes. Both villages are within the Cornwall National Landscape (formerly AONB). Check Cornwall Council's mapping for other designations that apply to your property.
Is Boscastle still at risk of flooding?
Defences were improved after the 2004 flood, but some properties near the rivers and harbour may still be at risk. Check the Environment Agency's flood maps for your address.
Do you cover Tintagel and Boscastle?
Yes. We work across the whole of Cornwall, including Tintagel, Boscastle, Trebarwith, Delabole, Camelford and the surrounding north coast villages.
Planning building work in Tintagel or Boscastle? Talk to us
Cornish Building Company is based in Wadebridge and works throughout north Cornwall. See our pages for builders in Bude, builders in Wadebridge and builders in Launceston, our property renovation, barn conversion and stone, rendering and lime work services, and the full list of areas we cover. Call us on 01208 816991 or contact us to talk through your project.
