During the years of the English Civil War, Cornwall had more influence on how the country was governed than it has ever had since. The Civil War brought a temporary end to the monarchy, saw the murder of the King, the establishment of a Puritanical police state under Oliver Cromwell, the Protectorate and finally the Restoration under Charles ll.
Historian Mary Coate wrote in 1933 that ‘never before or since has she (Cornwall) contributed so largely to the general course of events.’
Initially, the Royalists were triumphant, largely because of the Cornish Army which rapidly earned a fearsome reputation. The Parliamentarians were chased out of Lostwithiel and surrendered at the iron age fort of Castle Dore, part of which with the moat is pictured in the next column.
