A puzzling and rare medieval whale bone – measuring more than half a metre across and over seven hundred years old – is being displayed at Launceston Castle, illustrating the power of the earls and dukes of Cornwall, English Heritage announced today (18 August 2022). Discovered during late 20th century excavations at the castle, the mysterious object is just one of many artefacts in a new exhibition exploring the castle’s changing roles, from royal residence and gateway to Cornwall to prison and place of execution.

Dating to the 13th century, the huge whale vertebra is one of around 20 broken vertebrae, rib sections and other small pieces of whale bone to have been found at the castle. Its discovery posed a puzzling question: how did this huge sea creature come to be at the land-locked Launceston Castle? At a time when whale meat was known as the ‘King’s Fish’ and was so highly prized that a portion of each whale caught or found had to be forfeited to the king, it is very likely that the whale bone provides evidence of the lifestyles and exotic diet of the castle’s medieval occupants (who would have also enjoyed dolphin, fish, and seabirds such as the Manx shearwater, which probably came from a colony on the Isles of Scilly). The distribution of whale bone around the site also supports this, as there was a notable concentration near the kitchen, adjacent to the great hall.

Although it is difficult to tell which species of whale the bones came from, the size of the large vertebra points to a larger species such as the blue whale, fin whale or sperm whale. This detail is crucial, as whalers of the later medieval period could catch and land smaller whales but not species of this size. It suggests that at least some of the Launceston bones came from a beached whale.

Dr Ian Leins, English Heritage’s Curator of Collections and Interiors said: "The mysterious whale vertebra at Launceston Castle was a puzzling discovery, but its existence actually greatly informs our knowledge of the castle’s inhabitants. We know the bones date to the 13th century and at this time the castle was owned by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, who was King Henry III’s brother and one of the wealthiest men in Europe. On his visits to the castle, Richard hosted great feasts attended by high-ranking officials and, while abhorrent to most people today, the serving and eating of whale meat would have been a symbol of his high status and power. There is every possibility that this great but unfortunate whale was the dish of the day. It’s a real thrill to be able to return the whale vertebra to the castle to be viewed by visitors today."

Other never before seen objects within Launceston Castle’s new exhibition include decorated tableware and animal remains (such as bones from deer, pigs, geese, goat and partridge), giving a hint of the feasts and luxurious past of castle life, whilst gaming boards, counters and gambling tokens used to while away hours tell the story of the castle’s later history as a bleak prison.

Founded soon after the Norman Conquest, Launceston Castle (Kastel Lanstefan) served as an important fortress and centre of government in Cornwall. Its heyday was in the 13th and 14th centuries when it was an aristocratic residence for the Earls and Dukes of Cornwall. Later it was transformed into a squalid prison – where George Fox, founder of the Quakers, was the most famous prisoner.

English Heritage have worked in partnership with Launceston Town Council and the Charles Causley Trust, using skilled local designers and craftspeople to re-tell the fascinating history of the castle.

Launceston Castle is open every day until 30 October.