''Castle Dor'' is a 1961

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the setting of particular real historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to oth ...

Daphne du Maurier Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Gerald du Maurier, Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her gra ...

and Sir

Arthur Quiller-Couch Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch (; 21 November 186312 May 1944) was a Cornish people, British writer who published using the pen name, pseudonym Q. Although a prolific novelist, he is remembered mainly for the monumental publication ''The Oxfor ...

,''Castle Dor'' at DuMaurier.org
set in 19th century

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

Plot introduction

''Castle Dor'' began life as the unfinished last novel by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, the celebrated 'Q', and was passed by his daughter to Daphne du Maurier. The story is based around the legend of

Tristan and Iseult Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Of disputed source, usually assumed to be primarily Celtic nations, Celtic, the tale is a ...

, but set in 19th century Cornwall. The main characters are a

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally **Breton people **Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Gale ...

onion seller, called Amyot Trestane, and the newly-wed Linnet Lewarne.

Real placenames mentioned

Castle Dore Castle Dore — or Castle Dôr — is an Iron Age hill fort (ringfort) near Golant Golant () is a village in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is on the west bank of the River Fowey and in the civil parish of St Sampson. Golan ...

- ancient earthworks near Fowey *

Castle An Dinas Castle an Dinas is an Iron Age hillfort at the summit of Castle Downs, Cornwall, Castle Downs near St Columb Major in Cornwall, UK () and is considered one of the most important hillforts in the southwest of Great Britain, Britain. It dates fro ...

ancient earthworks near

St Columb Major St Columb Major is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Often referred to locally as ''St Columb'', it is approximately southwest of Wadebridge and east of Newquay Ordnance Survey: Landran ...

Indian Queens Indian Queens () is a village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village, which is on the A30 trunk road, is in the civil parish of St Enoder. It is situated west of Goss Moor and north of Fraddon, approximately west-southwest of Bod ...

village in

St Enoder St Enoder () is a civil parish and hamlet in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The hamlet is situated five miles (8 km) southeast of Newquay. There is an electoral ward bearing this name which includes St Columb Road. The population at t ...

parish. *

Fowey Fowey ( ; , meaning ''beech trees'') is a port town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, ...

- renamed Troy * Tresaddern - A farm near St Columb Major

References

1961 British novels Novels by Daphne du Maurier Novels set in Cornwall J. M. Dent books Novels set in the 19th century {{1960s-hist-novel-stub