Overview of Launceston

Launceston is a town, ancient borough, and civil parish in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Dunheved was the Saxon name for the town. Launceston is situated just over one mile (1.6 km) west of the River Tamar which marks the border between Cornwall and Devon and is often referred to as the "gateway to Cornwall". The English name is pronounced/ˈlænsən/ LAN-son (traditional) or /ˈlɔːns(t)ən/ LAWN-ston (less common) usually without the 't' by the Cornish, but with by non-Cornish people) The spelling form 'Lanson', phonetically based on the traditional pronunciation, is almost obsolete (some old milestones and signposts have it). The full title of the modern civil parish is Launceston, St Mary Magdalene (which includes the town itself) and it is in the Diocese of Truro. The population of Launceston, St Mary Magdalene parish in the 2001 census was 7,135. Launceston's motto is "Royale et Loyale" from its adherence to the Royalist cause during the Civil War in the mid-17th century.