Launceston is a community, ancient borough, and also civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the middle phase of the River Tamar, which makes up nearly the entire border in between Cornwall and also Devon. The landscape of the town is normally high particularly at a sharp south-western ridge topped by Launceston Castle. These slopes drop to the River Kensey and also smaller tributaries. The community centre itself is bypassed and also is no more physically a major thoroughfare. The A388 still goes through the town near the centre. The town stays figuratively the "entrance to Cornwall", because of having the A30, one of the two double carriageways right into the region, pass straight alongside the town. The various other dual carriageway as well as alternative bottom line of access is the A38 at Saltash over the Tamar Bridge and was finished in 1962. There are smaller points of entry to Cornwall on small roadways. Launceston Steam Railway narrow-gauge heritage railway runs as a tourist attraction throughout the summertime. It was recovered for visual as well as commercial heritage objectives as well as runs along a short rural path, it is popular with visitors but does not run for much of the year. Launceston Castle was developed by Robert, Count of Mortain (half-brother of William the Conqueror) c. 1070 to regulate the surrounding location. Launceston was the caput of the feudal barony of Launceston as well as of the Earldom of Cornwall until replaced by Lostwithiel in the 13th century. Launceston was later the county town of Cornwall till 1835 when Bodmin replaced it. 2 civil parishes serve the community and also its borders, of which the main even more built-up administrative unit housed 8,952 residents at the 2011 census. 3 selecting wards include referral to the town, their total population, from 2011 census information, being 11,837 as well as two ecclesiastical churches offer the previous solitary parish, with three churches and also a huge swathe of land to the north and also west part of the location. Launceston's slogan "Royale et Loyale" (English translation: Royal and Loyal) is a reference to its adherence to the Cavalier cause throughout the English Civil War of the mid-17th century.