Launceston is a town and civil parish located in Cornwall, England. Situated approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the River Tamar, which marks nearly the entire border between Cornwall and Devon, Launceston occupies a strategically positioned location in southwestern England.
The town's topography is notably steep, with terrain rising from the River Kensey—a tributary of the Tamar—up to an elevated hill that serves as the site of Launceston Castle. This dramatic landscape defines much of the town's character and geography.