Launceston is a town, ancient borough, and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is 1 mile west of the middle stage of the River Tamar, which constitutes almost the entire border between Cornwall and Devon. The landscape of the town is generally steep particularly at a sharp south-western knoll topped by Launceston Castle. These gradients fall down to the River Kensey and smaller tributaries. The town centre itself is bypassed and is no longer physically a main thoroughfare.