In October, Rachel Bate and her three roommates made the five-hour drive from London to the county of Cornwall, in the southwest of England. The U.K.’s coronavirus restrictions were on a brief hiatus, and the friends needed a break. They wanted a “spooky, quirky” trip, and believed that they had found the perfect destination.

Camelot Castle stands atop black cliffs at the edge of the ancient village of Tintagel. A stone behemoth with battlements, mock-Gothic turrets and sweeping views of the sea. Built in 1899 for Victorian holidaymakers, it looks over the ruins of an older castle, where, according to legend, King Arthur and the knights of the round table once lived.

The sun was setting when 35-year-old Bate and her friends reached the hotel driveway. “It was a very windy evening, quite atmospheric,” she said. They walked into the lobby, and an unexpected figure peered out through the gloom. Above the reception desk was a huge photograph of U.S President Donald Trump, standing with his wife Melania and the hotel’s owner, John Mappin. 

“I was like, ‘I’m so glad I’m wearing a mask, because it’s covering how horrified I am,’” Bate told me.