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St
Mawes Castle is the most perfectly preserved of Henry VIII's coastal
fortresses.
It
was built to counter the invasion threat from Europe in partnership
with its twin, Pendennis, on the other side of the Fal Estuary.
Facing
each other to this day, the two castles are witnesses to more than
450 years of history.
Click
here
enjoy a gallery of photographs from
St Mawes Castle.
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Falmouth
was the first or last port of call for many ships before the vast
expanses of the Atlantic.
Its
calm waters provided a safe refuge from the storms.
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| View
from the castle today |
The
'Key To Cornwall' had to be defended against attack by the enemies,
whether by land or sea, to prevent it being used as a 'stepping
stone' to invasion.
They
have also seen action, during the Civil War of the 17th Century,
and the two World Wars of the 20th Century.
For
more than 300 years the Pendennis Headland was the objective of
Spanish and French invasion fleets.
During
the last century the castles were fortified to defend Falmouth against
German attack.
Falmouth
was also an embarkation point for the D-Day allied invasion fleet
that changed the course of the Second World War.
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| The
view of Pendennis Castle from St Mawes has not changed over
the years |
Henry
VIII's artillery forts were revolutionary in England in their time.
They
were specially designed to mount cannons and resist bombardment.
The
round gun towers and semi-circular bastions were used as gun platforms.
Enemy cannon balls would be deflected off the curved surfaces and
immensely thick walls.
The
squat profile provided a difficult target for an enemy firing from
onboard a rolling ship.
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St
Mawes and Pendennis Castles
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Work
on the two Henry VIII castles which still stand opposite each
other started in April 1540 for St Mawes and October in the
same year for Pendennis.
Both
castles cost over £5,000 each (a large sum of money
at that time). The precise building accounts have since been
lost.
Both
took around five years to complete, although some of the time
may have been spent on the outer defences at Pendennis after
the castles were operational.
Sir
Thomas Treffry, a local landowner, volunteered to supervise
the building of St Mawes Castle.
Michael
Vyvyan of Trelowarren was appointed the first captain of the
castle, Treffry was the deputy.
Pendennis,
in contrast to all the other Henry VIII castles was built
on top of the headland, perhaps in recognition of the weaknesses
of St Mawes, which is overlooked by a hill and therefore vulnerable
to attack by land.
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St
Mawes Castle fell to landward attack from Parliamentarian forces
in 1646 and was not properly refortified until the late 19th and
early 20th centuries.
Today
it stands proud above the harbourside village of St Mawes.
The
castle is a unique combination of Tudor technological prowess and
a celebration of the power of Henry VIII.
St
Mawes Castle comprises a circular central tower with three lower
bastions, or 'lunettes', arranged on the seaward faces. They appear
in the shape of the leaves of a clover.
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| Artists
impression of St Mawes Castle in years gone by |
The
main entrance is on the landward side, protected by a rock-cut ditch.
St
Mawes is the most romantic and least altered of Henry VIII's castles.
Its
superb Tudor architecture and incomparable setting make it an unrivalled
link with the historic past.
Today
visitors can explore the castle and its grounds, with spectacular
views looking down into the village, and across to Pendennis and
Falmouth.
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St
Mawes Castle Opening Times
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1
Apr-30 Jun 10am-5pm
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
1 Jul-31 Aug 10am-6pm
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
1-30 Sep 10am-5pm*
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
1-31Oct 10am-4pm
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
1 Nov-31 Mar 10am-4pm
Mon Fri Sat Sun
24-26 Dec and 1 Jan Closed
*May close at 4pm on Saturdays from 1 Apr-31 Oct. Call to
confirm 01326 270526
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Castle
Admission
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Adults:
£3.20
Children: £1.60
Concession: £2.40
English Heritage Members: Free
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More
from English Heritage
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Chysauster
Ancient Village
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This
Celtic settlement was originally occupied almost 2,000 years
ago. The ‘village’ consisted of eight stone-walled
homesteads known as ‘courtyard houses’, which are
only found on the Land’s End peninsula and the Isles
of Scilly.
1
Apr-30 Jun 10am-5pm
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
1 Jul-31 Aug 10am-6pm
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
1-30 Sep 10am-5pm
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
1-31 Oct 10am-4pm
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
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St
Catherine's Castle
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Fowey:
A
small fort built by Henry VIII in the 16th century to defend
Fowey Harbour, with two storeys with gun ports at ground level.
Open
All Year Any Reasonable Time Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
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St
Mawes Castle
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St
Mawes:
This, the most perfectly preserved of Henry VIII’s coastal
fortresses, was built to counter the invasion threat from
Europe in partnership with its twin, Pendennis, on the other
side of the Fal Estuary.
1
Apr-30 Jun 10am-5pm
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
1 Jul-31 Aug 10am-6pm
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
1-30 Sep 10am-5pm*
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
1-31Oct 10am-4pm
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
1 Nov-31 Mar 10am-4pm
Mon Fri Sat Sun
24-26 Dec and 1 Jan Closed
*May close at 4pm on Saturdays from 1 Apr-31 Oct. Call to
confirm 01326 270526
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Tintagel
Castle
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With
its spectacular location on one of England's most dramatic
coastlines, Tintagel is an awe-inspiring and romantic spot.
Opening:
1 Apr-30 Sep 10am-6pm
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
1-31 Oct 10am-5pm
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
1 Nov-31 Mar 10am-4pm
Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
24-26 Dec and 1 Jan Closed
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