Castles · South West England
Pendennis Castle
Also known as: Kastell Penndinas, Kastel Penndinas
In or near St Mawes.
Pendennis Castle (Cornish: Kastel Penndinas) is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII near Falmouth, Cornwall, England between 1540 and 1542. It formed part of the King's Device programme to pro
RichTea — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Falmouth Docks · 0.7 km
- Paid entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Pendennis Castle, the nearest railway station is Falmouth Docks, located 0.7 km away. Entry to the castle is paid, and wheelchair accessibility is limited. The postcode for sat-nav is TR11 4LP.
About
Pendennis Castle (Cornish: Kastel Penndinas) is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII near Falmouth, Cornwall, England between 1540 and 1542. It formed part of the King's Device programme to protect against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire, and defended the Carrick Roads waterway at the mouth of the River Fal. The original, circular keep and gun platform was expanded at the end of the century to cope with the increasing Spanish threat, with a ring of extensive stone ramparts and bastions built around the older castle. Pendennis saw service during the English Civil War, when it was held by the Royalists, and was only taken by Parliament after a long siege in 1646. It survived the interregnum and Charles II renovated the fortress after his restoration to the throne in 1660. Ongoing concerns about a possible French invasion resulted in Pendennis's defences being modernised and upgraded in the 1730s and again during the 1790s; during the Napoleonic Wars, the castle held up to 48 guns. In the 1880s and 1890s an electrically operated minefield was laid across the River Fal, operated from Pendennis and St Mawes, and new, quick-firing guns were installed to support these defences. The castle was rearmed during the First World War but saw no action and was rearmed again during the Second World War when it saw action against the German Luftwaffe aircraft, but in 1956, by now obsolete, it was decommissioned. It passed into the control of the Ministry of Works, who…
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Lower Fal & Helford Intertidal SSSI
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cornwall
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Pendennis Castle (Cornish: Kastel Penndinas) is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII near Falmouth, Cornwall, England between 1540 and 1542. It formed part of the King's Device programme to protect against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire, and defended the Carrick Roads waterway at the mouth of the River Fal. The original, circular keep and gun platform was expanded at the end of the century to cope with the increasing Spanish threat, with a ring of extensive stone ramparts and bastions built around the older castle. Pendennis saw service during the English Civil War, when it was held by the Royalists, and was only taken by Parliament after a long siege in 1646. It survived the interregnum and Charles II renovated the fortress after his restoration to the throne in 1660. Ongoing concerns about a possible French invasion resulted in Pendennis's defences being modernised and upgraded in the 1730s and again during the 1790s; during the Napoleonic Wars, the castle held up to 48 guns. In the 1880s and 1890s an electrically operated minefield was laid across the River Fal, operated from Pendennis and St Mawes, and new, quick-firing guns were installed to support these defences. The castle was rearmed during the First World War but saw no action and was rearmed again during the Second World War when it saw action against the German Luftwaffe aircraft, but in 1956, by now obsolete, it was decommissioned. It passed into the control of the Ministry of Works, who cleared away many of the more modern military buildings and opened the site to visitors. In the 21st century, the castle is managed by English Heritage as a tourist attraction, receiving 74,230 visitors in 2011–12. The heritage agency Historic England considers Pendennis to be "one of the finest examples of a post-medieval defensive promontory fort in the country".
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Architecture
Pendennis Castle is located at the end of a peninsula, overlooking Carrick Roads and the sea. It includes the original 16th-century Device Fort, surrounded by a ring of outer defences, based on the Elizabethan ramparts and later adapted during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Further gun batteries and a blockhouse are located closer to the shore.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.1472, -5.0478
- District
- Cornwall
- Parish
- Falmouth
- Postcode
- TR11 4LP
- Parliamentary constituency
- Truro and Falmouth
- Established
- 1540
- Nearest railway station
- Falmouth Docks — 0.7 km
- Opening
- Mar 29-Oct 25: 10:00-17:00; Oct 26-Nov 02,Dec 27-Jan 01,Feb 14-22: 10:00-16:00; Nov 03-Dec 23,Jan 02-Feb 13: Sa,Su 10:00-16:00; Feb 23-Mar 27: We-Su 10:00-16:00; Dec 24-26: closed
- Official site
- www.simonleachdesign.com
Sources
- wikipedia: Pendennis Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Pendennis Castle?
- Pendennis Castle is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode TR11 4LP), in the parish of Falmouth.
- What is Pendennis Castle?
- Pendennis Castle (Cornish: Kastel Penndinas) is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII near Falmouth, Cornwall, England between 1540 and 1542. It formed part of the King's Device programme to pro
- How do I get to Pendennis Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Falmouth Docks, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode TR11 4LP.
- When was Pendennis Castle built?
- Built or established in 1540.
- Is Pendennis Castle a protected site?
- Yes — Pendennis Castle is part of the Lower Fal & Helford Intertidal SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Cornwall National Landscape (AONB).
- Does Pendennis Castle charge admission?
- Pendennis Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Pendennis Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Falmouth Docks, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode TR11 4LP.