Castles · South West England
St Catherine's Castle
In or near Polruan.
St Catherine's Castle — castle in Fowey, Cornwall, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Par · 5.2 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit St Catherine's Castle, the nearest railway station is Par, located 5.2 km away. Entry is paid, and wheelchair accessibility is limited. The postcode for sat-nav is PL23 1JH.
About
St Catherine's Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Records date its origin to 1538. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Owned by English Heritage. Managed by English Heritage. Part of Device Forts. Wikidata describes it as: "castle in Fowey, Cornwall, England, UK". Coordinates: 50.3282°, -4.6445°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
St Catherine's Castle (Cornish: Kastel S. Kattryn) is a Henrician castle in Cornwall, England, built by Thomas Treffry between approximately 1538 and 1540, in response to fears of an invasion of England by France and the Holy Roman Empire. The D-shaped, stone fortification, equipped with five gun-ports for cannon, overlooked the mouth of the River Fowey in Cornwall. It was protected by a curtain wall and the surrounding cliffs. The castle remained in use for many years until it was closed at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. Brought back into service in 1855 during the Crimean War, it was fitted with two new artillery positions, but it soon became obsolete and was abandoned.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Summary from the official site
St Catherine's Castle is a historical artillery fort built by Henry VIII in the 1530s to protect Fowey Harbour. Visitors can explore the castle's ruins, which have been modified over the centuries, and enjoy scenic walks through the surrounding woodland.
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cornwall
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
St Catherine's Castle (Cornish: Kastel S. Kattryn) is a Henrician castle in Cornwall, England, built by Thomas Treffry between approximately 1538 and 1540, in response to fears of an invasion of England by France and the Holy Roman Empire. The D-shaped, stone fortification, equipped with five gun-ports for cannon, overlooked the mouth of the River Fowey in Cornwall. It was protected by a curtain wall and the surrounding cliffs. The castle remained in use for many years until it was closed at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. Brought back into service in 1855 during the Crimean War, it was fitted with two new artillery positions, but it soon became obsolete and was abandoned. During the Second World War the castle was refortified and used to house a battery of naval guns, protecting the coast against the threat of German attack. At the end of the conflict the castle was restored to its previous condition and is now managed by English Heritage as a tourist attraction.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Architecture
The 16th century blockhouse is a two-storey, D-shaped design, 5 by internally, with walls of slate rubble up to 1.35 m thick resting on a platform cut out of the bedrock. The ground floor originally had three semi-circular gun-ports overlooking the sea and the estuary, although one has since been blocked up. On the first floor were two more gun-ports—one now filled in—and smaller windows that could have been used for smaller gunpowder weapons. The building had a fireplace and chimney, with a small guard chamber by the entrance, and was topped by a parapet walk. The blockhouse overlooks the sea and the estuary from its position on a rocky outcrop. It is surrounded by cliffs and a curtain…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.3282, -4.6445
- District
- Cornwall
- Parish
- Fowey
- Postcode
- PL23 1JH
- Parliamentary constituency
- St Austell and Newquay
- Established
- 1538
- Nearest railway station
- Par — 5.2 km
- Opening
- Open any reasonable time during daylight hours
- Official site
- www.english-heritage.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q1377108 (CC0)
- wikipedia: St Catherine's Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: St Catherine's Castle and Polruan.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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📷 5Frequently asked questions
- Where is St Catherine's Castle?
- St Catherine's Castle is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode PL23 1JH), in the parish of Fowey.
- What is St Catherine's Castle?
- St Catherine's Castle — castle in Fowey, Cornwall, England, UK.
- How do I get to St Catherine's Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Par, about 5.2 km away. Drivers can use postcode PL23 1JH.
- When was St Catherine's Castle built?
- Built or established in 1538.
- Who runs St Catherine's Castle?
- St Catherine's Castle is operated by English Heritage.
- Is St Catherine's Castle a listed building?
- St Catherine's Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is St Catherine's Castle a protected site?
- Yes — St Catherine's Castle is part of the Cornwall National Landscape (AONB).
- Does St Catherine's Castle charge admission?
- St Catherine's Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.