Pendennis Castle

Falmouth, United Kingdom

Pendennis Castle 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- The heritage agency Historic England considers Pendennis to be one of the finest examples of a post-medieval defensive promontory fort in the country.

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Details

Founded: 1540-1542
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Mark Whiteley (6 months ago)
Amazing place, the most beautiful views and so much history from different time periods. We went during Halloween half term and were lucky enough to catch one of the story times. The story teller was genuinely brilliant and very knowledgeable - it was like a live episode of horrible histories! As members, we have been to a lot of English Heritage places and this one is up there with the best. Highly recommended!
Charlotte Hannam (8 months ago)
I really enjoyed Pendennis Castle, it has quite a lot of hidden curiosities. It was £16.30 for adult entry to the site. We got there for opening on August Bank Holiday Sunday and there were a few folk about. We parked easily and when we were leaving the overflow was open but not full. We really enjoyed all the different eras of history that meet in the castle, and there were some fun interactive things to entertain, such as phone calls in the war bunker and costumes in the castle. I can imagine that on a sunny day, it is a great place to bring a picnic. The cafe is quite small and has a very small selection of goods, I have seen much better in other, smaller English Heritage properties. There are toilets and accessible entrances to some of the areas but not all. Accessible parking is inside the castle walls. There are some areas that I would have liked to see more information on such as the Half Moon Battery as you could see an entrance to the underground but couldn't go down there. We spent about 2.5 hours in the castle, including a cafe trip, but had the weather been better we may have stayed longer. Overall, I would definitely recommend a visit, especially if you have EH membership.
Sarah Harper (8 months ago)
Fantastic visit. Beautifully kept grounds, stunning views and so much history. The gun tour was brilliant, the lady that delivered it did so fantastically with so much knowledge and enthusiasm. I learnt so much! The team in the cafe were friendly and the scones were delicious. I would definitely recommend a visit here.
Sander Riel (8 months ago)
Great little castle on a great location. The views across the estuary are unmatched. When I was there, there was a medieval jousting tournament going on. Very well organised and quite exciting. There are both WW2 era things too see, and older ones. I did not have time to go see the WW2 barracks yet, so can't really say anything about that. The little castle was fun to explore. There was also the option to dress up in some medieval type clothes and take some nice period photos.
Jo K (8 months ago)
An excellent few hours at Pendennis Castle today. We had sunny weather, which is definitely a bonus. This place is steeped in history and I found it fascinating. The tour led by the Corporal in uniform was fantastic. He really did a great job at explaining things. The cafe staff were lovely and the food/drinks that we had were really good. All round 5 stars.
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