Step inside the twin fortresses of Pendennis and St Mawes, two mighty Tudor castles that once thundered with cannon fire and now overlook one of Britain’s most wildlife-rich estuaries in Cornwall. From windswept ramparts to secret underground magazines, these historic strongholds offer a dramatic journey through centuries of coastal defence.
The dramatic military history of Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle perches on a thrusting headland overlooking the Fal Estuary and the Carrick Roads; a wildlife-filled section of the River Fal in Cornwall. The Elizabethan-added ramparts provide fine views – just remember to bring binoculars to scan for dolphins.
If you're lured by the castle’s history of military action, it's worth exploring the stone keep’s Tudor gun room and Half Moon Battery, in defensive use from 1795 to the Second World War. Most atmospheric is a descent into the underground magazine, built to store ammunition for the battery’s retractable guns.
Resurfacing into daylight, you'll stroll through Pendennis’s grassy enclosure before leaving the stronghold to walk from the castle through bustling Falmouth to Prince of Wales pier. Here, your ferry awaits you.
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Across the waves: the boat trip from Pendennis to St Mawes
As you cross the open sea, you'll see the results of Henry VIII's paranoia laid out before you. Fearing Catholic invasion, the Tudor monarch went on a fort-building frenzy in the mid-16th century, leaving a chain of castles guarding Britain’s south coast. Pendennis and St Mawes are two of these – which, 450 years on, still stand firm.
Two forts: what's the relationship between Pendennis and St Mawes?
It feels fitting to see both from water level – to negotiate the estuary they were designed to defend. The two forts, facing each other across the Fal’s mouth, were once equipped with guns capable of firing over a mile, between them covering the three-mile wide straits.
In Tudor times, Pendennis and St Mawes were a similar size. Now the latter’s well preserved four-level fortress seems far smaller without the additions tacked on to its brother opposite.
St Mawes: a smaller castle, with a bigger focus on rich, elaborate design
Hop off the ferry at St Mawes to explore further. Small but perfectly formed, the castle is one of Henry’s most decorated defences, with king-praising Latin inscriptions carved on the walls.
Unlike Pendennis – under siege for five months in 1646 – St Mawes fell fast to Parliamentarian forces; thus it lay neglected and unchanged. It was rearmed in the 19th century: in 1828 the flagstoned gun emplacement room could sleep 70 soldiers. Now it holds 70 wedding guests, a dramatic spot for matrimony.
Military history at St Mawes
Martial signs do remain – including the Alberghetti Gun, dredged from the wreck of a 16th-century warship – but the castle today is a peaceful place. The cannons’ booms are replaced by the wind whipping around the stone bastions, and the caw of swooping seagulls. Finish off the day on the ferry again, back to the galleries and bustling shops of Falmouth.
How to get to Pendennis Castle and St Mawes Castle
By car, take the A39 into Falmouth. It is a 20-minute walk from Pendennis to the Prince of Wales Pier. From the pier the ferry to St Mawes takes 20 minutes.
Pendennis Castle and St Mawes Castle address
St Mawes Castle
Castle Drive, St Mawes TR2 5DE
Pendennis Castle
Castle Close, Falmouth TR11 4LP
Entry is free for members of English Heritage.
Otherwise, adult tickets for Pendennis Castle are £15, child tickets £9 and concessions for £13.10. Adult tickets for St Mawes Castle are £10.40, child tickets are £6.30 and concessions for £9.
Both castles open 10am-5pm, daily (St Mawes closed Sat); open weekends only Nov-Mar.
Disabled access: The grounds and main level are accessible at St Mawes; the grounds are accessible at Pendennis – other access at the castle is limited.
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Top image: Aerial view over Pendennis Castle (credit: Getty Images)
