St Mawes Castle, like Pendennis Castle had a long and lasting relationship with the military. Forces were barracked there until well after the end of WWII

St Mawes Castle along with her sister castle Pendennis, was built by Henry VIII as part of a protective chain of fortresses along the south coast of England and was built between 1539 and 1545 on the eastern shore of the River Fal at a cost of then, a princely sum of £5000 pounds.

St Mawes was built with a central tower surrounded by three circular bastions which formed a clover leaf pattern in appearance. This particular design allowed for greater flexibility in where a gun could be placed. A major advantage with this design was that the guns could cover all of the approach routes into the estuary and the river.

The castle is one of the finest surviving examples of Tudor engineering. Henry spared no expense when he had her constructed and was decorated with ornately carved gargoyles and detailed windows. The Royal Coat of Arms can be seen carved into the stonework above the entrance and various carved inscriptions claiming loyalty to the king and the crown can bee seen throughout the castles interior. The gun emplacements were well though out, with the upper most having ventilation shafts which allowed the smoke from a recently fired canon to disperse.

St Mawes castle, like Pendennis was never called into action against the French or the Spanish during the Tudor period. The castles fortifications were greatly improved under Elizabeth I in preparation for the possible invasion by Spanish forces, following their landings and raid on Penzance and Mounts Bay in 1595. As luck would have it the Spanish never advanced any further and the threat never materialised.

St Mawes, along with her sister castle Pendennis, was a Royalist stronghold during the English Civil War and from the outset, the commander at St. Mawes realised that the castle had a weakness. This weakness was that it was susceptible to ground attack due to the castle being sited part way down a hillside. Any confrontation with the advancing Roundheads would be disastrous and was quickly surrendered upon their arrival.

Pendennis commanded by Sir John Arundel and his second in command, Sir Henry Killigrew, held out for six month due to its strategic position of being built on top of a hill.

St Mawes, like Pendennis castle had a long and lasting relationship with the military. Forces were barracked there until well after the end of WWII.

Tourist Information

1 Apr- 30  Jun 10am-5pm*  Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, & Sun.

1 Jul-31 Aug  10am-6pm*  Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, & Sun.

1-30 Sep  10am-5pm*  Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, & Sun.

1-31 Oct  10am-4pm  Mon, Fri, Sat, & Sun.

24-26 Dec and 1 Jan Closed 1 Nov-31 Mar 10am-4pm Mon, Fri, Sat, & Sun.

*Closed Sat. May close 4pm on Sun & Fri for private events (call site to check: 01326 270526).

Castle closed between 1-2pm in Winter.

Admission Prices

Adult: £3.60  Children: £1.80  Concession: £2.70