Pendennis Castle

Pendennis Castle

Castle built as part of Henry VIII's coastal defences between 1540 and 1545, constructed on the site of a probable prehistoric hillfort. The castle was designed to defend the approaches to Carrick Roads, one of the largest natural harbours in England, strategically positioned at the entrance to the English Channel. Its sister castle at St Mawes was built simultaneously for the same purpose.

The initial construction comprised a circular keep with attached curtain wall and state rooms. The first governor was John Killigrew, who was obliged to maintain the garrison at his own expense, as was standard practice for such castles. In 1597, the fortifications were extended to the design of English military engineer Paul Ivey under Elizabeth I. At this time, extensions (since removed) were added to the Governor's quarters and the gatehouse of the main keep. The outer gatehouse and enclosure date to around 1611, with the outer gatehouse probably rebuilt in the early 18th century. In 1779, two blocks were added attached to the outer gatehouse projecting inwards on either side: an accommodation block and a guardhouse block with cells. Further changes to the outer defences were made during the 18th and 19th centuries.

The main keep is constructed of granite ashlar with moulded string courses and widely-spaced battlements designed as gun positions. Lead roofs cover the main block. An octagonal chimney stack with moulded top projects from the north-east side of the state rooms, with other stacks rising through the merlons of the embattled parapet. Carved animal head gargoyles feature on the structure. The outer gatehouse and attached blocks are built of dry slate with central rubble stacks. Parts of these walls and other defences are rubble with granite dressings. The outer defences show vertically-set rubble alternating with horizontal rubble on bedrock, laid over a battered base.

The plan comprises a circular keep, octagonal internally with walls 3.36 metres thick, surmounted by an octagonal stair turret at the junction with a rectangular state room block. A small-plan gatehouse projection to the south-west has an octagonal stair turret at its inner angle. An attached polygonal 16-sided curtain wall encloses the main structure. The outer defences are polygonal in plan with bastions at the angles. The Outer Gatehouse has a wing at right angles behind each side flanking the carriageway, and another wing left of the guardhouse.

The main building is a two-storey structure over a basement, with the keep featuring staggered splayed gunports (splayed both internally and externally), with basket arches to the first floor and round openings to the ground floor. A segmental-arched bridge, replacing the original drawbridge, crosses the moat to the entrance with a moulded four-centred arch. The original portcullis remains in place, with blind panel and drawbridge slots above and the Royal Coat of Arms above the parapet string. Projecting to the left of the entrance is the front end of the state rooms (Governor's Quarters) with a canted first-floor oriel carried on moulded corbelling with sidelights in deep splay, a former gunport above, and a small gunport below. Splayed gunports under four-centred arches feature on the first-floor side walls of the castle gatehouse and state rooms. Two inserted openings with sashes appear on the left-hand side, while mullioned windows light the ground floor. An external ashlar chimney breast and small doorway to the rear of the entrance projection are also present. One ground-floor gunport has been altered to create a window. The basement is lit by small two-light mullioned windows with sills at the level of the gun terrace between the keep and curtain wall. A small two-cell garderobe sits on this terrace to the right of the entrance.

The Outer Gatehouse features a moulded pediment over a stepped doorway with rusticated pilasters and a recessed round-arched inner doorway. An ashlar stack rises over a small penthouse behind the parapet. The elevations facing the carriageway are four-window ranges with segmental arches over 20th-century windows with glazing bars, including a 12-pane sash. Wide granite steps with wrought-iron railings front the doorways.

The interior of the main building contains a keep with a granite newel stair connecting all three floors and continuing to a lookout. Four-centred arched doorways, some with double-planked oak doors, are throughout. The basement kitchen features a chamfered basket-arched fireplace with a later oven to its right and a recess cut to the left. A large central pier provides extra support to the floor above, and a latrine is built into the outer wall's thickness. The ground floor is a gun platform with seven ports and a gardrobe with a pit. Keeping places for gunpowder sit to the right of each gun position. The first floor has similar details for its gunports and a flat-headed chamfered fireplace. The state rooms contain a larger newel stair with two rooms on each floor. The gatehouse itself has a room above the entrance for operating the portcullis and a small closet at the rear.

The ground-floor parlour of the state rooms has 18th-century ovolo-moulded painted pine panelling and a mid-19th-century iron grate within a panelled chimney-piece with consoles. The kitchen beyond features a shallow four-centred arched fireplace with keeping place and oven, with granite corbels supporting the hearth-stone of a corbelled fireplace in the room above. This upper chamber has 18th-century fielded panelling, a moulded plaster ceiling cornice, and panelled window shutters. The adjoining Governor's Chamber has bolection-moulded panelling, a granite corbelled fireplace at a corner, and a window seat in a former gun position on its left. A latrine closet is panelled off in the other front corner. Beside this, in the side wall, is a blocked doorway cut through to provide access to former extensions.

Two castles—Pendennis and St Mawes—were built to defend these strategic approaches. They contained the military innovations available at the time and were capable of considerable firepower with impressive range. This technology was updated periodically and served as an effective deterrent from attack. In 1644, Queen Henrietta Maria took shelter here before embarking for the Continent. The first real military threat came in 1646 during the English Civil War, when under the leadership of the 86-year-old Colonel John Arundel of Trerice, the castle withstood a five-month siege with a small force. After losing approximately 300 men to starvation, Arundel and the surviving 900 men surrendered and were granted full honours of war, marching out with colours flying, trumpets sounding, drums beating, matches lighted at both ends, bullets in their mouths, and each soldier carrying twelve charges of powder.