Star Castle Hotel

ST. MARY'S

SV81SE THE GARRISON, Hugh Town 1358-0/3/85 Star Castle Hotel 12/02/75 (Formerly Listed as: THE GARRISON, Hugh Town Star Castle)

GV I

House within Star Castle Fort. 1593 with late C17 alterations. Architect/Engineer Robert Adams. Rendered granite rubble with granite and brick dressings; slurried M-shaped hipped slate roof with lateral,central valley and ridge stacks. Star-shaped eight-sided plan reflecting that of surrounding bastions (q.v.). 2 storeys with attics; 3 bays to each facade with central two-sided salient projections. Each front has two ground-floor 8/8-pane sashes, two 2/2-pane sashes and salient projections; two first-floor 2/2-pane and 8/8-pane sashes. Original granite moulded door architrave with drip-moulded head. Flat-roofed dormers with late C19 horned 2/2-pane sashes. Interior: built with two accommodation floors above basement for storage. Plan recorded in 1757 by Abraham Tovey, Master Gunner, had 2 heated ground-floor chambers with back-to-back stacks and stairs all extant. Includes some 2-panelled doors. Late C17 wooden dog-leg staircase through both upper floors, with rectangular moulded handrail and continuous newel to first floor only. Ground-floor main chamber has late C17 moulded granite fireplace with polished wooden half columns. First-floor room above has white marble baseless Greek Doric order fireplace and centrepiece with oak leaves and laurels. Some blocked first-floor angle fireplaces. The main fort in a defensive system built under Francis Godolphin to counter the threat posed by the Spanish after the 1588 Armada. With its outer bastions-and walls (qv), Star Castle comprises an important and complete example of an Elizabethan fort built to a common Renaissance plan. It was also used as a prison, notable inmates including Dr.Bastwick (1637) and Sir John Ireton (1662). Star Castle was the last Royalist stronghold, Prince Charles and his suite taking refuge here in 1646 after their retreat from the Battle of Bodmin. It was converted into an hotel in 1933. (B.H. St.J.O'Neil: Isles of Scilly: London (HMSO): 1950-: 20; Saunders A: Fortress Britain: Liphook: 1989-: 79-80; Buildings of England: Pevsner, N and Ratcliffe, E: Cornwall: London: 1951-1970: 210).

Listing NGR: SV8991810641