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Summary

Star Castle, an artillery fort constructed in 1593 with C18 additions, is the primary element of the Garrison's post medieval defences.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 15486: THE STAR CASTLE, ST MARY'S
• Listed Building (I) 62524: STAR CASTLE HOTEL

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SV 81 SE 530
• National Record of the Historic Environment to Historic Environment Records data transfer
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1482605
• NBR Index Number: 111235
• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SV81SE 30.1
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 7902
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SV81SE 2

Monument Type(s):

• FORT (16th Century to Unknown - 1593 AD)

Full description

A fortified house within a rampart in the form of an eight-pointed star, fronted by a curtain wall and surrounded by a dry moat and outer rampart (19).

Prior to the 1994 revision of the Garrison defences SMR, this site was recorded under PRN 74213.01.
Star Castle, recorded on the 1907 OS map (b11) was originally called Stella Mariae (b14). This artillery fort, with its associated features (7902.01 - 7902.09) is the primary element of the Garrison's post medieval defences (7901). A Grade I Listed Building, it was constructed in 1593 by Robert Adams, with C18 additions (h2, b12). Its main elements - curtain with dry moat (7902.02) and keep (7901.01) - conform to an 8-side star-shaped plan (h3, b13). Built to counter the Spanish threat for Sir Francis Godolphin (b14), it was a Cavalier refuge in 1646, the last Royalist stronghold 1648-1651 (b12) and subsequently a prison (b16). Godolphins were resident here in the C17 (b16), but though their Scillonian 'country' seat at Holy Vale burnt down c1751 (b6), lack of resident governors for over a century left the castle dilapidated and used as a barracks in 1812 (b16). It was subsequently a dairy; then accomodated the Lord Proprietor's steward and tenants' dinners from 1834 (b16). The castle has been used as a hotel since 1933 (b12), though it saw some military use in the 1939-1945 war (b16). A detailed survey of the castle was commissioned by English Heritage in 1993 (h7, b18). The monument was included in the Schedule on 4/3/1997.
"Star Castle Hotel, The Garrison 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 façade 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).
Bastions and Walls of Star Castle GV I
Bastions and walls. 1593 with C18 additions. Architect/engineer Robert Adams. Roughly coursed granite rubble with dressed quoins; slate roofs; granite stacks. Eight-sided star-shaped plan. Single storey with some second storey additions. Battered walls to ditch has string-course divisions and coped parapet. Stairs, piers and walls across ditch to 2-storey entrance porch, slightly brought forward with moulded square-headed architrave, date 1593 and tablet with monogram ER above, and pyramidal roof to bracketed-out top storey above parapet level; C18 bellcote on parapet wall to left. Parapet with sally port openings. Ramparts above 3 pyramidal-roofed rectangular rooms, built as guardhouse, office, lock-up etc, with slit windows, stacks, and C19/20 plank doors and glazing-bar casements; that to the south-west angle is roofless. Raised platform at north-west angle. An important component of the late C16/17 fort centred around Star Castle (qv)." (EH Listed Building descriptions, 2002)
(b19) - Parkes, C, 1994, Pers Comm, ,

Visited in 2008-10 (20, 21): A small eight-pointed, star-shaped fort set within similarly shaped outer defences surrounded by a deep, dry ditch, built 1593-4. In form it is an updated version of a Henrician fort with pointed angles instead of rounded bastions. The central building, which is 2 storied with attic and basement, contained the domestic accommodation. Around this is a narrow passage and a series of outbuildings which serve as a base for the rampart; joints in the parapet indicate the locations of 8 gun positions, which are supplemented by musketry loops. The Castle is entered from the N through a square-headed, moulded door with the date 1593 on its lintel; this door gives access to a passage protected by a gun position and a portcullis added about 1600. before the Castle was finished it was realised that it was inadequate alone to defend St Mary's and the first length of the Garrison Walls were added. The ditch around the Castle is about 1.5m deep but no counterscarp can be seen. The Castle was the HQ for the Royalist garrison of the Isles during the Civil Wars of the 17th century and was subsequently HQ for The Garrison throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1933 it became a hotel but it was requisitioned temporarily as military HQ for the Islands 1940-44.

--------------------------------
Site history:
2: 1975. UNKNOWN/IAM
3: 1978. NJA/OS
4: 1888. WATERS, A/CAU
5: 1993. YOUNG, A/CAU
6: 1993. RATCLIFFE, J/CAU
7: 1993. THORPE, J/KEYSTONE
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National Monument Record, Defending the Isles of Scilly (Survey). SCO29941.

National Monument Record, The Garrison Survey, St. Mary's, Isle of Scilly (Survey). SCO29940.

Young, A, Ratcliffe, J & Allan, J, 1993, Cable Laying Operations at Star Castle, Isles of Scilly. Results of the Archaeological Watching Brief (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1911.

<1> Pounds, NJG, 1984, The Parliamentary Survey of the Duchy of Cornwall, PT 2, 37, SCILLY (Bibliographic reference). SCO4153.

<2> UNKNOWN, 1655, A MAP OF THE HEW HILL THE CHEIFFE FFORTIFICATIONS, DD GO 575 (Unedited Source). SCO5445.

<3> LILLY, C, 1715, A PLAN OF THE STAR CASTLE ON ST MARY'S ISLAND AT SCILLY (Unedited Source). SCO5501.

<3> THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF CORNWALL, 1900, Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, (NS)1951 VOL 1, APPENDIX, 67-68, 997 (Article in Serial). SCO6888.

<4> UNKNOWN, 1742, A PLAN OF THE HUGH FORT ALIAS THE STAR CASTLE (Unedited Source). SCO5545.

<5> Tovey, A, 1750, A Plan of the Peninsula and Fortifications on St Mary's (Bibliographic reference). SCO4950.

<6> Borlase, W, 1756, Observations on the Ancient and Present State of the Islands of Scilly, 9-10 (Bibliographic reference). SCO2883.

<7> Troutbeck, J, 1796, Survey of the Ancient and Present State of the Scilly Islands, 50-51 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4965.

<8> Woodley, G, 1822, A View of the Present State of the Scilly Islands, 223 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5069.

<9> Birch, JF, 1974, Plan of the Garrison on the Island of Saint Mary, Scilly (Bibliographic reference). SCO2851.

<10> Ordnance Survey, 1880s, 1st Edition 1:2500 Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4048.

<11> Ordnance Survey, 1900s, 2nd Edition 1:2500 Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4050.

<12> DOE, Listed Building Description (original DOE), FEB 1975, 2, 10-12 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5173.

<13> O'Neil, BH St J, 1961, Isles of Scilly MOW Guide, 28-29 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4042.

<14> Bowley, RL (Ed), 1980, The Fortunate Islands, 45-48, 55-57 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5086.

<15> Laws, P, 1980, The Buildings of Scilly (Bibliographic reference). SCO3829.

<16> Adams, F & P, 1984, Star Castle and its Garrison, 12, 38-51, 71-75, 88 (Bibliographic reference). SCO2717.

<18> Cox, J & Thorp, J, 1994, Star Castle: an Architectural and Historical Analysis (Cornwall Event Report). SCO4742.

<19> 1998-2003, CSUS Hugh Town, p15 (Cornwall Archive). SCO23829.

<20> Field Investigator's Comments, HE/Bowden, M. and Brodie, A. 2008-10 (Survey). SCO29739.

<21> Bowden, M and Brodie, A, 2011, Defending Scilly, 14-16 (Bibliographic reference). SCO29932.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO3128 - Garrison Walls, Isles of Scilly, conservation plan
• ECO3819 - Isles of Scilly Military Defences, 1540-1951 (Ref: RDRS 56-2011)
• ECO1833 - Star Castle, St Marys: Watching Brief, 1993
• ECO6390 - Star Castle, St Marys: Measured Survey, 1948
• ECO3363 - The Garrison, St Marys: Survey, 2006-2011 (Ref: 39-2011)

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