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Summary

Pendennis headland occupies a commanding position at the entrance to Carrick Roads and has been the site of fortifications from the Iron Age to the 20th century

Protected Status

• Conservation Area: FALMOUTH
• Scheduled Monument 10552: PENDENNIS PENINSULA FORTIFICATIONS

Other References/Statuses

• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SW83SW 4
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 18709
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW83SW 9

Monument Type(s):

• FORT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

Pendennis headland occupies a commanding position at the entrance to Carrick Roads, and has been the site of fortifications from the Iron Age to the 20th century (b17). The name (Pen-Dinas - fort on the headland) suggests that the promontory may have been the site of an Iron Age cliff castle (see 18709.1). The main fortified area lies along the ridge of the promontory, with further defences on above the NE shoreline. Pendennis Castle is a Henrician round tower with chemise (18709.21,.22). A contemporary fort was built at Little Dennis close to the water at the very tip of the headland, commanding the entrance to the estuary (18709.23). St Mawes Castle (18708), another Henrician coastal fort, slightly earlier in date, stands on the opposite side of the Carrick Roads, the distance between them being just 2km.
In the Elizabethan period, a large area surrounding the Henrician fort was enclosed with a massive curtain wall with bastions and fortified gatehouse and barracks were constructed within. (18709.31-.33). The extra-mural Half Moon Battery was constructed to defend its SE side (18709.34). In the Civil War, the fortified area was greatly expanded to the NW, with the Hornworks erected along the promontory towards Arwenack. Beyond this lies Upton's Mount, a forward gun platform (18709.41-.44).
In the late 17th to18th century, a new gatehouse and a windmill were constructed inside the fort (18709.51, .52), and batteries and gardens were laid out on the NE and SW slopes of the headland (18709.53 -.56). The Napoleonic threat initiated more works (18709.61-.63), and further structures, gardens and a shooting range were developed by the late 19th century (18709.64-.67).
The 1890s-1900's brought further re-fortification, with a new barracks inside the fort (18709.81) and other installations, including a water tower and zig zag trenches, concentrated to the north-west (18709.8-.86). Other minor features of this complex of fortifications, not readily datable, include the site of a building beside steps at SW 8215 3206 (b21).
At the request of English Heritage, a watching brief was carried out by CAU in connection with works to improve disabled access and safety in 2004. The archaeological work involved monitoring the excavation of post-holes for barrier rails at Pig’s Pound Bastion, the Practice Battery and Ravelin, postholes for a palisade fence by the Main Entrance and access gates at Carrick Mount Bastion, supervising the removal of the existing cobbled surface outside the Visitors’ Toilets (replaced by paving slabs) and reprofiling of the bank east of the Telephone Exchange. In addition two exploratory trenches were excavated across the gap in the parapet and rampart on south side of Horsepool Bastion in order to determine the best position for a new safety fence. No features of archaeological importance were identified but a quantity of finds dating from the 17th to 20th centuries was recovered.
(b21) - Johnson, ND, 1990, Pers Comm

A plan of the headland made by John Norden in the early years of the C17 shows a traverse, cutting the headland below the castle ramparts apparently to slow down an assualt from the direction of Pendennis Point (21)

During the period between 1945 and 1956 a flat roofed building was constructed between Half Moon Battery and an old war shelter (22).

Walnut trees were planted on the west glacis by the Ordnance in the early nineteenth century as part of a national campaign to ensure adequate wood for rifle stocks for the British Army. Each tree was protected by a triangular palisade. Currently the site is not identified (23).

On 10 June 1836 the Inspector General of Fortifications alluded to a list compiled by Mr Budd, the Ordnance Barrack Master of"present occupants ... (of) certain cottages and small lots of land near Pendennis Castle;" recommending they be "vacated and levelled," presumably because they compromised the glacis of the work and might be used for cover by the enemy in an attack from the land or Gyllingvase
Beach. The Governor was unable to offer the old soldiers any solace. Mr Budd was instructed to identify plots and cottages erected without the Board's permission and"act carefully up to the Master General and Board's Order of 24 November 1834 ...".

On 22 July 1836 the Board ordered that" the cottage occupied by the late Robert Lee ...be removed ... and that the widow be allowed to do so, and to remove the materials, provided she can establish a claim to them."

The stress of losing their homes began to have an effect on the health of the old soldiers: On 23 August 1837 Nicholas Halvise died and the Board lost no time in ordering the obliteration of his house and garden and on 3 November 1837 William Unwin died and his house went the same way. On 7 December 1838, Mrs McLeod widow of a pensioner applied to take down the cottage built by her husband. The Board acceded to the request "on condition that all the rubbish is cleared away at the expense of Mrs McLeod." Slightly better treatment was meted out to Mr Pomeroy and his father who on leaving their home and given Mr Pomeroy's "present reduced state" were allowed to pay the Ordnance all the money they had instead of the amount of rent which they owed.

The clearance almost certainly reduced the clutter of buildings, but it also allowed many of the permanent staff of the fortress to consolidate their land holdings. By the 1840's Hospital Meadow was leased by one Francis Todd occupant of Castle House who had a majority leaseholding on the headland.

A further significant change in personnel reinforced the Board's orders in 1846. Sir Frederick W Mulcaster retired to make way for a new Inspector General of Fortifications, John Fox Burgoyne, an experienced soldier and brilliant military engineer. Whilst Burgoyne did not see a need to plough resources into the Falmouth defences he was keen to remove the 'rot' as he saw it. Under Burgoyne's direction the Board wrote to the Assistant Inspector General on 30 July 1846 questioning "the inexpediency of continuance of certain gardens and sheds in the immediate vicinity of Pendennis Castle and recommended that the gardens about to be vacated by the Master Gunner and the Invalid Gunner may be discontinued at once and that the whole of those on the list transmitted by the Commanding Engineer's letter of the 26th inst be also discontinued and the fences and buildings levelled by 31 March next, at which time the Commanding
Royal Engineer should report the result and what parts and land may then be let to pasture with reference to the improvement of the defences of Pendennis Castle and the batteries. I have the Board's command to signify to you their approval of your suggestion etc etc' (24).

Mention is made in various Antiquarian papers of a 'Danish triple entrenchment' and Roman occupation. No archaeological evidence in support of these claims has been found. Pen Dinas the old Cornish name for the headland means 'fort on the headland' and probably refers to an Iron Age promentory fort (25).

It is recorded that the fort was also the site of Cornish wrestling tournaments and matches (26).

--------------------------------
Site history:
1: 1927. DRAKE, S/IAM
3: 1987. WESTON, SM/IAM
4: 1988. HARTGROVES,S/CAU
5: 1988. HARTGROVES,S/CAU
--------------------------------

Johns, C, 1996, Pendennis Castle : Emergency Access & Water Tank (Unedited Source). SCO1179.

Berry, E & Johns, C, 1996, Pendennis Castle; Gun Train Shed, Gun Shed & Shop/Museum (Cornwall Event Report). SCO277.

Johns, C, 1997, Pendennis Castle Watching Briefs 1994-1996 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1173.

Johns, C, 1997, Pendennis Castle Watching Briefs 1994-96 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1166.

Johns, C, 1997, Pendennis Castle, Watching Briefs 1994-1996 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1167.

Johns, C, 1998, Fortress Falmouth; Pendennis Peninsula Fortifications, ERDF Funded Projects - Watching Brief 1994-1998 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1178.

Johns, C, 1998, Pendennis Castle - Moat Bank Repairs 1998 - Archaeological Recording (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1197.

Johns, C, 1998, Pendennis Castle Staff Car Park (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1180.

Gossip, J, 1999, Pendennis Castle Cornwall. Archaeological Watching Brief During Fire Main Installation (Cornwall Event Report). SCO895.

Gossip, J, 1999, Pendennis Castle. Archaeological Watching Brief During Path Alteration (Cornwall Event Report). SCO896.

Johns C, 2009, Pendennis Castle, Cornwall - New Roped Barriers at Horsepool Bstion and Practice Battery - Archaeological watching brief (Cornwall Event Report). SCO25339.

Thorpe, C, 2012, Pendennis Castle Water leak 2012, Falmouth, Cornwall - Archaeological Watching Brief (Cornwall Event Report). SCO25338.

<1> Hals, W, 1740, The Compleat History of Cornwall, 129 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3429.

<2> Lilly, C, 1715, An Exact Plan of Pendennis Fort (Bibliographic reference). SCO3870.

<3> Norden, J, 1728, Speculi Britanniae Pars (Bibliographic reference). SCO4001.

<4> Polwhele, R, 1803, History of Cornwall (Bibliographic reference). SCO4140.

<5> Lysons, D & S, 1814, Magna Britannia, VOL III, CORNWALL, 98, 99, 104 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3885.

<6> Hitchins, F & Drew, S (Eds), 1824, The History of Cornwall (Bibliographic reference). SCO3595.

<7> TREGONNING HOOPER, 1827, UNKNOWN TITLE, VOL 1, NO 6, 7-9 (Unedited Source). SCO5851.

<8> Thomas, R, 1827, History and Description of the Town and Harbour of Falmouth, 110-113 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4698.

<9> Thomas, R, 1851, Letters to the West Briton (Article in newspaper). SCO4699.

<10> Brine, F, 1855, Shilling Trip to Falmouth (Bibliographic reference). SCO2906.

<11> Pasfield Oliver, S, 1875, Pendennis and St Mawes (Bibliographic reference). SCO4086.

<12> Beckett, R, 1961, Tercenteniary of Falmouth (Bibliographic reference). SCO2815.

<13> UNKNOWN, 1963, MOW GUIDE (Unedited Source). SCO7885.

<14> Carew, R, 1969, The Survey of Cornwall 1602 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3044.

<15> Institute Of Cornish Studies, 1987, Place-Names Index (Bibliographic reference). SCO3621.

<16> Padel, OJ, 1985, Cornish Place-Name Elements, 85, 177-180 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4064.

<17> Hartgroves, S & Sharpe, A & Roberts, C, 1985, Pendennis Castle and the Headland, Falmouth (Cornwall Event Report). SCO3459.

<18> Morley, B, 1988, The Castles of Pendennis and St Mawes (Bibliographic reference). SCO3957.

<19> Sharpe, A, 1989, Pendinas Castle (Cornwall Event Report). SCO4367.

<20> Walker, R, 1989, Pendennis Castle Resistivity Survey 1989 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5007.

<21> Linzey, R, 2000, Fortress Falmouth. An conservation plan for the historic defences of Falmouth Haven Vol II (2000), site M0 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1563.

<22> Linzey, R, 2000, Fortress Falmouth. An conservation plan for the historic defences of Falmouth Haven Vol II (2000), Site M2 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1563.

<23> Linzey, R, 2000, Fortress Falmouth. An conservation plan for the historic defences of Falmouth Haven Vol II (2000), site S3.4 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1563.

<24> Linzey, R, 2000, Fortress Falmouth. An conservation plan for the historic defences of Falmouth Haven Vol II (2000), sites S4.4, S4.5, S4.6, S4.7, S4.8, S4.10 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1563.

<25> Linzey, R, 2000, Fortress Falmouth. An conservation plan for the historic defences of Falmouth Haven Vol II (2000), site T1.1 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1563.

<26> Royal Cornwall Gazette, 1853, Untitled Source (Article in newspaper). SCO29112.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO110 - Pendennis car parks
• ECO112 - Penndennis Water Tank & Emergeny Access
• ECO177 - Pendennis Castle - Moat Bank Repairs
• ECO2 - Pendennis Castle
• ECO3738 - Pendennis Castle Water leak 2012, Falmouth, Cornwall
• ECO3739 - Pendennis Castle, Cornwall, New ropes barriers at Horsepool Bastion and Practice Battery
• ECO396 - Pendennis, Paths
• ECO399 - Pendennis Castle Fire Main
• ECO895 - Pendennis WB Barrack Block
• ECO896 - Pendennis WBGovernors Quarters, Feb 94
• ECO897 - Pendennis Castle WB:Graphics Postholes
• ECO898 - Pendennis Castle Safety Fence
• ECO91 - Pendennis Field Train Shed
• ECO92 - Pendennis, Crab Quay
• ECO6595 - Heritage Impact Assessment

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