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HER Number:18709.22
Name:PENDENNIS - Post Medieval fortification

Summary

The multiangular chemise enclosing a gun platform around the round tower at Pendennis (18709.21) was probably built 1540-1545

Grid Reference:SW 8242 3177
Parish:Falmouth, Carrick, Cornwall
Map:Show location on Streetmap

Protected Status

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

Other References/Statuses

  • OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SW83SW 4
  • Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 18709.22
  • SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW83SW 9

Monument Type(s):

Full description

The multiangular chemise enclosing a gun platform around the round tower at Pendennis (18709.21) was probably built 1540-1545 (b18).

The wall consists of 15 straight sections, 14 pierced for cannon embrasures.

In a plan, created by Norden in 1597, there appears to be an annular lean-to around the base of the tower in the rear of the chemise gun platform (1).

Details found during a watching brief in 1988 (h5) include the provision of a drain at every angle of the wall, to take run-off from the interior courtyard. The latter is now partly filled with earth (b18), but would have held guns until the construction of the outer defences in the Elizabethan period (18709.31) made this redundant, when it may have been turned into a garden (h5, b17).

It is thought to have been paved with granite originally, to support the guns; excavations in 1989 revealed no stone slabs but found a gravel layer which appeared to have been made up as a base for the paving, which may have been re-used elsewhere in the C19 (h7, b19). The chemise is ringed by a dry ditch which was flat- bottomed (h5).

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


Tyers, I, 2004, Tree-Ring Analysis of Oak Timbers from Pendennis Castle, Near Falmouth, Cornwall (Cornwall Event Report). SCO25923.

<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, 989, 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 I, 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), p83 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1563.

Sources / Further Reading

---SCO25923 - Cornwall Event Report: Tyers, I. 2004. Tree-Ring Analysis of Oak Timbers from Pendennis Castle, Near Falmouth, Cornwall.
[1]SCO3429 - Bibliographic reference: Hals, W. 1740. The Compleat History of Cornwall. 129.
[2]SCO3870 - Bibliographic reference: Lilly, C. 1715. An Exact Plan of Pendennis Fort.
[3]SCO4001 - Bibliographic reference: Norden, J. 1728. Speculi Britanniae Pars.
[4]SCO4140 - Bibliographic reference: Polwhele, R. 1803. History of Cornwall.
[5]SCO3885 - Bibliographic reference: Lysons, D & S. 1814. Magna Britannia. VOL III, CORNWALL, 989, 99, 104.
[6]SCO3595 - Bibliographic reference: Hitchins, F & Drew, S (Eds). 1824. The History of Cornwall.
[7]SCO5851 - Unedited Source: TREGONNING HOOPER. 1827. UNKNOWN TITLE. J OLD CORNWALL SOC. VOL I, NO 6, 7-9.
[8]SCO4698 - Bibliographic reference: Thomas, R. 1827. History and Description of the Town and Harbour of Falmouth. 110-113.
[9]SCO4699 - Article in newspaper: Thomas, R. 1851. Letters to the West Briton. At CSL, Redruth.
[10]SCO2906 - Bibliographic reference: Brine, F. 1855. Shilling Trip to Falmouth.
[11]SCO4086 - Bibliographic reference: Pasfield Oliver, S. 1875. Pendennis and St Mawes.
[12]SCO2815 - Bibliographic reference: Beckett, R. 1961. Tercenteniary of Falmouth.
[13]SCO7885 - Unedited Source: UNKNOWN. 1963. MOW GUIDE.
[14]SCO3044 - Bibliographic reference: Carew, R. 1969. The Survey of Cornwall 1602.
[15]SCO3621 - Bibliographic reference: Institute Of Cornish Studies. 1987. Place-Names Index.
[16]SCO4064 - Bibliographic reference: Padel, OJ. 1985. Cornish Place-Name Elements. 85, 177-180.
[17]SCO3459 - Cornwall Event Report: Hartgroves, S & Sharpe, A & Roberts, C. 1985. Pendennis Castle and the Headland, Falmouth.
[18]SCO3957 - Bibliographic reference: Morley, B. 1988. The Castles of Pendennis and St Mawes.
[19]SCO4367 - Cornwall Event Report: Sharpe, A. 1989. Pendinas Castle.
[20]SCO5007 - Bibliographic reference: Walker, R. 1989. Pendennis Castle Resistivity Survey 1989.
[21]SCO1563 - Cornwall Event Report: Linzey, R. 2000. Fortress Falmouth. An conservation plan for the historic defences of Falmouth Haven Vol II (2000). p83.

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

  • ECO4056 - Pendennis Castle: Tree-ring analysis of oak timbers (Ref: 38/2004)
  • ECO455 - Fortress Falmouth

Related records

18709Part of: PENDENNIS - Post Medieval fort (Monument)