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Summary

The guard barracks are almost certainly coeval with the main entrance gate thought to have been built in the late C17

Protected Status

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

Other References/Statuses

• Defence of Britain Project (1995-2003): AH43
• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SW83SW 4
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 18709.61
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW83SW 9

Monument Type(s):

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

Full description

The guard barracks are almost certainly coeval with the main entrance gate thought to have been built in the late C17. The gatehouse of Pendennis Castle, 17th century in date (see prn 18709.51), is flanked on the interior of the fortifications by guard-houses at sw 8231 3189 and sw 8231 3187. The guard-house to the north contains cells for the dentention of soldiers from the garrison.

The two extant buildings appear in the background of Lilly's elevation of the fort drawn in 1715. Their roofs are shown much steeper than they are today and are more in line with the local vernacular. These steep hipped roofs are confirmed by the Buck brothers in their view of 1734.

Sections of the barracks prepared in 1743 show the simple internal arrangements of two rooms up and two rooms down, the upper ones having a skilling to the ceiling, each using the acute change in level at the fortress entrance ramp to overcome the need for stairs. The 1743 sections show how it was proposed to cure the damp caused because the building buttressed the rampart up to first floor level by driving a tunnel between the two. It is possible this was done, however this did not solve the damp problem.

The first document to identify the functions of the buildings was on a return of 1821 prepared by the Ordnance Storekeeper in which they are described as barracks. A plan accompanying the return shows the south barracks extended to the east with a coal store and barrack office and store. By 1828 the latter extension is simply referred to as storehouse. In June 1846 the buildings are once again referred to as coal yard and storehouse. The barrack office and storehouse were described by the storekeeper as "sufficient for the post".

A plan of the lockup room and guardroom in the north barracks dated 1846 shows that each had a single wooden bed with wooden block pillow running the entire length of the end walls. There was a proposal at this time to link the two rooms internally as each had independent external access originally and to create two cells with wooden beds and pillows in the lock up. These works were almost certainly undertaken, for in the schedule accompanying the contour plan of the late 1840s the accommodation is listed as guardroom, cells, school room and carpenter's shop and in the south barracks: officers guardroom and hospital. The physical evidence confirms these alterations. Both the drawings and the surviving buildings have windows reduced in size and the chimneybreast on the ground floor lockup removed to make room for the two cells.

The Ordnance Survey plan of 1866 describes the accommodation in the buildings as north barracks; west end: cells ground floor, carpenters shop over; east end: guard room, ground floor, school room over. A urinal is shown built against the guardhouse wall. South barracks: purveyor's store ground floor, hospital stores first floor. The storehouse extension contained Barrack Sergeant's quarters and office with adjacent fowl shed.

Plans dated 1902 prepared by the Barrack Design Branch under the Commanding Royal Engineer for Devon, Lieutenant Colonel A H Kenney, show a proposal for conversion of the north barracks to modern guardhouse and accommodation for the Royal Garrison Artillery involving the creation of two detention cells, a prisoners' room with adjacent mens' urinal. Externally an exercise yard, with adjacent urinal, WC and ablution under a pent roof were proposed against a small arms ammunition (SAA) store with its own external entrance. The proposal also re-roofed the building without a skilling, almost certainly at a shallower pitch than before, incorporating ventilator terminals, to the cells at the ridge. The work seems to have been carried out in accordance with these plans. The first floor and attic floors are both of concrete fire-proof, Fox and Barren type construction. There is evidence of a fire however, having destroyed one of the ventilation shafts in the western half of the roof, although a facsimile was installed during the restoration of the guardhouse in 1995.

In 1930 record plans describe the north block as "cells, detention room, exercise yard and guard room" and the south block as "shoe makers shop on both floors".

In 1961 the guardroom was converted for use as a ticket point. These alterations were stripped out in 1995 when the guardhouse was returned to its probable appearance during World War One.

In 1941 part of the ground floor shoemakers shop was converted to a medical inspection room. The south block served as offices on the first floor with stores beneath for many years. In 1996 the ground floor stores were converted to the castle ticket point (21).

--------------------------------
Site history:
1: 1927. DRAKE, S/IAM
3: 1987. WESTON, SM/IAM
4: 1988. HARTGROVES, S/CAU
5: 1988. HARTGROVES, S/CAU
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<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), Site C2 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1563.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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