For important guidance on the use of this record, please click here.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

An irregular bastion fortification added to King Charles Castle during the Civil War.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 15411: KING CHARLES' CASTLE MID-16TH CENTURY ARTILLERY CASTLE AND CIVIL WAR EARTHEN ARTILLERY DEFENCE ON WESTERN CASTLE DOWN, TRESCO

Other References/Statuses

• National Mapping Programme (Morph No.): 2037.3.1
• National Monuments Record: SV 81 NE 25
• National Record of the Historic Environment to Historic Environment Records data transfer
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 303391
• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SV81NE 25
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 7294.01
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SV81NE 28

Monument Type(s):

• EARTHWORK (16th Century to Civil War (1642 to 1651) - 1600 AD to 1651 AD)

Full description

A Post Medieval earthwork adjacent to King Charles' Castle, Tresco, on its north and east sides. It consists of a rampart and ditch with one bastion and a demi-bastion to provide flanking fire (1). The earthwork is typically attributed to the civil war, but it mat be earlier. The earthwork is depicted on the 1908 1:2500 OS map (2).

The earthwork is mentioned by Borlase (3), in his description of thr 'Old Castle'; he describes how 'round and contiguous to it on the land-side, are the Lines of a Fort, regularly laid out into Curtain and Bastion, but principally intended as a security against land attack'.

The earthwork was described and surveyed in 1978 (4): The bank is on average 1.3m high externally by 0.5m internally, with an outer ditch, 0.3m deep on the north and east sides.

In 1988 (5) the earthwork was found to be as described by the OS. The plan was sub-rectangular, approx 55m E-W by 40m N-S internally, with bastions averaging 10m by 4.0m internally projecting from the corners. The average width of the bank was 4.3m, and of the ditch outside 3.0m. The bank was of earth and stone, incorporating natural rock where it joined the NW side of King Charles Castle. The entrance was to the south where it joined the SE side of the castle, but was not well defined.

In 1992 detailed recording and management work (aimed at repairing and preventing further damage by erosion) was undertaken (6). The earthwork was descibed as extending from the rock outcrop on the north west corner of King Charles' Castle and encloses an area of approximately 50 by 30 metres on the castles north east. It consists of a bank (c. 6m wide, 0.5-0.8m high internally and 1.1-1.2m high externally). There are traces of a shallow external ditch, especially on the north and west sides. Possible quarry mining pits were identified along the inside of west bank and within the north western bastion; these predate the earthwork. The earthwork was described as in need of severe need of repair; especially due to footpaths and rabbit burrowing. Repair work included the construction of revetted timber steps to reduce erosion and infilling of eroded areas.

The site was visited in 2008-2010 by Enlgish Heritage (7, 8, 9), when the existing 1:500 survey was updated. The rampart is up to 0.5m high internally, 1.3m externally, and the ditch is less than 0.2m deep. Whilst the earthworks in the south and east may be unfinished or damaged, they suggest that the works do not appear to have been thrown up in a hurry, and may predate the civil war - perhaps being the works refered to in a document of 1627. There is no obvious reason for the north eastern demi-bastion, rather than a full bastion, as in the north western corner.

The monument was placed in Guardianship on 11/5/1950 and inclusion in the Schedule was confirmed on 9/10/1981. Scheduling was amended on 1/4/1994 and revised on 14/2/1997. It is visible on aerial photographs and was plotted as part of the NMP.

DOE, Listed Building Description (original DOE), 1954, 17 (Bibliographic reference). SCO5173.

Ordnance Survey, 1976, OS76/F164/6 (Aerial Photograph). SCO15123.

Ordnance Survey, 1976, OS76/F164/7 (Aerial Photograph). SCO30035.

Ordnance Survey, 1976, OS76/F164/8 (Aerial Photograph). SCO30036.

Ordnance Survey, 1976, OS76/F164/9 (Aerial Photograph). SCO30037.

Ordnance Survey, 1978, OS78/F25/17 (Photograph). SCO30038.

CAU, 1987, CAU/F14/198/SV883164 (Photographic Record). SCO17027.

<1> O'Neil, BH St J, 1961, Isles of Scilly MOW Guide, 22-25, 32 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4042.

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

<3> Borlase, W, 1756, Observations on the Ancient and Present State of the Islands of Scilly, 46-47 (Bibliographic reference). SCO2883.

<4> Field Investigator's Comments, OS/Barton, JG 1978 (Survey). SCO29739.

<5> Field Investigator's Comments, CAU/Parkes, C 1988 (Survey). SCO29739.

<6> Ratcliffe, J, 1993, Fieldwork in Scilly 1991 and 1992, 103ff (Cornwall Event Report). SCO4225.

<7> Bowden, M, 2011, Isles of Scilly Military Defences, 1540-1951: Earthwork Sites and Minor Features, 7 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO25530.

<8> Bowden, M and Brodie, A, 2011, Defending Scilly (Bibliographic reference). SCO29932.

<9> Field Investigator's Comments, HE/Bowden, M and Brodie, A 2008-11 (Survey). SCO29739.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO3819 - Isles of Scilly Military Defences, 1540-1951 (Ref: RDRS 56-2011)
• ECO537 - Isles of Scilly Management, 1991-1992

Related records

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.