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Summary

Lord Burghley's view of Pendennis made for a royal atlas in 1579 shows crenellated walls flanking the shoreline blockhouse. These seem most likely to have been powerful sea batteries added during the construction of the Henrician castle utilising the blockhouse as a magazine and shelter.

Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 63079: ST MAWES CASTLE, GATEHOUSE, BLOCKHOUSE, MAGAZINE AND OUTER DEFENCES
• Scheduled Monument 15420: ST MAWES CASTLE

Other References/Statuses

• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SW83SW 14
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 18708.30
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SW83SW 5

Monument Type(s):

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

Full description

Lord Burghley's view of Pendennis made for a royal atlas in 1579 shows crenellated walls flanking the shoreline blockhouse. These seem most likely to have been powerful sea batteries added during the construction of the Henrician castle utilising the blockhouse as a magazine and shelter.

Lilly's measured surveys of 1717 and 1735 depict two separate platforms in this area with terreplains quarried out behind each. The siting of these batteries strongly suggests that they overlay the Henrician platforms shown on Lord Burghley's map of 1579. The south contains five externally splayed embrasures and the north, four. Lilly's schedule of ordnance prepared 1715-1717 places six guns, a saker and five culverins on 'Blockhouse East Platform', three culverins in the Blockhouse, and two on the 'Blockhouse North Platform'.

In 1752 the battery was surveyed by Colonel Joseph Heath. It still comprised two (stone paved) platforms, with revetted earthen parapets to seaward flanking the Blockhouse. The east mounted 6 x 24-pdrs and the west 6 x 6-pdr iron guns all en barbette.

A survey of 1783 recorded that the east and west platforms called half-moon batteries mounted six 6-pdrs and six 25-pdrs close to the channel. In addition there were some old 9-pdrs and 18 new 24-pdrs, presumably on wooden platforms on the flanks of the battery.

In 1828 Colonel William Morshead CRE proposed to mount 10 x 24-pdr guns on traversing platforms and to construct two shot furnaces at the battery. In 1829 Colonel William Anderson CRE proposed a protected traverse in the rear of the battery as a measure against reverse fire, echoing Morshead's aspirations of the previous year. Anderson describes the works as 'the lower Grand Sea Battery of 12 guns…commanding the principal or eastern channel of approach'. A proposal to link the Grand Sea Battery with the castle shows the layout as it was in 1829. The work comprised 12 embrasures formed by the insertion of 11 earten merlons between the terminal masonry merlons of an earlier battery. The Blockhouse is shown filled in and levelled to give the guns an unobstructed arc of fire. This arrangement is confirmed in a section through the battery drawn in 1828 to accompany a letter from Colonel Morshead to the Inspector General of Fortifications.

Clearly Morshead and Anderson's desired rearmament went ahead, for in 1839 the Inpsector General of Fortifications, proposed to change the existing armament from 10 x 24-pdrs to 3 Millars guns and 9 x 32-pdrs on traversing platforms with a shot furnace.

In 1846 Colonel Oldfield recorded that there were 10 x 24-pdr guns dismounted on the platform and that the battery was in good repair.

By 1853 the battery is described as having 12 embrasures and as 'formerly armed with 10 x 24-pdrs now dismounted and without carriages'. In 1853 John Fox Burgoyne instructed the acquisition of 4 x 10in and 8 x 8in shell guns on dwarf traversing platforms in lieu of Oldfield's suggestion of 4 x 56-pdrs and 8 x 32-pdrs. Finally, in 1853 pivots and racers were ordered for 4 x 10in and 8 x 8in guns on dwarf traversing platforms pivoted in front for the battery.

Despite the ordering of the armaments, the work to adapt the battery had not been started. On 21 June 1853, Major Henry Sandham RE (later of the Iron Fortifications Branch) obtained estimates from a Captain Nelson of the Royal Engineers for the works required. From these we can see that it was proposed to remove the old merlons of the battery and replace with new ones finished with sodwork, to deepen the platforms and to rebuild the parapet to include pivot stones, banquette and side arm sheds. The estimate
amounted to £2,269.2.21, with a further £751.14.10 estimated for an expense magazine; a shell room to be sunk below the surface of the ground and approached through open passages, and spaces for shot furnaces.

In August 1853 Colonel A Brown, Commanding Royal Engineer reinforced the view that the works should be carried out as described in the estimate. A design for the alterations made by Lieutenant I G Moggeridge RE on 28 May 1853 was prepared and sent to the Inspector General of Fortifications by Captain Nelson. It indicated that the work was to have three faces mounting 4 x 10 in and 8 x 8 in shell guns pivoted in front firing through widely splayed embrasures. In the rear the battery was to be supplied by two side arm sheds, three portable shot furnaces in recesses in the revetment wall, a shell room and a magazine in a vaulted brick building cut into the Henrician ditch. What survives at St Mawes bears such a strong resemblance to this plan that it would seem safe to assume works proceeded soon after its creation. What is particularly interesting about this reconstruction is that it was purpose made for shell guns.

Plans to reform the battery to mount four 64-pdr rifled muzzle loaders were drawn in 1871 and by 1880 returns describe four 64-pdr as mounted. This battery survives virtually intact, including racers on the east platform. It may have been during this phase that all but the four embrasures of the 64-pdr battery were blocked with stone and earth to protect the interior of the work. In 1888 when the defences of the harbour were augmented by a submarine minefield, the sole armament of the battery still comprised four 64-pdr converted guns for anti-motor torpedo boat defence.

After this period, the battery consisted of two 5in Breech loaders (12).






--------------------------------
Site history:
1: 1938. PD/IAM
2: 1968. KING, AN/OS
3: 1987. WESTON, SM/IAM
--------------------------------

<1> Norden, J, 1728, Speculi Britanniae Pars (Bibliographic reference). SCO4001.

<2> Lysons, D & S, 1814, Magna Britannia, VOL III, CORNWALL, 99, 153 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3885.

<3> Hitchins, F & Drew, S (Eds), 1824, The History of Cornwall, VOL 2, 349-350 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3595.

<4> Polsue, J (Editor), 1867-72, Lake's Parochial History of Cornwall, VOL 2, 309 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4139.

<5> Pasfield Oliver, S, 1875, Pendennis and St Mawes (Bibliographic reference). SCO4086.

<6> Toulmin Smith, L (Ed), 1907, The Itinerary of John Leland (Bibliographic reference). SCO4949.

<7> Ordnance Survey, 1970s, 1:10,000 OS Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4045.

<8> UNKNOWN, 1963, MOW PAMPHLET (Unedited Source). SCO7886.

<9> Carew, R, 1969, The Survey of Cornwall 1602 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3044.

<10> Sheppard, PA, 1980, The Historic Towns of Cornwall, 21-22 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO4422.

<11> Morley, B, 1988, The Castles of Pendennis and St Mawes (Bibliographic reference). SCO3957.

<12> Linzey, R, 2000, Fortress Falmouth. An conservation plan for the historic defences of Falmouth Haven Vol II (2000), site W3 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1563.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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