PAGE 1 7 HIGHLIGHTS Cornwall s greatest fortress, the most westerly of the series of artillery forts built by Henry VIII Over 400 years of defending Britain s coasts from the Tudor period through the English Civil War and both World Wars Spectacular views of the coast and town, a great opportunity to study landforms and the action of the sea Fully equipped education rooms with free resources Discovery Visit workshops for Key Stages 1-3 WHY A CASTLE WAS NEEDED AT PENDENNIS By 1538 Henry VIII s divorce from Catherine of Aragon and break with the Pope put him in a perilous position. England faced the threat of invasion from both France and Spain. Protection for the Channel ports became an urgent necessity, and in 1539 Henry set about building a series of coastal forts. Pendennis and St Mawes were selected as fort locations to guard the entrance to the Fal Estuary, which was an important port at the time. The castles combined crossfire would prevent enemy ships entering the estuary. The design of the forts reflected the warfare technology of the time. In Tudor times powerful and efficient types of heavy guns, or cannon, were made possible by improved casting techniques perfected in the King s own foundries. Although the plans of individual buildings varied, all were low and massive, with several levels of guns mounted in emplacements designed to command a wide field of fire. Although commonly known as a castle, Pendennis is technically a fort rather than a castle, since it was not the fortified residence of a lord or noble. BUILDING THE CASTLE The building of began in 1540, together with a smaller fort near the water s edge called Little Dennis. At first the castle consisted of a round gun tower (keep) with a basement kitchen. A circular earth-filled platform surrounding the gun tower, called a chemise, was then built. An entrance block containing a residence for the governor was also added in 1550. SECOND THREAT OF INVASION The Spanish Armada of 1588 passed well to the south of the Cornish coast and was eventually defeated, but the threat was not over. In 1598, fear of a second Armada led Queen Elizabeth I to add a huge outer line of defences to the castle, with projecting bastions and stone-faced ramparts designed to absorb the impact of cannon shot.
PAGE 2 7 ENGLISH CIVIL WAR These fortifications were still effective when the castle was besieged by Parliamentary forces during the Civil War 50 years later. Falmouth was an important distribution point for supplies from the continent to Royalists in the south west of England, and at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642 Pendennis was held by Royalists. In February 1646 Prince Charles, later King Charles II, stayed at the castle before escaping the country. By March 1646 the Royalists had lost the war and the King was a prisoner in the hands of the Scots, but John Jack-for-the-King Arundell held out at Pendennis until starvation forced him to surrender five months later. Pendennis was the second last Royalist stronghold to surrender, and unlike many castles, it was too important to be dismantled or slighted after its capture. FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS Over the next 150 years, the castle saw very little activity during periods of peace and often fell into disrepair, but was armed and upgraded when any threats of invasion became imminent. When war broke out with France in 1793 Pendennis was rearmed and the Half-Moon Battery and a new battery at Crab Quay were built. In the late 19th century new and more powerful guns were installed. PENDENNIS IN THE 20TH CENTURY In the early 20th century a large barrack block was built to house the Regiment of Royal Garrison Artillery, a permanently stationed garrison needed to man the guns at the castle. Pendennis was manned and prepared for attack during the First World War, however no major attacks occurred. During the Second World War, Pendennis powerful coast artillery guns protected convoys and warships assembling or seeking shelter in the quiet waters of the estuary. After this, new fighting technology made Pendennis and all coastal artillery obsolete, and the army finally left in 1956. The guns at Pendennis were sold for scrap.
PAGE 3 7 TIMELINE NATIONAL EVENTS PENDENNIS EVENTS 1538-41 Fear of invasion from war with France 1588 Spanish Armada 1596 Spanish fleet heading for Fal Estuary blown back by gales France and Spain, then 1500s 1540-45 Henry VIII orders building of the castles 1598-1600 Pendennis fortified with ramparts and bastions 1642-49 English Civil War 1600s 1627 More defences added 1689-97 War with France 1646 Queen Henrietta Maria and the future King Charles II escape the country via Pendennis Siege of Pendennis: Royalists defend the castle for five months 1701-82 Wars with France and Spain 1700s 1715 Pendennis reported to be in poor condition 1779 Spanish and French invasion fleet plans Falmouth 1789-1815 Napoleonic wars with France to seize 1730 Pendennis headland defences strengthened 1793 New gun batteries and stores built 1847-1859 Invasion panics 1800s 1848 More powerful guns 1880s Electric minefield in the estuary channel 1890s New gun batteries built 1914-1918 First World War 1900s 1900-1902 New Royal Artillery Barracks built 1939-1945 Second World War 1956 Coastal batteries dismantled 1939 Pendennis and St Anthony become main harbour defence, commanding the south Cornish coastline 1944 Guns last fired in action 1956 Pendennis decommissioned and troops leave
PAGE 4 7 TOUR OF PENDENNIS CASTLE: Tudor Gun Tower (Keep) This is the oldest part of the castle, built between 1540-1545, and houses the gun rooms. It was built in three parts: the central round tower (keep), the outer gun platform that surrounds it, and the governor s lodging. The stone bridge at the entrance was originally a wooden drawbridge. The entrance was also protected by a portcullis. There is a fine carving of the Tudor royal coat-of-arms above the door. Below this is an empty recess, probably for the governor at the time to display his coat-of-arms. If you turn left just inside the door you enter a guardroom. There is an 18th century castiron grate displaying the three cannons of the Board of Ordnance (the national body in charge of forts and cannon and responsible for appointing the governor of the castle). In the basement is a kitchen. This contains a cooking hearth and ovens. Originally, this area would have been divided into a kitchen, cellar and larder you can see evidence of this where the walls once were. At one time there would also have been a well here to provide fresh water in times of siege. There is also a latrine. The windows are small, accentuating the thickness of the walls. Back on the ground floor is the octagonal gun room. It has openings for guns (also called gunports, embrasure or casemates) on seven of its sides. Originally the windows would have been circular to allow the cannon to poke through but they have since been adapted. It is likely that this gun room would only have been used if the threatened invasion by Spain and France happened in the early 1540s, before the outer gun platform was completed in 1545. The room was then used as a mess room and barracks for the garrison. The gunners would have slept in hammocks or on the floor, and eaten their meals here. A small latrine is built into the side of one of the alcoves. Upstairs is the upper gun room and you can now see a reconstruction of how it would have been in Tudor times. Ropes and pulleys enabled the guns to be pulled back into the firing position once they had recoiled on being fired. The Tudor builders did try to ventilate each gun port, but even so, the conditions in this room when the cannon were fired would have been similar to those on board a warship of the time: cramped, noisy, dark and choking. The gunpowder gave off a thick smoke that would have lingered in the room. By 1715 this room no longer contained guns, and was partitioned into bedrooms for the governor s family or officers. Follow the spiral stairs up to the roof and you will find another gun platform. The lookout turret was important for spotting ships at sea. It is also thought to have been where the great Spanish Armada of 1588 was first sighted from the mainland. From here you can get a good view of the rest of the castle, especially the outlines of the Elizabethan ramparts. You can also enjoy views across the Fal Estuary to St Mawes Castle and westwards towards the Lizard. Going down the steps through the parapet to the north and climbing down the wider spiral stairs in the turret takes you to the governor s lodging.
PAGE 5 7 The Ramparts Henry VIII s forts were designed to defend an attack from the sea but were vulnerable to a land siege. Their weakness was the dead ground created in front of a round tower where a defender could not see an attacker. In the late 16th century, the castle was surrounded by ramparts (earthen-backed walls) and bastions (projecting angular obstacles) to overcome this weakness and protect the castle against a land attack. This type of reinforcement became standard in most of the coastal forts that had been built by Henry VIII. Most of the ramparts are still intact and you can walk around them. You can also see guns from different periods of history on display. INSIDE THE FORTRESS The large expanse of open ground inside the castle ramparts was not always like this. In Tudor times there were houses, a barrack block, stores and general buildings to serve the garrison. Many were temporary structures, made of wood, which have not survived over time. During the Civil War, the area was occupied by a windmill, houses and gardens. During the First World War there was a hutted camp and during the Second World War the area was covered with prefabricated corrugated-iron Nissen huts. The Gatehouse and Guardhouse Originally there would have been a wooden drawbridge over the earthen ramparts at the entrance. The present gatehouse and guardrooms were built in the late 17th century and are possibly the earliest purpose-built barracks in Britain. The rooms have been restored as they would have been during the First World War. Army rules were strict and petty offences such as drunkenness or neglect of duties could result in soldiers spending time locked up in here. The Royal Artillery Barrack block was built in 1902 to house a garrison of about 140 men. The barracks were divided up into rooms of 11 or 12 men, with corporals and sergeants and corporals having their own rooms. The building now hosts an introductory exhibition to the castle with interactive displays of barrack room life. The Discovery Centre The Discovery Centre contains displays with a military theme covering a number of periods, which will enable pupils to compare one phase of history at Pendennis with another. The displays are themed to follow three main stages of defence: Enemy Sighted, Signal Sent and Command Fire. Enemy Sighted is about seeking out and identifying all potential enemies at sea or in the air. The display shows how 16th century lookouts had to rely on their eyes alone, then explores advancements in surveillance technology such as the invention of the telescope in the 17th century, binoculars in the 19th century and Radar in the 1940s. Radar was used at Pendennis to locate and track enemy ships and submarines during World War Two. Enemy vessels could now be spotted by day or night at a far greater distance than even the best binoculars. Once the enemy is sighted, defence forces must be alerted quickly. Signal Sent looks at communicating information about the enemy from the lookout to the gun crews. A panel provides an explanation of the different forms of communication at
PAGE 6 7 Pendennis through the ages, such as fire beacons, flags, semaphore, heliographs, telegraph, lamp signals, telephone and radio. Command Fire explores the most effective means of destroying the enemy. This section covers the history of the guns at Pendennis, with hands-on replica models. THE BATTERY Battery Observation Post This room is recreated as it would have been in World War Two. It was designed to be an observation area from where soldiers could observe and monitor shipping movements in the English Channel. This information was then used to control the settings on the guns in Half-Moon Battery below. The room is painted dark blue to minimise glare. Half-Moon Battery From One-Gun Battery, you can walk through the tunnel in the ramparts to the Half-Moon Battery. The battery has this name because of its semicircular shape, designed to give the guns a wide arc of fire. It was built, together with its twin at St Anthony s Head, to turn fire power away from the estuary channel and out to the wider sea. It became Falmouth s principal line of defence in World War Two. You can visit the magazine (underground ammunition store) and war shelter with a guide or as part of the Home Front: Soldiers and Sirens Discovery Visit (see Information page). The guns here had a range of about 12 miles. The concrete canopies were built over the gun positions in 1940 to protect them from an attack from the air. Camouflage netting would have further hidden them. On the wall are hooks for the regulation gas masks, helmets and capes that the gunners had to have with them. The gun commander received information from the Battery Observation Post. The guns had to be adjusted for speed, wind direction and the tide. The greatest threat came at night, when detection and accurate firing were more difficult. Searchlights on Pendennis Point were therefore coordinated to illuminate possible targets for the guns. In 1944, it took 99 people to staff Half-Moon Battery every 24 hours. Of these, only 36 were gunners and the rest were searchlight operators and staff involved in position finding and communication tasks. CRAB QUAY BATTERY AND THE BLOCKHOUSE (LITTLE DENNIS) Crab Quay Battery is the best landing place on the headland. The Blockhouse (Little Dennis) is the earliest Tudor fortification on the Pendennis Headland. It was almost certainly built in 1539 as a temporary gun tower until the main castle was completed.
ENGLISH HERITAGE TEACHER S KIT PAGE 7 7
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