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St Mawes Castle, Cornwall

St. Mawes Castle, located near Falmouth, Cornwall, was built between 1539 and 1545. It, along with its sister, Pendennis Castle, were built as part of Henry VIII’s device forts. St. Mawes was built on the eastern shore of the River Fal to protect the south coast of Cornwall from possible threats by France and Spain.

 

St. Mawes Castle is one of the best preserved of Henry’s device forts and the most elaborately decorated. The castle is a clover-leaf design, which consists of a central keep and three semi-circular bastions, and is surrounded by an outer defense. The keep is three stories and served as accommodation for the troops. The guns were mounted on the bastion. The castle is surrounded by a moat and can only be accessed by a drawbridge.

 

It is categorized as an artillery castle and was designed to mount heavy guns capable of approaching sinking ships. The castle is decorated with sea monsters, gargoyles, and Latin inscriptions that praise Henry and his son, Edward VI.

 

 

 

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Uploaded on August 10, 2010
Taken on May 12, 2007