St. Mawes Castle
St Mawes Castle is one of the best-preserved of Henry VIII's coastal artillery fortresses. It was built between 1539 and 1545 to counter an invasion threat from Catholic France and Spain, It guarded the important anchorage of Carrick Roads, sharing the task with it's sister Pendennis Castle which sits on the other side of the Fal estuary. At the end of the 18th century, a lower gun battery beneath the castle was built during the Napoleonic Wars Armed with twelve guns and built with three flanks. In 1870, the battery was armed by four 64 pounder guns The battery was remodelled in 1898 to house two 6 pounder quick-firing guns and a heavy machine gun. These were served by a new underground magazine situated beneath the battery. The lower battery was superseded by a more powerful battery built on higher ground by 1903. During World War II, the battery was part of an extensive system of defences set up on the headland.
St.Mawes, Cornwall
St. Mawes Castle
St Mawes Castle is one of the best-preserved of Henry VIII's coastal artillery fortresses. It was built between 1539 and 1545 to counter an invasion threat from Catholic France and Spain, It guarded the important anchorage of Carrick Roads, sharing the task with it's sister Pendennis Castle which sits on the other side of the Fal estuary. At the end of the 18th century, a lower gun battery beneath the castle was built during the Napoleonic Wars Armed with twelve guns and built with three flanks. In 1870, the battery was armed by four 64 pounder guns The battery was remodelled in 1898 to house two 6 pounder quick-firing guns and a heavy machine gun. These were served by a new underground magazine situated beneath the battery. The lower battery was superseded by a more powerful battery built on higher ground by 1903. During World War II, the battery was part of an extensive system of defences set up on the headland.
St.Mawes, Cornwall