The clover-leaf plan
A central tower ringed by three semicircular gun bastions, intact because the garrison surrendered in 1646 without a fight.
Claudiu Bichescu — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lewis Clarke — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Tom P from Scottish Borders, Scotland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Tom P from Scottish Borders, Scotland — CC BY-SA 2.0
The best-preserved of Henry VIII's coastal forts survived because it never fought. When Parliament's troops reached St Mawes village in March 1646 the garrison handed over the keys without firing a shot, while Pendennis Castle across the water held out through five months of siege before falling that August. The result is that St Mawes, built between 1540 and 1542, comes down to us in better shape than any other fort in Henry's coastal chain: a central round tower wrapped by three semicircular gun bastions in a clover-leaf plan, its walls carved with Latin inscriptions flattering the king and his son Edward, many of them still legible nearly five centuries on. It is a small castle, and that is the point rather than the problem. In an hour to ninety minutes you walk the three bastions where cannons still point across the Carrick Roads, drop into garrison rooms furnished as the soldiers knew them, and then sit in the terraced sub-tropical gardens above the estuary. The view over to Falmouth and the boats working the water is what you remember. There is no cafe on site, only a small shop and a stretch of lawn to picnic on; St Mawes village, minutes away on foot, has the cafes. Getting there is half the pleasure. From Falmouth the natural route is the passenger ferry from Prince of Wales Pier, about twenty minutes on the water, running year-round seven days a week and up to three times an hour in summer, followed by a ten-minute stroll along the waterfront. An adult day return is 16.50 pounds and a family ticket 48 (two adults, three children), about 10 percent less booked online, more than the castle itself, so budget for it. By car from Truro it is 30 to 40 minutes via the King Harry chain ferry (a paid car ferry); driving from Falmouth means looping round the estuary for over an hour, so take the boat. The castle car park is tiny and fills fast in summer, and it is separated from the gate by a steep road and a flight of steps. For families: children love the cannons and stone passages, but the whole site is steps, slopes and uneven ground, and a pushchair will not cope with it. In the main season the castle opens daily, 10:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:30; in winter the days and hours are cut back and it may close altogether for stretches, so check English Heritage before you build a day around it. Pricing is tiered by season and day: adults pay roughly 8.50 to 10.79 pounds, with the summer peak dearest, and there is 15 percent off for booking online before midnight the day before, though you can still pay full price at the gate. No advance booking is required, and even in August the wait to get in is short.
A central tower ringed by three semicircular gun bastions, intact because the garrison surrendered in 1646 without a fight.
Carved lines praising Henry VIII and his son Edward, many still legible on the walls almost five centuries later.
Sub-tropical terraces looking over the Carrick Roads to Falmouth and Pendennis opposite, the best picnic spot on site.
Castle Drive, St Mawes, Truro TR2 5DE
Pendennis in Falmouth is far larger, with exhibitions and activities that children enjoy, so with young ones go there. St Mawes is smaller, finer architecturally and quieter, and the ferry ride to it is an outing in itself; choose it for atmosphere and the view rather than activities. Best of all, link the two in one day by ferry when the weather is clear.
Barely. Out of season the opening days and hours are cut back and the castle may shut altogether for stretches, so check English Heritage before you plan around it. The Falmouth ferry also drops to hourly and can be disrupted by rough weather, so the comfortable window is late March to October.