| Summary : King Charles' Castle is an artillery castle built between 1548 and 1554, situated on the highest point on the west side of Castle Down overlooking New Grimsby Harbour, Tresco. The castle was part of a series of fortifications built on the Isles of Scilly between 1548 and 1554 in response to a threat from the French. King Charles' Castle was built to command the northern entrance to the harbour. The castle is cruciform in plan with the hall and kitchen forming the eastern half, from which the accommodation chambers project to the north and south, and with a semi-hexagonal gun platform extending to the west. The castle was possibly of two storeys originally but the walls now only rise up to 3.4 metres high. A guardroom was attached to the east wall, the main entrance to the castle. The ground-floor gun platform of semi-hexagonal plan originally consisted of 5 gun ports. Despite early prominence, the castle was superseded as the islands' chief stronghold by the building of the Star Castle on St Mary's, 1593-1594. An earthen artillery defence was added to the north and east of the artillery castle at some time, possibly in the early 17th century. It is a rectangular earthwork with bastions, consisting of a bank up to 1.3 metres in height externally and an outer ditch 0.2 metres deep on the north and east sides. The south-west corner is protected by a steep face of natural rock outcrop. The defence was designed to protect the castle from landward attack. The Royalists are believed to have blown up part of the castle when they abandoned it in 1651 and much of the stone was allegedly used to build a blockhouse, known as Cromwell's Castle, in 1651-2. The castle was partially excavated in 1954, which uncovered pottery, a 16th or 17th century bronze buckle and two coins of Henry VIII and Edward VI. |
More information : (SV 88241611) King Charles' Castle (NR) (remains of) (NAT) (1)
King Charles's Castle, Tresco was built between 1548 and 1554. At the time it was the principal fortress in the Isles of Scilly and was intended to guard the entrance to the sheltered harbour of New Grimsby. The defences of Scilly were neglected for much of Elizabeth's reign and when they were refortified in the 1590s St Mary's received all the attention. King Charles's Castle was brought back into use and its entrance protected by earthworks of irregular bastion trace during the Civil War. Thereafter it fell into ruin. Removal of fallen debris and trial excavation in 1954 produced two distinct groups of 16th and early 17th century pottery as well as maiolica wall tiles of Spanish origin and a few exotic ceramic imports. (2)
'King Charles' Castle', the name is of 19th century origin, was built originally between 1548 and 1554 to protect New Grimsby Harbour, see plan and sections (2), but proved inadequate. There were two periods of occupation: just after 1548 and again just before 1651 when the irregular earthwork bastion, now 4ft to 5ft high at maximum from outside and 2ft-3ft high internally, was raised to protect the landward approaches. (3)
After its final desertion, masonry from it was used in the building of Cromwell's Castle (SV 81 NE 23). (4)
Borlase describes on his visit (4) the ruins still standing to door and embrasure height on the side overlooking the harbour and also the not very skilful construction of the standing masonry.
O'Neil cleared accumulated debris and carried out a partial excavation in 1954. Finds included pottery from the two periods of occupation, a 16/17th century bronze buckle and two coins of Henry VIII and Edward VI. Castle listed Grade II* (5). For lay-out and details of interior, see plan (2).
King Charles' Castle (name confirmed) is situated on the highest point on the west side of Castle Down overlooking New Grimsby Harbour. It is in the guardianship of the DOE and is as shown on the DOE plan. It is sited in the southwest corner of a rectangular Civil War earthwork which has three bastions. The south west corner is protected by a steep face of natural rock outcrop. The earthwork consists of a bank averaging 1.3m in height externally, 0.5m internally, and with an outer ditch 0.3m deep on the north and east sides.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD and at 1:2500 for AO Records. (6)
See Archives Folder P/F 38, number 2292. (7)
(SV88241611) King Charles's Castle [GT] (8)
Fortification. 1550-1554. Roughly coursed granite rubble. Crucifom plan with domestic quarters to rear of semi-hexagonal battery at west end. (Listed Grade II*) [Full architectural description] (9)
King Charles's Castle. Not very eloquent debris of a building of c. 1550. Semi-octagonal west end, four centred doorway at the East end. A pentagonal fort was added in the Civil War. (10)
King Charles' Castle is an artillery castle built between 1550 and 1554, situated on the highest point on the west side of Castle Down overlooking New Grimsby Harbour, Tresco. The castle was part of a series of fortifications built on the Isles of Scilly between 1548 and 1554 in response to a threat from the French. After an abortive attempt to construct an artillery castle on St Mary's, whose remains are known as 'Harry's Walls', the emphasis focused on Tresco. King Charles' Castle was built to command the northern entrance to the harbour. The castle is cruciform in plan with the hall and kitchen forming the eastern half, from which the accommodation chambers project to the north and south, and with a semi-hexagonal gun platform extending to the west. The castle was originally of two storeys but the walls now only rise up to 3.4 metres high. A guardroom was attached to the east wall, the main entrance to the castle. The ground-floor gun platform of semi-hexagonal plan originally consisted of 5 gun ports. Despite early prominence, the castle was superseded as the islands' chief stronghold by the building of the Star Castle on St Mary's, 1593-1594. However an earthen artillery defence was added to the north and east of the artillery castle by Royalists during the English Civil War, which on Scilly lasted from 1642-1651. It is a rectangular earthwork with three bastions consisting of a bank up to 2 metres in height externally and an outer ditch 0.4 metres deep on the north and east sides. The south west corner is protected by a steep face of natural rock outcrop. The defence was designed to protect the castle from landward attack. The Royalist's are believed to have blown up part of the castle when they abandoned it in 1651 and much of the stone was used to build a blockhouse, known as Cromwell's Castle, in 1651-2. The castle was partially excavated in 1954, which uncovered pottery, a 16th or 17th century bronze buckle and two coins of Henry VIII and Edward VI.
Scheduled. (11)
Additional references. (12-16)
A brief history and description. (17)
Contrary to Authority 11, King Charles' Castle pre-dates Harry's Walls. Existing survey of outwork by Cornwall Archaeol (18A) amended and detail added at 1:500. The rampart is up to 0.5m high internally, 1.3m externally and the ditch is no more than 0.2m deep. The earthworks to S and E appear unfinished but may only be damaged. This work need not date to the Civil War as has been assumed and could be of late 16th or early 17th century date; it might be the work referred to in a document of 1627. It is slightly irregular in plan and at an angle to the masonry castle and has acute-angled bastions with no orillons; it is not clear why the north-east corner has a demi-bastion rather than a full bastion. (18-19)
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