These photos were taken in the Gun Tower.
Saturday 22 September 2018
St Mawes Castle (2) Externals
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| St Mawes Castle is a lot smaller than Pendennis across the river |
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| The main entrance, originally there was a drawbridge |
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| Through the Gatehouse and going into the main Gun Tower |
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| One of the bastions from the Gun Tower |
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| East Side bastion |
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| Front bastion with the Coat of Arms and West side bastion |
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| Grand Sea Battery, these four gun positions were remodelled during the 1870's for 64 pdr cannons |
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| This is a 24 pdr from 1815, mounted on the 1870's racer |
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| The Main Magazine, built in 1854 |
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| The Magazine's protecting wall |
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| The Saluting Battery (start the kids off young) |
These are some extra photos I got from Google Images. Many thanks to those posted these.
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| The Main Magazine |
Road Trip 2018 ; Visit to St Mawes Catle (1)
Two years ago on our last visit to Cornwall, we went to Pendennis Castle. This year we visited its partner, St Mawes Castle.
This map above I have copied from the English Heritage Guidebook to the two castles. They were built in the 1540's during the reign of Henry VIII to protect Carrick Roads.
Carrick Roads was formed during the last Ice Age so it somewhat fjord-like. It is the estuary of the River Fal and some other streams. During the 15th century there was a major naval base in Falmouth so Henry's engineers built the two forts which, as the crow flies, are only about a mile apart so they would create a crossfire to protect the Roads.
Carrick Roads is unbridged below Truro. We were travelling from the West and would have to drive through Truro to get to St Mawes. However, there is a ferry at King Henry Reach that saves about thirty miles off the journey.
The ferry has been in continuous use for centuries, the earliest written mention is around 1530. The current ferry was built in 2006 and can carry 30 - 35 cars. It is a vehicular chain ferry and it takes about 10 minutes to cross the river. The King Henry it is named after is thought not to be King Henry VIII, but King Henry VI as there is a small chapel nearby that is dedicated to Henry VI after he was murdered in the Tower of London, one of the two Princes allegedly killed on the orders of the future Richard III.
We arrived at St Mawes and could easily see Pendennis across the water.
This map above I have copied from the English Heritage Guidebook to the two castles. They were built in the 1540's during the reign of Henry VIII to protect Carrick Roads.
Carrick Roads was formed during the last Ice Age so it somewhat fjord-like. It is the estuary of the River Fal and some other streams. During the 15th century there was a major naval base in Falmouth so Henry's engineers built the two forts which, as the crow flies, are only about a mile apart so they would create a crossfire to protect the Roads.
Carrick Roads is unbridged below Truro. We were travelling from the West and would have to drive through Truro to get to St Mawes. However, there is a ferry at King Henry Reach that saves about thirty miles off the journey.
We arrived at St Mawes and could easily see Pendennis across the water.
Wednesday 19 September 2018
Austin Seven
We live in a small country town, Easingwold, in North Yorkshire, population around 5000.
Twice or three times a month I see someone driving down the main street in an Austin Seven. These diminutive cars were made during the '20s and '30s and had a 747cc engine. The car was about half the size and weight of a Ford Model T. They were a very tight squeeze for four people, probably middle class families of two adults and two children.
Every time I see him, I want to stop the car and ask about the car and why and how much he drives it around. But I have not seen it parked anywhere and I wont try to stop the car as it goes down the street, there is a bit of a slope down the hill and I'm not sure how well the brakes work.
Tuesday 18 September 2018
Road Trip 2018 : A day in Worcester & the Commandery
A day trip to Worcester, starting with the statue of Edward Elgar, previously listed, then the Cathedral.
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| Stained glass memorials from WW1 |
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| Colonel Ellis who was at the Battle of Waterloo |
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| Tomb of Rt Hon Stanley Baldwin, three times UK Prime Minister |
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| Tomb of King John |
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| In his mouth, this lion has the tip of King John's sword, I don't know why |
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| Tomb of Prince Arthur, older brother of the future King Henry VIII |
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| Boat trip |
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| Rowing club building |
The museum we went to, The Commandery, was something of a surprise, a very nice surprise. This is quite a small museum with a few very good exhibits, but with lots of charm and enthusiasm.
In 1651, the future Charles II attempted to raise rebellion against the Parliamentary government. A Scots Army of around 16,000 moved down the West side of England and took Worcester. Parliamentary forces laid siege to the city. The Commandery was the headquarters of the Scots forces. These two photos are from Google Images.
There was a very interesting lecture on the weaponry of the period.
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| An introductory video |
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| and a nice cafe |
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