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.