St Mawes Castle
St Mawes Castle is part of the chain of coastal defences built during the reign of King Henry VIII to protect against an invasion threat from Catholic France and Spain after establishing the Church of England. St Mawes' clover-leaf shape was designed so that heavy "ship-sinking" guns could be mounted to face in three directions and together with Pendennis Castle could protect the important anchorage of Carrick Roads. Whereas Pendennis was further developed after Tudor times, St Mawes was not. Thus it is one of the best preserved of these fortresses and is also the most elaborately decorated of them all.
On walks
- St Just-in-Roseland to St Mawes (6.1 mile walk)
Also mentioned in walks
- Mylor to Flushing (4.1 mile walk)
- St Anthony Head (short version) (3.4 mile walk)
- St Anthony Head (5.9 mile walk)