The Castles at St Mawes and Pendennis were built during the reign of King Henry the Eighth.

They were part of a programme of strategic coastal fortification to protect against the increased risk of foreign invasion that arose as a result of Henry's split with the Catholic Church. Work on both castles began in 1540 and took about five years to complete.

Between them the castles have witnessed nearly half a millennium of English history including the English Civil War and two World Wars. While Pendennis shows evidence of much of this history, St Mawes remains largely as it was during Tudor times, providing a fascinating insight into the lives of those who occupied it.

Our virtual tour includes an exterior view of the castle, the forward gun room, the upper gun room and the view from the roof parapets which shows the turret and from which you can see the forward gun platform below and the view across the estuary to Pendennis.