Pendennis Castle

Perched on the promontory of Pendennis Point, Pendennis Castle was constructed from 1540 to 1545 by Henry VIII as one of a chain of fortresses designed to defend the British mainland from Spanish and French invasion. Falmouth's deepwater harbour made the town a key strategic asset, and Pendennis was built, along with its sister fortress of St Mawes, to defend the harbour and the entrance to the Carrick Roads.

During the Civil War, the castle was engaged in a five-month siege under the command of Captain John Arundell of Trerice, and later became a defensive gun battery during WWII. These days the guns have fallen silent, but you can still experience a taste of Tudor warfare on the castle's reconstructed gun-deck with its impressive collection of vintage cannons. The history of the fortress is explored inside the old artillery barracks, and outside you can visit the old underground magazine, Guardhouse and Observation Post. Regular outdoor concerts are held in the castle grounds during summer; rather less tuneful is the deafening retort of the Noonday Gun, which rings out everyday at noon sharp.