Scheduled MonumentsEnglandCromwell's Castle mid-17th century blockhouse and 18th century gun platform on the western coast of Castle Down, Tresco

Cromwell's Castle mid-17th century blockhouse and 18th century gun platform on the western coast of Castle Down, Tresco

England
List entry 1013275
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1013275
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.19 hectares
Grid reference
SV 88181 15972
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Cromwell's Castle is a mid-17th century blockhouse constructed on the western coast of Castle Down, Tresco, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall. Built during the English Civil War period under the Commonwealth, the structure reflects the strategic military importance of the Scilly Islands as a contested stronghold. The original blockhouse was subsequently modified in the 18th century with the addition of a gun platform, adapting the fortification to changing military requirements and artillery practices of that era. The site remains an important example of Civil War military architecture in the southwest of England.

Cromwell's Castle mid-17th century blockhouse and 18th century gun platform on the western coast of Castle Down, Tresco is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1013275. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cromwell's Castle mid-17th century blockhouse and 18th century gun platform on the western coast of Castle Down, Tresco?

Cromwell's Castle is a mid-17th century blockhouse constructed on the western coast of Castle Down, Tresco, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1013275.

Who is responsible for protecting Cromwell's Castle mid-17th century blockhouse and 18th century gun platform on the western coast of Castle Down, Tresco?

Cromwell's Castle mid-17th century blockhouse and 18th century gun platform on the western coast of Castle Down, Tresco is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1013275.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cromwell's Castle mid-17th century blockhouse and 18th century gun platform on the western coast of Castle Down, Tresco?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kerbed platform cairn on Wingletang Down, 80m north east of Porth Askin (8.5 km), Nineteenth century gig-shed north east of Porth Askin (8.5 km), Two 19th century gig-sheds ENE of Porth Askin (8.6 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Cromwell's Castle mid-17th century blockhouse and 18th century gun platform on the western coast of Castle Down, Tresco

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Cromwell's Castle mid-17th century blockhouse and 18th century gun platform on the western coast of Castle Down, Tresco's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Cromwell's Castle mid-17th century blockhouse and 18th century gun platform on the western coast of Castle Down, Tresco

Cromwell's Castle mid-17th century blockhouse and 18th century gun platform on the western coast of Castle Down, Tresco stands on Ordovician granite, bedrock that formed in the Ordovician. The rock here is granite group.