Scheduled Monuments›England›King Charles' Castle mid-16th century artillery castle and Civil War earthen artillery defence on western Castle Down, Tresco

King Charles' Castle mid-16th century artillery castle and Civil War earthen artillery defence on western Castle Down, Tresco

England
List entry 1013667
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1013667
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.6 hectares
Grid reference
SV 88270 16126
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

King Charles' Castle is a mid-16th century artillery fortress situated on Castle Down on the island of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall. The castle was constructed during the reign of Henry VIII as part of a programme of coastal defence, designed with low, angular bastions to accommodate modern cannon and withstand artillery assault. The structure was subsequently modified and refortified during the English Civil War, when earthen artillery defences were added to strengthen its position. The monument represents a significant example of Tudor military engineering adapted for the protection of an isolated maritime location and the strategic waters around the Isles of Scilly.

King Charles' Castle mid-16th century artillery castle and Civil War earthen artillery defence on western Castle Down, Tresco is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1013667. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is King Charles' Castle mid-16th century artillery castle and Civil War earthen artillery defence on western Castle Down, Tresco?

King Charles' Castle is a mid-16th century artillery fortress situated on Castle Down on the island of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1013667.

Who is responsible for protecting King Charles' Castle mid-16th century artillery castle and Civil War earthen artillery defence on western Castle Down, Tresco?

King Charles' Castle mid-16th century artillery castle and Civil War earthen artillery defence on western 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 1013667.

What other scheduled monuments are near King Charles' Castle mid-16th century artillery castle and Civil War earthen artillery defence on western Castle Down, Tresco?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kerbed platform cairn on Wingletang Down, 80m north east of Porth Askin (8.7 km), Nineteenth century gig-shed north east of Porth Askin (8.7 km), Two 19th century gig-sheds ENE of Porth Askin (8.7 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about King Charles' Castle mid-16th century artillery castle and Civil War earthen artillery defence on western Castle Down, Tresco

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of King Charles' Castle mid-16th century artillery castle and Civil War earthen artillery defence on western 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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Kerbed platform cairn on Wingletang Down, 80m north east of Porth Askin
8.7 km
Nineteenth century gig-shed north east of Porth Askin
8.7 km
Two 19th century gig-sheds ENE of Porth Askin
8.7 km
Platform cairn on Wingletang Down, 30m south east of Porth Askin
8.8 km
Round cairn on Wingletang Down, 50m south west of Porth Askin
8.8 km
Kerbed platform cairn on Wingletang Down, 25m SSW of Beady Pool
8.8 km
Platform cairn on Wingletang Down, 65m SSW of Porth Askin
8.9 km
Platform cairn on Wingletang Down, 60m south of Porth Askin
8.9 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under King Charles' Castle mid-16th century artillery castle and Civil War earthen artillery defence on western Castle Down, Tresco

King Charles' Castle mid-16th century artillery castle and Civil War earthen artillery defence on western Castle Down, Tresco stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Carboniferous To Permian, bedrock that formed in the Permian. The rock here is felsic-rock.

All Scheduled Monuments